Surah Yūsuf (Joseph) in English

1. واتبعت ملة آبائي إبراهيم وإسحاق ويعقوب ما كان لنا أن نشرك بالله من شيء ذلك من فضل الله علينا وعلى الناس ولكن أكثر الناس لا يشكرون

   38

   I follow the creed of my fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It is not for us to ascribe any partner to Allah. That is by virtue of Allah’s grace upon us and upon all mankind, but most people do not give thanks.

   wa-ttabaʿtu millata ʾābāʾī ʾibrāhīma wa-ʾisḥāqa wa-yaʿqūba mā kāna lanā ʾan nushrika bi-llāhi min shayʾin dhālika min faḍli llāhi ʿalaynā wa-ʿalā n-nāsi wa-lākinna ʾakthara n-nāsi lā yashkurūna

2. يا صاحبي السجن أأرباب متفرقون خير أم الله الواحد القهار

   39

   O my prison mates! Are different masters better, or Allah, the One, the All-paramount?

   yā-ṣāḥibayi s-sijni ʾa-ʾarbābun mutafarriqūna khayrun ʾami llāhu l-wāḥidu l-qahhāru

3. ما تعبدون من دونه إلا أسماء سميتموها أنتم وآباؤكم ما أنزل الله بها من سلطان إن الحكم إلا لله أمر ألا تعبدوا إلا إياه ذلك الدين القيم ولكن أكثر الناس لا يعلمون

   40

   You do not worship besides Him but [mere] names that you and your fathers have coined, for which Allah has not sent down any authority. Sovereignty belongs only to Allah. He has commanded you to worship none except Him. That is the upright religion, but most people do not know.

   mā taʿbudūna min dūnihī ʾillā ʾasmāʾan sammaytumūhā ʾantum wa-ʾābāʾukum mā ʾanzala llāhu bihā min sulṭānin ʾini l-ḥukmu ʾillā li-llāhi ʾamara ʾallā taʿbudū ʾillā ʾiyyāhu dhālika d-dīnu l-qayyimu wa-lākinna ʾakthara n-nāsi lā yaʿlamūna

4. يا صاحبي السجن أما أحدكما فيسقي ربه خمرا وأما الآخر فيصلب فتأكل الطير من رأسه قضي الأمر الذي فيه تستفتيان

   41

   O my prison mates! As for one of you, he will serve wine to his master, and as for the other, he will be crucified and vultures will eat from his head. The matter about which you inquire has been decided.’

   yā-ṣāḥibayi s-sijni ʾammā ʾaḥadukumā fa-yasqī rabbahū khamran wa-ʾammā l-ʾākharu fa-yuṣlabu fa-taʾkulu ṭ-ṭayru min raʾsihī quḍiya l-ʾamru lladhī fīhi tastaftiyāni

5. وقال للذي ظن أنه ناج منهما اذكرني عند ربك فأنساه الشيطان ذكر ربه فلبث في السجن بضع سنين

   42

   Then he said to the one whom he knew would be delivered from among the two: ‘Mention me to your master.’ But Satan caused him to forget mentioning [it] to his master. So he remained in the prison for several years.

   wa-qāla li-lladhī ẓanna ʾannahū nājin minhumā dhkurnī ʿinda rabbika fa-ʾansāhu sh-shayṭānu dhikra rabbihī fa-labitha fī s-sijni biḍʿa sinīna

6. وقال الملك إني أرى سبع بقرات سمان يأكلهن سبع عجاف وسبع سنبلات خضر وأخر يابسات يا أيها الملأ أفتوني في رؤياي إن كنتم للرؤيا تعبرون

   43

   [One day] the king said, ‘I saw [in a dream] seven fat cows being devoured by seven lean ones, and seven green ears and [seven] others [that were] dry. O courtiers, give me your opinion about my dream, if you can interpret dreams.’

   wa-qāla l-maliku ʾinnī ʾarā sabʿa baqarātin simānin yaʾkuluhunna sabʿun ʿijāfun wa-sabʿa sunbulātin khuḍrin wa-ʾukhara yābisātin yā-ʾayyuhā l-malaʾu ʾaftūnī fī ruʾyāya ʾin kuntum li-r-ruʾyā taʿburūna