قَالَ قَأيِلٌ مَّنْهُمْ لَا تَقْتُلُواْ يُوسُفَ وَأَلْقُوهُ فِي غَيَابَةِ الْجُبِّ
One from among them said;"Kill not Yusuf, but if you must do something, throw him down to the bottom of a well;
قَالَ قَأيِلٌ مَّنْهُمْ
One from among them said...
Qatadah and Muhammad bin Ishaq said that;
he was the oldest among them and his name was Rubil (Reuben).
As-Suddi said that;
his name was Yahudha (Judah).
Mujahid said that;
it was Sham`un (Simeon) who said,
لَا تَقْتُلُواْ يُوسُفَ
(Kill not Yusuf),
do not let your enmity and hatred towards him reach this level, of murder.
However, their plot to kill Yusuf would not have succeeded, because Allah the Exalted willed that Yusuf fulfill a mission that must be fulfilled and complete; he would receive Allah's revelation and become His Prophet. Allah willed Yusuf to be a powerful man in Egypt and govern it.
Consequently, Allah did not allow them to persist in their intent against Yusuf, through Rubil's words and his advice to them that if they must do something, they should throw him down to the bottom of a well,
يَلْتَقِطْهُ بَعْضُ السَّيَّارَةِ
he will be picked up by some caravan,
of travelers passing by. This way, he said, you will rid yourselves of this bother without having to kill him,
إِن كُنتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ
if you must do something,
meaning, if you still insist on getting rid of him.
Muhammad bin Ishaq bin Yasar said,
"They agreed to a particularly vicious crime that involved cutting the relation of the womb, undutiful treatment of parents, and harshness towards the young, helpless and sinless.
It was also harsh towards the old and weak who have the rights of being respected, honored and appreciated, as well as, being honored with Allah and having parental rights on their offspring. They sought to separate the beloved father, who had reached old age and his bones became weak, yet had a high status with Allah, from his beloved young son, in spite of his weakness, tender age and his need of his father's compassion and kindness.
May Allah forgive them, and indeed, He is the Most Merciful among those who have mercy, for they intended to carry out a "grave error."
Ibn Abi Hatim collected this statement, from the route of Salamah bin Al-Fadl from Muhammad bin Ishaq