سُوْرَةُ يُوسُفَ
Surah Yusuf (12) — Ayah 87
يَـٰبَنِىَّ ٱذْهَبُوا۟ فَتَحَسَّسُوا۟ مِن يُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ وَلَا تَا۟يْـَٔسُوا۟ مِن رَّوْحِ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يَا۟يْـَٔسُ مِن رَّوْحِ ٱللَّهِ إِلَّا ٱلْقَوْمُ ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ ﴿87﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
"O my sons! Go you and enquire about Yûsuf (Joseph) and his brother, and never give up hope of Allâh’s Mercy. Certainly no one despairs of Allâh’s Mercy, except the people who disbelieve."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
يَـٰبَنِىَّ
yābaniyya
O my sons
ٱذْهَبُوا۟
idh'habū
Go
فَتَحَسَّسُوا۟
fataḥassasū
and inquire
مِن
min
about
يُوسُفَ
yūsufa
Yusuf
وَأَخِيهِ
wa-akhīhi
and his brother
وَلَا
walā
and not
تَا۟يْـَٔسُوا۟
tāy'asū
despair
مِن
min
of
رَّوْحِ
rawḥi
(the) Mercy of Allah
ٱللَّهِ ۖ
l-lahi
(the) Mercy of Allah
إِنَّهُۥ
innahu
Indeed
لَا
lā
none
يَا۟يْـَٔسُ
yāy'asu
despairs
مِن
min
of
رَّوْحِ
rawḥi
(the) Mercy of Allah
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
(the) Mercy of Allah
إِلَّا
illā
except
ٱلْقَوْمُ
l-qawmu
the people
ٱلْكَـٰفِرُونَ
l-kāfirūna
the disbelievers
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.
(Ayah87) ➊ {يٰبَنِيَّ اذْهَبُوْا فَتَحَسَّسُوْا …: ’’ بَنِيْنَ ‘‘ ’’ اِبْنٌ ‘‘} is the plural, when annexed to ya, the nun dropped, the ya was assimilated into the ya of the first person, and since the ya of the first person is mabni bar fathah, a fathah was given at the end. The meaning of {’’تَحَسَّسَ‘‘} is to search for something with subtlety, wisdom, and patience through the senses. (Al-Wasit) The original meaning of {’’ رَوْحِ اللّٰهِ ‘‘ ’’رَوْحٌ‘‘ } is to breathe; it is said {’’ أَرَاحَ الْإِنْسَانُ ‘‘} "the person breathed." (Mufradat) The intended meaning is relief and mercy from Allah; the comfort and pleasure that comes after suffocation and breathlessness is a sample of Allah's mercy, that is, go and make every effort to along with the brother who has remained there, search for Yusuf and his brother, and do not despair of Allah's mercy.
➋ {اِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْكٰفِرُوْنَ :} are those who do not have authentic knowledge of His power; in contrast, no matter how discouraging and hopeless the circumstances may be, a believer never despairs of his Lord's mercy. The meaning of this verse is that despairing of Allah's mercy is a characteristic of a disbeliever, not of a believer. This does not mean that one who despairs becomes a disbeliever and apostate, but just as lying is a characteristic of a hypocrite, not of a believer, as He said: «{ اِنَّمَا يَفْتَرِي الْكَذِبَ الَّذِيْنَ لَا يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِاٰيٰتِ اللّٰهِ }» [ النحل : ۱۰۵ ] "Only those who do not believe in Allah's signs fabricate lies." But the disbelief from lying is less than that disbelief which expels a person from faith and makes him an apostate. Similarly, despairing of Allah's mercy is a characteristic of a disbeliever.
➋ {اِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْكٰفِرُوْنَ :} are those who do not have authentic knowledge of His power; in contrast, no matter how discouraging and hopeless the circumstances may be, a believer never despairs of his Lord's mercy. The meaning of this verse is that despairing of Allah's mercy is a characteristic of a disbeliever, not of a believer. This does not mean that one who despairs becomes a disbeliever and apostate, but just as lying is a characteristic of a hypocrite, not of a believer, as He said: «{ اِنَّمَا يَفْتَرِي الْكَذِبَ الَّذِيْنَ لَا يُؤْمِنُوْنَ بِاٰيٰتِ اللّٰهِ }» [ النحل : ۱۰۵ ] "Only those who do not believe in Allah's signs fabricate lies." But the disbelief from lying is less than that disbelief which expels a person from faith and makes him an apostate. Similarly, despairing of Allah's mercy is a characteristic of a disbeliever.
