سُوْرَةُ يُوسُفَ
Surah Yusuf (12) — Ayah 17
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰٓأَبَانَآ إِنَّا ذَهَبْنَا نَسْتَبِقُ وَتَرَكْنَا يُوسُفَ عِندَ مَتَـٰعِنَا فَأَكَلَهُ ٱلذِّئْبُ ۖ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُؤْمِنٍ لَّنَا وَلَوْ كُنَّا صَـٰدِقِينَ ﴿17﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
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."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
قَالُوا۟
qālū
They said
يَـٰٓأَبَانَآ
yāabānā
O our father
إِنَّا
innā
Indeed, we
ذَهَبْنَا
dhahabnā
[we] went
نَسْتَبِقُ
nastabiqu
racing each other
وَتَرَكْنَا
wataraknā
and we left
يُوسُفَ
yūsufa
Yusuf
عِندَ
ʿinda
with
مَتَـٰعِنَا
matāʿinā
our possessions
فَأَكَلَهُ
fa-akalahu
and ate him
ٱلذِّئْبُ ۖ
l-dhi'bu
the wolf
وَمَآ
wamā
But not
أَنتَ
anta
you
بِمُؤْمِنٍۢ
bimu'minin
(will) believe
لَّنَا
lanā
us
وَلَوْ
walaw
even if
كُنَّا
kunnā
we are
صَـٰدِقِينَ
ṣādiqīna
truthful
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.
(Ayah 17){ قَالُوْا يٰۤاَبَانَاۤ اِنَّا ذَهَبْنَا نَسْتَبِقُ …: ’’ اِسْتِبَاقٌ‘‘} is a verbal noun from the form "iftiaal," meaning competition in surpassing one another, whether it is in a foot race or on horses ({اِسْتِبَاقُ الْخَيْلِ}) or in archery ({اِسْتِبَاقُ الرَّمْيِ}). That is, we went far ahead in the race and left Yusuf by our belongings, so a wolf ate Yusuf. The "al" in {’’ الذِّئْبُ ‘‘} is not for specification, but for the genus, meaning any wolf ate him. At the same time, while presenting their innocence, they reproached their father, saying that you are so suspicious of us that you will never trust us, even if we are completely truthful. However, the listener would certainly think that the wolf ate him bones and all and did not leave a single trace to bring back, especially since they neither brought back any remains of his body nor said that they buried him.
