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Word Analysis & Comparison
12. Surah • 79. Verse
Word Analysis
ٱللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah forbid
أَن
an
that
إِلَّا
illā
except
مَن
man
(one) who
إِنَّآ
innā
Indeed, we
إِذًۭا
idhan
then
Rashad Khalifa
The Final Testament
He said, "GOD forbid that we should take other than the one in whose possession we found our goods. Otherwise, we would be unjust."
The Monotheist Group
The Quran: A Monotheist Translation
He said: "Refuge is sought with God that we would take anyone except he whom we found our belongings with. Indeed, we would then be wrong doers."
Edip-Layth
Quran: A Reformist Translation
He said, "God forbid that we would take anyone except he whom we found our belongings with. Indeed, we would then be wrong doers."
Abul A'la Maududi
Tafhim commentary
Joseph said: "Allah forbid that we should seize any except him with whom we found our good.[1] Were we to do so, we would surely be one of the wrong-doers."
1
The use of the words "with whom we have found our property" instead of the word thief is very significant. Prophet Joseph avoided the use of the word thief for his brother because he was not really a thief. This is called touriyah, that is, to put a cover over a reality or to hide a reality. Such a practice is allowed by the Muslim law under certain conditions and with certain limitations. It may be practiced not to gain any selfish end, but to ward off some evil or to protect and save an oppressed person from some oppressor, provided that no other course might have been left except saying something against the truth or of having a resort to a deceitful device. It is obvious that in such a case, a righteous person will not tell a blunt lie or resort to an open deceit. Instead, he will say something or do something that might not be strictly truthful or strictly right, yet at the same time is not a blunt lie, so that he might hide the reality to ward off the evil. Such a practice is lawful, legally and morally, provided that it is not practiced to gain some personal or selfish ends but to ward off a greater evil with a lesser evil. Accordingly, Prophet Joseph scrupulously fulfilled all the conditions in this case. He placed the cup in the pack of his brother with his consent, but he did not ask his servants to make a search of his pack and accuse him of theft. After this, when the servants brought the brothers before him as suspects, he quietly rose from his seat and began to make a search of their packs. Then afterwards, when the brothers requested that one of them should be taken instead of Benjamin, he answered them back in their own words that he would detain only that person in whose possession the cup was found and none else.
Marmaduke Pickthall
Holy Quran Translation
He said: Allah forbid that we should seize save him with whom we found our property; then truly we should be wrong-doers.
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Holy Quran Translation
He said: "Allah forbid that we take other than him with whom we found our property: indeed (if we did so), we should be acting wrongfully.
Abdul Haleem
Holy Quran Translation
He replied, ‘God forbid that we should take anyone other than the person on whom we found our property: that would be unjust of us.’
Al-Hilali & Khan
Holy Quran Translation
He said: "Allâh forbid, that we should take anyone but him with whom we found our property. Indeed (if we did so), we should be Zâlimûn (wrong-doers)."
Mustafa Khattab
The Clear Quran
Joseph responded, "Allah forbid that we should take other than the one with whom we found our property. Otherwise, we would surely be unjust."
Taqi Usmani
Holy Quran Translation
He said, "We seek Allah’s refuge from keeping anyone other than him with whom we have found our thing, otherwise we shall be unjust."
Aisha Bewley
Holy Quran Translation
He said, ‘Allah forbid that we should take anyone but him with whom our goods were found. In that case we would clearly be wrongdoers.’
Mahmoud Ghali
Holy Quran Translation
He said, " Allah be my refuge that we should take anyone except him at whom we found our belongings; (then) surely we would indeed be unjust. "
Hamid S. Aziz
Holy Quran Translation
They said, "O exalted one (ruler, minister)! Verily, he has a father, aged and venerable (who will grieve). Take then one of us instead of him; verily, we can see that you are of those who do good."
George Sale
Holy Quran Translation
Joseph answered, God forbid that we should take any other than him with whom we found our goods; for then should we certainly be unjust.
Bijan Moeinian
Holy Quran Translation
Joseph replied: "God forbid. It will be injustice to punish any one other than the thief."
Arthur John Arberry
Holy Quran Translation
He said, 'God forbid that we should take any other but him in whose possession we found the goods; for if we did so, we would be evildoers. '
Amatul Rahman Omar
Holy Quran Translation
He said, `God forbid that we take anyone except the one with whom we found our property, for (otherwise) we would, of course, be unjust. '
E. Henry Palmer
Holy Quran Translation
Said he, '(I seek) refuge in God from taking any save him with whom we found our property; verily, we should then be certainly unjust. '
Ali Quli Qarai
Holy Quran Translation
He said, ‘God forbid that we should take anyone except him with whom we found our wares, for then we would indeed be wrongdoers. ’
Mohamed Ahmed - Samira
Holy Quran Translation
"May God forgive us, " he said, "if we hold any one but him with whom we found our property, or else we would be unjust. "
Abdel Khalek Himmat
Al- Muntakhab
"Allah forbid", said Yusuf, "that we should take to our custody but him with whom we found our personal property or else we will be wrongful of actions. "
Muhammad Asad
Holy Quran Translation
He answered: "May God preserve us from [the sin of] detaining any other than him with whom we have found our property-for then, behold, we would indeed be evildoers!"
Syed Vickar Ahamed
Holy Quran Translation
He (Yusuf) said: "Allah forbid that we take other than him with whom we found our property: Truly (by that), we should be acting wrongfully. "
Progressive Muslims
Holy Quran Translation
He said: "God forbid that we would take anyone except he whom we found our belongings with. Indeed, we would then be wrong doers."
Shabbir Ahmed
Holy Quran Translation
Joseph (stressing the circumstantial evidence) answered, "God preserve us from detaining other than him with whom we have found our property. For, then we would indeed be unjust."
Sahih International
(Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)
He said, "[I seek] the refuge of Allah [to prevent] that we take except him with whom we found our possession. Indeed, we would then be unjust."
Sam Gerrans
The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation
He said: “God forbid that we take save him with whom we found our goods! Then should we be the wrongdoers.”