قَالَ لَنْ أُرْسِلَهُۥ مَعَكُمْ حَتَّىٰ تُؤْتُونِ مَوْثِقًا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ لَتَأْتُنَّنِى بِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَن يُحَاطَ بِكُمْ ۖ فَلَمَّآ ءَاتَوْهُ مَوْثِقَهُمْ قَالَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَىٰ مَا نَقُولُ وَكِيلٌ
Important Words:
موثقا (a solemn promise) is derived from وثق for which see 2:28,64. It is synonymous with میثاق meaning a solemn promise, a covenant, etc. (Lane).
Commentary:
This verse points to a resemblance which the Holy Prophet possessed with Benjamin, the brother of Joseph from his own mother. Just as Jacob, before sending Benjamin to Egypt, took from his other sons a solemn pledge to protect him, similarly, before the Holy Prophetconsented to migrate to Medina, ‘Abbas, his uncle, took from the representatives of the Medinites, later known as Ansar, a solemn undertaking that they would protect him by all means in their power (Hisham & Tabari).