Al-Qur'an Surah Yusuf Verse 13

Mufti Taqi Usmani

He said, “It makes me sad that you should take him with you, and I fear that some wolf may eat him up when you are heedless of him.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

He responded, “It would truly sadden me if you took him away with you, and I fear that a wolf may devour him while you are negligent of him.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

He said, “It truly saddens me that you should take him away, and I fear that a wolf may eat him when you are negligent of him.”

A. J. Arberry

He said, 'It grieves me that you should go with him, and I fear the wolf may eat him, while you are heedless of him.'

Abdul Haleem

He replied, ‘The thought of you taking him away with you worries me: I am afraid a wolf may eat him when you are not paying attention.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

He said: verily it grieveth me that ye should take him away, and I fear lest a wolf may devour him, While ye are negligent of him.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

(Jacob) said; "Really it saddens me that ye should take him away; I fear lest the wolf should devour him while ye attend not to him."

Abul Ala Maududi

Their father answered: "It grieves me indeed that you should take him with you for I fear that some wolf might eat him up while you are negligent of him."

Ahmed Ali

He said: "I am afraid of sending him with you lest a wolf should devour him when you are unmindful."

Ahmed Raza Khan

He said, “I will indeed be saddened by your taking him away, and I fear that the wolf may devour him, whilst you are unaware of him.” (* Prophet Yaqub knew of what was about to happen.)

Ali Quli Qarai

He said, ‘It really upsets me that you should take him away, and I fear the wolf may eat him while you are oblivious of him.’

Ali Ünal

He (Jacob) said: "Indeed, it grieves me that you should take him with you, and I fear lest a wolf should devour him while you are inattentive of him."

Amatul Rahman Omar

He said, `It worries me that you should take him away. Moreover, I fear lest a wolf should devour him while you are heedless of him.´

English Literal

He said: "That I (it) saddens me (E) that you go away with him, and I fear that the wolf eats him, and (while) you are from him ignoring/neglecting/disregarding."

Faridul Haque

He said, "I will indeed be saddened by your taking him away, and I fear that the wolf may devour him, whilst you are unaware of him." (* Prophet Yaqub knew of what was about to happen.)

Hamid S. Aziz

Send him with us to-morrow to revel and to play, and, verily, we will take good care of him."

Hilali & Khan

He [Ya'qub (Jacob)] said: "Truly, it saddens me that you should take him away. I fear lest a wolf should devour him, while you are careless of him."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

Send him with us to-morrow that he may enjoy himself and play, and we shall surely guard him well.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

He said: Surely it grieves me that you should take him off, and I fear lest the wolf devour him while you are heedless of him.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

He said: Lo! in truth it saddens me that ye should take him with you, and I fear less the wolf devour him while ye are heedless of him.

Muhammad Sarwar

Jacob replied, "I shall be grieved if you take him with you; I fear that some wild-beast will harm him in your absence."

Qaribullah & Darwish

He said: 'It grieves me to let him go with you, for I fear lest the wolf should devour him when you are not paying attention to him'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

He (Ya`qub) said: "Truly, it saddens me that you should take him away. I fear lest a wolf should devour him, while you are careless of him."

Wahiduddin Khan

[Jacob] said, "It would indeed grieve me if you took him away with you, and I fear lest the wolf should devour him while you are off your guard."

Talal Itani

He said, “It worries me that you would take him away. And I fear the wolf may eat him while you are careless of him.”

Tafsir jalalayn

He said, `Lo! It grieves me that you should go with him, that is, your departure [with him grieves me], because I would be separated from him, and I fear lest the wolf devour him (al-dhi'b here represents the genus, for their land had many wolves in it), while you are heedless of him', distracted [by something else].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Ya`qub's Answer to Their Request

Allah narrates to us that His Prophet Yaqub said to his children, in response to their request that he send Yusuf with them to the desert to tend their cattle,

قَالَ إِنِّي لَيَحْزُنُنِي أَن تَذْهَبُواْ بِهِ

He (Yaqub) said;"Truly, it saddens me that you should take him away.

He said that it was hard on him that he be separated from Yusuf for the duration of their trip, until they came back.

This demonstrates the deep love that Yaqub had for his son, because he saw in Yusuf great goodness and exalted qualities with regards to conduct and physical attractiveness associated with the rank of Prophethood. May Allah's peace and blessings be on him.

Prophet Yaqub's statement next,

وَأَخَافُ أَن يَأْكُلَهُ الذِّيْبُ وَأَنتُمْ عَنْهُ غَافِلُونَ



I fear lest a wolf should devour him, while you are careless of him.

He said to them, `I fear that you might be careless with him while you are tending the cattle and shooting, then a wolf might come and eat him while you are unaware.'

They heard these words from his mouth and used them in their response for what they did afterwards. They also gave a spontaneous reply for their father's statement, saying,

قَالُواْ لَيِنْ أَكَلَهُ الذِّيْبُ وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ إِنَّا إِذًا لَّخَاسِرُونَ