وَقَالَ يَـٰبَنِىَّ لَا تَدْخُلُوا۟
مِنۢ بَابٍ وَٰحِدٍ وَٱدْخُلُوا۟
مِنْ أَبْوَٰبٍ مُّتَفَرِّقَةٍ ۖ وَمَآ
أُغْنِى عَنكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ
مِن شَىْءٍ ۖ إِنِ ٱلْحُكْمُ
إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۖ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ ۖ وَعَلَيْهِ
فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ
وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ مِنْ حَيْثُ
أَمَرَهُمْ أَبُوهُم مَّا
كَانَ يُغْنِى عَنْهُم
مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍ إِلَّا
حَاجَةً فِى نَفْسِ يَعْقُوبَ
قَضَىٰهَا ۚ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَذُو عِلْمٍ
لِّمَا عَلَّمْنَـٰهُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ
أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
And he said:
“O my sons!
Do not enter by
one gate, but
enter by different
gates, and I cannot
avail you against
Allah at all. Verily,
the decision rests
only with Allah.
In Him, I put my
trust and let all
those that trust,
put their trust in Him.”
And when they
entered according
to their father’s advice,
it did not avail
them in the least
against (the will of)
Allah; it was but a
need of Ya`qub’s
inner self which he
discharged. And
verily, he was endowed
with knowledge
because We had
taught him, but
most men know not.
Ya`qub orders His Children to enter Egypt from Different Gates
Allah says that Ya`qub, peace be upon him, ordered his children, when he sent Binyamin with them to Egypt, to enter from different gates rather than all of them entering from one gate. Ibn `Abbas, Muhammad bin Ka`b, Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak Qatadah, As-Suddi and several others said that he feared the evil eye for them, because they were handsome and looked beautiful and graceful. He feared that people might direct the evil eye at them, because the evil eye truly harms, by Allah’s decree, and brings down the mighty warrior-rider from his horse. He next said,
وَمَآ أُغْنِى عَنكُمْ
مِّنَ اللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍ
and I cannot avail you against Allah at all
this precaution will not resist Allah’s decision and appointed decree. Verily, whatever Allah wills, cannot be resisted or stopped,
إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلاَّ للَّهِ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ وَعَلَيْهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُتَوَكِّلُونَوَلَمَّا دَخَلُواْ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَهُمْ أَبُوهُم مَّا كَانَ يُغْنِى عَنْهُمْ مِّنَ اللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍ إِلاَّ حَاجَةً فِى نَفْسِ يَعْقُوبَ قَضَاهَا
“Verily, the decision rests only with Allah. In Him, I put my trust and let all those that trust, put their trust in Him.”
And when they entered according to their father’s advice, it did not avail them in the least against (the will of) Allah; it was but a need of Ya`qub’s inner self which he discharged. As a precaution against the evil eye,
وَإِنَّهُ لَذُو عِلْمٍ لِّمَا عَلَّمْنَاهُ
And verily, he was endowed with knowledge because We had taught him
he had knowledge that he implemented, according to Qatadah and Ath-Thawri. Ibn Jarir said that this part of the Ayah means, he has knowledge that We taught him,
وَلَـكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ
لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ
but most men know not