Muslim Fathers in the Quran: Jacob and Joseph

This post is part 4 of the series about Muslim Fathers mentioned in the Quran. Specifically, those verses are selected where interaction of Muslim Fathers with their kids is mentioned. Translation is by T. B. Irving (http://isgkc.org/translat.htm)

JACOB (Yaqub) and JOSEPH (Yusuf) peace be upon them

(Al-Baqara) 43:133
Or were you present as death appeared for Jacob, when he said to his sons: "What will you serve after I am gone?" They said: 'We shall worship your God and the God of your forefathers Abraham, Ishmael and Isaac: God Alone! We are committed peacefully to Him."

(Joseph) 12: misc verses

So Joseph told his father: "My father, I saw eleven stars, and the sun and moon; I saw them bowing down before me!" He said: "My dear son, do not relate your vision to your brothers lest they may lay some trap for you; Satan is an open enemy to man. Thus your Lord is choosing you and teaching you how to interpret events, and completing His favor towards you and Jacob's house, just as He has already completed it towards both your forefathers Abraham and Isaac. Your Lord is Aware, Wise!"

... They [Joseph’s brothers] said: "Our father, what's wrong with you that you do not trust us with Joseph? We are quite sincere about him. Send him along with us tomorrow to relax and play. We'll look after him." He [Jacob] said: "It would worry me for you to go off with him. I fear a wolf will eat him up while you are careless about him."

... They came back weeping to their father in the evening. They said: "Our father, we went off racing and left Joseph with our belongings, and the wolf ate him up! You will not believe us even though we are telling the truth." They even came with false blood on his shirt. He said: "Rather you yourselves have been fooled in the matter. Patience is beautiful! God is the One to seek help from against what you describe."

... When they [Joseph’s brothers] returned to their father, they said: "Our father [further] measure has been denied us, so send our brother [Benjamin] along with us so we may be treated as customers. We'll look after him." He [Jacob] said: "How dare I trust you with him except as I entrusted you with his brother long ago? God is the best Guardian and the most Merciful of Mercy-granters." When they opened their baggage, they found their trading goods had been returned to them. They said: "Our father, what more do we desire than this? This merchandise of ours has been returned to us! We shall supply our family, look after our brother, and add a camel's load [to it] besides: that should be such an easy load!" He said: 'I will never send him with you until you give me some assurance before God that you will bring him back to me, unless you have been ambushed." When they had given him their pledge, he said: "God is a Trustee for what we say." He said: "My sons, do not enter by a single gate; enter rather by separate gates. I cannot help you in any way against God; discretion rests only with God. On Him have I relied, and on Him should reliant persons rely."

... Return to your father and say: 'Our father, your son has stolen something! Yet we testify only about what we know and are not guardians of the Unseen. Ask the town[sfolk] where we have been and the caravan which we came back in; we are telling the truth!"' He [Jacob] said: 'Rather you have fooled yourselves in the matter. Patience is a virtue! Perhaps God will bring them all back to me; He is the Aware, the Wise." He turned away from them and said: "How upset I feel over Joseph!" Both his eyes clouded over from sadness, so he choked back his grief. They said: 'By God, you keep on remembering Joseph until you will be exhausted or will be ready to die!" He said: "I complain only to God about my sorrow and my sadness. Through God I know something you do not know. My sons, go and search for Joseph and his brother; do not despair of [finding] God's comfort; only disbelieving folk despair of God's comfort."

... He [Joseph] said: "There is no [way for me to] find fault with you today. God will forgive you; He is the most Merciful of the Mercy-granting. Take this shirt of mine and throw it over my father's face; he will become sighted [again], Bring me all your family." As the caravan set out, their father said: "I smell a breath from Joseph, even though you may think I am doting." They said: "By God, you are still in your old error!" When an advance rider came, he threw it over his [Jacob’s] face, and his sight was restored. He [Jacob] said: "Did I not tell you that through God I know something that you do not know?" They said: "Our father, seek us forgiveness for our offences! We have been mistaken." He said: "I shall seek forgiveness for you from my Lord; He is the Forgiving, the Merciful."

... When they entered Joseph's office, he took both his parents aside and said: "Enter Egypt safely, if God wishes." He helped his parents up on to the platform, and they fell down on their knees before him. He said: "My father, this is the interpretation of my earlier vision. My Lord has made it come true! He was Kind to me when He let me out of jail, and brought you in from wandering on the desert after Satan had stirred up trouble between me and my brothers. My Lord is Gracious in whatever way He wishes; He is the Aware, the Wise.