Did Joseph (as) have two shirts in the story of the Holy Qur’an?

No, that is a misunderstanding. The second shirt was a wise message from Joseph (as) to his father. It reminded Jacob (as) of the bloodstained shirt of long ago and gently showed him that the old story had been a lie.

When the brothers threw Joseph (as) into the well, they took his shirt from him. They soaked it in the blood of an animal and showed it to their father. They wanted to prove that a wolf had eaten his son. Jacob (as) did not believe them, but he had no other evidence.

Some think that Joseph (as) wore two shirts. One, they say, was taken by the brothers, and he kept the other and later sent it as proof. The Holy Qur’an says nothing of the kind. Which shirt it was does not matter at all.

The meaning lies elsewhere. Long ago Jacob (as) had been shown a torn, bloodstained shirt so that he would believe his son was dead. Now a shirt arrives again, this time from Joseph (as) himself. At once the father’s mind goes back to that day. He understands that the old story was false and that his son is alive. The shirt corrects the lie that was once told with a shirt.

There is great tenderness in this as well. Overwhelming news that comes suddenly can shake a person, even when it is good news. Through the shirt, the truth dawned on Jacob (as) slowly. He could reflect and grasp the message step by step, without suffering a shock.

In this way the Holy Qur’an shows how to pass on momentous news. What matters is not only what we say, but also how we say it.