سُوْرَةُ يُوسُفَ

Surah Yusuf (12) — Ayah 84

Joseph · Meccan · Juz 13 · Page 245

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وَتَوَلَّىٰ عَنْهُمْ وَقَالَ يَـٰٓأَسَفَىٰ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَٱبْيَضَّتْ عَيْنَاهُ مِنَ ٱلْحُزْنِ فَهُوَ كَظِيمٌ ﴿84﴾

Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali

And he turned away from them and said: "Alas, my grief for Yûsuf (Joseph)!" And he lost his sight because of the sorrow that he was suppressing.

Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning

وَتَوَلَّىٰ watawallā And he turned away
عَنْهُمْ ʿanhum from them
وَقَالَ waqāla and said
يَـٰٓأَسَفَىٰ yāasafā Alas, my grief
عَلَىٰ ʿalā over
يُوسُفَ yūsufa Yusuf
وَٱبْيَضَّتْ wa-ib'yaḍḍat And became white
عَيْنَاهُ ʿaynāhu his eyes
مِنَ mina from
ٱلْحُزْنِ l-ḥuz'ni the grief
فَهُوَ fahuwa and he (was)
كَظِيمٌۭ kaẓīmun a suppressor

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi

Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

(Ayah84) ➊ {وَ تَوَلّٰى عَنْهُمْ وَ قَالَ يٰۤاَسَفٰى … : ’’ يٰۤاَسَفٰى ‘‘} was originally {’’يَا أَسَفِيْ‘‘} with the ya of the first person, but for lightness and to express grief, the ya was changed to an alif. { وَ ابْيَضَّتْ عَيْنٰهُ مِنَ الْحُزْنِ } “His eyes became white with grief” means that due to the continuous flow of tears, the whiteness covered the blackness of his eyes and his eyesight was impaired. {’’ كَظِيْمٌ ‘‘} means {’’مَكْظُوْمٌ‘‘}, which is someone who is full of grief but hides it from people and does not express it. From this is: «{ وَ الْكٰظِمِيْنَ الْغَيْظَ }» [ آل عمران : ۱۳۴ ] meaning those who restrain their anger. {’’كَظَمَ فُلَانٌ السِّقَاءَ‘‘} means so-and-so closed the mouth of a filled water skin. That is, when Yaqub (peace be upon him) heard his sons’ words and replied to them, a flood of sorrows overwhelmed him and all the wounds of his heart were reopened, so he left his sons and departed from the gathering, saying: “Alas, my grief for Yusuf!” and his eyes became white with grief, but despite being full of grief, he did not express it. As for the grief of the heart and crying and shedding tears in distress, this is permissible and beyond human control. Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that when the son of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), Ibrahim, passed away, tears flowed from the eyes of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and he said: [ إِنَّ الْعَيْنَ تَدْمَعُ وَالْقَلْبَ يَحْزَنُ وَلَا نَقُوْلُ إِلاَّ مَا يَرْضٰی رَبُّنَا وَ إِنَّا بِفِرَاقِكَ يَا إِبْرَاهِيْمُ ! إِنَّا لَمَحْزُوْنُوْنَ ] [بخاري، الجنائز، باب قول النبي صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم إنا بک لمحزونون : ۱۳۰۳۔ مسلم : ۲۳۱۵ ] “Indeed, the eyes shed tears and the heart grieves, and we do not say except what pleases our Lord, and indeed we are, O Ibrahim, surely grieved by your separation.” However, wailing at the time of calamity, tearing the collar, and slapping the face are strictly forbidden.

➋ Although the news was about the other two sons, the words expressing the intensity of grief for Yusuf came from the mouth of Yaqub (peace be upon him), because when a wound is struck upon another wound, the first wound hurts more. {’’ وَلٰكِنَّ نَكْأَ الْجُرْحِ بِالْجُرْحِ أَوْجَعُ ‘‘} “But the reopening of a wound by a new wound is more painful.”

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan — Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf

Tafsir Ahsan al-Bayan is a well-known Quran commentary by Hafiz Salahuddin Yusuf, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. This tafsir explains the meanings of the Quran in accordance with the methodology of the Salaf (early righteous generations), relying on authentic sources and straightforward language. Due to its reliability and adherence to sound Islamic scholarship, the Saudi government publishes and distributes this tafsir among the Hujjaj (pilgrims) visiting the Haramain. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

84. 1 That is, this fresh shock also revived the old shock of the separation from Yusuf ؑ.

84. 2 That is, the blackness of the eyes, due to grief, had turned into whiteness.

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran — Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani

Tafsir Taiseer ul-Quran (Facilitation of the Quran) is a comprehensive Quran commentary by Maulana Abdul Rahman Kilani, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar from Pakistan. Known for his eloquent and accessible writing style, Kilani authored this tafsir with a focus on clarity — making Quranic meanings understandable to the common reader. The tafsir provides detailed historical context for verses related to battles and expeditions, and firmly refutes modernist ideologies using strong scriptural evidence. It is widely regarded as an invaluable resource for understanding the Quran and countering deviant interpretations. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.

84. Then he turned away from them and said, "Alas for Joseph!" And his eyes became white with grief, and he was filled with sorrow [82].

[82]
The Reason for the Loss of Sayyiduna Yaqub’s Sight:

That is, he did not curse or reproach his sons and acted with forgiveness, even though this incident had reopened an old wound. However, the words “Oh Yusuf!” involuntarily escaped his lips, as the grief of Sayyiduna Yusuf had permeated his entire being. “Kazheem” refers to a waterskin that has been filled to the brim and its mouth sealed. In other words, the grief for Yusuf had reached up to his throat. Yet, even then, he did not allow himself to utter any words of complaint or restlessness, and continued to endure everything with restraint, the effect of which fell upon his eyes and caused him to lose his sight.
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