Verse 12:81 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

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,’ 84 وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنۡهُمۡ وَقَالَ یَـٰۤأَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ یُوسُفَ وَٱبۡیَضَّتۡ عَیۡنَاهُ مِنَ ٱلۡحُزۡنِ فَهُوَ كَظِیمࣱ ۝٨٤ watawallā ʿanhum waqāla yāasafā ʿalā yūsufa wa-ib'yaḍḍat ʿaynāhu mina l-ḥuz'ni fahuwa kaẓīmu and he turned away from them, saying, ‘Alas for Joseph!’ His eyes went white with grief and he was filled with sorrow 85 قَالُوا۟ تَٱللَّهِ تَفۡتَؤُا۟ تَذۡكُرُ یُوسُفَ حَتَّىٰ تَكُونَ حَرَضًا أَوۡ تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلۡهَـٰلِكِینَ ۝٨٥ qālū tal-lahi tafta-u tadhkuru yūsufa ḥattā takūna ḥaraḍan aw takūna mina l-hālikīn They said, ‘By God! You will ruin your health if you do not stop thinking of Joseph, or even die.’