85 Preface قالوا تَاللَّهِ تَفتَأُ تَذكُرُ يوسُفَ حَتّىٰ تَكونَ حَرَضًا أَو تَكونَ مِنَ الهالِكينَYusuf AliThey said: “By God. (never) wilt thou cease to remember Joseph until thou reach the last extremity of illness, or until thou die!”1A speech full of jealousy, taunting malice, and lack of understanding?one that would have driven mad anyone less endowed with patience and wisdom than was Jacob, the Prophet of God. It shows that the sons were still unregenerate, though the time of their repentance and reclamation was drawing nigh. The cruel heartlessness of their words is particularly out of place, as Jacob bore his sorrow in silence and complained to no mortal, but poured out his distraction and grief only to God, as stated in the next verse.