Quran Universe
12:88

فَلَمَّا دَخَلُواْ عَلَيۡهِ قَالُواْ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلۡعَزِيزُ مَسَّنَا وَأَهۡلَنَا ٱلضُّرُّ وَجِئۡنَا بِبِضَٰعَةٖ مُّزۡجَىٰةٖ فَأَوۡفِ لَنَا ٱلۡكَيۡلَ وَتَصَدَّقۡ عَلَيۡنَآۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَجۡزِي ٱلۡمُتَصَدِّقِينَ

Falamma dakhaloo AAalayhi qaloo ya ayyuha alAAazeezu massana waahlana alddurru wajina bibidaAAatin muzjatin faawfi lana alkayla watasaddaq AAalayna inna Allaha yajzee almutasaddiqeena

So when they entered upon Joseph, they said, "O 'Azeez, adversity has touched us and our family, and we have come with goods poor in quality, but give us full measure and be charitable to us. Indeed, Allah rewards the charitable."

Word by word
  1. فَلَمَّاSo when
  2. دَخَلُواْthey entered
  3. عَلَيۡهِupon him
  4. قَالُواْthey said
  5. يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاO Aziz
  6. ٱلۡعَزِيزُO Aziz
  7. مَسَّنَاHas touched us
  8. وَأَهۡلَنَاand our family
  9. ٱلضُّرُّthe adversity
  10. وَجِئۡنَاand we have come
  11. بِبِضَٰعَةٖwith goods
  12. مُّزۡجَىٰةٖ(of) little value
  13. فَأَوۡفِbut pay (in) full
  14. لَنَاto us
  15. ٱلۡكَيۡلَthe measure
  16. وَتَصَدَّقۡand be charitable
  17. عَلَيۡنَآۖto us
  18. إِنَّIndeed
  19. ٱللَّهَAllah
  20. يَجۡزِيrewards
  21. ٱلۡمُتَصَدِّقِينَthe charitable
Yusuf · 12:88Makkah

Hardship has touched us, so be charitable to us.

The brothers return, humbled

Their plea
hardshipus and our family
poor goodsnot much to trade
so
full measureand charity
How they stood now
proud brotherswe are a strong group
now
humble askersbe charitable to us

Back in Egypt, the brothers told Yusuf: hardship has struck us and our family, and we have brought little of value. Give us full measure and be charitable to us. Allah rewards the charitable. Ibn Jurayj said they meant: be kind by returning our brother.

You walk into the bank, the council office, your estranged sibling's house, needing help. Your pride hurts. Asking humbly is not a defeat. It can be the first step toward healing.

Asking for help means I have lost.

Coming humbly, with what little I have, can open doors pride kept shut.

Try this

Ask one person for help you need today, plainly and without excuses.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 12:87)

"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.