سُوْرَةُ يُوسُفَ
Surah Yusuf (12) — Ayah 94
وَلَمَّا فَصَلَتِ ٱلْعِيرُ قَالَ أَبُوهُمْ إِنِّى لَأَجِدُ رِيحَ يُوسُفَ ۖ لَوْلَآ أَن تُفَنِّدُونِ ﴿94﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And when the caravan departed, their father said: "I do indeed feel the smell of Yûsuf (Joseph), if only you think me not a dotard (a person who has weakness of mind because of old age)."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَلَمَّا
walammā
And when
فَصَلَتِ
faṣalati
departed
ٱلْعِيرُ
l-ʿīru
the caravan
قَالَ
qāla
their father said
أَبُوهُمْ
abūhum
their father said
إِنِّى
innī
Indeed, I
لَأَجِدُ
la-ajidu
[I] find
رِيحَ
rīḥa
(the) smell
يُوسُفَ ۖ
yūsufa
(of) Yusuf
لَوْلَآ
lawlā
if not
أَن
an
that
تُفَنِّدُونِ
tufannidūni
you think me weakened in mind
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.
94. When the caravan departed (from Egypt), their father Ya‘qub said, “If you do not think that I have lost my mind due to old age, (then know that) I truly sense the scent of Yusuf [91].”
[91]
Sayyiduna Ya'qub (ؑ) Informing His Sons of Yusuf (ؑ) Being Alive and Their Mockery:
As the caravan departed from Egypt, Sayyiduna Ya'qub (ؑ), hundreds of miles away in Canaan, began to sense the scent of his separated son Yusuf (ؑ). However, when Yusuf (ؑ) was lying in a well in their own village, he was not aware of it at that time, from which it is understood that Allah grants the knowledge of the unseen to the Prophets only as much as He wills and when He wills. In all the events of Sayyiduna Yusuf’s (ؑ) life, only the will of Allah is seen to be at work. Allah Almighty thoroughly tested Sayyiduna Ya'qub (ؑ) in patience, endurance, and trust in Allah. Then, when the time came for the fruit of this test after his success, even before the meeting, a spiritual state was cast upon Sayyiduna Ya'qub (ؑ), or he was informed through revelation. Yet, he hesitated to openly express this state to his family, and when he did speak, he said it in such a manner: “If you do not start saying that, due to old age, I have begun to utter strange things, then the fact is that today I sense the scent of Yusuf (ؑ), and the difficulty is that this matter will not be understood by you.” Accordingly, the family members said exactly what he feared. They said: “You often mention Yusuf anyway; his love, the belief in his being alive, and the certainty of meeting him again have taken root in your heart. These are the same old things that are coming to your mind as the scent of Yusuf (ؑ). Your passionate love for Yusuf takes various forms of imagination in your heart, and it is those very imaginations that you begin to tell us.”
[91]
Sayyiduna Ya'qub (ؑ) Informing His Sons of Yusuf (ؑ) Being Alive and Their Mockery:
As the caravan departed from Egypt, Sayyiduna Ya'qub (ؑ), hundreds of miles away in Canaan, began to sense the scent of his separated son Yusuf (ؑ). However, when Yusuf (ؑ) was lying in a well in their own village, he was not aware of it at that time, from which it is understood that Allah grants the knowledge of the unseen to the Prophets only as much as He wills and when He wills. In all the events of Sayyiduna Yusuf’s (ؑ) life, only the will of Allah is seen to be at work. Allah Almighty thoroughly tested Sayyiduna Ya'qub (ؑ) in patience, endurance, and trust in Allah. Then, when the time came for the fruit of this test after his success, even before the meeting, a spiritual state was cast upon Sayyiduna Ya'qub (ؑ), or he was informed through revelation. Yet, he hesitated to openly express this state to his family, and when he did speak, he said it in such a manner: “If you do not start saying that, due to old age, I have begun to utter strange things, then the fact is that today I sense the scent of Yusuf (ؑ), and the difficulty is that this matter will not be understood by you.” Accordingly, the family members said exactly what he feared. They said: “You often mention Yusuf anyway; his love, the belief in his being alive, and the certainty of meeting him again have taken root in your heart. These are the same old things that are coming to your mind as the scent of Yusuf (ؑ). Your passionate love for Yusuf takes various forms of imagination in your heart, and it is those very imaginations that you begin to tell us.”
