قالوا يا أَبانا إِنّا ذَهَبنا نَستَبِقُ وَتَرَكنا يوسُفَ عِندَ مَتاعِنا فَأَكَلَهُ الذِّئبُ ۖ وَما أَنتَ بِمُؤمِنٍ لَنا وَلَو كُنّا صادِقينَ

They said, “O our father, we were racing each other and left Joseph with our belongings, and a wolf ate him. But you won’t believe us, even if we are truthful.”

وَجاءوا عَلىٰ قَميصِهِ بِدَمٍ كَذِبٍ ۚ قالَ بَل سَوَّلَت لَكُم أَنفُسُكُم أَمرًا ۖ فَصَبرٌ جَميلٌ ۖ وَاللَّهُ المُستَعانُ عَلىٰ ما تَصِفونَ

And they presented his shirt, stained with false blood. He said, “Rather, your souls lured you into something. Yet patience is beautiful. May God’s help be sought against what you claim.”

وَجاءَت سَيّارَةٌ فَأَرسَلوا وارِدَهُم فَأَدلىٰ دَلوَهُ ۖ قالَ يا بُشرىٰ هـٰذا غُلامٌ ۚ وَأَسَرّوهُ بِضاعَةً ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَليمٌ بِما يَعمَلونَ

A passing caravan arrived, and they sent their water drawer. He lowered his bucket and said, “Oh, good news! Here is a boy!” And they concealed him as merchandise, but God knew well what they did.

وَشَرَوهُ بِثَمَنٍ بَخسٍ دَراهِمَ مَعدودَةٍ وَكانوا فيهِ مِنَ الزّاهِدينَ

They sold him for a low price, a few coins, so little did they value him.

وَقالَ الَّذِي اشتَراهُ مِن مِصرَ لِامرَأَتِهِ أَكرِمي مَثواهُ عَسىٰ أَن يَنفَعَنا أَو نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا ۚ وَكَذٰلِكَ مَكَّنّا لِيوسُفَ فِي الأَرضِ وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُ مِن تَأويلِ الأَحاديثِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ غالِبٌ عَلىٰ أَمرِهِ وَلـٰكِنَّ أَكثَرَ النّاسِ لا يَعلَمونَ

The man from Egypt who bought him said to his wife, “Make his stay comfortable; perhaps he can benefit us, or we might adopt him as a son.” And thus, We established Joseph in the land, and We taught him the interpretation of events. God’s command is always executed, but most people don’t know.

وَراوَدَتهُ الَّتي هُوَ في بَيتِها عَن نَفسِهِ وَغَلَّقَتِ الأَبوابَ وَقالَت هَيتَ لَكَ ۚ قالَ مَعاذَ اللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُ رَبّي أَحسَنَ مَثوايَ ۖ إِنَّهُ لا يُفلِحُ الظّالِمونَ

And she, in whose house he was, sought to seduce him. She closed the doors and said, “Come to me!” He responded, “God forbid! He is my master, he treats me well, and the wrongdoers never succeed.”

وَلَقَد هَمَّت بِهِ ۖ وَهَمَّ بِها لَولا أَن رَأىٰ بُرهانَ رَبِّهِ ۚ كَذٰلِكَ لِنَصرِفَ عَنهُ السّوءَ وَالفَحشاءَ ۚ إِنَّهُ مِن عِبادِنَا المُخلَصينَ

She desired him, and he desired her had he not seen his Lord’s evidence. Thus, We diverted evil and indecency from him; he was one of Our devoted servants.

وَاستَبَقَا البابَ وَقَدَّت قَميصَهُ مِن دُبُرٍ وَأَلفَيا سَيِّدَها لَدَى البابِ ۚ قالَت ما جَزاءُ مَن أَرادَ بِأَهلِكَ سوءًا إِلّا أَن يُسجَنَ أَو عَذابٌ أَليمٌ

They raced to the door, and she tore his shirt from behind. They encountered her husband at the door, to whom she cried, “What’s the penalty for someone who intended harm to your family, if not imprisonment or a severe punishment?”

قالَ هِيَ راوَدَتني عَن نَفسي ۚ وَشَهِدَ شاهِدٌ مِن أَهلِها إِن كانَ قَميصُهُ قُدَّ مِن قُبُلٍ فَصَدَقَت وَهُوَ مِنَ الكاذِبينَ

He said, “It was she who tried to seduce me.” A witness from her family suggested, “If his shirt is torn from the front, then she told the truth, and he is the liar.

وَإِن كانَ قَميصُهُ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٍ فَكَذَبَت وَهُوَ مِنَ الصّادِقينَ

But if his shirt is torn from the back, she has lied, and he is the truthful one.”