قالوا تَاللَّهِ لَقَد عَلِمتُم ما جِئنا لِنُفسِدَ فِي الأَرضِ وَما كُنّا سارِقينَ

They responded, “By God, you surely know that we didn’t come to cause disorder in the land, and we aren’t thieves.”

قالوا فَما جَزاؤُهُ إِن كُنتُم كاذِبينَ

They were further asked, “What should be his penalty if you are proven to be lying?”

قالوا جَزاؤُهُ مَن وُجِدَ في رَحلِهِ فَهُوَ جَزاؤُهُ ۚ كَذٰلِكَ نَجزِي الظّالِمينَ

They replied, “His penalty—if it’s found in his bag—will be that he will become yours. This is how we penalize the wrongdoers.”

فَبَدَأَ بِأَوعِيَتِهِم قَبلَ وِعاءِ أَخيهِ ثُمَّ استَخرَجَها مِن وِعاءِ أَخيهِ ۚ كَذٰلِكَ كِدنا لِيوسُفَ ۖ ما كانَ لِيَأخُذَ أَخاهُ في دينِ المَلِكِ إِلّا أَن يَشاءَ اللَّهُ ۚ نَرفَعُ دَرَجاتٍ مَن نَشاءُ ۗ وَفَوقَ كُلِّ ذي عِلمٍ عَليمٌ

He began with their bags before his brother’s, and eventually, he retrieved it from his brother’s bag. Thus did We devise a plan for Joseph. He couldn’t have detained his brother under the king’s law, unless God had so willed. We raise in ranks whom We will, and above every possessor of knowledge, there is One more knowledgeable.

قالوا إِن يَسرِق فَقَد سَرَقَ أَخٌ لَهُ مِن قَبلُ ۚ فَأَسَرَّها يوسُفُ في نَفسِهِ وَلَم يُبدِها لَهُم ۚ قالَ أَنتُم شَرٌّ مَكانًا ۖ وَاللَّهُ أَعلَمُ بِما تَصِفونَ

They exclaimed, “If he has stolen, a brother of his committed theft before.” But Joseph kept this to himself and didn’t disclose it to them. He said, “You’re in a worse position, and God knows best what you describe.”

قالَ مَعاذَ اللَّهِ أَن نَأخُذَ إِلّا مَن وَجَدنا مَتاعَنا عِندَهُ إِنّا إِذًا لَظالِمونَ

He replied, “God forbid that we should take anyone but him with whom we found our property. Otherwise, we would be unjust.”

فَلَمَّا استَيأَسوا مِنهُ خَلَصوا نَجِيًّا ۖ قالَ كَبيرُهُم أَلَم تَعلَموا أَنَّ أَباكُم قَد أَخَذَ عَلَيكُم مَوثِقًا مِنَ اللَّهِ وَمِن قَبلُ ما فَرَّطتُم في يوسُفَ ۖ فَلَن أَبرَحَ الأَرضَ حَتّىٰ يَأذَنَ لي أَبي أَو يَحكُمَ اللَّهُ لي ۖ وَهُوَ خَيرُ الحاكِمينَ

When they despaired of him, they withdrew to confer privately. Their eldest said, “Don’t you remember that your father received a solemn pledge from you before God, and how you were previously lax towards Joseph? I won’t leave this land until my father permits me, or God decides for me. He is the best of judges.”

ارجِعوا إِلىٰ أَبيكُم فَقولوا يا أَبانا إِنَّ ابنَكَ سَرَقَ وَما شَهِدنا إِلّا بِما عَلِمنا وَما كُنّا لِلغَيبِ حافِظينَ

“Go back to your father, and say, ‘O our father, your son committed theft, and we testify only to what we know, and we couldn’t guard against the unforeseen.’”

وَاسأَلِ القَريَةَ الَّتي كُنّا فيها وَالعيرَ الَّتي أَقبَلنا فيها ۖ وَإِنّا لَصادِقونَ

“Also, ask about the town where we’ve been, the caravan in which we returned; we are being truthful.”

قالَ بَل سَوَّلَت لَكُم أَنفُسُكُم أَمرًا ۖ فَصَبرٌ جَميلٌ ۖ عَسَى اللَّهُ أَن يَأتِيَني بِهِم جَميعًا ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ العَليمُ الحَكيمُ

He said, “Rather, your souls lured you to something. Yet, patience is beautiful. Perhaps God will bring them all back to me. He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”