Surah Yusuf

Ta'awwudh · Seeking Refuge

أَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنَ الشَّيْطَانِ الرَّجِيمِ

A'udhu billahi min ash-shaytani ar-rajim. I seek refuge in Allah from Satan, the accursed.

The Name · Bismillah

بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Bismillahi ar-Rahmani ar-Rahim. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

✦

The Surah · Verses 69 to 111

﴾٦٩﴿ وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ ءَاوَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِ أَخَاهُ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَنَا۠ أَخُوكَ فَلَا تَبْتَئِسْ بِمَا كَانُوا۟ يَعْمَلُونَ

Wa lammaa dakhaloo 'alaa Yoosufa aawaaa ilaihi akhaahu qaala inneee ana akhooka falaa tabta'is bimaa kaanoo ya'maloon

And when they entered upon Yusuf, he took his brother aside. He said, "I am your brother, so do not grieve over what they used to do."

﴾٧٠﴿ فَلَمَّا جَهَّزَهُم بِجَهَازِهِمْ جَعَلَ ٱلسِّقَايَةَ فِى رَحْلِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ أَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ أَيَّتُهَا ٱلْعِيرُ إِنَّكُمْ لَسَٰرِقُونَ

Falammaa jahhazahum bijahaazihim ja'alas siqaayata fee rahli akheehi summa azzana mu'azzinun ayyatuhal'eeru innakum lasaariqoon

So when he had supplied them with their provisions, he placed the drinking cup in his brother's bag. Then a caller called out, "Travelers, you are thieves."

﴾٧١﴿ قَالُوا۟ وَأَقْبَلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِم مَّاذَا تَفْقِدُونَ

Qaaloo wa aqbaloo 'alaihim maazaa tafqidoon

They said, turning toward them, "What are you missing?"

﴾٧٢﴿ قَالُوا۟ نَفْقِدُ صُوَاعَ ٱلْمَلِكِ وَلِمَن جَآءَ بِهِۦ حِمْلُ بَعِيرٍۢ وَأَنَا۠ بِهِۦ زَعِيمٌۭ

Qaaloo nafqidu suwaa'al maliki wa liman jaaa'a bihee himlu ba'eerinw wa ana bihee za'eem

They said, "We are missing the measure of the king. And for whoever brings it is a camel's load, and I am responsible for it."

﴾٧٣﴿ قَالُوا۟ تَٱللَّهِ لَقَدْ عَلِمْتُم مَّا جِئْنَا لِنُفْسِدَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَمَا كُنَّا سَٰرِقِينَ

Qaaloo tallaahi laqad 'alimtum maa ji'na linufsida fil ardi wa maa kunnaa saariqeen

They said, "By Allah, you know we did not come to spread corruption in the land, and we were not thieves."

﴾٧٤﴿ قَالُوا۟ فَمَا جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥٓ إِن كُنتُمْ كَٰذِبِينَ

Qaaloo famaa jazaaa'u hooo in kuntum kaazibeen

They said, "Then what is its penalty, if you are lying?"

﴾٧٥﴿ قَالُوا۟ جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥ مَن وُجِدَ فِى رَحْلِهِۦ فَهُوَ جَزَٰٓؤُهُۥ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلظَّٰلِمِينَ

Qaaloo jazaaa'uhoo manw wujida fee rahlihee fahuwa jazaaa'uh; kazaalika najziz zaalimeen

They said, "Its penalty is that the one in whose bag it is found, he himself is the penalty. That is how we repay the wrongdoers."

﴾٧٦﴿ فَبَدَأَ بِأَوْعِيَتِهِمْ قَبْلَ وِعَآءِ أَخِيهِ ثُمَّ ٱسْتَخْرَجَهَا مِن وِعَآءِ أَخِيهِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ كِدْنَا لِيُوسُفَ ۖ مَا كَانَ لِيَأْخُذَ أَخَاهُ فِى دِينِ ٱلْمَلِكِ إِلَّآ أَن يَشَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَٰتٍۢ مَّن نَّشَآءُ ۗ وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِى عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌۭ

Fabada-a bi-aw'iyatihim qabla wi'aaa'i akheehi summas takhrajahaa minw wi 'aaa'i akheeh; kazaalika kidnaa li Yoosuf; maa kaana liyaakhuza akhaahu fee deenil maliki illaaa any yashaaa'al laah; narfa'u darajaatim man nashaaa'; wa fawqa kulli zee 'ilmin 'Aleem

So he began with their bags before his brother's bag, then he brought it out of his brother's bag. In this way We planned for Yusuf. He could not have taken his brother under the king's law, unless Allah willed. We raise in degrees whom We will, and above every possessor of knowledge is one who knows.

﴾٧٧﴿ ۞ قَالُوٓا۟ إِن يَسْرِقْ فَقَدْ سَرَقَ أَخٌۭ لَّهُۥ مِن قَبْلُ ۚ فَأَسَرَّهَا يُوسُفُ فِى نَفْسِهِۦ وَلَمْ يُبْدِهَا لَهُمْ ۚ قَالَ أَنتُمْ شَرٌّۭ مَّكَانًۭا ۖ وَٱللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ

Qaaloo iny yasriq faqad saraqa akhul lahoo min qabl; fa asarrahaa Yoosufu fee nafsihee wa lam yubdihaa lahum; qaala antum sharrum makaananw wallaahu a'lamu bimaa tasifoon

They said, "If he steals, a brother of his stole before." But Yusuf kept it within himself and did not reveal it to them. He said, "You are in a worse position, and Allah knows best what you describe."

﴾٧٨﴿ قَالُوا۟ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْعَزِيزُ إِنَّ لَهُۥٓ أَبًۭا شَيْخًۭا كَبِيرًۭا فَخُذْ أَحَدَنَا مَكَانَهُۥٓ ۖ إِنَّا نَرَىٰكَ مِنَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

Qaaloo yaaa ayyuhal 'Azeezu inna lahooo aban shaikhan kabeeran fakhuz ahadanaa makaanahoo innaa naraaka minal muhsineen

They said, "Aziz, he has a father, an old man of great age, so take one of us in his place. We see that you are among those who do good."

﴾٧٩﴿ قَالَ مَعَاذَ ٱللَّهِ أَن نَّأْخُذَ إِلَّا مَن وَجَدْنَا مَتَٰعَنَا عِندَهُۥٓ إِنَّآ إِذًۭا لَّظَٰلِمُونَ

Qaala ma'aazal laahi an naakhuza illaa manw wajadnaa mataa'anaa 'indahoo innaaa izal lazaalimoon

He said, "Allah forbid that we take anyone except the one with whom we found our property. We would then be wrongdoers."

﴾٨٠﴿ فَلَمَّا ٱسْتَيْـَٔسُوا۟ مِنْهُ خَلَصُوا۟ نَجِيًّۭا ۖ قَالَ كَبِيرُهُمْ أَلَمْ تَعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ أَبَاكُمْ قَدْ أَخَذَ عَلَيْكُم مَّوْثِقًۭا مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ وَمِن قَبْلُ مَا فَرَّطتُمْ فِى يُوسُفَ ۖ فَلَنْ أَبْرَحَ ٱلْأَرْضَ حَتَّىٰ يَأْذَنَ لِىٓ أَبِىٓ أَوْ يَحْكُمَ ٱللَّهُ لِى ۖ وَهُوَ خَيْرُ ٱلْحَٰكِمِينَ

Falammas tay'asoo minhu khalasoo najiyyan qaala kabeeruhum alam ta'lamoon anna abaakum qad akhaza 'alaikum mawsiqam minal laahi wa min qablu maa farrattum fee Yoosufa falan abrahal arda hattaa yaazana leee abeee aw yahkumal laahu lee wa huwa khairul lhaakimeen

So when they despaired of him, they withdrew to confer privately. The eldest of them said, "Do you not know that your father took a solemn pledge from you by Allah, and before this you failed concerning Yusuf? I will not leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah judges for me. He is the best of judges.

﴾٨١﴿ ٱرْجِعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَبِيكُمْ فَقُولُوا۟ يَٰٓأَبَانَآ إِنَّ ٱبْنَكَ سَرَقَ وَمَا شَهِدْنَآ إِلَّا بِمَا عَلِمْنَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِلْغَيْبِ حَٰفِظِينَ

Irji'ooo ilaaa abeekum faqooloo yaaa abaanaaa innab naka saraq; wa maa shahidnaaa illaa bimaa 'alimnaa wa maa kunnaa lilghaibi haafizeen

Return to your father and say, our father, your son has stolen. We testify only to what we know, and we were not guardians of the unseen.

﴾٨٢﴿ وَسْـَٔلِ ٱلْقَرْيَةَ ٱلَّتِى كُنَّا فِيهَا وَٱلْعِيرَ ٱلَّتِىٓ أَقْبَلْنَا فِيهَا ۖ وَإِنَّا لَصَٰدِقُونَ

Was'alil qaryatal latee kunnaa feehaa wal'eeral lateee aqbalnaa feehaa wa innaa lasaadiqoon

And ask the town we were in, and the caravan we came with. We are truthful."

﴾٨٣﴿ قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًۭا ۖ فَصَبْرٌۭ جَمِيلٌ ۖ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَأْتِيَنِى بِهِمْ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ

Qaala bal sawwalat lakum anfusukum amran fasabrun jameelun 'asal laahu any yaa tiyanee bihim jamee'aa; innahoo Huwal 'Aleemul Hakeem

He said, "Rather, your souls have enticed you to something. So beautiful patience. Perhaps Allah will bring them all back to me. He is the Knowing, the Wise."

﴾٨٤﴿ وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَٰٓأَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَٱبْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ ٱلْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌۭ

Wa tawallaa 'anhum wa qaala yaaa asafaa 'alaa Yoosufa wabyaddat 'aynaahu minal huzni fahuwa kazeem

And he turned away from them and said, "How great is my grief over Yusuf." And his eyes went white from sorrow, and he was suppressing it.

﴾٨٥﴿ قَالُوا۟ تَٱللَّهِ تَفْتَؤُا۟ تَذْكُرُ يُوسُفَ حَتَّىٰ تَكُونَ حَرَضًا أَوْ تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْهَٰلِكِينَ

Qaaloo tallaahi tafta'u tazkuru Yoosufa hattaa takoona haradan aw takoona minal haalikeen

They said, "By Allah, you will not stop remembering Yusuf until you are worn away, or until you are among the dead."

﴾٨٦﴿ قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَشْكُوا۟ بَثِّى وَحُزْنِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

Qaala innamaaa ashkoo bassee wa huzneee ilal laahi wa a'lamu minal laahi maa laa ta'lamoon

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

﴾٨٧﴿ يَٰبَنِىَّ ٱذْهَبُوا۟ فَتَحَسَّسُوا۟ مِن يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلَا تَا۟يْـَٔسُوا۟ مِن رَّوْحِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يَا۟يْـَٔسُ مِن رَّوْحِ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلْقَوْمُ ٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ

Yaa baniyyaz haboo fatahassasoo miny Yoosufa wa akheehi wa laa tai'asoo mir rawhil laahi innahoo laa yai'asu mir rawhil laahi illal qawmul kaafiroon

My sons, go and seek news of Yusuf and his brother, and do not despair of relief from Allah. No one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people."

﴾٨٨﴿ فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَيْهِ قَالُوا۟ يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْعَزِيزُ مَسَّنَا وَأَهْلَنَا ٱلضُّرُّ وَجِئْنَا بِبِضَٰعَةٍۢ مُّزْجَىٰةٍۢ فَأَوْفِ لَنَا ٱلْكَيْلَ وَتَصَدَّقْ عَلَيْنَآ ۖ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَجْزِى ٱلْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ

Falammaa dakhaloo 'alaihi qaaloo yaaa ayyuhal 'Azeezu massanaa wa ahlanad durru wa ji'naa bibidaa 'timmuzjaatin fa awfi lanal kaila wa tasaddaq 'alainaa innal laaha yajzil mutasaddiqeen

So when they entered upon him, they said, "Aziz, hardship has touched us and our family, and we have come with goods of little worth. So give us full measure, and be charitable to us. Allah rewards the charitable."

﴾٨٩﴿ قَالَ هَلْ عَلِمْتُم مَّا فَعَلْتُم بِيُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ إِذْ أَنتُمْ جَٰهِلُونَ

Qaala hal 'alimtum maa fa'altum bi Yoosufa wa akheehi iz antum jaahiloon

He said, "Do you know what you did to Yusuf and his brother, when you were ignorant?"

﴾٩٠﴿ قَالُوٓا۟ أَءِنَّكَ لَأَنتَ يُوسُفُ ۖ قَالَ أَنَا۠ يُوسُفُ وَهَٰذَآ أَخِى ۖ قَدْ مَنَّ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْنَآ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ مَن يَتَّقِ وَيَصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

Qaaloo 'a innaka la anta Yoosufu qaala ana Yoosufu wa haazaaa akhee qad mannal laahu 'alainaa innahoo mai yattaqi wa yasbir fa innal laaha laa yudee'u ajral muhsineen

They said, "Are you really Yusuf?" He said, "I am Yusuf, and this is my brother. Allah has favored us. Whoever is mindful of Allah and is patient, Allah does not waste the reward of those who do good."

﴾٩١﴿ قَالُوا۟ تَٱللَّهِ لَقَدْ ءَاثَرَكَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا وَإِن كُنَّا لَخَٰطِـِٔينَ

Qaaloo tallaahi laqad aasarakal laahu 'alainaa wa in kunnaa lakhaati'een

They said, "By Allah, Allah has preferred you over us, and we were at fault."

﴾٩٢﴿ قَالَ لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ ۖ يَغْفِرُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ

Qaala laa tasreeba 'alaikumul yawma yaghfirul laahu lakum wa Huwa arhamur raahimeen

He said, "No blame upon you today. Allah will forgive you, and He is the most merciful of the merciful.

﴾٩٣﴿ ٱذْهَبُوا۟ بِقَمِيصِى هَٰذَا فَأَلْقُوهُ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِ أَبِى يَأْتِ بَصِيرًۭا وَأْتُونِى بِأَهْلِكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

Izhaboo biqameesee haazaa fa alqoohu 'alaa wajhi abee yaati baseeranw waatoonee bi ahlikum ajma'een

Take this shirt of mine and cast it over my father's face. He will come to see. And bring me your family, all of them."

﴾٩٤﴿ وَلَمَّا فَصَلَتِ ٱلْعِيرُ قَالَ أَبُوهُمْ إِنِّى لَأَجِدُ رِيحَ يُوسُفَ ۖ لَوْلَآ أَن تُفَنِّدُونِ

Wa lammaa fasalatil 'eeru qaala aboohum innee la ajidu reeha Yoosufa law laaa an tufannidoon

And when the caravan departed, their father said, "I sense the scent of Yusuf, if you do not think me weakened in judgment."

﴾٩٥﴿ قَالُوا۟ تَٱللَّهِ إِنَّكَ لَفِى ضَلَٰلِكَ ٱلْقَدِيمِ

Qaaloo tallaahi innaka lafee dalaalikal qadeem

They said, "By Allah, you are in your old error."

﴾٩٦﴿ فَلَمَّآ أَن جَآءَ ٱلْبَشِيرُ أَلْقَىٰهُ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِۦ فَٱرْتَدَّ بَصِيرًۭا ۖ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

Falammaaa an jaaa'albasheeru alqaahu 'alaa wajhihee fartadda baseeran qaala alam aqul lakum inneee a'lamu minal laahi maa laa ta'lamoon

So when the bearer of good news came, he cast it over his face, and his sight returned. He said, "Did I not tell you that I know from Allah what you do not know?"

﴾٩٧﴿ قَالُوا۟ يَٰٓأَبَانَا ٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا خَٰطِـِٔينَ

Qaaloo yaaa abaanas taghfir lanaa zunoo =banaaa innaa kunnaa khaati'een

They said, "Our father, ask forgiveness for us for our sins. We were at fault."

﴾٩٨﴿ قَالَ سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّىٓ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ

Qaala sawfa astaghfiru lakum Rabbeee innahoo Huwal Ghafoorur Raheem

He said, "I will ask my Lord to forgive you. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful."

﴾٩٩﴿ فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ ءَاوَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِ أَبَوَيْهِ وَقَالَ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ مِصْرَ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ءَامِنِينَ

Falammaa dakhaloo 'alaa Yoosufa aawaaa ilaihi abayaihi wa qaalad khuloo Misra inshaaa'al laahu aamineen

So when they entered upon Yusuf, he took his parents to himself and said, "Enter Egypt, if Allah wills, secure."

﴾١٠٠﴿ وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيْهِ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ وَخَرُّوا۟ لَهُۥ سُجَّدًۭا ۖ وَقَالَ يَٰٓأَبَتِ هَٰذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُءْيَٰىَ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّى حَقًّۭا ۖ وَقَدْ أَحْسَنَ بِىٓ إِذْ أَخْرَجَنِى مِنَ ٱلسِّجْنِ وَجَآءَ بِكُم مِّنَ ٱلْبَدْوِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَن نَّزَغَ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَ إِخْوَتِىٓ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى لَطِيفٌۭ لِّمَا يَشَآءُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ

Wa raf'a abawaihi 'alal 'arshi wa kharroo lahoo sujjadaa; wa qaala yaaa abati haaza taaweelu ru'yaaya min qablu qad ja'alahaa Rabbee haqqaa; wa qad ahsana beee iz akhrajanee minas sijni wa jaaa'a bikum minal badwi mim ba'di an nazaghash Shaitaanu bainee wa baina ikhwatee; inna Rabbee lateeful limaa yashaaa'; innahoo Huwal 'Aleemul Hakeem

And he raised his parents upon the throne, and they fell down before him in prostration. And he said, "My father, this is the interpretation of my dream from before. My Lord has made it true. And He was good to me when He brought me out of the prison and brought you from the desert, after Satan had caused discord between me and my brothers. My Lord is Subtle in what He wills. He is the Knowing, the Wise.

﴾١٠١﴿ ۞ رَبِّ قَدْ ءَاتَيْتَنِى مِنَ ٱلْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِى مِن تَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ ۚ فَاطِرَ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ أَنتَ وَلِىِّۦ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْءَاخِرَةِ ۖ تَوَفَّنِى مُسْلِمًۭا وَأَلْحِقْنِى بِٱلصَّٰلِحِينَ

Rabbi qad aataitanee minal mulki wa 'allamtanee min taaweelil ahaadees; faati ras samaawaati wal ardi Anta waliyyee fid dunyaa wal Aakhirati tawaffanee muslimanw wa alhiqnee bissaaliheen

My Lord, You have given me of the kingdom and taught me the interpretation of accounts. Originator of the heavens and the earth, You are my protector in this world and the hereafter. Take me as a Muslim, and join me with the righteous."

﴾١٠٢﴿ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنۢبَآءِ ٱلْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ أَجْمَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَمْكُرُونَ

Zaalika min ambaaa'il ghaibi nooheehi ilaika wa maa kunta ladaihim iz ajma'ooo amrahum wa hum yamkuroon

That is from the news of the unseen, which We reveal to you. You were not with them when they agreed on their plan while they were scheming.

﴾١٠٣﴿ وَمَآ أَكْثَرُ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَوْ حَرَصْتَ بِمُؤْمِنِينَ

Wa maa aksarun naasi wa law harasta bimu'mineen

And most people, however eager you are, are not believers.

﴾١٠٤﴿ وَمَا تَسْـَٔلُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ ۚ إِنْ هُوَ إِلَّا ذِكْرٌۭ لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ

Wa maa tas'aluhum 'alaihi min ajr; in huwa illaa zikrul lil'aalameen

And you ask them no payment for it. It is only a reminder for the worlds.

﴾١٠٥﴿ وَكَأَيِّن مِّنْ ءَايَةٍۢ فِى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ يَمُرُّونَ عَلَيْهَا وَهُمْ عَنْهَا مُعْرِضُونَ

Wa ka ayyim min Aayatin fis samaawaati wal ardi yamurroona 'alaihaa wa hum 'anhaa mu'ridoon

And how many signs are there in the heavens and the earth, which they pass by, turning away from them.

﴾١٠٦﴿ وَمَا يُؤْمِنُ أَكْثَرُهُم بِٱللَّهِ إِلَّا وَهُم مُّشْرِكُونَ

Wa maa yu'minu aksaru hum billaahi illaa wa hum mushrikoon

And most of them do not believe in Allah without associating others with Him.

﴾١٠٧﴿ أَفَأَمِنُوٓا۟ أَن تَأْتِيَهُمْ غَٰشِيَةٌۭ مِّنْ عَذَابِ ٱللَّهِ أَوْ تَأْتِيَهُمُ ٱلسَّاعَةُ بَغْتَةًۭ وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ

Afa aminooo an taatiya hum ghaashiyatum min 'azaabil laahi aw taatiyahumus Saa'atu baghtatanw wa hum laa yash'uroon

Do they feel secure that an overwhelming punishment from Allah will not come to them, or that the Hour will not come to them suddenly, while they do not perceive?

﴾١٠٨﴿ قُلْ هَٰذِهِۦ سَبِيلِىٓ أَدْعُوٓا۟ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ عَلَىٰ بَصِيرَةٍ أَنَا۠ وَمَنِ ٱتَّبَعَنِى ۖ وَسُبْحَٰنَ ٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أَنَا۠ مِنَ ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ

Qul haazihee sabeeleee ad'ooo ilal laah; 'alaa baseera tin ana wa manit taba'anee wa Subhaanal laahi wa maaa ana minal mushrikeen

Say, "This is my way. I call to Allah with clear sight, I and whoever follows me. Glory to Allah, and I am not among those who associate others with Him."

﴾١٠٩﴿ وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًۭا نُّوحِىٓ إِلَيْهِم مِّنْ أَهْلِ ٱلْقُرَىٰٓ ۗ أَفَلَمْ يَسِيرُوا۟ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ فَيَنظُرُوا۟ كَيْفَ كَانَ عَٰقِبَةُ ٱلَّذِينَ مِن قَبْلِهِمْ ۗ وَلَدَارُ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ خَيْرٌۭ لِّلَّذِينَ ٱتَّقَوْا۟ ۗ أَفَلَا تَعْقِلُونَ

Wa maaa arsalnaa min qablika illaa rijaalan nooheee ilaihim min ahlil quraa; afalam yaseeroo fil ardi fa yanzuroo kaifa kaana 'aaqibatul lazeena min qablihim; wa la Daarul Aakhirati Khairul lillazeenat taqaw; afalaa ta'qiloon

And We sent none before you except men from the people of the towns, to whom We revealed. Have they not traveled the earth and seen how those before them ended? And the home of the hereafter is better for those who are mindful of Allah. Will you not reason?

﴾١١٠﴿ حَتَّىٰٓ إِذَا ٱسْتَيْـَٔسَ ٱلرُّسُلُ وَظَنُّوٓا۟ أَنَّهُمْ قَدْ كُذِبُوا۟ جَآءَهُمْ نَصْرُنَا فَنُجِّىَ مَن نَّشَآءُ ۖ وَلَا يُرَدُّ بَأْسُنَا عَنِ ٱلْقَوْمِ ٱلْمُجْرِمِينَ

Hattaaa izas tai'asar Rusulu wa zannooo annahum qad kuziboo jaaa'ahum nas runaa fanujjiya man nashaaa'u wa laa yuraddu baasunna 'anil qawmil mujrimeen

Until, when the messengers despaired and thought they had been denied, Our help came to them, and whoever We willed was saved. And Our punishment is not turned back from the criminal people.

﴾١١١﴿ لَقَدْ كَانَ فِى قَصَصِهِمْ عِبْرَةٌۭ لِّأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَلْبَٰبِ ۗ مَا كَانَ حَدِيثًۭا يُفْتَرَىٰ وَلَٰكِن تَصْدِيقَ ٱلَّذِى بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَتَفْصِيلَ كُلِّ شَىْءٍۢ وَهُدًۭى وَرَحْمَةًۭ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يُؤْمِنُونَ

Laqad kaana fee qasasihim 'ibratul li ulil albaa; maa kaana hadeesany yuftaraa wa laakin tasdeeqal lazee baina yadihi wa tafseela kulli shai'inw wa hudanw wa rahmatal liqawminy yu'minoon

There is in their accounts a lesson for those of understanding. It is not an invented narrative, but a confirmation of what came before it, a detailed explanation of all things, and guidance and mercy for a people who believe.

The Tafsir · The Breakdown

What This Part Means

Overview

No Blame Upon You Today.

Everything in this surah has been building toward one room. A man who was thrown into a well by his own brothers, sold, propositioned, imprisoned and forgotten, is now the second most powerful man in Egypt, and the men who did it are standing in front of him asking for food. He has the authority, the evidence and the motive. Verse 92 records what he says. No blame upon you today. Allah will forgive you, and He is the most merciful of the merciful. And then, eight verses later, when he narrates the whole thing to his father at the height of his power, he does not mention the well at all.

Verses 69 to 87

Do Not Despair of Relief.

Verse 69 is the first crack in his composure, and note what he says. He takes his full brother aside privately and says, I am your brother, so do not grieve over what they used to do. The reunion is used to comfort the other man rather than to relieve himself. Verse 76 explains the cup, and the wording is worth examining. In this way We planned for Yusuf. Kidna li Yusuf, the same root the Quran uses for the brothers' scheming in verse 5, used here on the other side. And the verse closes with a line that should keep any expert humble: above every possessor of knowledge is one who knows. Verse 77 is the provocation. They said, if he steals, a brother of his stole before. They slander him to his face, not knowing it is his face. And the verse records his response in a single clause: Yusuf kept it within himself and did not reveal it to them. He held it. Verses 83 through 87 return to the father, and this is where the surah does something remarkable. Verse 83, decades after the first shirt, he says the same two words he said then. Beautiful patience. The same man, the same response, a second time, with the second son gone. Verse 84 does not hide the cost. His eyes went white from sorrow, and he was suppressing it. Kazim, holding it in, swallowing it. He is not serene. He is containing something enormous. Verse 86 is the sentence that defines where grief is allowed to go. I complain of my anguish and my grief only to Allah. Not that he has no complaint. That the complaint has exactly one address. And verse 87 is the instruction he gives his sons, which is the most quoted line in the surah for good reason. Do not despair of relief from Allah. No one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people. Rawh, relief, from the same root as rest and breath. And the verse does not call despair a weakness or a mood. It puts it on the wrong side of the line entirely.

Verses 88 to 101

I Am Yusuf.

Verse 88 shows them arriving in the worst condition of their lives, admitting they have brought goods of little worth and asking to be treated charitably. Verse 89 is his question, and it is constructed with more mercy than they deserved. Do you know what you did to Yusuf and his brother, when you were ignorant? He hands them the excuse inside the accusation. Verse 90 is the recognition, and read what he adds immediately after his own name. I am Yusuf, and this is my brother. Allah has favored us. Whoever is mindful of Allah and is patient, Allah does not waste the reward of those who do good. He identifies himself and, in the same breath, states the principle rather than the grievance. Verse 92 is the sentence. La tathriba alaykumu al-yawm. No blame upon you today. He forgives at the exact moment when he has the most power to do otherwise, which is the only moment forgiveness costs anything. And he does not stop at pardon. Allah will forgive you, and He is the most merciful of the merciful. He asks for something better for them than they asked for. Verse 94 then returns to a father hundreds of miles away. I sense the scent of Yusuf, if you do not think me weakened in judgment. And verse 95, his own household telling him he is in his old error. He was right, and they were still calling him confused. Verse 100 is the arrival of the dream from verse 4, decades late, and it is the most instructive verse in the entire surah. He tells his father, this is the interpretation of my dream from before, my Lord has made it true. And then he lists what Allah did for him: brought me out of the prison, and brought you from the desert. Notice what he leaves out. He does not mention the well. He does not mention being sold. And when he refers to the rift with his brothers at all, he assigns the cause elsewhere: after Satan had caused discord between me and my brothers. Standing on a throne, in front of the men who did it, at the one moment when the full account could be read aloud, he edits it to spare them. Verse 101 is his prayer at the height of everything he was given, and it is not a request for more. My Lord, You have given me of the kingdom and taught me the interpretation of accounts. You are my protector in this world and the hereafter. Take me as a Muslim, and join me with the righteous. A man at the top of the world asks to die in submission and to be gathered with better men.

Verses 102 to 111

A Lesson for Those of Understanding.

Verse 105 gives the quiet indictment that applies to everyone. And how many signs are there in the heavens and the earth, which they pass by, turning away from them. Not signs they were denied. Signs they walked past. Verse 106 then states something worth reading twice. Most of them do not believe in Allah without associating others with Him. The belief is real and it is not clean. That is a description of a great many practicing men, and it is placed here so that a reader does not finish this surah congratulating himself. Verse 108 gives the method for anyone carrying this. This is my way. I call to Allah with clear sight, I and whoever follows me. Ala basirah, on the basis of clear sight rather than inherited habit, and the phrase includes the followers, which means the standard is not reserved for the one leading. Verse 110 is the last hard verse in the surah, and it is for anyone who has been holding a position past the point where it seemed reasonable. Until, when the messengers despaired and thought they had been denied, Our help came to them. The help does not arrive early. It arrives at the point where even the messengers were at the end of it. Verse 111 then closes the whole account and tells you what to do with it. There is in their accounts a lesson for those of understanding. Ibrah, a crossing, something you pass through to get from one side to the other. The story is not there to be admired. It is there to be crossed.

Structural Summary

Verses Sixty-Nine to One Hundred Eleven. No Blame Upon You Today.

A man uses his first private moment with his brother to comfort him rather than himself, and holds his tongue when slandered to his own face. A father says the same two words about patience that he said decades earlier, goes white from a grief he is visibly swallowing, and takes the complaint to one address only. Then the room: the men who threw him in a well stand in front of the man who runs the country, and he hands them the excuse inside his own accusation, forgives them at the moment of maximum power, and asks Allah for something better for them than they asked for. When he finally tells the story from a throne, he leaves out the well. And the surah closes by saying the help arrives at the point where even messengers had run out, and that the account exists to be crossed, not admired.

The Practice

Take It Into the Week

Verse 86. Take the grievance you have been telling people about and take it to one address instead, tonight, out loud and alone.

Verse 92. Name the person you have the most right to hold something against. Release it while you still have the power not to.

Verse 100. Practice telling your own story without the part that makes someone else look worst. Notice how much of it survives.

آمِين

Prepared with discipline · Ameen

Verse-By-Verse · Test Yourself

The Quiz

Two questions per verse. Translation and a key Arabic word. Walk through it slow. The goal is comprehension, not speed.

Verse 691 / 12

The Verse

What does Yusuf say to his brother privately in verse 69?