The scene of Jacob and his son closes. Another opens on Joseph’s brothers plotting against him.
“Truly, Joseph and his brother (Benjamin) are loved more by our father than we, but we are Usbah (a strong group). Really our father is in a plain error. Kill Joseph or cast him out to some other land, so that the favor of your father may be give to you alone, and after that you will be righteous folk (by intending repentance before committing the sin).” One from among them said: “Kill not Joseph, but if you must do something, throw him down to the bottom of a well, he will be picked up by some caravan of travelers.” (Ch 12:8-10)
The pages of the Old Testament say that Joseph told them his dream, whereas the Quran does not say that happened. Had it been so, the brothers would have said so themselves. The Old Testament claims they had lost their own rights by him, and so they would kill him. Indeed Joseph kept his father’s order and did not tell his brothers about his vision.
In spite of this, his brothers sat down to conspire against him. One of them asked:
“Why does our father love Joseph more than us?”
Another answered: “Perhaps because of his beauty.”
A third said: “Joseph and his brother occupied our father’s heart.”
The first complained: “Our father has gone all astray.”
One of them suggested a solution to the matter; kill Joseph.
“Where should we kill him?”
“We should banish him away from these grounds.”
“We will send him to a distant land.”
“Why should we not kill him and have rest so that the favor of your father may be give to you
alone?”
However, Judah (Yahudh), the eldest and most intelligent among them, said:
“There is no need to kill him when all you want is to get rid of him. Look here, let us throw him into a well and he will be picked up by a passing caravan. T hey will take him with them to a distant land. He will disappear from your father’s sight and our purpose will be served with his exile.
Then after that we shall repent for our crime and become good people once again.”
The discussion continued on the idea of dropping Joseph into a well, as it was seen as the safest solution.
The plan to kill him was defeated; kidnap into a distant land was approved. It was the
cleverest of ideas.
The Brothers Approach Jacob
Their next movement opened the scene between them and their father Jacob (pbuh):
They said: “O our father! Why do you not trust us with Joseph, when we are indeed his well wishers? Send him with us tomorrow to enjoy himself and play, and verily we will take care of him.”
He (Jacob) said: “Truly, it saddens me that you should take him away. I fear lest a wolf should devour him, while you are careless of him.”
They said: “If a wolf devours him, while we are Usbah (a strong group) (to guard him), then surely we are the losers.” (Ch 12:11-14)
Jacob suggested a point, which had not occurred to them in their discussion: he feared that desert wolves would eat him! it he wolves within them, or did he mean the wild wolves? No one but Allah knows. They coaxed their father to send Joseph with them; he agreed under their pressure.
Joseph Thrown into the Well
They were excited that they could now get rid of Joseph for after this they could stand a better
chance of receiving their father’s affection. On leaving home, they went directly to the well, as
they had planned, on the pretext of drinking water. One of them put his arms around Joseph and held him tightly. Startled by this unusual behavior, Joseph struggled to free himself. More brothers rushed to hold him. One of them removed his shirt. Some more joined in to lift Joseph up and cast him into the deep well. Joseph’s piteous pleas made no difference to their cruel hearts.
Then Allah revealed to Joseph that he was safe and should not fear, for he would meet them again some day to remind them of what they had done.
There was water in the well, which buoyed Joseph’s body, so he was not harmed. He sat lonely in the water, then clung to a rock ledge overheard and climbed on top of it. his brothers left him in this desolate place.
Then they killed a sheep and soaked Joseph’s shirt in its blood. One brother said that they should swear to keep their deed a close secret. All of them took the oath.
The Brothers Lie to Jacob
“And they came to their father in the early part of the night weeping.” (Ch 12:16)
The scene here is dark night, broken by the crying of ten men. The father is sitting in his house
when the sons enter, the darkness of night covering the darkness of their hearts and the darkness of their lies struggling to come out. Jacob wondered aloud:
“Why this weeping? Has anything happened to our flock?”
They answered crying: “O our father! We went racing with one another,
and left Joseph by our belongings and a wolf devoured him; but you will never believe us even
when we speak the truth. (Ch 12:17)
“We were surprised after returning from the race that Joseph was in the belly of the wolf.”
“We did not see him!”
“You will not believe us even though we are truthful! we are telling you what happened!”
“The wolf has eaten Joseph!”
“This is Joseph’s shirt. We foiled it soiled with blood, and did not find Joseph!”
They brought his shirt stained with false blood. (Ch 12:18)
Deep down in the heart Jacob knew that his beloved son was still alive and that his other sons
were lying. He held the blood stained in his hands, spread it out and remarked: “What a merciful wolf! he ate up my beloved son without tearing his shirt!” Their faces turned red when he demanded more information, but each swore by Allah that he was telling the truth. The
broken hearted father burst into tears:
“Nay! But your own selves have made up a tale. So for me patience is more fitting. It is Allah
Alone whose Help can be sought against that which you assert.” (Ch 12:18)
The father acted wisely by praying for mighty patience, which is free of doubt, and by trusting in Allah for help against what they had plotted against him and his son. This scene dims, and the scene opens in the well with which Joseph had been thrown.
Joseph Finds Comfort in Allah
In the dark well Joseph managed to find a stone ledge to hold onto. Around him was total
darkness and an eerie silence. Fearful thoughts entered his mind: what would happen to him?
Where would he find food? Why had his own brothers turned against him? Would his father know of his plight? His father’s smile flashed before him recalling the love and affection he had always shown him. Joseph began to pray earnestly, pleading to Allah for salvation. Gradually his fear began to subside. His Creator was testing the young man with a great misfortune in order to infuse in him a spirit of patience and courage. Joseph, surrendered himself to the will of his Lord.