Surah Yūsuf (Joseph) in English

1. قال معاذ الله أن نأخذ إلا من وجدنا متاعنا عنده إنا إذا لظالمون

   79

   He said, ‘God forbid that we should detain anyone except him with whom we found our wares, for then we would indeed be wrongdoers.’

   qāla maʿādha llāhi ʾan naʾkhudha ʾillā man wajadnā matāʿanā ʿindahū ʾinnā ʾidhan la-ẓālimūna

2. فلما استيأسوا منه خلصوا نجيا قال كبيرهم ألم تعلموا أن أباكم قد أخذ عليكم موثقا من الله ومن قبل ما فرطتم في يوسف فلن أبرح الأرض حتى يأذن لي أبي أو يحكم الله لي وهو خير الحاكمين

   80

   When they had despaired of [moving] him, they withdrew to confer privately. The eldest of them said, ‘Don’t you know that your father has taken a [solemn] pledge from you by Allah, and earlier you have neglected your duty in regard to Joseph? So I will never leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah passes a judgement for me, and He is the best of judges.

   fa-lammā stayʾasū minhu khalaṣū najiyyan qāla kabīruhum ʾa-lam taʿlamū ʾanna ʾabākum qad ʾakhadha ʿalaykum mawthiqan mina llāhi wa-min qablu mā farraṭtum fī yūsufa fa-lan ʾabraḥa l-ʾarḍa ḥattā yaʾdhana lī ʾabī ʾaw yaḥkuma llāhu lī wa-huwa khāyru l-ḥākimīna

3. ارجعوا إلى أبيكم فقولوا يا أبانا إن ابنك سرق وما شهدنا إلا بما علمنا وما كنا للغيب حافظين

   81

   Go back to your father, and say, ‘‘Father! Your son has indeed committed theft, and we testified only to what we knew, and we could not have forestalled the unseen.

   irjiʿū ʾilā ʾabīkum fa-qūlū yā-ʾabānā ʾinna bnaka saraqa wa-mā shahidnā ʾillā bi-mā ʿalimnā wa-mā kunnā li-l-ghaybi ḥāfiẓīna

4. واسأل القرية التي كنا فيها والعير التي أقبلنا فيها وإنا لصادقون

   82

   Ask [the people of] the town we were in, and the caravan with which we came. We indeed speak the truth.’’ ’

   wa-sʾali l-qaryata llatī kunnā fīhā wa-l-ʿīra llatī ʾaqbalnā fīhā wa-ʾinnā la-ṣādiqūna

5. قال بل سولت لكم أنفسكم أمرا فصبر جميل عسى الله أن يأتيني بهم جميعا إنه هو العليم الحكيم

   83

   He said, ‘No, your souls have made a matter seem decorous to you. Yet patience is graceful. Maybe Allah will bring them all [back] to me. Indeed He is the All-knowing, the All-wise.’

   qāla bal sawwalat lakum ʾanfusukum ʾamran fa-ṣabrun jamīlun ʿasā llāhu ʾan yaʾtiyanī bihim jamīʿan ʾinnahū huwa l-ʿalīmu l-ḥakīmu

6. وتولى عنهم وقال يا أسفى على يوسف وابيضت عيناه من الحزن فهو كظيم

   84

   He turned away from them and said, ‘Alas for Joseph!’ His eyes had turned white with grief, and he choked with suppressed agony.

   wa-tawallā ʿanhum wa-qāla yā-ʾasafā ʿalā yūsufa wa-byaḍḍat ʿaynāhu mina l-ḥuzni fa-huwa kaẓīmun

7. قالوا تالله تفتأ تذكر يوسف حتى تكون حرضا أو تكون من الهالكين

   85

   They said, ‘By Allah! You will go on remembering Joseph until you wreck your health or perish.’

   qālū ta-llāhi taftaʾu tadhkuru yūsufa ḥattā takūna ḥaraḍan ʾaw takūna mina l-hālikīna

8. قال إنما أشكو بثي وحزني إلى الله وأعلم من الله ما لا تعلمون

   86

   He said, ‘I complain of my anguish and grief only to Allah. I know from Allah what you do not know.’

   qāla ʾinnamā ʾashkū baththī wa-ḥuznī ʾilā llāhi wa-ʾaʿlamu mina llāhi mā lā taʿlamūna