Tafsir of Yusuf 12:77

Surah Yusuf 12:77

ﲫ ﲬ ﲭ ﲮ ﲯ ﲰ ﲱ ﲲ ﲳ ﲴ ﲵ ﲶ ﲷ ﲸ ﲹ ﲺ ﲻ ﲼ ﲽ ﲾ ﲿ ﳀ ﳁ ﳂ ﳃ ﳄ ﳅ ﳆ

They said, "If he steals - a brother of his has stolen before." But Joseph kept it within himself and did not reveal it to them. He said, "You are worse in position, and Allah is most knowing of what you describe."

Tafsir

Tafsir Ibn Kathir

Verse range: 12:77

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Yusuf's Brothers accuse Him of Theft! Allah tells that after Yusuf's brothers saw that the king's bowl was taken out of Binyamin's bag,

قالوا إن يسرق فقد سرق أخ له من قبل

They said: "If he steals, there was a brother of his who did steal before. They tried to show themselves as innocent from being like Binyamin, saying that he did just like a brother of his did beforehand, meaning Yusuf, peace be upon him! Allah said,

فٲسرها يوسف في نفسه

But these things did Yusuf keep in himself, meaning the statement that he said afterwards, i.e.,

ولم يبدها لهم قال

revealing not the secrets to them.

أنتم شر مكانا والله أعلم بما تصفون

You are in an evil situation, and Allah is the Best Knower of that which you describe! Yusuf said this to himself and did not utter it aloud, thus intending to hide what he wanted to say to himself even before he said it. Al-Awfi reported that Ibn Abbas said about Allah's statement,

فٲسرها يوسف في نفسه

(But these things did Yusuf keep in himself), "He kept in himself (his statement next),

أنتم شر مكانا والله أعلم بما تصفون

(You are in an evil situation, and Allah is the Best Knower of that which you describe!).''