Prophet Yūsuf: Part 2 — The Storehouses and the King’s Cup
Section 28 of 29 · Lives of the Prophets
Eyes White With Grief
وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَـٰٓأَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَٱبْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ ٱلْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ
“He turned away from them and said, “How sad I am about Yūsuf!” and his eyes turned white with sorrow and he was suppressing (his anger and grief).” (12:84)
Now the father's sorrow — the old wound — was opened again. He remembered Yūsuf, and now it was Yūsuf and his brother Binyāmīn. So the father began to cry and weep until he went blind. He kept crying and weeping until his eyes lost their sight from sorrow. He was suppressing that sorrow.
قَالُوا۟ تَٱللَّهِ تَفْتَؤُا۟ تَذْكُرُ يُوسُفَ حَتَّىٰ تَكُونَ حَرَضًا أَوْ تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْهَـٰلِكِينَ
“They said, “By God, you will not stop remembering Yūsuf until you collapse or perish.”” (12:85)
The brothers tried to ease this pain for their father. They said: by Allah, you will never cease remembering Yūsuf until you become weak with old age, or until you are among the dead. They felt sorry for their father; they saw that he was going to destroy his health with the sorrow he was suppressing in his heart.