A story
Binyamin, Yusuf's Brother, and the Silver Cup
This is a story about a boy named Binyamin. Binyamin was not a prophet. He was the youngest brother of Prophet Yusuf, peace be upon him, and the son of Prophet Yaqub, peace be upon him. The Quran tells his story, calling him "Yusuf's brother." The scholars of tafsir tell us that his name was Binyamin. In English, it is Benjamin.
Binyamin and Yusuf had the same mother. They were the two youngest sons in a family of twelve brothers. When Yusuf was lost many years before, Binyamin was very young. He grew up missing his big brother. His father Yaqub took special care of him, and kept him close.
Then came the years of hunger. No rain fell. The fields in Canaan turned dry and brown. The family had little food left.
People said that in Egypt there was grain to buy. A wise minister had stored it during the good years. So ten of the brothers traveled to Egypt with their camels. Binyamin stayed home with his father.
The minister of Egypt welcomed the brothers. He gave them grain. But the brothers did not know a big secret. The minister was really their own brother, Yusuf!
Yusuf asked them about their family. Then he said, "Bring me your brother from your father. Do you not see that I give full measure, and that I am the best of hosts? But if you do not bring him, you will have no more grain from me" (Surah Yusuf, 12:59-60).
Yusuf also told his servants to secretly put the brothers' money back into their saddlebags. Perhaps then they would come back again.
When the brothers got home, they told their father everything. "Father, we will get no more grain unless we take our brother. Send him with us. We will protect him."
Yaqub was worried. He remembered that they had made the same promise about Yusuf. Then the brothers opened their bags and found their money inside! "Father, look," they said. "Our money has been given back to us. With Binyamin, we can get even more grain for our family."
At last, Yaqub agreed. But first he made them give a solemn promise, in the name of Allah, that they would bring Binyamin back unless something happened that was out of their control. Then Yaqub said, "Allah is the One who watches over what we say" (Surah Yusuf, 12:66).
Yaqub also gave them advice. "O my sons, do not all enter by one gate. Enter by different gates." But he reminded them that only Allah can truly protect, and that he put his trust in Allah.
So Binyamin traveled to Egypt with his brothers. The road was long and hot. The camels swayed. At last they saw the walls of the city.
When they came to the minister, something wonderful happened. Yusuf took Binyamin aside, close to him. Quietly, he said, "I am your brother. So do not be sad about what they used to do" (Surah Yusuf, 12:69).
Imagine Binyamin's joy! His big brother, lost for so many years, was alive and well. And he was a great minister of Egypt! But Yusuf asked him to keep it a secret for a little while. Binyamin trusted his brother.
Then Yusuf had the brothers' camels loaded with grain. And, as part of his plan, he had the king's measuring cup placed in Binyamin's saddlebag.
As the caravan was leaving, a voice called out. "O caravan! You are thieves!"
The brothers turned around, shocked. "What have you lost?" they asked.
"We have lost the king's measuring cup," said the men. "Whoever brings it back will get a whole camel-load of grain as a reward."
"By Allah," said the brothers, "you know we did not come to cause trouble, and we are not thieves."
"Then what should happen to the one who took it, if you are lying?" asked the men.
The brothers answered by the law of their own land. In their land, someone who took something would stay and work for its owner. "The one in whose bag it is found, he shall stay as the payment," they said.
So the search began. Yusuf searched the bags of the older brothers first. One bag. Then another. Then another. Nothing. Last of all, he opened Binyamin's bag. And there was the cup, shining in the sunlight!
The brothers gasped. Binyamin stood quietly. He knew the secret. He was not afraid, because he knew his brother had a wise plan.
Allah says in the Quran, meaning: "Thus did We plan for Yusuf" (Surah Yusuf, 12:76). This was the way Allah let Yusuf keep his brother with him, safely and kindly.
The brothers begged. "O minister, he has an old father who loves him very much. Please take one of us in his place." But Yusuf said that he would keep only the one with whom the cup was found.
Now the brothers remembered their promise to their father. The eldest brother said, "I will not leave this land until my father lets me, or until Allah decides for me." He stayed in Egypt. The others went home with the sad news.
This time, the brothers were different. Long ago, they had been jealous of Yusuf. Now they truly cared about Binyamin and their father. They had learned how much a promise matters.
Back home, Yaqub was very sad. But he said, "Patience is beautiful. Perhaps Allah will bring them all back to me." He told his sons to go back and search for Yusuf and his brother, and never to lose hope in Allah's mercy.
So the brothers returned to Egypt a third time. They stood before the minister, tired and humble. And then Yusuf told them the truth. "I am Yusuf, and this is my brother," he said. "Allah has been kind to us" (Surah Yusuf, 12:90).
The brothers were ashamed of what they had done long ago. But Yusuf forgave them. "No blame on you today," he said.
Binyamin stood beside his two families joined together at last: his big brother Yusuf, and all his other brothers. Soon their father Yaqub came to Egypt too, and the whole family was together again.
Binyamin's story teaches us that keeping a promise matters very much, and that people can learn to change and to care for each other. And when someone we love has a wise plan, we can trust them, just as we always trust Allah, who plans the best of all.
Binyamin and Yusuf had the same mother. They were the two youngest sons in a family of twelve brothers. When Yusuf was lost many years before, Binyamin was very young. He grew up missing his big brother. His father Yaqub took special care of him, and kept him close.
Then came the years of hunger. No rain fell. The fields in Canaan turned dry and brown. The family had little food left.
People said that in Egypt there was grain to buy. A wise minister had stored it during the good years. So ten of the brothers traveled to Egypt with their camels. Binyamin stayed home with his father.
The minister of Egypt welcomed the brothers. He gave them grain. But the brothers did not know a big secret. The minister was really their own brother, Yusuf!
Yusuf asked them about their family. Then he said, "Bring me your brother from your father. Do you not see that I give full measure, and that I am the best of hosts? But if you do not bring him, you will have no more grain from me" (Surah Yusuf, 12:59-60).
Yusuf also told his servants to secretly put the brothers' money back into their saddlebags. Perhaps then they would come back again.
When the brothers got home, they told their father everything. "Father, we will get no more grain unless we take our brother. Send him with us. We will protect him."
Yaqub was worried. He remembered that they had made the same promise about Yusuf. Then the brothers opened their bags and found their money inside! "Father, look," they said. "Our money has been given back to us. With Binyamin, we can get even more grain for our family."
At last, Yaqub agreed. But first he made them give a solemn promise, in the name of Allah, that they would bring Binyamin back unless something happened that was out of their control. Then Yaqub said, "Allah is the One who watches over what we say" (Surah Yusuf, 12:66).
Yaqub also gave them advice. "O my sons, do not all enter by one gate. Enter by different gates." But he reminded them that only Allah can truly protect, and that he put his trust in Allah.
So Binyamin traveled to Egypt with his brothers. The road was long and hot. The camels swayed. At last they saw the walls of the city.
When they came to the minister, something wonderful happened. Yusuf took Binyamin aside, close to him. Quietly, he said, "I am your brother. So do not be sad about what they used to do" (Surah Yusuf, 12:69).
Imagine Binyamin's joy! His big brother, lost for so many years, was alive and well. And he was a great minister of Egypt! But Yusuf asked him to keep it a secret for a little while. Binyamin trusted his brother.
Then Yusuf had the brothers' camels loaded with grain. And, as part of his plan, he had the king's measuring cup placed in Binyamin's saddlebag.
As the caravan was leaving, a voice called out. "O caravan! You are thieves!"
The brothers turned around, shocked. "What have you lost?" they asked.
"We have lost the king's measuring cup," said the men. "Whoever brings it back will get a whole camel-load of grain as a reward."
"By Allah," said the brothers, "you know we did not come to cause trouble, and we are not thieves."
"Then what should happen to the one who took it, if you are lying?" asked the men.
The brothers answered by the law of their own land. In their land, someone who took something would stay and work for its owner. "The one in whose bag it is found, he shall stay as the payment," they said.
So the search began. Yusuf searched the bags of the older brothers first. One bag. Then another. Then another. Nothing. Last of all, he opened Binyamin's bag. And there was the cup, shining in the sunlight!
The brothers gasped. Binyamin stood quietly. He knew the secret. He was not afraid, because he knew his brother had a wise plan.
Allah says in the Quran, meaning: "Thus did We plan for Yusuf" (Surah Yusuf, 12:76). This was the way Allah let Yusuf keep his brother with him, safely and kindly.
The brothers begged. "O minister, he has an old father who loves him very much. Please take one of us in his place." But Yusuf said that he would keep only the one with whom the cup was found.
Now the brothers remembered their promise to their father. The eldest brother said, "I will not leave this land until my father lets me, or until Allah decides for me." He stayed in Egypt. The others went home with the sad news.
This time, the brothers were different. Long ago, they had been jealous of Yusuf. Now they truly cared about Binyamin and their father. They had learned how much a promise matters.
Back home, Yaqub was very sad. But he said, "Patience is beautiful. Perhaps Allah will bring them all back to me." He told his sons to go back and search for Yusuf and his brother, and never to lose hope in Allah's mercy.
So the brothers returned to Egypt a third time. They stood before the minister, tired and humble. And then Yusuf told them the truth. "I am Yusuf, and this is my brother," he said. "Allah has been kind to us" (Surah Yusuf, 12:90).
The brothers were ashamed of what they had done long ago. But Yusuf forgave them. "No blame on you today," he said.
Binyamin stood beside his two families joined together at last: his big brother Yusuf, and all his other brothers. Soon their father Yaqub came to Egypt too, and the whole family was together again.
Binyamin's story teaches us that keeping a promise matters very much, and that people can learn to change and to care for each other. And when someone we love has a wise plan, we can trust them, just as we always trust Allah, who plans the best of all.
