Verse 12:79 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

75 قَالُوا۟ جَزَ ٰۤؤُهُۥ مَن وُجِدَ فِی رَحۡلِهِۦ فَهُوَ جَزَ ٰۤؤُهُۥۚ كَذَ ٰلِكَ نَجۡزِی ٱلظَّـٰلِمِینَ ۝٧٥ qālū jazāuhu man wujida fī raḥlihi fahuwa jazāuhu kadhālika najzī l-ẓālimīn and they answered, ‘The penalty will be [the enslavement of] the person in whose bag the cup is found: this is how we punish wrongdoers.’ 76 فَبَدَأَ بِأَوۡعِیَتِهِمۡ قَبۡلَ وِعَاۤءِ أَخِیهِ ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَخۡرَجَهَا مِن وِعَاۤءِ أَخِیهِۚ كَذَ ٰلِكَ كِدۡنَا لِیُوسُفَۖ مَا كَانَ لِیَأۡخُذَ أَخَاهُ فِی دِینِ ٱلۡمَلِكِ إِلَّاۤ أَن یَشَاۤءَ ٱللَّهُۚ نَرۡفَعُ دَرَجَـٰتࣲ مَّن نَّشَاۤءُۗ وَفَوۡقَ كُلِّ ذِی عِلۡمٍ عَلِیمࣱ ۝٧٦ fabada-a bi-awʿiyatihim qabla wiʿāi akhīhi thumma is'takhrajahā min wiʿāi akhīhi kadhālika kid'nā liyūsufa mā kāna liyakhudha akhāhu fī dīni l-maliki illā an yashāa l-lahu narfaʿu darajātin man nashāu wafawqa kulli dhī ʿil'min ʿalīmu [Joseph] began by searching their bags, then his brother’s, and he pulled it out from his brother’s bag. In this way We devised a plan for Joseph- if God had not willed it so, he could not have detained his brother as a penalty under the king’s law- We raise the rank of whoever We will. Above everyone who has knowledge there is the One who is all knowing 77 ۞ قَالُوۤا۟ إِن یَسۡرِقۡ فَقَدۡ سَرَقَ أَخࣱ لَّهُۥ مِن قَبۡلُۚ فَأَسَرَّهَا یُوسُفُ فِی نَفۡسِهِۦ وَلَمۡ یُبۡدِهَا لَهُمۡۚ قَالَ أَنتُمۡ شَرࣱّ مَّكَانࣰاۖ وَٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ ۝٧٧ qālū in yasriq faqad saraqa akhun lahu min qablu fa-asarrahā yūsufu fī nafsihi walam yub'dihā lahum qāla antum sharrun makānan wal-lahu aʿlamu bimā taṣifūn [His brothers] said, ‘If he is a thief then his brother was a thief before him,’ but Joseph kept his secrets and did not reveal anything to them. He said, ‘You are in a far worse situation. God knows best the truth of what you claim.’ 78 قَالُوا۟ یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلۡعَزِیزُ إِنَّ لَهُۥۤ أَبࣰا شَیۡخࣰا كَبِیرࣰا فَخُذۡ أَحَدَنَا مَكَانَهُۥۤۖ إِنَّا نَرَىٰكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِینَ ۝٧٨ qālū yāayyuhā l-ʿazīzu inna lahu aban shaykhan kabīran fakhudh aḥadanā makānahu innā narāka mina l-muḥ'sinīn They said, ‘Mighty governor, he has an elderly father. Take one of us in his place. We can see that you are a very good man.’

79 قَالَ مَعَاذَ ٱللَّهِ أَن نَّأۡخُذَ إِلَّا مَن وَجَدۡنَا مَتَـٰعَنَا عِندَهُۥۤ إِنَّاۤ إِذࣰا لَّظَـٰلِمُونَ ۝٧٩ qāla maʿādha l-lahi an nakhudha illā man wajadnā matāʿanā ʿindahu innā idhan laẓālimūn He replied, ‘God forbid that we should take anyone other than the person on whom we found our property: that would be unjust of us.’

80 فَلَمَّا ٱسۡتَیۡءَسُوا۟ مِنۡهُ خَلَصُوا۟ نَجِیࣰّاۖ قَالَ كَبِیرُهُمۡ أَلَمۡ تَعۡلَمُوۤا۟ أَنَّ أَبَاكُمۡ قَدۡ أَخَذَ عَلَیۡكُم مَّوۡثِقࣰا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَمِن قَبۡلُ مَا فَرَّطتُمۡ فِی یُوسُفَۖ فَلَنۡ أَبۡرَحَ ٱلۡأَرۡضَ حَتَّىٰ یَأۡذَنَ لِیۤ أَبِیۤ أَوۡ یَحۡكُمَ ٱللَّهُ لِیۖ وَهُوَ خَیۡرُ ٱلۡحَـٰكِمِینَ ۝٨٠ falammā is'tayasū min'hu khalaṣū najiyyan qāla kabīruhum alam taʿlamū anna abākum qad akhadha ʿalaykum mawthiqan mina l-lahi wamin qablu mā farraṭtum fī yūsufa falan abraḥa l-arḍa ḥattā yadhana lī abī aw yaḥkuma l-lahu lī wahuwa khayru l-ḥākimīn When they lost hope of [persuading] him, they withdrew to confer with each other: the eldest of them said, ‘Do you not remember that your father took a solemn pledge from you in the name of God and before that you failed in your duty with regard to Joseph? I will not leave this land until my father gives me leave or God decides for me- He is the best decider 81 ٱرۡجِعُوۤا۟ إِلَىٰۤ أَبِیكُمۡ فَقُولُوا۟ یَـٰۤأَبَانَاۤ إِنَّ ٱبۡنَكَ سَرَقَ وَمَا شَهِدۡنَاۤ إِلَّا بِمَا عَلِمۡنَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِلۡغَیۡبِ حَـٰفِظِینَ ۝٨١ ir'jiʿū ilā abīkum faqūlū yāabānā inna ib'naka saraqa wamā shahid'nā illā bimā ʿalim'nā wamā kunnā lil'ghaybi ḥāfiẓīn so go back to your father and say, “Your son stole. We can only tell you what we saw. How could we guard against the unforeseen 82 وَسۡءَلِ ٱلۡقَرۡیَةَ ٱلَّتِی كُنَّا فِیهَا وَٱلۡعِیرَ ٱلَّتِیۤ أَقۡبَلۡنَا فِیهَاۖ وَإِنَّا لَصَـٰدِقُونَ ۝٨٢ wasali l-qaryata allatī kunnā fīhā wal-ʿīra allatī aqbalnā fīhā wa-innā laṣādiqūn Ask in the town where we have been; ask the people of the caravan we travelled with: we are telling the truth.”’ 83 قَالَ بَلۡ سَوَّلَتۡ لَكُمۡ أَنفُسُكُمۡ أَمۡرࣰاۖ فَصَبۡرࣱ جَمِیلٌۖ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن یَأۡتِیَنِی بِهِمۡ جَمِیعًاۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلۡعَلِیمُ ٱلۡحَكِیمُ ۝٨٣ qāla bal sawwalat lakum anfusukum amran faṣabrun jamīlun ʿasā l-lahu an yatiyanī bihim jamīʿan innahu huwa l-ʿalīmu l-ḥakīm Their father said, ‘No! Your souls have prompted you to do wrong! But it is best to be patient: may God bring all of them back to me- He alone is the All Knowing, the All Wise,’