Surah Yusuf

الٓرتِلْكَءَايَٰتُٱلْكِتَٰبِٱلْمُبِينِ

Alif. Lam. Ra. THESE ARE MESSAGES of a revelation clear in itself and clearly showing the truth:

إِنَّآأَنزَلْنَٰهُقُرْءَٰنًاعَرَبِيًّۭالَّعَلَّكُمْتَعْقِلُونَ

behold, We have bestowed it from on high as a discourse in the Arabic tongue, so that you might encompass it with your reason.

نَحْنُنَقُصُّعَلَيْكَأَحْسَنَٱلْقَصَصِبِمَآأَوْحَيْنَآإِلَيْكَهَٰذَاٱلْقُرْءَانَوَإِنكُنتَمِنقَبْلِهِۦلَمِنَٱلْغَٰفِلِينَ

In the measure that We reveal this Qur'an unto thee, [O Prophet,] We explain it to thee in the best possible way, seeing that ere this thou wert indeed among those who are unaware [of what revelation is].

إِذْقَالَيُوسُفُلِأَبِيهِيَٰٓأَبَتِإِنِّىرَأَيْتُأَحَدَعَشَرَكَوْكَبًۭاوَٱلشَّمْسَوَٱلْقَمَرَرَأَيْتُهُمْلِىسَٰجِدِينَ

LO! Thus spoke Joseph unto his father: "O my father! Behold, I saw [in a dream] eleven stars, as well as the sun and the moon: I saw them prostrate themselves before me!"

قَالَيَٰبُنَىَّلَاتَقْصُصْرُءْيَاكَعَلَىٰٓإِخْوَتِكَفَيَكِيدُوا۟لَكَكَيْدًاإِنَّٱلشَّيْطَٰنَلِلْإِنسَٰنِعَدُوٌّۭمُّبِينٌۭ

[Jacob] replied: "O my dear son! Do not relate thy dream to thy brothers lest [out of envy] they devise an evil scheme against thee; verily, Satan is man's open foe!

وَكَذَٰلِكَيَجْتَبِيكَرَبُّكَوَيُعَلِّمُكَمِنتَأْوِيلِٱلْأَحَادِيثِوَيُتِمُّنِعْمَتَهُۥعَلَيْكَوَعَلَىٰٓءَالِيَعْقُوبَكَمَآأَتَمَّهَاعَلَىٰٓأَبَوَيْكَمِنقَبْلُإِبْرَٰهِيمَوَإِسْحَٰقَإِنَّرَبَّكَعَلِيمٌحَكِيمٌۭ

For, [as thou hast been shown in thy dream,] even thus will thy Sustainer elect thee, and will impart unto thee some understanding of the inner meaning of happenings, and will bestow the full measure of His blessings upon thee and upon the House of Jacob -even as, aforetime, He bestowed it in full measure upon thy forefathers Abraham and Isaac. Verily, thy Sustainer is all-knowing, wise!"

لَّقَدْكَانَفِىيُوسُفَوَإِخْوَتِهِۦٓءَايَٰتٌۭلِّلسَّآئِلِينَ

Indeed, in [the story of] Joseph and his brothers there are messages for all who search [after truth].

إِذْقَالُوا۟لَيُوسُفُوَأَخُوهُأَحَبُّإِلَىٰٓأَبِينَامِنَّاوَنَحْنُعُصْبَةٌإِنَّأَبَانَالَفِىضَلَٰلٍۢمُّبِينٍ

NOW [Joseph's brothers] spoke [thus to one another:] "Truly, Joseph and his brother [Benjamin] are dearer to our father than we, even though we are so many. Behold, our father is surely suffering from an aberration!"

ٱقْتُلُوا۟يُوسُفَأَوِٱطْرَحُوهُأَرْضًۭايَخْلُلَكُمْوَجْهُأَبِيكُمْوَتَكُونُوا۟مِنۢبَعْدِهِۦقَوْمًۭاصَٰلِحِينَ

[Said one of them:] "Slay Joseph, or else drive him away to some [faraway] land, so that your father's regard may be for you alone: and after this is done, you will be [free to repent and to live once again as] righteous people!"

قَالَقَآئِلٌۭمِّنْهُمْلَاتَقْتُلُوا۟يُوسُفَوَأَلْقُوهُفِىغَيَٰبَتِٱلْجُبِّيَلْتَقِطْهُبَعْضُٱلسَّيَّارَةِإِنكُنتُمْفَٰعِلِينَ

Another of them said: "Do not slay Joseph, but -rather - if you must do something - cast him into the dark depths of this well, [whence] some caravan may pick him up."

قَالُوا۟يَٰٓأَبَانَامَالَكَلَاتَأْمَ۫نَّاعَلَىٰيُوسُفَوَإِنَّالَهُۥلَنَٰصِحُونَ

[On this they agreed; and thereupon] they spoke [thus to their father]: "O our father! Wherefore wilt thou not trust us with Joseph, seeing that we are indeed his well-wishers?

أَرْسِلْهُمَعَنَاغَدًۭايَرْتَعْوَيَلْعَبْوَإِنَّالَهُۥلَحَٰفِظُونَ

Let him go out with us tomorrow, that he may enjoy himself and play: and, verily, we shall guard him well!"

قَالَإِنِّىلَيَحْزُنُنِىٓأَنتَذْهَبُوا۟بِهِۦوَأَخَافُأَنيَأْكُلَهُٱلذِّئْبُوَأَنتُمْعَنْهُغَٰفِلُونَ

[Jacob] answered: "Behold, it grieves me indeed [to think] that you might take him with you, for I dread lest the wolf devour him at a moment when you are heedless of him!"

قَالُوا۟لَئِنْأَكَلَهُٱلذِّئْبُوَنَحْنُعُصْبَةٌإِنَّآإِذًۭالَّخَٰسِرُونَ

Said they: "Surely, if the wolf were to devour him notwithstanding that we are so many-then, behold, we ought ourselves to perish!"

فَلَمَّاذَهَبُوا۟بِهِۦوَأَجْمَعُوٓا۟أَنيَجْعَلُوهُفِىغَيَٰبَتِٱلْجُبِّوَأَوْحَيْنَآإِلَيْهِلَتُنَبِّئَنَّهُمبِأَمْرِهِمْهَٰذَاوَهُمْلَايَشْعُرُونَ

And so, when they went away with him, they decided to cast him into the dark depths of the well. And We revealed [this] unto him: "Thou wilt yet remind them of this their deed at a time when they shall not perceive [who thou art]!"

وَجَآءُوٓأَبَاهُمْعِشَآءًۭيَبْكُونَ

And at nightfall they came to their father, weeping,

قَالُوا۟يَٰٓأَبَانَآإِنَّاذَهَبْنَانَسْتَبِقُوَتَرَكْنَايُوسُفَعِندَمَتَٰعِنَافَأَكَلَهُٱلذِّئْبُوَمَآأَنتَبِمُؤْمِنٍۢلَّنَاوَلَوْكُنَّاصَٰدِقِينَ

[and] said: "O our father! Behold, we went off racing with one another, and left Joseph behind with our things; and thereupon the wolf devoured him! But [we know that] thou wouldst not believe us even though we speak the truth" -

وَجَآءُوعَلَىٰقَمِيصِهِۦبِدَمٍۢكَذِبٍۢقَالَبَلْسَوَّلَتْلَكُمْأَنفُسُكُمْأَمْرًۭافَصَبْرٌۭجَمِيلٌۭوَٱللَّهُٱلْمُسْتَعَانُعَلَىٰمَاتَصِفُونَ

and they produced his tunic with false blood upon it. [But Jacob] exclaimed: "Nay, but it is your [own] minds that have made [so terrible] a happening seem a matter of little account to you! But [as for myself,] patience in adversity is most goodly [in the sight of God]; and it is to God [alone] that I pray to give me strength to bear the misfortune which you have described to me."

وَجَآءَتْسَيَّارَةٌۭفَأَرْسَلُوا۟وَارِدَهُمْفَأَدْلَىٰدَلْوَهُۥقَالَيَٰبُشْرَىٰهَٰذَاغُلَٰمٌۭوَأَسَرُّوهُبِضَٰعَةًۭوَٱللَّهُعَلِيمٌۢبِمَايَعْمَلُونَ

AND THERE CAME a caravan; and they sent forth their drawer of water, and he let down his bucket into the well - [and when he saw Joseph] he exclaimed: "Oh, what a lucky find, this boy!" And they hid him with a view to selling him: but God had full knowledge of all that they were doing.

وَشَرَوْهُبِثَمَنٍۭبَخْسٍۢدَرَٰهِمَمَعْدُودَةٍۢوَكَانُوا۟فِيهِمِنَٱلزَّٰهِدِينَ

And they sold him for a paltry price - a mere few silver coins: thus low did they value him.