80. So when they despaired of him, they met together in secret, the biggest of them said “Do you not know that surely your father took from each of you an oath from Allah and before this how you had failed in your duty to Yusuf. So I will not leave the land until my father gives me permission or Allah judges for me. And He is the Best of Judges”.

In this ayah Allah (swt) tells us what happened next with the brothers after a long and desperate struggle of convincing Yusuf (AS). They held a secret meeting to discuss what they should do next.  Allah (swt) then brings our attention to the speech of the one whom He (swt) refers to as “the biggest of them”. This brother was big in terms of his age, in terms of his intelligence, and most importantly in terms of his closeness to his Lord. Because this brother remembered Allah (swt), He considered him to be bigger than the others. This shows us that our Lord’s estimation of us is based on how much we think of Him (swt) and how much we strive to please Him (swt). This was also most likely the brother who did not want to kill Yusuf (AS) but who suggested instead that he be placed in the bottom of a well. Once again Allah (swt) Knows best!
   
Here this brother reminds the others of their situation. They had given their father a solemn oath from Allah (swt) Himself. In this oath, they had promised him that they would not return except with Binyamin. As evil as they were these brothers still realized what it meant to take an oath from Allah (swt). They knew that such an oath was not meant to be broken. They knew that they would be bringing upon themselves the pain in both this life and the next if they were to break such an oath. So this is what this brother reminded them of first. Then he also reminds them of how they had failed in their duty to Yusuf (AS). They had promised their father that they would be his protectors and they had failed in that promise. How then could they return to their father having failed again?

Now, this brother tells the others what he plans to do. He says that because of the promise that he gave, and because he failed in his duty to look after Yusuf (AS), now he has resolved not to leave the land until his father gives him permission or Allah (swt) judges for him. This brother now finally remembered Allah. He remembered his responsibility to Allah. He realized that he had earned the Wrath of Allah by betraying his father. Now, all that he desired was to be in the Pleasure of Allah (swt), all that he desired was to be away from the Wrath of Allah (swt). He realized now that the way to his Lord was by winning the approval of this father. He knows that he has a promise on his neck not to return to his father unless he has Binyamin with him. So he vows not to leave Egypt unless he is allowed to take Binyamin or unless his father gives him permission.

Notice in this ayah the change that has happened in this brother. Here he is actually blaming himself and the others for their failure to look after Yusuf (AS). Let us not forget that at the beginning of the Surah he was the one who had suggested that Yusuf (AS) be placed in the well. Now, look at how his behavior and his outlook had changed. He felt regret because of what had happened in the past. He blamed himself and his fellow brothers for their failure to look after Yusuf (AS). Now he actually cared for Allah. He actually cared for his father. Why was this? Why did this brother undergo such a radical change and transformation? One reason could be because of the trials that he had to face here. The trials that he had to endure brought about a radical transformation in this brother.

He then said, “And He is the Best of Judges”. Now he has put his fate completely in Allah. He will only leave the land when Allah makes a way for him to leave. Otherwise, he vows not to leave the land. If Allah pleases, He (swt) can return Binyamin to him and then he would leave. Or if Allah pleases, He (swt) can make Yaqoob (AS) give him permission and then he would leave. Or if Allah pleases, He (swt) can make no avenue of escape come for him and then he will die in this foreign land. The matter is completely up to Allah. This brother leaves the matter entirely to his Lord. The reason why this brother has left the matter entirely to Allah is because He (swt) is the Best of Judges. This brother knows that he has done wrong. Now he does not want anyone to judge him for his crime except Allah. If he is truly deserving of punishment, then Allah will punish him, and He (swt) will punish him with the most fitting of punishments. On the other hand, if he is deserving of mercy, then Allah will pardon him his crimes and allow for him a way to leave the land. This brother leaves his fate completely with Allah for Him (swt) to do with him as he pleases. He does this out of a realization that Allah is indeed the Best of Judges.

LESSONS

1. There is a hidden blessing in every trial or difficulty that we have to endure in this world. Every trial or difficulty is a chance for us to realize that this world is not worth sacrificing our relationship with Allah (swt) for. It is not worth trading our Hereafter for. It is a chance for us to come back to Allah (swt) if we have become distant from Him (swt). If we have a “perfect life,” if we never have any trials then why would ever remember Allah? Why would we ever turn to Him (swt) with a need that we have? When we go through trials, it reminds us how dependent we are on Allah and how much we need Him (swt). It reminds us to turn to Him (swt) and ask of Him (swt) to remove our difficulty from us. It makes us to look at ourselves and ask ourselves if there was something within us that brought about this calamity.

2. Allah is indeed the Best of Judges. This brother puts his hope in Allah based on the realization on this fact. Similarly, for whatever befalls us in this world we have to realize that such is the Judgment of Allah and He (swt) is indeed the Most Just of judges. We can never complain because of anything that happens to us or on the account of anything that we have been given or not given. We should realize that everything happens with the Decree of Allah. But Allah (swt) has chosen to give us this Decree based on His Perfect Knowledge and Perfect Wisdom. So we must never complain for this Decree. We have to realize that this Decree is the Judgment of the Best of Judges.