سُوْرَةُ يُوسُفَ
Surah Yusuf (12) — Ayah 19
وَجَآءَتْ سَيَّارَةٌ فَأَرْسَلُوا۟ وَارِدَهُمْ فَأَدْلَىٰ دَلْوَهُۥ ۖ قَالَ يَـٰبُشْرَىٰ هَـٰذَا غُلَـٰمٌ ۚ وَأَسَرُّوهُ بِضَـٰعَةً ۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمٌۢ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿19﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
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.
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَجَآءَتْ
wajāat
And there came
سَيَّارَةٌۭ
sayyāratun
a caravan
فَأَرْسَلُوا۟
fa-arsalū
and they sent
وَارِدَهُمْ
wāridahum
their water drawer
فَأَدْلَىٰ
fa-adlā
then he let down
دَلْوَهُۥ ۖ
dalwahu
his bucket
قَالَ
qāla
He said
يَـٰبُشْرَىٰ
yābush'rā
O good news
هَـٰذَا
hādhā
This
غُلَـٰمٌۭ ۚ
ghulāmun
(is) a boy
وَأَسَرُّوهُ
wa-asarrūhu
And they hid him
بِضَـٰعَةًۭ ۚ
biḍāʿatan
(as) a merchandise
وَٱللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
عَلِيمٌۢ
ʿalīmun
(is) All-Knower
بِمَا
bimā
of what
يَعْمَلُونَ
yaʿmalūna
they do
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.
19. 1. The "warid" is the person who goes ahead of the caravan to arrange for water, etc., so that after finding a suitable place, the caravan can be made to stop there. When this warid reached the well and let down his bucket, Yusuf (علیہ السلام) grabbed his rope. The warid saw a handsome boy, pulled him up, and became very happy.
19. 2. "Bida'ah" refers to merchandise. Who is the doer (fa'il) of "asruhu"? That is, who hid Yusuf considering him as merchandise? There is a difference of opinion on this. Hafiz Ibn Kathir has considered the brothers of Yusuf (علیہ السلام) as the doer. The meaning is that when Yusuf (علیہ السلام) also came out of the well with the bucket, his brothers were also present there. However, they kept the real truth hidden; they did not say that he is our brother, and Yusuf (علیہ السلام) also did not reveal that he was their brother out of fear of being killed. Rather, when the brothers declared him to be for sale, he remained silent and accepted being sold. Thus, the warid gave the good news to the people of the caravan that a boy is being sold. But this does not seem to fit with the context. In contrast, Imam Shawkani has considered the warid and his companions as the doer of "asruhu," meaning they did not reveal that the boy was taken out of the well, because in that case, the entire caravan would have shared in this merchandise. Rather, they went and told the caravan people that the owners of the well had entrusted the boy to them so that they could take him to Egypt and sell him. But the closest opinion is that the people of the caravan, considering the boy as merchandise, hid him so that his relatives would not arrive searching for him, and thus they would have to give him up. Because being a child and found in a well is a sign that he is from nearby and fell in while playing.
19. 3. That is, whatever was happening with Yusuf (علیہ السلام), Allah had knowledge of it. But Allah allowed all this to happen so that the divine decree could come into effect. In addition, there is an indication here for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, meaning Allah is telling His Prophet that your people are certainly causing you harm, and I am able to prevent them from this as well. But I am giving them respite in the same way I gave respite to the brothers of Yusuf (علیہ السلام). And then, in the end, I made Yusuf (علیہ السلام) sit on the throne of Egypt and made his brothers stand helpless and powerless in his court. O Prophet, a time will come when you too will be honored in this way, and the chiefs of Quraysh will be waiting for your slightest gesture and movement of your lips. Thus, this time soon arrived on the occasion of the conquest of Makkah.
19. 2. "Bida'ah" refers to merchandise. Who is the doer (fa'il) of "asruhu"? That is, who hid Yusuf considering him as merchandise? There is a difference of opinion on this. Hafiz Ibn Kathir has considered the brothers of Yusuf (علیہ السلام) as the doer. The meaning is that when Yusuf (علیہ السلام) also came out of the well with the bucket, his brothers were also present there. However, they kept the real truth hidden; they did not say that he is our brother, and Yusuf (علیہ السلام) also did not reveal that he was their brother out of fear of being killed. Rather, when the brothers declared him to be for sale, he remained silent and accepted being sold. Thus, the warid gave the good news to the people of the caravan that a boy is being sold. But this does not seem to fit with the context. In contrast, Imam Shawkani has considered the warid and his companions as the doer of "asruhu," meaning they did not reveal that the boy was taken out of the well, because in that case, the entire caravan would have shared in this merchandise. Rather, they went and told the caravan people that the owners of the well had entrusted the boy to them so that they could take him to Egypt and sell him. But the closest opinion is that the people of the caravan, considering the boy as merchandise, hid him so that his relatives would not arrive searching for him, and thus they would have to give him up. Because being a child and found in a well is a sign that he is from nearby and fell in while playing.
19. 3. That is, whatever was happening with Yusuf (علیہ السلام), Allah had knowledge of it. But Allah allowed all this to happen so that the divine decree could come into effect. In addition, there is an indication here for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, meaning Allah is telling His Prophet that your people are certainly causing you harm, and I am able to prevent them from this as well. But I am giving them respite in the same way I gave respite to the brothers of Yusuf (علیہ السلام). And then, in the end, I made Yusuf (علیہ السلام) sit on the throne of Egypt and made his brothers stand helpless and powerless in his court. O Prophet, a time will come when you too will be honored in this way, and the chiefs of Quraysh will be waiting for your slightest gesture and movement of your lips. Thus, this time soon arrived on the occasion of the conquest of Makkah.
