12:93
“Go with this my shirt and cast it over the face of my
father: he will come to see (clearly). Then come ye
(here) to me together with all your family.”
Earlier in the narrative, Joseph’s brothers attempted to conceal their wrongdoing by presenting their father with Joseph’s shirt stained with blood, claiming that he had been killed by a wolf (cf. Qur’an 12:17–18). This act served as the false evidence used to support their story and led their father, Yaʿqūb (Jacob), into deep grief over the presumed loss of his son.
Later in the story, after the brothers acknowledge their wrongdoing and receive Joseph’s forgiveness, they are entrusted with a message of reconciliation for their father. Joseph gives them one of his own garments to take back as proof that he is alive and that their account is truthful. The garment, likely reflecting the status and prosperity Joseph had attained as a high official in Egypt, symbolized his restored honor and success. At the same time, its appearance may have evoked memories of the earlier garment associated with Joseph, which had played a central role in the brothers’ deception.
Thus, the symbolism of the garment in the narrative is significant. The first shirt had been used as an instrument of deception that caused Jacob great sorrow, whereas the second shirt becomes a sign of truth and restoration, bringing comfort and healing after years of grief.
References:
Yusuf Ali, Abdullah. Translation and Commentary of the Quran. (Surah 12 verse 93).