Surah 12

Alif-Lâm-Râ. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’ân, and none but Allâh (Alone) knows their meanings]. These are the Verses of the Clear Book (the Qur’ân that makes clear the legal and illegal things, laws, a guidance and a blessing).

Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’ân in order that you may understand.

We relate unto you (Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم) the best of stories through Our Revelations unto you, of this Qur’ân. And before this (i.e. before the coming of Divine Revelation to you), you were among those who knew nothing about it (the Qur’ân).

(Remember) when Yûsuf (Joseph) said to his father: "O my father! Verily, I saw (in a dream) eleven stars and the sun and the moon - I saw them prostrating themselves to me."

He (the father) said: "O my son! Relate not your vision to your brothers, lest they should arrange a plot against you. Verily! Shaitân (Satan) is to man an open enemy!

"Thus will your Lord choose you and teach you the interpretation of dreams (and other things) and perfect His Favour on you and on the offspring of Ya‘qûb (Jacob), as He perfected it on your fathers, Ibrâhîm (Abraham) and Ishâq (Isaac) aforetime! Verily, your Lord is All-Knowing, All-Wise."

Verily, in Yûsuf (Joseph) and his brethren, there were Ayât (proofs, evidence, verses, lessons, signs, revelations, etc.) for those who ask.

When they said: "Truly, Yûsuf (Joseph) and his brother (Benjamin) are dearer to our father than we, while we are a strong group. Really, our father is in a plain error.

"Kill Yûsuf (Joseph) or cast him out to some (other) land, so that the favour of your father may be given to you alone, and after that you will be righteous folk (by intending repentance before committing the sin)."

One from among them said: "Kill not Yûsuf (Joseph), but if you must do something, throw him down to the bottom of a well; he will be picked up by some caravan of travellers."

They said: "O our father! Why do you not trust us with Yûsuf (Joseph) though we are indeed his well-wishers?"

"Send him with us tomorrow to enjoy himself and play, and verily, we will take care of him."

He [Ya‘qûb (Jacob)] said: "Truly, it saddens me that you should take him away. I fear lest a wolf should devour him, while you are careless of him."

They said: "If a wolf devours him, while we are a strong group (to guard him), then surely, we are the losers."

So, when they took him away and they all agreed to throw him down to the bottom of the well, (they did so) and We revealed to him: "Indeed, you shall (one day) inform them of this their affair, when they know (you) not."

And they came to their father in the early part of the night weeping.

They said: "O our father! We went racing with one another, and left Yûsuf (Joseph) by our belongings and a wolf devoured him; but you will never believe us even when we speak the truth."

And they brought his shirt stained with false blood. He said: "Nay, but your ownselves have made up a tale. So (for me) patience is most fitting. And it is Allâh (Alone) Whose help can be sought against that (lie) which you describe."

And there came a caravan of travellers and they sent their water-drawer, and he let down his bucket (into the well). He said: "What good news! Here is a boy." So they hid him as merchandise (a slave). And Allâh was the All-Knower of what they did.

And they sold him for a low price - for a few Dirhams (i.e. for a few silver coins). And they were of those who regarded him insignificant.