Surah Yusuf

وَقَالَٱلَّذِىٱشْتَرَىٰهُمِنمِّصْرَلِٱمْرَأَتِهِۦٓأَكْرِمِىمَثْوَىٰهُعَسَىٰٓأَنيَنفَعَنَآأَوْنَتَّخِذَهُۥوَلَدًۭاوَكَذَٰلِكَمَكَّنَّالِيُوسُفَفِىٱلْأَرْضِوَلِنُعَلِّمَهُۥمِنتَأْوِيلِٱلْأَحَادِيثِوَٱللَّهُغَالِبٌعَلَىٰٓأَمْرِهِۦوَلَٰكِنَّأَكْثَرَٱلنَّاسِلَايَعْلَمُونَ

And the man from Egypt who bought him said to his wife: "Make his stay [with us] honourable; he may well be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son. And thus We gave unto Joseph a firm place on earth; and [We did this] so that We might impart unto him some understanding of the inner meaning of happenings. For, God always prevails in whatever be His purpose: but most people know it not.

وَلَمَّابَلَغَأَشُدَّهُۥٓءَاتَيْنَٰهُحُكْمًۭاوَعِلْمًۭاوَكَذَٰلِكَنَجْزِىٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

And when he reached full manhood, We bestowed upon him the ability to judge [between right and wrong], as well as [innate] knowledge: for thus do We reward the doers of good.

وَرَٰوَدَتْهُٱلَّتِىهُوَفِىبَيْتِهَاعَننَّفْسِهِۦوَغَلَّقَتِٱلْأَبْوَٰبَوَقَالَتْهَيْتَلَكَقَالَمَعَاذَٱللَّهِإِنَّهُۥرَبِّىٓأَحْسَنَمَثْوَاىَإِنَّهُۥلَايُفْلِحُٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ

And [it so happened that] she in whose house he was living [conceived a passion for him and] sought to make him yield himself unto her; and she bolted the doors and said, "Come thou unto me!" [But Joseph] answered: "May God preserve me! Behold, goodly has my master made my stay [in this house]! Verily, to no good end come they that do [such] wrong!"

وَلَقَدْهَمَّتْبِهِۦوَهَمَّبِهَالَوْلَآأَنرَّءَابُرْهَٰنَرَبِّهِۦكَذَٰلِكَلِنَصْرِفَعَنْهُٱلسُّوٓءَوَٱلْفَحْشَآءَإِنَّهُۥمِنْعِبَادِنَاٱلْمُخْلَصِينَ

And, indeed, she desired him, and he desired her; [and he would have succumbed] had he not seen [in this temptation] an evidence of his Sustainer's truth: thus [We willed it to be] in order that We might avert from him all evil and all deeds of abomination -for, behold, he was truly one of Our servants.

وَٱسْتَبَقَاٱلْبَابَوَقَدَّتْقَمِيصَهُۥمِندُبُرٍۢوَأَلْفَيَاسَيِّدَهَالَدَاٱلْبَابِقَالَتْمَاجَزَآءُمَنْأَرَادَبِأَهْلِكَسُوٓءًاإِلَّآأَنيُسْجَنَأَوْعَذَابٌأَلِيمٌۭ

And they both rushed to the door; and she [grasped and] rent his tunic from behind-and [lo!] they met her lord at the door! Said she: "What ought to be the punishment of one who had evil designs on [the virtue of] thy wife - [what] but imprisonment or a [yet more] grievous chastisement?"

قَالَهِىَرَٰوَدَتْنِىعَننَّفْسِىوَشَهِدَشَاهِدٌۭمِّنْأَهْلِهَآإِنكَانَقَمِيصُهُۥقُدَّمِنقُبُلٍۢفَصَدَقَتْوَهُوَمِنَٱلْكَٰذِبِينَ

[Joseph] exclaimed: "It was she who sought to make me yield myself unto her!" Now one of those present, a member of her own household, suggested this: If his tunic has been torn from the front, then she is telling the truth, and he is a liar;

وَإِنكَانَقَمِيصُهُۥقُدَّمِندُبُرٍۢفَكَذَبَتْوَهُوَمِنَٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ

but if his tunic has been torn from behind, then she is lying, and he is speaking the truth."

فَلَمَّارَءَاقَمِيصَهُۥقُدَّمِندُبُرٍۢقَالَإِنَّهُۥمِنكَيْدِكُنَّإِنَّكَيْدَكُنَّعَظِيمٌۭ

And when (her husband] saw that his tunic was torn from behind, he said: "Behold, this is [an instance] of your guile, O womankind! Verily, awesome is your guile!

يُوسُفُأَعْرِضْعَنْهَٰذَاوَٱسْتَغْفِرِىلِذَنۢبِكِإِنَّكِكُنتِمِنَٱلْخَاطِـِٔينَ

[But,] Joseph, let this pass! And thou, [O wife,] ask forgiveness for thy sin-for, verily, thou hast been greatly at fault!"

وَقَالَنِسْوَةٌۭفِىٱلْمَدِينَةِٱمْرَأَتُٱلْعَزِيزِتُرَٰوِدُفَتَىٰهَاعَننَّفْسِهِۦقَدْشَغَفَهَاحُبًّاإِنَّالَنَرَىٰهَافِىضَلَٰلٍۢمُّبِينٍۢ

NOW the women of the city spoke [thus to one another]: "The wife of this nobleman is trying to induce her slave-boy to yield himself unto her! Her love for him has pierced her heart; verily, we see that she is undoubtedly suffering from an aberration!

فَلَمَّاسَمِعَتْبِمَكْرِهِنَّأَرْسَلَتْإِلَيْهِنَّوَأَعْتَدَتْلَهُنَّمُتَّكَـًۭٔاوَءَاتَتْكُلَّوَٰحِدَةٍۢمِّنْهُنَّسِكِّينًۭاوَقَالَتِٱخْرُجْعَلَيْهِنَّفَلَمَّارَأَيْنَهُۥٓأَكْبَرْنَهُۥوَقَطَّعْنَأَيْدِيَهُنَّوَقُلْنَحَٰشَلِلَّهِمَاهَٰذَابَشَرًاإِنْهَٰذَآإِلَّامَلَكٌۭكَرِيمٌۭ

Thereupon, when she heard of their malicious talk, she sent for them, and prepared for them a sumptuous repast, and handed each of them a knife and said [to Joseph]: "Come out and show thyself to them!" And when the women saw him, they were greatly amazed at his beauty, and [so flustered were they that] they cut their hands [with their knives], exclaiming, "God save us! This is no mortal man! This is nought but a noble angel!"

قَالَتْفَذَٰلِكُنَّٱلَّذِىلُمْتُنَّنِىفِيهِوَلَقَدْرَٰوَدتُّهُۥعَننَّفْسِهِۦفَٱسْتَعْصَمَوَلَئِنلَّمْيَفْعَلْمَآءَامُرُهُۥلَيُسْجَنَنَّوَلَيَكُونًۭامِّنَٱلصَّٰغِرِينَ

Said she: "This, then, is he about whom you have been blaming me! And, indeed, I did try to make him yield himself unto me, but he remained chaste. Now, however, if he does not do what I bid him, he shall most certainly be imprisoned, and shall most certainly find himself among the despised!

قَالَرَبِّٱلسِّجْنُأَحَبُّإِلَىَّمِمَّايَدْعُونَنِىٓإِلَيْهِوَإِلَّاتَصْرِفْعَنِّىكَيْدَهُنَّأَصْبُإِلَيْهِنَّوَأَكُنمِّنَٱلْجَٰهِلِينَ

Said he: "O my Sustainer! Prison is more desirable to me than [compliance with] what these women invite me to: for, unless Thou turn away their guile from me, I might yet yield to their allure and become one of those who are unaware [of right and wrong]."

فَٱسْتَجَابَلَهُۥرَبُّهُۥفَصَرَفَعَنْهُكَيْدَهُنَّإِنَّهُۥهُوَٱلسَّمِيعُٱلْعَلِيمُ

And his Sustainer responded to his prayer, and freed him from the threat of their guile: verily, He alone is all-hearing, all-knowing.

ثُمَّبَدَالَهُممِّنۢبَعْدِمَارَأَوُا۟ٱلْءَايَٰتِلَيَسْجُنُنَّهُۥحَتَّىٰحِينٍۢ

For, presently it occurred to the nobleman and his household _ [even] after they had seen all the signs [of Joseph's innocence] - that they might as well imprison him for a time.

وَدَخَلَمَعَهُٱلسِّجْنَفَتَيَانِقَالَأَحَدُهُمَآإِنِّىٓأَرَىٰنِىٓأَعْصِرُخَمْرًۭاوَقَالَٱلْءَاخَرُإِنِّىٓأَرَىٰنِىٓأَحْمِلُفَوْقَرَأْسِىخُبْزًۭاتَأْكُلُٱلطَّيْرُمِنْهُنَبِّئْنَابِتَأْوِيلِهِۦٓإِنَّانَرَىٰكَمِنَٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

NOW two young men happened to go to prison at the same time as Joseph. One of them said: "Behold, I saw myself [in a dream] pressing wine." And the other said: "Behold, I saw myself [in a dream] carrying bread on my head, and birds were eating thereof." [And both entreated Joseph:] "Let us know the real meaning of this! Verily, we see that thou art one of those who know well [how to interpret dreams].

قَالَلَايَأْتِيكُمَاطَعَامٌۭتُرْزَقَانِهِۦٓإِلَّانَبَّأْتُكُمَابِتَأْوِيلِهِۦقَبْلَأَنيَأْتِيَكُمَاذَٰلِكُمَامِمَّاعَلَّمَنِىرَبِّىٓإِنِّىتَرَكْتُمِلَّةَقَوْمٍۢلَّايُؤْمِنُونَبِٱللَّهِوَهُمبِٱلْءَاخِرَةِهُمْكَٰفِرُونَ

[Joseph] answered: "Ere there comes unto you the meal which you are [daily] fed, I shall have informed you of the real meaning of your dreams, [so that you might know what is to come] before it comes unto you: for this is [part] of the knowledge which my Sustainer has imparted to me. "Behold, I have left behind me the ways of people who do not believe in God, and who persistently refuse to acknowledge the truth of the life to come;

وَٱتَّبَعْتُمِلَّةَءَابَآءِىٓإِبْرَٰهِيمَوَإِسْحَٰقَوَيَعْقُوبَمَاكَانَلَنَآأَننُّشْرِكَبِٱللَّهِمِنشَىْءٍۢذَٰلِكَمِنفَضْلِٱللَّهِعَلَيْنَاوَعَلَىٱلنَّاسِوَلَٰكِنَّأَكْثَرَٱلنَّاسِلَايَشْكُرُونَ

and I follow the creed of my forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is not conceivable that we should [be allowed to] ascribe divinity to aught beside God: this is [an outcome] of God's bounty unto us and unto all mankind -but most people are ungrateful.

يَٰصَىٰحِبَىِٱلسِّجْنِءَأَرْبَابٌۭمُّتَفَرِّقُونَخَيْرٌأَمِٱللَّهُٱلْوَٰحِدُٱلْقَهَّارُ

"O my companions in imprisonment! Which is more reasonable: [belief in the existence of numerous divine] lords, each of them different from the other" -or [in] the One God, who holds absolute sway over all that exists?

مَاتَعْبُدُونَمِندُونِهِۦٓإِلَّآأَسْمَآءًۭسَمَّيْتُمُوهَآأَنتُمْوَءَابَآؤُكُممَّآأَنزَلَٱللَّهُبِهَامِنسُلْطَٰنٍإِنِٱلْحُكْمُإِلَّالِلَّهِأَمَرَأَلَّاتَعْبُدُوٓا۟إِلَّآإِيَّاهُذَٰلِكَٱلدِّينُٱلْقَيِّمُوَلَٰكِنَّأَكْثَرَٱلنَّاسِلَايَعْلَمُونَ

"All that you worship instead of God is nothing but [empty] names which you have invented - you and your forefathers- [and] for which God has bestowed no warrant from on high. Judgment [as to what is right and what is wrong] rests with God alone-[and] He has ordained that you should worship nought but Him: this is the [one] ever-true faith; but most people know it not