Yusuf 12:64 · Joseph · Arabic, translation, recitation

Other English translations

Abdel Haleem (Oxford)+

"He said, ‘Am I to entrust him to you as I did his brother before? God is the best guardian and the Most Merciful of the merciful.’"

Pickthall (classic)+

"He said: Can I entrust him to you save as I entrusted his brother to you aforetime? Allah is better at guarding, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy."

Yusuf Ali (classic)+

"He said: "Shall I trust you with him with any result other than when I trusted you with his brother aforetime? But Allah is the best to take care (of him), and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy!""

Tafsīr · classical commentary

Ibn Kathir

Abridged English, public domain

Yusuf's Brothers ask Ya`qub's Permission to send Their Brother Binyamin with Them to Egypt

Allah says that when they went back to their father,

قَالُواْ يأَبَانَا مُنِعَ مِنَّا الْكَيْلُ

(they said: "O our father! No more measure of grain shall we get...") `after this time, unless you send our brother Binyamin with us. So send him with us, and we shall get our measure and we shall certainly guard him.' Some scholars read this Ayah in a way that means, `and he shall get his ration.' They said,

وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَـفِظُونَ

(and truly, we will guard him.), `do not fear for his safety, for he will be returned back to you.' This is what they said to Ya`qub about their brother Yusuf,

أَرْسِلْهُ مَعَنَا غَداً يَرْتَعْ وَيَلْعَبْ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَـفِظُونَ

("Send him with us tomorrow to enjoy himself and play, and verily, we will take care of him.") 12:12 This is why Prophet Ya`qub said to them,

هَلْ آمَنُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ إِلاَّ كَمَآ أَمِنتُكُمْ عَلَى أَخِيهِ مِن قَبْلُ

(Can I entrust him to you except as I entrusted his brother Yusuf to you aforetime) He asked them, `Will you do to him except what you did to his brother Yusuf before, when you took him away from me and separated me from him'

فَاللَّهُ خَيْرٌ حَـفِظًا

وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ الرَحِمِينَ

(But Allah is the Best to guard, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.) Ya`qub said, `Allah has the most mercy with me among all those who show mercy, He is compassionate with me for my old age, feebleness and eagerness for my son. I invoke Allah to return him to me, and to allow him and I to be together; for surely, He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.'

Tafsir Saʿdi

English translation, public domain

Йакуб ответил им: «Я не стану доверять вам младшего брата после того, как однажды доверил вам Йусуфа. Вы давали еще более убедительные обещания уберечь Йусуфа, однако не выполнили своих обязательств. Вот почему я не доверяю вашим обещаниям, зато я доверяю Всевышнему Аллаху. Ему известно о моем положении, и я прошу Его смилостивится надо мною и сохранить моего сына». Из этих слов видно, что Йакуб склонялся к тому, чтобы разрешить Беньямину отправиться в поездку с остальными братьями.