The Quran

Preface

وَقالَ يا بَنِيَّ لا تَدخُلوا مِن بابٍ واحِدٍ وَادخُلوا مِن أَبوابٍ مُتَفَرِّقَةٍ ۖ وَما أُغني عَنكُم مِنَ اللَّهِ مِن شَيءٍ ۖ إِنِ الحُكمُ إِلّا لِلَّهِ ۖ عَلَيهِ تَوَكَّلتُ ۖ وَعَلَيهِ فَليَتَوَكَّلِ المُتَوَكِّلونَ

Yusuf Ali

Further he said: “O my sons! enter not¹ all by one gate: enter ye by different gates. Not that I can profit you aught against God (with my advice): None can command except God. On Him do I put my trust: and let all that trust put their trust on Him.”

The Commentators refer to a Jewish (or Eastern) custom (or superstition) which forbade members of a numerous family to go together in a mass for fear of “the evil eye”. But apart from East or West, or custom or superstition, it would be ridiculous for any large family of ten or eleven to parade together in a procession among strangers. But there was even a better reason in this particular case, which made Jacob’s advice sound, and Jacob was, as stated in the next verse, a man of knowledge and experience. Here were eleven strangers dressed alike, in a dress not of the country, talking a strange language, coming in a time of stress, on an errand for which they had no credentials. Would they not attract undue attention and suspicion if they went together? Would they not be taken for spies??or for men bent on some mischief, theft, or organised crime? Such a suspicion is referred to in verse 73 below. By entering separately they would attract little attention. Jacob very wisely tells them to take all human precautions. But like a Prophet of God he warns them that human precautions would be no good if they neglect or run counter to far weightier matters?God’s Will and Law. Above all, they must try to understand and obey this, and their trust should be on God rather than on human usages, institutions, or precautions, however, good and reasonable these might be (Cf. 39:58). (R).