| | Dr. Laleh Bakhtiar rendition of Surah Joseph(Yusuf)
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| 12:1 | | Alif L[m R[. That are the signs of the clear Book. |
| 12:2 | | Truly, We caused to descend a Recitation in Arabic so that perhaps you will be reasonable. |
| 12:3 | | We relate to thee the fairer of narratives through what We revealed to thee of this, the Quran, although thou hadst been before this among the ones who are heedless. |
| 12:4 | | Mention when Joseph said to his father: O my father! Truly, I saw eleven stars and the sun and the moon. I saw them as ones prostrating themselves to me. |
| 12:5 | | He said: O my son! Relate not thy dream to thy brothers so that they contrive cunning against thee. Truly, Satan is a clear enemy to the human being. |
| 12:6 | | And, thus, thy Lord will elect thee and teach thee of the interpretation of events. And He will fulfill His divine blessing on thee and on the people of Jacob just as He fulfilled it on thy two fathers before, Abraham and Isaac. Truly, thy Lord is Knowing, Wise. |
| 12:7 | | Certainly, there had been in Joseph and his brothers signs for the ones who ask. |
| 12:8 | | When they said: Certainly, Joseph and his brother are more beloved to our father than we, although we are many. Truly, our father is clearly wandering astray. |
| 12:9 | | Kill Joseph or fling him to some other region to free the face of your father for you. You be a folk after that ones in accord with morality! |
| 12:10 | | Said one who says: Kill not Joseph, but cast him into the bottom of a well. Some company of travelers will pick him out, if you had been ones who do this. |
| 12:11 | | They said: O our father! Why wilt thou not entrust us with Joseph when we are, truly, ones who will, certainly, look after him? |
| 12:12 | | Send him with us tomorrow to frolic and play. And, truly, we are ones who guard him. |
| 12:13 | | He said: Truly, it disheartens me that you go with him. And I fear that a wolf eat him while you are ones who are heedless of him. |
| 12:14 | | They said: If a wolf ate him while we are many, truly, then, we are ones who are losers. |
| 12:15 | | So they went with him, and they agreed to lay him in the bottom of the well. And We revealed to him: Certainly, thou wilt tell them of this, their affair, when they are not aware. |
| 12:16 | | And they drew near their father in the time of night, weeping. |
| 12:17 | | They said: O our father! Truly, we went racing and we left Joseph with our sustenance and a wolf ate him and thou wilt not be one who believes us, even if we had been ones who are sincere. |
| 12:18 | | And they brought about his long shirt with false blood. He said: Nay! Your souls enticed you with a command. Having patience is graceful. And it is God, One Whose Help is being sought against what you allege. |
| 12:19 | | And there drew near a company of travelers so they sent their water-drawer to let down his bucket. He said: What good tidings! This is a boy! So they kept him secret as merchandise. And God is Knowing of what they do. |
| 12:20 | | And they sold him for a meager price of coins, ones that are numbered. And they had been of him among the ones who hold him in low esteem. |
| 12:21 | | One from Egypt who bought him said to his woman: Honor him as a guest with a place of lodging. Perhaps he will profit us or we will take him to ourselves as a son. And, thus, We established Joseph firmly in the earth that We teach him the interpretation of events. God is One Who is Victor over His command, except most of humanity knows not. |
| 12:22 | | And when he had fully grown and come of age, We gave him critical judgment and knowledge. And, thus, We give recompense to the ones who are doers of good. |
| 12:23 | | And she in whose house he was solicited him, enticing him to evil. And she shut the doors and said: Come thou! He said: God be my safe place. Truly, he, thy husband, is my master and He gave me a goodly place of lodging. Truly, the ones who are unjust will not prosper. |
| 12:24 | | She, certainly, was about to act on her desire for him and he was about to act on his desire for her, if it were not that he saw proof of his Lord. Thus, it was that We turn away from him evil and depravity. And, truly, he was among Our servants, ones who are devoted. |
| 12:25 | | So they raced to the door and she tore his long shirt from behind. And they both discovered her chief at the door. She said: What is the recompense of him who wanted evil for thy household, but that he be imprisoned or a painful punishment? |
| 12:26 | | He said: She solicited me, enticing me to evil. And one who bears witness bore witness from her household and said: If his long shirt had been torn from the front, then, she was sincere, and he was among the ones who lie. |
| 12:27 | | But if his long shirt had been torn from behind, she lied against herself; he was among ones who are sincere. |
| 12:28 | | When her husband saw his long shirt was torn from behind, he said: It is of your (f) cunning; truly, your (f) cunning is serious. |
| 12:29 | | Joseph! Turn aside from this! To his wife he said: Ask thou for forgiveness for thy (f) impiety; truly, thou (f) hadst been of the ones who are inequitable. |
| 12:30 | | And the ladies in the city said: The woman of the great one solicits her spiritual warrior, enticing him to evil. Surely, he captivated her longing. Truly, we consider her to be clearly wandering astray. |
| 12:31 | | So when she heard of their planning, she sent for them (f), and made ready for them a banquet. And she gave each one of them (f) a knife, and said to Joseph: Go forth before them (f). Then, when they saw him, they admired him and cut their hands. And they (f) said: God save us! This is not a mortal. This is nothing but a generous angel! |
| 12:32 | | She said: This is he about whom you (f) blamed me. And, certainly, I solicited him, enticing him to evil, but he preserved himself from sin. And now if he accomplishes not what I command, he will, certainly, be imprisoned and will be among the ones who are disgraced. |
| 12:33 | | He said: O my Lord! Prison is more beloved to me than what they call me to. Unless Thou hast turned away their (f) cunning from me, I will yearn towards them (f) and I will be among the ones who are ignorant. |
| 12:34 | | So his Lord responded to him and turned away their (f) cunning from him. Truly, He, He is The Hearing, The Knowing. |
| 12:35 | | Again, it showed itself to them. And after they saw the signs, it seemed that they should imprison him for a while. |
| 12:36 | | And there entered with him in the prison two male spiritual warriors. One of them said: Truly, I see myself pressing grapes in season. And the other said: Truly, I see myself carrying bread over my head from which birds are eating. They said: Tell us the interpretation of this. Truly, we consider thee among the ones who are doers of good. |
| 12:37 | | He said: The food you both are provided approaches you not, but I will tell you of its interpretation before it approaches. That is of what my Lord taught me. Truly, I left the creed of a folk who believe not in God and they, in the world to come, they are ones who disbelieve. |
| 12:38 | | And I followed the creed of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. It had not been for us that we ascribe anything as partners with God. That is from the grace of God to us and to humanity, except most of humanity gives not thanks. |
| 12:39 | | O my two prison companions! Are ones that are different masters better or God, The One, The Omniscient? |
| 12:40 | | Whomever you worship other than He are nothing but names that you named—you and your fathers for which God caused not to descend any authority. The determination is from God alone. He commanded that you worship none but Him. That is the truth-loving way of life, except most of humanity knows not. |
| 12:41 | | O my two prison companions! As for one of you, he will give intoxicants to drink to his master. And as for the other, he will be crucified. And birds will eat from his head. The matter was decided about which you ask for advice. |
| 12:42 | | And he said to the one of them whom he thought should be the one who is saved of the two: Remember me to thy master. Then, Satan caused him to forget the remembrance of him to his master so Joseph lingered in expectation in prison for a certain number of years. |
| 12:43 | | And the king said: Truly, I, I see seven fattened cows eating seven lean ones and seven ears of green wheat and others dry. O Council: Render an opinion to me about my dream if you had been able to expound dreams. |
| 12:44 | | They said: Jumbled nightmares. And we are not of the interpretation of nightmares ones who know. |
| 12:45 | | And said the man of the two of them who was delivered and recalled after a period of time: I will tell you its interpretation so send me. |
| 12:46 | | Joseph, O thou just person! Render an opinion to us about seven fattened cows eaten by seven lean ones and seven ears of green wheat and others dry so that perhaps I will return to the personages so that perhaps they will know about thee. |
| 12:47 | | He said: You will sow for seven years in like previous manner and of what you reaped, then, forsake ears of wheat, but a little of it that you may eat. |
| 12:48 | | Again, seven severe years will approach after that. You will eat what you put forward, but a little of what you keep in store. |
| 12:49 | | Again, after that, will approach a year in which humanity will be helped with rain and they will press in season. |
| 12:50 | | And the king said: Bring him to me. Then, when the Messenger brought about, he said: Return to thy master and ask him: What of the ladies, those who cut their hands? Truly, my Lord is Knowing of their (f) cunning. |
| 12:51 | | He said: What was your (f) business when you solicited Joseph, enticing him to evil? They (f) said: God save us! We knew not any evil against him. The woman of the great one said: Now The Truth was discovered! I sought to solicit him, enticing him to evil. And, truly, he is among the ones who are sincere. |
| 12:52 | | Joseph said: That is so that the great one know that I betray him not in his absence. And that God guides not the cunning of the ones who are traitors. |
| 12:53 | | And I declare my soul not innocent. Truly, the soul is that which incites to evil, but when my Lord had mercy. Truly, my Lord is Forgiving, Compassionate. |
| 12:54 | | And the king said: Bring him to me so that I attach him to myself. Then, when he spoke to him he said: Truly, this day thou art with us secure, trustworthy. |
| 12:55 | | Joseph said: Assign me over the storehouses of the region. Truly, I will be a knowing guardian. |
| 12:56 | | And, thus, We established Joseph firmly in the region to take his dwelling in it when or where he wills. We light Our mercy on whom We will and We waste not the compensation of ones who are doers of good. |
| 12:57 | | Truly, the compensation of the world to come is better for those who believed and had been Godfearing. |
| 12:58 | | And Joseph’s brothers drew near and they entered before him. He recognized them, but they are ones who know him not. |
| 12:59 | | And when he equipped them with their food supplies, he said: Bring me a brother of yours from your father. See you not that I live up to full measure and that I am best of the ones who host? |
| 12:60 | | Then, if you bring him not to me, there will be no full measure for you with me, nor will you come near me. |
| 12:61 | | They said: We will solicit his father for him and, truly, we are ones who do it. |
| 12:62 | | And Joseph said to his spiritual warriors: Lay their merchandise into their saddlebags so that perhaps they will recognize it when they turned about to their household so that perhaps they will return. |
| 12:63 | | So when they returned to their father, they said: O our father! The full measure was refused to us so send our brother with us that we will obtain our measure. And, truly, we will be ones who guard him. |
| 12:64 | | Jacob said: How will I entrust him to you as I entrusted you with his brother before? But, then, God is Best of One Who Guards. And He is One Who is the Most Merciful of the ones who are the most merciful. |
| 12:65 | | And when they opened their sustenance, they found their merchandise was returned to them. They said: O our father, this is what we desire. Our merchandise was returned to us and we will get provision for our household and we will keep our brother safe and add a camel’s load of full measure. That is an easy full measure. |
| 12:66 | | He said: I will not send him with you until you give me a pledge by God that you will bring him back to me, unless you are enclosed yourselves. And when they gave him their pledge, he said: God is Trustee over what we say. |
| 12:67 | | And he said: O my sons! Enter not by one door, but enter by different doors. I will not avail you against God in anything. Truly, the determination is but with God. In Him I put my trust. And in Him put their trust the ones who put their trust. |
| 12:68 | | And when they entered from where their father commanded, it had not been availing them against God in anything, but it was a need of Jacob’s inner self which he satisfied. And, truly, he was a possessor of knowledge because We taught him, except most of humanity knows not. |
| 12:69 | | And when they entered before Joseph, he himself gave refuge to his brother. He said: Truly, I am thy brother, so be not despondent for what they had been doing. |
| 12:70 | | So when he equipped them with their food supplies, he laid the drinking cup into their brother’s saddlebag. Again, one who announces announced: O you in the caravan! Truly, you are ones who are thieves. |
| 12:71 | | They said coming forward: What is it that you are missing? |
| 12:72 | | They said: We are missing the king’s drinking cup and for him who brought it about is a camel’s load and I am the guarantor for it. |
| 12:73 | | They said: By God, certainly, you knew we drew not near making corruption in the region. And we had not been ones who are thieves. |
| 12:74 | | They said: What, then, will be the recompense for him if you had been ones who lie? |
| 12:75 | | They said: The recompense for it will be that he in whose saddlebag it was located will be the recompense. Thus, we give recompense to the ones who are unjust. |
| 12:76 | | So he began with their sacks before the sack of his brother. Again, he pulled it out of his brother’s sack. Thus, We contrived for Joseph. He would not have taken his brother into the judgment of the king unless God wills it. We exalt in degree whomever We will, and above all those possessors of knowledge is One Who is Knowing. |
| 12:77 | | They said: If he steals, surely, a brother of his stole before. But Joseph kept it secret within himself, not showing it to them. He said: You are in a worse place. And God is greater in knowledge of what you allege. |
| 12:78 | | They said: O the great one! Truly, for him is an old man as his father so take one of us in his place. Truly, we consider thee among the ones who are doers of good. |
| 12:79 | | He said: God be my safe place that we take but him with Whom we found our sustenance. Truly, we, then, would be of the ones who are unjust. |
| 12:80 | | So when in regard to him they became hopeless, they conferred privately. The eldest of them said: Know you not that your father, surely, took a pledge from you by God and before that you neglected your duty with Joseph. So I will never quit this region until my father gives me permission or God gives judgment in my case. And He is Best of the ones who judge. |
| 12:81 | | Return to your father and say: O our father! Truly, thy son stole and we bore witness only to what we knew. And we had not been ones who guard the unseen. |
| 12:82 | | And ask the people of the town where we had been and the people of the caravan in which we came forward. And, truly, we are ones who are sincere. |
| 12:83 | | He said: You were enticed by your souls into an affair. So patience is graceful. Perhaps God will bring me them altogether. Truly, He, He is The Knowing, The Wise. |
| 12:84 | | And he turned away from them and said: O my bitterness for Joseph! And his eyes brightened because of the sorrow that was choking him. |
| 12:85 | | They said: By God! Thou wilt never discontinue remembering Joseph until thou hast ruined thy health. Thou wouldst be among the ones who are perishing. |
| 12:86 | | He said: I make not complaint of my anguish and sorrow but to God. And I know from God what you know not. |
| 12:87 | | O my sons! Go and search for Joseph and his brother. And give not up hope of the solace of God. Truly, no one gives up hope of the solace of God but the folk, ones who are ungrateful. |
| 12:88 | | Then, when they entered to him, they said: O the great one! Harm afflicted us and our household. We drew near merchandise of scant worth so live up to the full measure and be charitable to us. Truly, God gives recompense to the ones who give in charity. |
| 12:89 | | He said: Knew you what you accomplished with Joseph and his brother when you are ones who are ignorant? |
| 12:90 | | They said: Art thou, truly, Joseph? He said: I am Joseph and this is my brother. Surely, God showed us grace. Truly, He Who is Godfearing and endures patiently, then, surely, God will not waste the compensation of the ones who are doers of good. |
| 12:91 | | They said: By God! Certainly, God held thee in greater favor above us. And, truly, we had been ones who are inequitable. |
| 12:92 | | He said: No censure on you this day. God forgive you. And He is One Who is Most Merciful of the ones who are most merciful. |
| 12:93 | | Go with this, my long shirt and cast it over the face of my father. He will become seeing. And bring me your household one and all. |
| 12:94 | | And when they set forward with the caravan their father said: Truly, I find the scent of Joseph if you think me not weak of mind. |
| 12:95 | | They said: By God! Truly, thou art long possessed by thy wandering astray. |
| 12:96 | | Then, when the bearer of good tidings drew near, he cast it over his face and he went back, seeing. He said: Did I not say to you, truly, I know from God what you know not? |
| 12:97 | | They said: O our father! Ask forgiveness for us for our impieties. Truly, we had been ones who are inequitable. |
| 12:98 | | He said: I will ask forgiveness for you with my Lord. Truly, He, He is The Forgiving, The Compassionate. |
| 12:99 | | Then, when they entered to Joseph, he gave refuge to his parents and said: Enter Egypt, if God willed, as ones who are safe! |
| 12:100 | | And he exalted his parents to the throne. And they fell down before him as ones who prostrate themselves. And he said: O my father! This is the interpretation of my dream from before. My Lord has made it a reality. And, surely, He did good to me when He brought me out of the prison and drew you near out of the desert after Satan had sown enmity between me and between my brothers. Truly, my Lord is Subtle in what He wills. Truly, He is The Knowing, The Wise. |
| 12:101 | | My Lord! Surely, Thou hadst given me of the dominion. Thou hadst taught of the interpretation of events. One Who is Originator of the heavens and the earth, Thou art my protector in the present and in the world to come. Call me to Thyself as one who submits to Thee and cause me to join with the ones in accord with morality. |
| 12:102 | | That is of the tidings of the unseen that We reveal to thee. And thou hadst not been in their presence when they agreed to their affair. And they plan. |
| 12:103 | | And most of humanity is not ones who believe, even if thou wert eager. |
| 12:104 | | Thou hast asked them not for any compensation. It is but a Remembrance to the worlds. |
| 12:105 | | And how many signs of the heavens and the earth they pass by while they are ones who turn aside from them! |
| 12:106 | | And most of them believe not in God, but they be ones who are polytheists. |
| 12:107 | | Were they safe from the approach to them of the overwhelming event of the punishment from God or the approach on them of the Hour suddenly while they are not aware? |
| 12:108 | | Say: This is my way. I call to God. I and whoever followed me are on clear evidence. And glory be to God! And I am not among the ones who are polytheists. |
| 12:109 | | And We sent not before thee as Messengers, but men to whom We reveal from among the people of the towns. So journey they not through the earth and look on how had been the Ultimate End of those who were before them? And, truly, the abode of the world to come is better for those who were Godfearing. Will you not, then, be reasonable? |
| 12:110 | | When the Messengers became hopeless and thought that they were lied against, then, Our help drew near. So We were to deliver whomever We will. And Our Might will not be repelled from the folk, the ones who sin. |
| 12:111 | | Certainly, there had been in their narratives a lesson for those imbued with intuition. It had not been a discourse that is devised except it established as true what was before and decisively explained everything and is a guidance and a mercy for a folk who believe. |
