Skip to content
Assabile

Surah Yusuf, Verse 21

سورة يوسف، الآية ٢١

12:21 Juz 12 Hizb 24 Page 237 of the mushaf Meccan surah

Text of verse 12:21

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِى ٱشْتَرَىٰهُ مِن مِّصْرَ لِٱمْرَأَتِهِۦٓ أَكْرِمِى مَثْوَىٰهُ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَنفَعَنَآ أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُۥ وَلَدًا وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُۥ مِن تَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ وَٱللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرِهِۦ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ۝٢١

Transliteration

waqāla alladhī ish'tarāhu min miṣ'ra li-im'ra-atihi akrimī mathwāhu ʿasā an yanfaʿanā aw nattakhidhahu waladan wakadhālika makkannā liyūsufa fī l-arḍi walinuʿallimahu min tawīli l-aḥādīthi wal-lahu ghālibun ʿalā amrihi walākinna akthara l-nāsi lā yaʿlamūna

Translation

And the one from Egypt590 who bought him said to his wife, "Make his residence comfortable. Perhaps he will benefit us, or we will adopt him as a son." And thus, We established Joseph in the land that We might teach him the interpretation of events [i.e., dreams]. And Allāh is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know.

Notes

[590] The minister in charge of supplies, whose title was al-ʿAzeez.

Translation in another language
Mahmoud Khalil Al-Hussary Read in the surah

Verse 21 of Surah Yusuf (12:21), a Meccan surah, is in juz 12, on page 237 of the mushaf. Read it in Arabic with its transliteration, translations and tafsir, and listen to it recited by 73 reciters.

Listen to verse 21 of Surah Yusuf

79 recitations by 73 reciters: pick one and it plays in the player.

All voices (79)

Tafsir of verse 21

Al-Mukhtasar

The man from Egypt who had purchased him said to his wife, ‘Be good to him and look after him well. He may benefit us by doing some of the things we need, or we may adopt him as a child’. Just as I saved Joseph from being killed, removed him from the well and made the heart of the minister soft towards him, I established him in Egypt, to teach him the interpretation of dreams. Allah is in full control of His affair, and His affair will come into effect. No one can compel Him, may He be glorified; but most people – who are actually disbelievers – do not know that.

Tafsir of the whole Surah Yusuf

Other translations of verse 21

The man9 in Egypt who bought him said to his wife, “Make his stay comfortable; perhaps he will benefit us or we may adopt him as a son.” This is how We established Joseph in the land, so that We may teach him the interpretation of dreams. Allah’s decree always prevails, but most people do not know.

Notes

[9] The minister whose title was al-‘Azīz.

And he (the man) from Egypt who bought him, said to his wife: "Make his stay comfortable, may be he will profit us or we shall adopt him as a son." Thus did We establish Yûsuf (Joseph) in the land, that We might teach him the interpretation of events. And Allâh has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of men know not.

And he of Egypt who purchased him said unto his wife: Receive him honourably. Perchance he may prove useful to us or we may adopt him as a son. Thus we established Joseph in the land that We might teach him the interpretation of events. And Allah was predominant in His career, but most of mankind know not.

The man in Egypt who bought him, said to his wife: "Make his stay (among us) honourable: may be he will bring us much good, or we shall adopt him as a son." Thus did We establish Joseph in the land, that We might teach him the interpretation of stories (and events). And Allah hath full power and control over His affairs; but most among mankind know it not.

And the Egyptian who bought him said to his wife: Give him an honorable abode, maybe he will be useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son. And thus did We establish Yusuf in the land and that We might teach him the interpretation of sayings; and Allah is the master of His affair, but most people do not know.

And he who traded him, being of Misr, (Egypt) said to his wife, "Give him honorable lodging; it may be that he will profit us, or it may be that we take him to ourselves (as) a son." And thus, We established Yusuf (Joseph) in the land, and that We may teach him some of the interpretation of discourses. And Allah is Overcomer with (Literally: Over) His Command, but most men do not know.

Verse 21 word by word

  1. وَقَالَ waqāla And said ق و ل
  2. ٱلَّذِى alladhī the one who
  3. ٱشْتَرَىٰهُ ish'tarāhu bought him ش ر ي
  4. مِن min of
  5. مِّصْرَ miṣ'ra Egypt م ص ر
  6. لِٱمْرَأَتِهِۦٓ li-im'ra-atihi to his wife م ر أ
  7. أَكْرِمِى akrimī Make comfortable ك ر م
  8. مَثْوَىٰهُ mathwāhu his stay ث و ي
  9. عَسَىٰٓ ʿasā Perhaps ع س ي
  10. أَن an that
  11. يَنفَعَنَآ yanfaʿanā (he) will benefit us ن ف ع
  12. أَوْ aw or
  13. نَتَّخِذَهُۥ nattakhidhahu we will take him أ خ ذ
  14. وَلَدًا waladan (as) a son و ل د
  15. وَكَذَٰلِكَ wakadhālika And thus
  16. مَكَّنَّا makkannā We established م ك ن
  17. لِيُوسُفَ liyūsufa Yusuf
  18. فِى fī in
  19. ٱلْأَرْضِ l-arḍi the land أ ر ض
  20. وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُۥ walinuʿallimahu that We might teach him ع ل م
  21. مِن min (the) interpretation of
  22. تَأْوِيلِ tawīli (the) interpretation of أ و ل
  23. ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ l-aḥādīthi the events ح د ث
  24. وَٱللَّهُ wal-lahu And Allah
  25. غَالِبٌ ghālibun (is) Predominant غ ل ب
  26. عَلَىٰٓ ʿalā over
  27. أَمْرِهِۦ amrihi His affairs أ م ر
  28. وَلَٰكِنَّ walākinna but
  29. أَكْثَرَ akthara most ك ث ر
  30. ٱلنَّاسِ l-nāsi (of) the people أ ن س
  31. لَا lā (do) not
  32. يَعْلَمُونَ yaʿlamūna know ع ل م

Verses related to verse 21

Cited by Ibn Kathir in his explanation of this verse

  • Al-Jinn 72:13

    وَأَنَّا لَمَّا سَمِعْنَا ٱلْهُدَىٰٓ ءَامَنَّا بِهِۦ فَمَن يُؤْمِنۢ بِرَبِّهِۦ فَلَا يَخَافُ بَخْسًا وَلَا رَهَقًا

    And when we heard the guidance [i.e., the Qur’ān], we believed in it. And whoever believes in his Lord will not fear deprivation or burden.

  • Al-Qasas 28:26

    قَالَتْ إِحْدَىٰهُمَا يَٰٓأَبَتِ ٱسْتَـْٔجِرْهُ إِنَّ خَيْرَ مَنِ ٱسْتَـْٔجَرْتَ ٱلْقَوِىُّ ٱلْأَمِينُ

    One of the women said, "O my father, hire him. Indeed, the best one you can hire is the strong and the trustworthy."

Verses with similar wording

They share a sequence of words with this verse: useful for telling them apart when memorising.

  • Ar-Rum 30:6

    وَعْدَ ٱللَّهِ لَا يُخْلِفُ ٱللَّهُ وَعْدَهُۥ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

    [It is] the promise of Allāh. Allāh does not fail in His promise, but most of the people do not know.

  • Al-Qasas 28:9

    وَقَالَتِ ٱمْرَأَتُ فِرْعَوْنَ قُرَّتُ عَيْنٍ لِّى وَلَكَ لَا تَقْتُلُوهُ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَنفَعَنَآ أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُۥ وَلَدًا وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ

    And the wife of Pharaoh said, "[He will be] a comfort of the eye [i.e., pleasure] for me and for you. Do not kill him; perhaps he may benefit us, or we may adopt him as a son." And they perceived not.

  • Saba 34:28

    وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَٰكَ إِلَّا كَآفَّةً لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

    And We have not sent you except comprehensively to mankind as a bringer of good tidings and a warner. But most of the people do not know.

  • Ghafir 40:57

    لَخَلْقُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ أَكْبَرُ مِنْ خَلْقِ ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

    The creation of the heavens and earth is greater than the creation of mankind, but most of the people do not know.

  • Saba 34:36

    قُلْ إِنَّ رَبِّى يَبْسُطُ ٱلرِّزْقَ لِمَن يَشَآءُ وَيَقْدِرُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

    Say, "Indeed, my Lord extends provision for whom He wills and restricts [it], but most of the people do not know."

  • Yusuf 12:56

    وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ يَشَآءُ نُصِيبُ بِرَحْمَتِنَا مَن نَّشَآءُ وَلَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

    And thus We established Joseph in the land to settle therein wherever he willed. We touch with Our mercy whom We will, and We do not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.

All similar verses of Surah Yusuf

Name mentioned in this verse

Go further

Tuesday, October 20, 2026 9 جمادى الأولى 1448 هـ