سُوْرَةُ يُوسُفَ
Surah Yusuf (12) — Ayah 81
ٱرْجِعُوٓا۟ إِلَىٰٓ أَبِيكُمْ فَقُولُوا۟ يَـٰٓأَبَانَآ إِنَّ ٱبْنَكَ سَرَقَ وَمَا شَهِدْنَآ إِلَّا بِمَا عَلِمْنَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِلْغَيْبِ حَـٰفِظِينَ ﴿81﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"Return to your father and say, ‘O our father! Verily, your son (Benjamin) has stolen, and we testify not except according to what we know, and we could not know the Unseen!
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
ٱرْجِعُوٓا۟
ir'jiʿū
Return
إِلَىٰٓ
ilā
to
أَبِيكُمْ
abīkum
your father
فَقُولُوا۟
faqūlū
and say
يَـٰٓأَبَانَآ
yāabānā
'O our father
إِنَّ
inna
Indeed
ٱبْنَكَ
ib'naka
your son
سَرَقَ
saraqa
has stolen
وَمَا
wamā
and not
شَهِدْنَآ
shahid'nā
we testify
إِلَّا
illā
except
بِمَا
bimā
of what
عَلِمْنَا
ʿalim'nā
we knew
وَمَا
wamā
And not
كُنَّا
kunnā
we were
لِلْغَيْبِ
lil'ghaybi
of the unseen
حَـٰفِظِينَ
ḥāfiẓīna
guardians
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.
(Ayah81) ➊ {اِرْجِعُوْۤا اِلٰۤى اَبِيْكُمْ … :} However, you should go back and inform the father that your son has committed theft; if you do not return, the father will be even more distressed, thinking perhaps all the sons have been arrested, or wondering what has happened to them. Therefore, go back and inform him of the actual situation.
➋ {وَ مَا شَهِدْنَاۤ اِلَّا بِمَا عَلِمْنَا : } This can have two meanings: one is that we have testified to our brother being a thief according to our own knowledge, because we saw with our own eyes the cup being taken out of his belongings. The second is that when we told the Aziz of Egypt about the ruling that the punishment for theft is such, we told him according to our own knowledge, that according to the law of our forefathers, this is the ruling.
➌ { وَ مَا كُنَّا لِلْغَيْبِ حٰفِظِيْنَ:} That is, when we swore an oath and made a promise to you, we did not have knowledge of the unseen that the brother would go to Egypt and commit theft; otherwise, why would we have taken him with us, or given you such a firm promise that we would definitely bring him back with us?
➋ {وَ مَا شَهِدْنَاۤ اِلَّا بِمَا عَلِمْنَا : } This can have two meanings: one is that we have testified to our brother being a thief according to our own knowledge, because we saw with our own eyes the cup being taken out of his belongings. The second is that when we told the Aziz of Egypt about the ruling that the punishment for theft is such, we told him according to our own knowledge, that according to the law of our forefathers, this is the ruling.
➌ { وَ مَا كُنَّا لِلْغَيْبِ حٰفِظِيْنَ:} That is, when we swore an oath and made a promise to you, we did not have knowledge of the unseen that the brother would go to Egypt and commit theft; otherwise, why would we have taken him with us, or given you such a firm promise that we would definitely bring him back with us?
