Surah 12. Yusuf

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Verses [Section]: 1-6[1], 7-20 [2], 21-29 [3], 30-35 [4], 36-42 [5], 43-49 [6], 50-57 [7], 58-68 [8], 69-79 [9], 80-93 [10], 94-104 [11], 105-111 [12]

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Quran Text of Verse 7-20لَقَدْCertainlyكَانَwereفِیْinیُوْسُفَYusufوَ اِخْوَتِهٖۤand his brothersاٰیٰتٌsignsلِّلسَّآىِٕلِیْنَ for those who ask اِذْWhenقَالُوْاthey saidلَیُوْسُفُSurely Yusufوَ اَخُوْهُand his brotherاَحَبُّ(are) more belovedاِلٰۤیtoاَبِیْنَاour fatherمِنَّاthan weوَ نَحْنُwhile weعُصْبَةٌ ؕ(are) a groupاِنَّIndeedاَبَانَاour fatherلَفِیْ(is) surely inضَلٰلٍan errorمُّبِیْنِۚۖclear قْتُلُوْاKillیُوْسُفَYusufاَوِorاطْرَحُوْهُcast himاَرْضًا(to) a landیَّخْلُso will be freeلَكُمْfor youوَجْهُ(the) faceاَبِیْكُمْ(of) your fatherوَ تَكُوْنُوْاand you will beمِنْۢafter thatبَعْدِهٖafter thatقَوْمًاa peopleصٰلِحِیْنَ righteous قَالَSaidقَآىِٕلٌa speakerمِّنْهُمْamong themلَا(Do) notتَقْتُلُوْاkillیُوْسُفَYusufوَ اَلْقُوْهُbut throw himفِیْinغَیٰبَتِthe bottomالْجُبِّ(of) the wellیَلْتَقِطْهُwill pick himبَعْضُsomeالسَّیَّارَةِ[the] caravanاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou areفٰعِلِیْنَ doing قَالُوْاThey saidیٰۤاَبَانَاO our father!مَاWhyلَكَ(do) youلَاnotتَاْمَنَّاtrust usعَلٰیwithیُوْسُفَYusufوَ اِنَّاwhile indeed weلَهٗ(are) for himلَنٰصِحُوْنَ surely well-wishers اَرْسِلْهُSend himمَعَنَاwith usغَدًاtomorrowیَّرْتَعْ(to) enjoyوَ یَلْعَبْand playوَ اِنَّاAnd indeed, weلَهٗfor himلَحٰفِظُوْنَ (will) surely (be) guardians قَالَHe saidاِنِّیْIndeed, [I]لَیَحْزُنُنِیْۤit surely saddens meاَنْthatتَذْهَبُوْاyou should take himبِهٖyou should take himوَ اَخَافُand I fearاَنْthatیَّاْكُلَهُwould eat himالذِّئْبُa wolfوَ اَنْتُمْwhile youعَنْهُof himغٰفِلُوْنَ (are) unaware قَالُوْاThey saidلَىِٕنْIfاَكَلَهُeats himالذِّئْبُthe wolfوَ نَحْنُwhile weعُصْبَةٌ(are) a groupاِنَّاۤindeed weاِذًاthenلَّخٰسِرُوْنَ surely (would be) losers 12. Yusuf Page 237فَلَمَّاSo whenذَهَبُوْاthey took himبِهٖthey took himوَ اَجْمَعُوْۤاand agreedاَنْthatیَّجْعَلُوْهُthey put himفِیْinغَیٰبَتِ(the) bottomالْجُبِّ ۚ(of) the wellوَ اَوْحَیْنَاۤBut We inspiredاِلَیْهِto himلَتُنَبِّئَنَّهُمْSurely, you will inform themبِاَمْرِهِمْabout this affairهٰذَاabout this affairوَ هُمْwhile theyلَا(do) notیَشْعُرُوْنَ perceive وَ جَآءُوْۤAnd they cameاَبَاهُمْ(to) their fatherعِشَآءًearly at nightیَّبْكُوْنَؕweeping قَالُوْاThey saidیٰۤاَبَانَاۤO our father!اِنَّاIndeed weذَهَبْنَا[we] wentنَسْتَبِقُracing each otherوَ تَرَكْنَاand we leftیُوْسُفَYusufعِنْدَwithمَتَاعِنَاour possessionsفَاَكَلَهُand ate himالذِّئْبُ ۚthe wolfوَ مَاۤBut notاَنْتَyouبِمُؤْمِنٍ(will) believeلَّنَاusوَ لَوْeven ifكُنَّاwe areصٰدِقِیْنَ truthful وَ جَآءُوْAnd they broughtعَلٰیuponقَمِیْصِهٖhis shirtبِدَمٍwith false bloodكَذِبٍ ؕwith false bloodقَالَHe saidبَلْNayسَوَّلَتْhas enticed youلَكُمْhas enticed youاَنْفُسُكُمْyour soulsاَمْرًا ؕ(to) a matterفَصَبْرٌso patienceجَمِیْلٌ ؕ(is) beautifulوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahالْمُسْتَعَانُ(is) the One sought for helpعَلٰیagainstمَاwhatتَصِفُوْنَ you describe وَ جَآءَتْAnd there cameسَیَّارَةٌa caravanفَاَرْسَلُوْاand they sentوَارِدَهُمْtheir water drawerفَاَدْلٰیthen he let downدَلْوَهٗ ؕhis bucketقَالَHe saidیٰبُشْرٰیO good news!هٰذَاThisغُلٰمٌ ؕ(is) a boyوَ اَسَرُّوْهُAnd they hid himبِضَاعَةً ؕ(as) a merchandiseوَ اللّٰهُAnd Allahعَلِیْمٌۢ(is) All- Knowerبِمَاof whatیَعْمَلُوْنَ they do وَ شَرَوْهُAnd they sold himبِثَمَنٍۭfor a priceبَخْسٍvery lowدَرَاهِمَdirhamsمَعْدُوْدَةٍ ۚfewوَ كَانُوْاand they wereفِیْهِabout himمِنَofالزَّاهِدِیْنَ۠those keen to give up

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Translation of Verse 7-20

7. Indeed, in the story of Joseph and his brothers there are lessons for all who ask.

8. ˹Remember˺ when they said ˹to one another˺, "Surely Joseph and his brother ˹Benjamin˺ are more beloved to our father than we, even though we are a group of so many. ⁴³⁷ Indeed, our father is clearly mistaken.

9. Kill Joseph or cast him out to some ˹distant˺ land so that our father's attention will be only ours, then after that you may ˹repent and˺ become righteous people!"

10. One of them said, "Do not kill Joseph. But if you must do something, throw him into the bottom of a well so perhaps he may be picked up by some travellers."

11. They said, "O our father! Why do you not trust us with Joseph, although we truly wish him well?

12. Send him out with us tomorrow so that he may enjoy himself and play. And we will really watch over him."

13. He responded, "It would truly sadden me if you took him away with you, and I fear that a wolf may devour him while you are negligent of him."

14. They said, "If a wolf were to devour him, despite our strong group, then we would certainly be losers!"

15. And so, when they took him away and decided to throw him into the bottom of the well, We inspired him: "˹One day˺ you will remind them of this deed of theirs while they are unaware ˹of who you are˺."

16. Then they returned to their father in the evening, weeping.

17. They cried, "Our father! We went racing and left Joseph with our belongings, and a wolf devoured him! But you will not believe us, no matter how truthful we are."

18. And they brought his shirt, stained with false blood. ⁴³⁸ He responded, "No! Your souls must have tempted you to do something ˹evil˺. So ˹I can only endure with˺ beautiful patience! ⁴³⁹ It is Allah's help that I seek to bear your claims."

19. And there came some travellers, and they sent their water-boy who let down his bucket into the well. He cried out, "Oh, what a great find! Here is a boy!" And they took him secretly ˹to be sold˺ as merchandise, but Allah is All-Knowing of what they did.

20. They ˹later˺ sold him for a cheap price, just a few silver coins-only wanting to get rid of him. ⁴⁴⁰

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Commentary

437. Unlike Joseph's other brothers, Benjamin was Joseph's full brother. They lost their mother at a young age, so their half- brothers thought that their father loved them more.

438. They stained Joseph's shirt with blood from a sheep, but forgot to tear his shirt. So Jacob became suspicious when he saw the intact shirt.

439. i.e., patience without complaining.

440. Other possible translations: 1. "... so little did they value him." 2. "... they had no interest in him." In any case, they wanted to sell him immediately before someone claimed him. According to some Quran commentators, it was Joseph's brothers who sold him to the travellers after he was picked up from the well. The verse states that Joseph was sold for a few worthless coins. Ironically, in 12:88 Joseph's brothers came to him after he became Egypt's Chief Minister, begging for supplies and saying that the only money they could afford was a few worthless coins. This is when Joseph revealed his true identity to them.