12:8

 

12:8

إِذْ قَالُواْ لَيُوسُفُ وَأَخُوهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَىٰ أَبِينَا مِنَّا وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ إِنَّ أَبَانَا لَفِي ضَلاَلٍ مُّبِينٍ

 

Ith qaloo laYoosufu waakhoohu ahabbu ila Abeena minna wanahnu uAAsbatun inna abana lafee dhalalin Mubeen

 

The Aya says:

As they (Joseph’s brothers) said: “Indeed Joseph and his brother are more beloved to our father from us while we are a tight group.  Indeed, our father is in clear misguidance.”

 

My personal note:

The curious mentioning of “his brother” while they are also his brother hints to the fact that they share the same father but not the same mother while “His brother” shares the same two parents.  The Qur’an does not mention the name of the other brother or the other brothers either. This is an example of the difference in stories as told in the bible vs the Qur’an. The Qur’anic story gives a short synopsis with not much detail including names of everybody.

 

Translation of the transliterated words:

Ith: as

Qaloo: they said

Note: QALOO is derived from the root Qaf-W-L and it means saying in any way possible. QALOO is an action that is completed that is derived from the root. It means the action of saying happened by the subject (third person plural). This, in turn means: they said or claimed. In this context it takes the meaning of they responded.

 

laYoosufu: indeed Joseph

waakhoohu: and his brother

Note: WA means and in this context.  AKHOOHU is derived from the root Hamza-KH and it means brother for AKH and UKHT for sister.  AKHO means brother of.  HU means him or his.

Ahabbu: more loved/ more beloved

Note: AHABBU is derived from the root Ha-B-B and it means in concrete seed. This word also means love. As if the seed is the product of love or the love will end up in a seed. AHABBU means more beloved.

Ila: to/ by

Abeena: our father

Note: ABEENA is derived from the root Hamza-B and it means father or parent. ABEE means father of. NA means us or our.

 

Minna: from us/ than us.

Wanahnu: while we

uAAsbatun: a tight group/ tightknit

Note the root is Ain-Sad-B and it means tendons and the hard cords that link muscles to bones and so on.  Conceptually it is used for cords of any kinds as well like nerves and so cords that humans use for tieing things up.  The word ISABA is used for the wrap on top of the head or for the close family. The connection is tieing things together as if tightening a cord.  uAASBATUN here points to them being a united front of good size

Inna: indeed

Abana: our father

Note: ABANA is derived from the root Hamza-B and it means father or parent. ABA means father of. NA means us or our.

 

Lafee: in

Dhalalin: misguidance/ loss of insight

Note: DHALAL is derived from the root Dhad-L-L and it means getting lost as in lost the path or road in concrete terminology. Conceptually, it is used for any form of loosing the path, whether it is the path to a location or to the truth, or to be correct spiritually and so on. The imagery is very strong since loosing the path in the desert can mean near certain death. DHALALIN means misguidance/ loss of insight

Mubeen: clear/ self-evident

Note: the root is B-Y-N and it means in concrete between. The action of the verb is betweening. This betweening can mean clarifying because one can know better the difference between two things. It also can mean distancing because the betweening makes things become apart. MUBEEN is the one that makes between in a conceptual sense.  This in turn makes the meaning for clear or self-evident or clarifying.

 Salaam all and have a great day

Hussein