Yusuf (Joseph)

66. “He said: ‘Never will I send him with you until you pledge a solemn covenant to me, in Allah’s name, that you will surely bring him back to me, unless you are surrounded in (an evil accident).’ And when they had sworn their solemn pledge, he said: ‘Allah is Guardian over what we say’.”

The Arabic term /muiq/ here means that which generates reliability and wins the confidence of the opposite side, it might take the form of a commitment, making an oath or making a sacrifice.

Ya‘qub, despite all these incentives was not willing to send his son Benjamin along with them. But their insistence, which was coupled with sound logic, persuaded him to submit to their proposal.

So he finally gave his conditional approval to Benjamin going with them. But they had to swear in Allah’s name to return Benjamin to him unless they were rendered powerless in fulfilling their commitment due to death or other unforeseen events.

The verse says:

“He said: ‘Never will I send him with you until you pledge a solemn covenant to me, in Allah’s name, that you will surely bring him back to me, unless you are surrounded in (an evil accident).’...”

The purpose of this oath (a divine pledge) has been the very covenant and oath which invoked the Divine Name. Only then was he prepared to release Benjamin to them, for it now meant that Allah (s.w.t.) was Guardian and Witness to what they pledged.

The verse says:

“…And when they had sworn their solemn pledge, he said: ‘Allah is Guardian over what we say’.”