Verse 12:84 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

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.’ 86 قَالَ إِنَّمَاۤ أَشۡكُوا۟ بَثِّی وَحُزۡنِیۤ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَعۡلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٨٦ qāla innamā ashkū bathī waḥuz'nī ilā l-lahi wa-aʿlamu mina l-lahi mā lā taʿlamūn He said, ‘I plead my grief and sorrow before God. I have knowledge from God that you do not have 87 یَـٰبَنِیَّ ٱذۡهَبُوا۟ فَتَحَسَّسُوا۟ مِن یُوسُفَ وَأَخِیهِ وَلَا تَا۟یۡءَسُوا۟ مِن رَّوۡحِ ٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا یَا۟یۡءَسُ مِن رَّوۡحِ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلۡقَوۡمُ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرُونَ ۝٨٧ yābaniyya idh'habū fataḥassasū min yūsufa wa-akhīhi walā tāy'asū min rawḥi l-lahi innahu lā yāy'asu min rawḥi l-lahi illā l-qawmu l-kāfirūn My sons, go and seek news of Joseph and his brother and do not despair of God’s mercy- only disbelievers despair of God’s mercy.’ 88 فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَیۡهِ قَالُوا۟ یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلۡعَزِیزُ مَسَّنَا وَأَهۡلَنَا ٱلضُّرُّ وَجِئۡنَا بِبِضَـٰعَةࣲ مُّزۡجَىٰةࣲ فَأَوۡفِ لَنَا ٱلۡكَیۡلَ وَتَصَدَّقۡ عَلَیۡنَاۤۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ یَجۡزِی ٱلۡمُتَصَدِّقِینَ ۝٨٨ falammā dakhalū ʿalayhi qālū yāayyuhā l-ʿazīzu massanā wa-ahlanā l-ḍuru waji'nā bibiḍāʿatin muz'jātin fa-awfi lanā l-kayla wataṣaddaq ʿalaynā inna l-laha yajzī l-mutaṣadiqīn Then, when they presented themselves before Joseph, they said, ‘Mighty governor, misfortune has afflicted us and our family. We have brought only a little merchandise, but give us full measure. Be charitable to us: God rewards the charitable.’