Surah Yusuf Tafseer

وَتَوَلَّى عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَا أَسَفَى عَلَى يُوسُفَ

وَابْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ

And he turned away from them and said:"Alas, my grief for Yusuf!"

He turned away from his children and remembered his old grief for Yusuf,

يَا أَسَفَى عَلَى يُوسُفَ

Alas, my grief for Yusuf!

The new grief, losing Binyamin and Rubil, renewed his old sadness that he kept to himself.

Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Ath-Thawri said that Sufyan Al-Usfuri said that Sa`id bin Jubayr said,

"Only this nation (the following of Prophet Muhammad) were given Al-Istirja'. Have you not heard the statement of Yaqub, peace be upon him,

يَا أَسَفَى عَلَى يُوسُفَ وَابْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ

"Alas, my grief for Yusuf !" And he lost his sight because of the sorrow that he was suppressing."

According to Qatadah and other scholars,

Yaqub suppressed his sorrow and did not complain to a created being,

Ad-Dahhak also commented,

"Yaqub was aggrieved, sorrowful and sad."

Yaqub's children felt pity for him and said, while feeling sorrow and compassion,