Surah Yusuf (Joseph) - Talal Itani & AI (2025) Translation

12:3 We relate to you the best of stories through this Quran that We have revealed to you, though before it you were among the unaware.

12:4 When Joseph said to his father, "O my father, I saw eleven stars and the sun and the moon—I saw them prostrating to me."

12:5 He said, "O my son, do not tell your brothers about your vision, or they will plot against you. Satan is a clear enemy to man."

12:6 Thus your Lord will choose you and teach you the interpretation of events and complete His favor upon you and upon the family of Jacob, as He completed it upon your forefathers before: Abraham and Isaac. Your Lord is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

12:7 In Joseph and his brothers there are signs for those who ask.

12:8 When they said, "Joseph and his brother are more beloved to our father than we are, though we are a strong group. Our father is clearly mistaken."

12:9 "Kill Joseph or cast him off to some distant land, and your father's attention will be yours alone. After that, you can be righteous people."

12:10 One of them said, "Do not kill Joseph. Throw him into the bottom of a well, and some travelers will pick him up—if you must do something."

12:11 They said, "O our father, why do you not trust us with Joseph? We truly wish him well."

12:12 "Send him with us tomorrow to enjoy himself and play. We will watch over him."

12:13 He said, "It grieves me that you should take him, and I fear that a wolf might devour him while you are not paying attention."

12:14 They said, "If a wolf eats him while we are a strong group, then we would truly be losers."

12:15 When they took him away and agreed to throw him into the depths of the well, We revealed to him: You will surely inform them of this deed of theirs while they are unaware.

12:16 They came to their father at nightfall, weeping.

12:17 They said, "Father, we went racing and left Joseph with our belongings, and a wolf devoured him. You will not believe us, even though we are telling the truth."

12:18 They brought his shirt stained with false blood. He said, "No, your souls have tempted you into something. So patience is beautiful, and God is the one sought for help against what you describe."

12:19 A caravan came and sent their water-drawer, and he let down his bucket. He cried, "Good news! Here is a boy!" They hid him as merchandise, and God is fully aware of what they do.

12:20 They sold him for a cheap price, a few coins, showing no interest in him.

12:21 The man from Egypt who bought him said to his wife, "Make his stay honorable. Perhaps he will benefit us, or we may adopt him as a son." This is how We established Joseph in the land, and so We could teach him the interpretation of events. God prevails in His purpose, but most people do not know.

12:22 When he reached maturity, We gave him wisdom and knowledge. This is how We reward those who do good.

12:23 The woman in whose house he lived tried to seduce him. She locked the doors and said, "Come to me." He said, "God forbid! My master has made my stay honorable. Wrongdoers never succeed."

12:24 She desired him, and he would have desired her had he not seen the proof of his Lord. This was so We could turn evil and indecency away from him. He was truly one of Our devoted servants.

12:25 They raced to the door, and she tore his shirt from behind. They found her husband at the door. She said, "What is the punishment for someone who intended evil toward your wife except prison or a painful torment?"

12:26 He said, "She tried to seduce me." A witness from her household testified: "If his shirt is torn from the front, then she is telling the truth and he is a liar."

12:27 "But if his shirt is torn from behind, then she has lied and he is telling the truth."

12:28 When he saw that his shirt was torn from behind, he said, "This is your scheming. Your scheming is truly great."

12:29 "Joseph, turn away from this. And you, seek forgiveness for your sin. You were truly among those at fault."

12:30 Women in the city said, "The governor's wife is trying to seduce her slave boy. Love has pierced her heart. We see her clearly in the wrong."

12:31 When she heard of their scheming, she sent for them and prepared a banquet, giving each of them a knife. Then she said, "Come out before them." When they saw him, they were in awe of him and cut their hands, exclaiming, "God preserve us! This is no human being. This is nothing but a noble angel!"

12:32 She said, "This is the one you blamed me for. I did try to seduce him, but he held firm. If he does not do what I command him, he will be thrown in prison and be utterly humiliated."

12:33 He said, "My Lord, prison is more beloved to me than what they are calling me to. Unless You turn their scheming away from me, I will yield to them and be among the ignorant."

12:34 His Lord answered him and turned their scheming away from him. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.

12:35 Then it occurred to them, after seeing all the signs, to imprison him for a time.

12:36 Two young men entered the prison with him. One of them said, "I saw myself pressing wine." The other said, "I saw myself carrying bread on my head, and birds were eating from it. Tell us its meaning. We see that you are one of the good-doers."

12:37 He said, "No food will come to you as your provision except that I will tell you its meaning before it arrives. This is from what my Lord has taught me. I have abandoned the way of a people who do not believe in God and who deny the Hereafter."

12:38 I follow the way of my fathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is not for us to associate anything with God. This is from God's grace upon us and upon people, but most people are not grateful.

12:39 O my two fellow prisoners, are many different lords better, or God, the One, the Dominant?

12:40 What you worship besides Him are nothing but names you and your fathers invented. God has sent down no authority for them. Judgment belongs to God alone. He has commanded that you worship none but Him. That is the upright religion, but most people do not know.

12:41 O my two fellow prisoners, one of you will serve wine to his master, and the other will be crucified, and birds will eat from his head. The matter you asked about has been decided.

12:42 He said to the one he thought would be saved, "Mention me to your master." But Satan made him forget to mention him to his master, so Joseph remained in prison for several years.

12:43 The king said, "I see seven fat cows being devoured by seven lean ones, and seven green ears of grain and others withered. O chiefs, explain to me my vision if you can interpret dreams."

12:44 They said, "Confused dreams, and we have no knowledge of interpreting such dreams."

12:45 The one who had been saved of the two, remembering after a long time, said, "I will tell you its interpretation, so send me."

12:46 "Joseph, O truthful one, explain to us seven fat cows being devoured by seven lean ones, and seven green ears of grain and others withered, so that I may return to the people and they may know."

12:47 He said, "You will plant for seven years continuously. Whatever you harvest, leave it in its ear, except a little from which you eat."

12:48 Then after that will come seven harsh years that will consume what you stored for them, except a little that you preserve."

12:49 Then after that will come a year in which people will be given rain and in which they will press."

12:50 The king said, "Bring him to me." But when the messenger came to him, he said, "Go back to your master and ask him about the women who cut their hands. My Lord knows well their scheming."

12:51 He asked, "What was your affair when you tried to seduce Joseph?" They said, "God forbid! We knew nothing bad of him." The wife of the chief said, "Now the truth has come out. I tried to seduce him, and he is among the truthful."

12:52 "This is so he may know that I did not betray him in his absence, and that God does not guide the scheming of betrayers."

12:53 "I do not absolve myself. The soul is ever inclined to evil, except those on whom my Lord has mercy. My Lord is Forgiving, Merciful."

12:54 The king said, "Bring him to me. I will appoint him exclusively for myself." Then when he spoke with him, he said, "Today you are established with us, secure and trusted."

12:55 He said, "Put me in charge of the storehouses of the land. I am a careful guardian, knowledgeable."

12:56 Thus We established Joseph in the land, settling wherever he wished. We bestow Our mercy on whom We will, and We do not waste the reward of those who do good.

12:57 The reward of the Hereafter is better for those who believe and are mindful of God.

12:58 Joseph's brothers came and entered upon him. He recognized them, but they did not recognize him.

12:59 When he had furnished them with their supplies, he said, "Bring me a brother of yours from your father. Do you not see that I give full measure and that I am the best of hosts?"

12:60 But if you do not bring him to me, there will be no measure for you from me, and do not come near.

12:61 They said, "We will try to persuade his father to let him go, and we will certainly do it."

12:62 He said to his servants, "Put their merchandise back into their saddlebags so they may recognize it when they return to their family, and perhaps they will come back."

12:63 When they returned to their father, they said, "O our father, further measure has been denied to us, so send our brother with us and we will obtain our measure. We will guard him well."

12:64 He said, "Should I trust you with him as I once trusted you with his brother before? God is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of those who show mercy."

12:65 When they opened their baggage, they found their merchandise returned to them. They said, "O our father, what more could we ask for? Here is our merchandise returned to us. We will provide for our family, protect our brother, and gain an extra camel-load. That is an easy measure."

12:66 He said, "I will never send him with you until you give me a solemn pledge by God that you will bring him back to me, unless you are completely overwhelmed." When they gave him their pledge, he said, "God is witness over what we say."

12:67 He said, "O my sons, do not enter through one gate, but enter through different gates. I cannot protect you from God in any way. Judgment belongs to none but God. In Him I place my trust, and in Him let all who trust place their trust."

12:68 When they entered as their father had commanded them, it did not protect them from God in any way. It was only a need within Jacob's soul that he satisfied. He possessed knowledge because of what We had taught him, but most people do not know.

12:69 When they entered upon Joseph, he drew his brother close to him and said, "I am your brother, so do not grieve over what they used to do."

12:70 When he had furnished them with their supplies, he placed the drinking cup in his brother's bag. Then a crier called out, "O caravan, you are thieves!"

12:71 They turned to them and said, "What are you missing?"

12:72 They said, "We are missing the king's measuring cup. Whoever brings it will receive a camel's load, and I guarantee it."

12:73 They said, "By God, you know we did not come to cause corruption in the land, and we are not thieves."

12:74 They said, "Then what shall be the penalty if you are lying?"

12:75 They said, "The penalty is that whoever it is found in his bag, he himself shall be the penalty. This is how we punish wrongdoers."

12:76 He began with their bags before his brother's bag, then he pulled it out from his brother's bag. This is how We devised a plan for Joseph. He could not have taken his brother under the king's law unless God had willed it. We raise in degrees whom We will, and above every possessor of knowledge is one more knowing.

12:77 They said, "If he steals, a brother of his stole before." Joseph kept this to himself and did not reveal it to them. He said, "You are in a worse position, and God knows best what you describe."

12:78 They said, "O minister, he has an elderly father, advanced in age, so take one of us in his place. We see that you are among those who do good."

12:79 He said, "God forbid that we take anyone except the one with whom we found our property. We would then be wrongdoers."

12:80 When they had lost all hope in him, they withdrew to confer privately. Their eldest said, "Do you not know that your father took a solemn pledge from you before God, and before that you failed regarding Joseph? I will never leave this land until my father permits me or God decides for me, and He is the best of judges."

12:81 Return to your father and say, "O our father, your son has stolen. We testify only to what we know, and we could not guard against the unseen."

12:82 Ask the town where we were and the caravan we traveled with. We are telling the truth.

12:83 He said, "No, your souls have enticed you into something. So patience is beautiful. Perhaps God will bring them all back to me. He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise."

12:84 He turned away from them and said, "O my grief over Joseph!" His eyes turned white from sorrow, and he was suppressing his anguish.

12:85 They said, "By God, you will not stop remembering Joseph until you waste away or perish."

12:86 He said, "I only complain of my anguish and grief to God, and I know from God what you do not know."

12:87 My sons, go and search for Joseph and his brother, and do not despair of God's mercy. Only the disbelieving people despair of God's mercy.

12:88 When they entered upon him, they said, "O Chief, hardship has struck us and our family, and we have brought only meager goods. So give us full measure and be charitable to us. God rewards the charitable."

12:89 He said, "Do you know what you did to Joseph and his brother when you were ignorant?"

12:90 They said, "Is it really you? Are you Joseph?" He said, "I am Joseph, and this is my brother. God has been gracious to us. Whoever is mindful of God and patient, God never wastes the reward of those who do good."

12:91 They said, "By God, God has truly favored you over us, and we were sinners."

12:92 He said, "No blame on you today. May God forgive you, and He is the most merciful of the merciful."

12:93 Take this shirt of mine and cast it over my father's face, and he will regain his sight. Then bring me your whole family.

12:94 When the caravan set out, their father said, "I smell Joseph's scent, even if you think I am senile."

12:95 They said, "By God, you are still lost in your old delusion."

12:96 When the bearer of good news arrived, he cast it over his face, and his sight returned. He said, "Did I not tell you that I know from God what you do not know?"

12:97 They said, "Our father, ask forgiveness for our sins. We were sinners."

12:98 He said, "I will ask my Lord to forgive you. He is the Forgiving, the Merciful."

12:99 When they entered upon Joseph, he embraced his parents and said, "Enter Egypt, God willing, in safety."

12:100 He raised his parents upon the throne, and they fell down before him in prostration. He said, "My father, this is the fulfillment of my vision from before. My Lord has made it come true. He was good to me when He brought me out of prison and brought you from the desert after Satan had sown discord between me and my brothers. My Lord is subtle in what He wills. He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise."

12:101 My Lord, You have given me authority and taught me the interpretation of events. Originator of the heavens and the earth, You are my Protector in this world and the Hereafter. Let me die in submission to You and join me with the righteous.

12:102 This is from the news of the unseen that We reveal to you. You were not with them when they agreed on their plan while they were scheming.

12:103 Most people will not believe, no matter how eager you are.

12:104 You ask them no payment for it. It is only a reminder for all the worlds.

12:105 How many signs in the heavens and the earth do they pass by, turning away from them.

12:106 Most of them do not believe in God without associating partners with Him.

12:107 Do they feel secure that an overwhelming envelopment from God will not come upon them, or that the Hour will not come upon them suddenly while they are unaware?

12:108 Say, "This is my path. I call to God with clear insight, I and whoever follows me. Glory be to God, and I am not among those who associate partners with Him."

12:109 We sent before you only men from the people of the towns to whom We revealed. Have they not traveled through the land and seen what was the end of those before them? The home of the Hereafter is better for those who are mindful of God. Will you not understand?

12:110 When the messengers had lost hope and thought they had been denied, Our help came to them. We save whoever We will, and Our punishment cannot be turned back from the guilty people.

12:111 In their stories there is a lesson for people of understanding. It is not a fabricated tale, but a confirmation of what came before it, a detailed explanation of all things, and guidance and mercy for people who believe.