Quran Universe
12:87

يَٰبَنِيَّ ٱذۡهَبُواْ فَتَحَسَّسُواْ مِن يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلَا تَاْيۡـَٔسُواْ مِن رَّوۡحِ ٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يَاْيۡـَٔسُ مِن رَّوۡحِ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلۡقَوۡمُ ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَ

Ya baniyya ithhaboo fatahassasoo min yoosufa waakheehi wala tayasoo min rawhi Allahi innahu la yayasu min rawhi Allahi illa alqawmu alkafiroona

O my sons, go and find out about Joseph and his brother and despair not of relief from Allah. Indeed, no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people."

Word by word
  1. يَٰبَنِيَّO my sons
  2. ٱذۡهَبُواْGo
  3. فَتَحَسَّسُواْand inquire
  4. مِنabout
  5. يُوسُفَYusuf
  6. وَأَخِيهِand his brother
  7. وَلَاand not
  8. تَاْيۡـَٔسُواْdespair
  9. مِنof
  10. رَّوۡحِ(the) Mercy of Allah
  11. ٱللَّهِۖ(the) Mercy of Allah
  12. إِنَّهُۥIndeed
  13. لَاnone
  14. يَاْيۡـَٔسُdespairs
  15. مِنof
  16. رَّوۡحِ(the) Mercy of Allah
  17. ٱللَّهِ(the) Mercy of Allah
  18. إِلَّاexcept
  19. ٱلۡقَوۡمُthe people
  20. ٱلۡكَٰفِرُونَthe disbelievers
Yusuf · 12:87Makkah

Never despair of Allah's mercy.

A grieving father sends his sons out to search

Ya'qub's order
gosearch for Yusuf and his brother
and
do not despairof Allah's relief
only
the disbelievinggive up on Him
Hope in action
wait and crynothing can be done
go and searchand keep hoping

Ibn Kathir says Ya'qub sent his sons back to ask about Yusuf and his brother, in a good manner. He gave them good news and told them never to give up hope in Allah or stop trusting Him. Only the disbelieving despair of Allah's mercy.

The fifteenth rejection email. The test result that did not change. The prayer that seems unanswered for years. Keep searching. Keep sending the application. Keep praying. Despair is the one thing you cannot afford.

After this long, it is realistic to give up.

Giving up on Allah's mercy is never realistic; I keep acting and hoping.

Try this

Take one small step today toward something you had stopped hoping for.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

"O my sons! Go you and inquire about Yusuf and his brother, and never give up hope of Allah's mercy. Certainly no one despairs of Allah's mercy, except the people who disbelieve. (87)Then, when they entered unto him, they said: "O 'Aziz! A hard time has hit us and our family, and we have brought but poor capital, so pay us full measure and be charitable to us. Truly, Allah does reward the charitable. (88)

Ya'qub orders His Children to inquire about Yusuf and His Brother

Allah states that Ya'qub, peace be upon him, ordered his children to go back and inquire about the news of Yusuf and his brother Binyamin, in a good manner, not as spies. He encouraged them, delivered to them the good news and ordered them not to despair of Allah's mercy. He ordered them to never give up hope in Allah, nor to ever discontinue trusting in Him for what they seek to accomplish. He said to them that only the disbelieving people despair of Allah's mercy.

Yusuf's Brothers stand before Him

Allah said next,

فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَيْهِ

(Then, when they entered unto him), when they went back to Egypt and entered upon Yusuf,

قَالُوا يَا أَيُّهَا الْعَزِيزُ مَسَّنَا وَأَهْلَنَا الضُّرُّ

(they said: "O Aziz! A hard time has hit us and our family..."), because of severe droughts and the scarcity of food,

وَجِئْنَا بِبِضَاعَةٍ مُّزْجَاةٍ

(and we have brought but poor capital,) means, 'we brought money for the food we want to buy, but it is not substantial,' according to Mujahid, Al-Hasan and several others.

Allah said that they said next,

فَأَوْفِ لَنَا الْكَيْلَ

(so pay us full measure) meaning, 'in return for the little money we brought, give us the full measure that you gave us before.' Ibn Mas'ud read this Ayah in a way that means, "So give the full load on our animals and be charitable with us." Ibn Jurayj commented, "So be charitable to us by returning our brother to us." And when Sufyan bin 'Uyaynah was asked if the Sadaqah (charity) was prohibited for any Prophet before our Prophet ﷺ, he said, "Have you not heard the Ayah,

فَأَوْفِ لَنَا الْكَيْلَ وَتَصَدَّقْ عَلَيْنَا ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَجْزِي الْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ

(so pay us full measure and be charitable to us. Truly, Allah does reward the charitable.)?" Ibn Jarir At-Tabari collected this statement.