Bismillāh
وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَا أَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَابْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيم
And he turned away from them and said: ‘O my sorrow for Yūsuf!’ And his eyes had become white (blind), because of the sorrow that he suppressed.
Sūrat Yūsuf, No. 12, Āyat 84
Tragic events in life can leave people overwhelmed by grief. The verse above describes the reaction of Prophet Ya‘qūb ‘alayhis-salām when his youngest son, Binyāmīn, failed to return from Egypt after his older brothers falsely claimed that he had committed theft (Q12:81). This ordeal reopened the wounds of an earlier tragedy, when the same brothers had conspired against Prophet Yūsuf (a). They took him to the desert and returned home with his blood-stained shirt, claiming that a wolf had devoured him (Q12:17).
Upon hearing of Binyāmīn’s disappearance, Ya‘qūb was overcome with grief. Binyāmīn had been his source of comfort after the loss of Yūsuf, and now he too was gone. With a heart full of pain he turned away from his sons. This verse highlights three ways in which Prophet Ya‘qūb (a) expressed the sorrow he experienced.
The first expression was verbally expressing his sorrow:
وَقَالَ يَا أَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ
And he said: ”O my sorrow for Yūsuf!
The word asaf refers to sorrow accompanied by anger. Its essential meaning is the “boiling of the heart’s blood,” reflecting an intense emotional agitation and a desire for revenge. When this emotional state is directed toward someone who is superior or beyond one’s ability to confront, it manifests itself as grief, distress, and is described as asaf. But when it is directed toward someone who is weaker or subordinate, it takes the form of anger (ghadab). Prophet Ya‘qūb’s expression of grief was not an indication of dissatisfaction with the decree of Allah ‘azza wajall. Rather, it was fully consistent with his sabr jamīl (beautiful patience), having hope in the Almighty’s divine decree.
Verbally expressing sorrow is a well-established practice among the Imams. It is narrated that during the tragedy of Karbalā’, Imam al-Husayn (a) also gave a verbal expression to his grief. Upon the martyrdom of his brother, Abū al-Fadl al-‘Abbās, he lamented, saying, “Alas! My back is broken.”
The second expression is physically demonstrating his sorrow:
وَابْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ الْحُزْنِ
And his eyes had become white (blind)
The phrase “his eyes turned white” signifies that Ya‘qūb lost his eyesight. Although it can sometimes refer to weakened vision, the later verse, “Cast this shirt of mine over my father’s face; he will regain his sight”, (Q12:93), makes it clear that he had become completely blind. His blindness resulted from the overwhelming grief and continual weeping over the loss of Yūsuf (a).
It is well known from the accounts of Imam al-Sajjād (a)that he witnessed the martyrdom of his father and the male members of his family during the tragedy of Karbalā’. Bearing this immense grief, Imam al-Sajjād (a) continued to weep for many years after the tragedy had passed. When asked why he continued weeping for so long he referred to the grief of Ya‘qūb and how he became blind on account of the grief of separation from his sons (al-Khisāl, v 2, p 518).
The third expression was spiritually controlling his sorrow.
فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ
But he was suppressing his grief
The root kazama means to restrain or hold back one’s breath. When it is said: “He restrained himself (kazama nafsahu)”, it means: “He prevented himself from expressing what was inside.” Kuzūm is a metaphor for silence. Kāzim is one who is filled with sorrow and anguish, but holds back his anger, and does not complain about his suffering to the people of his time. It is due to this reason that Imam Mūsā ibn Ja‘far (a) was called al-Kāzim. He endured much anger, hardship, and grief throughout his life. The Quran says about such individuals:
وَٱلْكَٰظِمِينَ ٱلْغَيْظَ وَٱلْعَافِينَ عَنِ ٱلنَّاسِ
Those who restrain their anger. (Q 3:134)
This spiritual expression of sorrow was also exemplified by Sayyida Zaynab (a)in Damascus. When Yazīd mockingly asked her, “How did you find what Allah did to your brother and your family?”, she replied with unwavering faith despite her suffering: “I saw nothing but beauty” (mā ra’aytu illā jamīlā).
We pray to the Almighty to grant us the ability to follow in the footsteps of the Ahl al-Bayt in every aspect of our lives, especially when we are faced with His trials. We continue to pray for the safety and victory of the Muslim Ummah through the hastening of Imam al-Hujjah ‘ajjallāhu farajah.
Sources: Āyatullāh Nāsir Makārim Shirāzī (Ed.), Tafsīr-e Namūneh, ‘Allāmah Muhammad Husayn Tabātabā’ī, Tafsīr al-Mīzān, Shaykh Tabarsī, Tafsīr Majma‘ al-Bayān.