12:96

فَلَمَّآ أَن جَآءَ ٱلۡبَشِيرُ أَلۡقَىٰهُ عَلَىٰ وَجۡهِهِۦ فَٱرۡتَدَّ بَصِيرٗاۖ قَالَ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ إِنِّيٓ أَعۡلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ

Falamma an jaa albasheeru alqahu AAala wajhihi fairtadda baseeran qala alam aqul lakum innee aAAlamu mina Allahi ma la taAAlamoona

And when the bearer of good tidings arrived, he cast it over his face, and he returned [once again] seeing. He said, "Did I not tell you that I know from Allah that which you do not know?"

Word by word
  1. فَلَمَّآThen when
  2. أَن[that]
  3. جَآءَarrived
  4. ٱلۡبَشِيرُthe bearer of glad tidings
  5. أَلۡقَىٰهُhe cast it
  6. عَلَىٰover
  7. وَجۡهِهِۦhis face
  8. فَٱرۡتَدَّthen returned (his) sight
  9. بَصِيرٗاۖthen returned (his) sight
  10. قَالَHe said
  11. أَلَمۡDid not
  12. أَقُلI say
  13. لَّكُمۡto you
  14. إِنِّيٓindeed,I
  15. أَعۡلَمُ[I] know
  16. مِنَfrom
  17. ٱللَّهِAllah
  18. مَاwhat
  19. لَاnot
  20. تَعۡلَمُونَyou know
Yusuf · 12:96Makkah

The shirt touched his face, and he could see again.

Good news arrives, and Ya'qub's hope is proved right


The arrival
the bearerbrings the shirt
cast over
Ya'qub's faceblind from grief
and
sight returnsdid I not tell you?
Who carried it
the bloodied shirthe once brought a lie
now
the healing shirthe brings the truth

Mujahid and As-Suddi said the bearer of good news was Yahudha. As-Suddi added that he had once brought Yusuf's shirt with false blood, so he wanted to erase that error with this good act. The shirt was placed on Ya'qub's face and his sight came back. He said: did I not tell you I know from Allah what you do not?

You were the one who broke the bad news, told the lie, caused the rift. Now you can be the one who brings the good news, makes the call, carries the apology. The hand that did harm can be the hand that heals.

I caused that hurt, so I am the last person who can fix it.

The one who did wrong can choose to carry the good news next.

Try this

Be the one who delivers a piece of good news or an apology today, in person.

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

Then, when the bearer of the good news arrived, he cast it (the shirt) over his face, and his vision returned. He said: "Did I not say to you, 'I know from Allah that which you know not?' (96)They said: "O our father! Ask forgiveness (from Allah) for our sins, indeed we have been sinners. (97)He said: "I will ask my Lord for forgiveness for you, verily, He! Only He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. (98)

Yahudha brings Yusuf's Shirt and Good News

Ibn 'Abbas and Ad-Dahhak said;

الْبَشِيرُ 

(good news) means information. Mujahid and As-Suddi said that the bearer of good news was Yahudha, son of Ya'qub. As-Suddi added, "He brought it (Yusuf's shirt) because it was he who brought Yusuf's shirt stained with the false blood. So he liked to erase that error with this good act, by bringing Yusuf's shirt and placing it on his father's face. His father's sight was restored to him." Ya'qub said to his children,

أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

(Did I not say to you, 'I know from Allah that which you know not'), that I know that Allah will return Yusuf to me and that,

إِنِّي لَأَجِدُ رِيحَ يُوسُفَ ۖ لَوْلَا أَن تُفَنِّدُونِ

(I do indeed feel the smell of Yusuf, if only you think me not senile.)

Yusuf's Brothers feel Sorry and Regretful

This is when Yusuf's brothers said to their father, with humbleness,

يَا أَبَانَا اسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَا إِنَّا كُنَّا خَاطِئِينَ - قَالَ سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّي ۖ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ

("O our father! Ask forgiveness (from Allah) for our sins, indeed we have been sinners." He said: "I will ask my Lord for forgiveness for you, verily, He! Only He is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful.")

and He forgives those who repent to Him. 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud, Ibrahim At-Taymi, 'Amr bin Qays, Ibn Jurayj and several others said that Prophet Ya'qub delayed fulfilling their request until the latter part of the night.