Surah Yūsuf (Joseph) in English

1. فلما ذهبوا به وأجمعوا أن يجعلوه في غيابت الجب وأوحينا إليه لتنبئنهم بأمرهم هذا وهم لا يشعرون

   15

   So when they took him away and conspired to put him into the recess of a well, We revealed to him, ‘[A day will come when] you will surely inform them about this affair of theirs while they are not aware [of your identity].’

   fa-lammā dhahabū bihī wa-ʾajmaʿū ʾan yajʿalūhu fī ghayābati l-jubbi wa-ʾawḥaynā ʾilayhi la-tunabbiʾannahum bi-ʾamrihim hādhā wa-hum lā yashʿurūna

2. وجاءوا أباهم عشاء يبكون

   16

   In the evening, they came weeping to their father.

   wa-jāʾū ʾabāhum ʿishāʾan yabkūna

3. قالوا يا أبانا إنا ذهبنا نستبق وتركنا يوسف عند متاعنا فأكله الذئب وما أنت بمؤمن لنا ولو كنا صادقين

   17

   They said, ‘Father! We had gone racing and left Joseph with our things, whereat the wolf ate him. But you will not believe us even if we spoke truly.’

   qālū yā-ʾabānā ʾinnā dhahabnā nastabiqu wa-taraknā yūsufa ʿinda matāʿinā fa-ʾakalahu dh-dhiʾbu wa-mā ʾanta bi-muʾminin lanā wa-law kunnā ṣādiqīna

4. وجاءوا على قميصه بدم كذب قال بل سولت لكم أنفسكم أمرا فصبر جميل والله المستعان على ما تصفون

   18

   And they produced sham blood on his shirt. He said, ‘No, your souls have made a matter seem decorous to you. Yet patience is graceful, and Allah is my resort against what you allege.’

   wa-jāʾū ʿalā qamīṣihī bi-damin kadhibin qāla bal sawwalat lakum ʾanfusukum ʾamran fa-ṣabrun jamīlun wa-llāhu l-mustaʿānu ʿalā mā taṣifūna

5. وجاءت سيارة فأرسلوا واردهم فأدلى دلوه قال يا بشرى هذا غلام وأسروه بضاعة والله عليم بما يعملون

   19

   There came a caravan, and they sent their water-drawer, who let down his bucket. ‘Good news!’ he said. ‘This is a young boy!’ So they hid him as [a piece of] merchandise, and Allah knew best what they were doing.

   wa-jāʾat sayyāratun fa-ʾarsalū wāridahum fa-ʾadlā dalwahū qāla yā-bushrā hādhā ghulāmun wa-ʾasarrūhu biḍāʿatan wa-llāhu ʿalīmun bi-mā yaʿmalūna

6. وشروه بثمن بخس دراهم معدودة وكانوا فيه من الزاهدين

   20

   And they sold him for a cheap price, a few dirhams, for they set small store by him.

   wa-sharawhu bi-thamanin bakhsin darāhima maʿdūdatin wa-kānū fīhi mina z-zāhidīna

7. وقال الذي اشتراه من مصر لامرأته أكرمي مثواه عسى أن ينفعنا أو نتخذه ولدا وكذلك مكنا ليوسف في الأرض ولنعلمه من تأويل الأحاديث والله غالب على أمره ولكن أكثر الناس لا يعلمون

   21

   The man from Egypt who had bought him said to his wife, ‘Give him an honourable place [in the household]. Maybe he will be useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son.’ Thus We established Joseph in the land and that We might teach him the interpretation of dreams. Allah has [full] command of His affairs, but most people do not know.

   wa-qāla lladhī shtarāhu min miṣra li-mraʾatihī ʾakrimī mathwāhu ʿasā ʾan yanfaʿanā ʾaw nattakhidhahū waladan wa-ka-dhālika makkannā li-yūsufa fī l-ʾarḍi wa-li-nuʿallimahū min taʾwīli l-ʾaḥādīthi wa-llāhu ghālibun ʿalā ʾamrihī wa-lākinna ʾakthara n-nāsi lā yaʿlamūna

8. ولما بلغ أشده آتيناه حكما وعلما وكذلك نجزي المحسنين

   22

   When he came of age, We gave him judgement and [sacred] knowledge, and thus do We reward the virtuous.

   wa-lammā balagha ʾashuddahū ʾātaynāhu ḥukman wa-ʿilman wa-ka-dhālika najzī l-muḥsinīna