Al-Qur'an Surah Yusuf Verse 42

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And he (Yūsuf) said to the one whom he believed likely to be released out of the two, “Tell your master about me.” Then, the Satan made him forget to tell his master. So, he (Yūsuf) remained in prison for a few years.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Then he said to the one he knew would survive, “Mention me in the presence of your master.[[ The King of Egypt. ]]” But Satan made him forget to mention Joseph to his master, so he remained in prison for several years.

Ruwwad Translation Center

Then he said to the one he knew would be saved, “Mention me to your master.” But Satan made him forget to mention this to his master, so he remained in prison for several years.

A. J. Arberry

Then he said to the one he deemed should be saved of the two, 'Mention me in thy lord's presence.' But Satan caused him to forget to mention him to his master, so that he continued in the prison for certain years.

Abdul Haleem

Joseph said to the one he knew would be saved, ‘Mention me to your master,’ but Satan made him forget to do this, and so Joseph remained in prison for a number of years.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And he said to one of them who he imagined would be saved: mention me in the presence of thy lord. Then the Satan caused him to forget to mention him to his lord, so that he tarried in the prison several years.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And of the two, to that one whom he consider about to be saved, he said; "Mention me to thy lord." But Satan made him forget to mention him to his lord; and (Joseph) lingered in prison a few (more) years.

Abul Ala Maududi

And Joseph said to the one of the two prisoners who he knew would be set free: "Mention me in your lord's presence." But Satan caused him to forget mentioning this to his lord (the ruler of Egypt) and so Joseph languished in prison for several years.

Ahmed Ali

And (Joseph) asked the man he knew would be released: "Remember me to your lord;" but Satan made him forget to mention this to his lord, and Joseph remained in prison for a number of years.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And of the two, Yusuf said to the one whom he sensed would be released, “Remember me, in the company of your lord”; so Satan caused him to forget to mention Yusuf to his lord, he therefore stayed in prison for several years more.

Ali Quli Qarai

Then he said to the one whom he knew would be delivered from among the two: ‘Mention me to your master.’ But Satan caused him to forget mentioning [it] to his master. So he remained in the prison for several years.

Ali Ünal

He said to the one of the two whom he deemed would be delivered: "Mention me in the presence of your lord." But Satan caused him to forget to mention him to his lord, and so he (Joseph) remained in prison some more years.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And of the two, he knew to be the one who would be released, he said, `Mention me to your lord.´ But satan made him (-the released person) forget to mention (Joseph) to his lord so that he (- Joseph) remained confined in the prison for a few years.

English Literal

And he said to whom he thought/assumed that he is saved from them (B): "Mention me at your lord." So the devil made him forget, his lords` reminder , so he stayed/waited in the prison/jail (a) few/some (between 3-9) years.

Faridul Haque

And of the two, Yusuf said to the one whom he sensed would be released, "Remember me, in the company of your lord"; so Satan caused him to forget to mention Yusuf to his lord, he therefore stayed in prison for several years more.

Hamid S. Aziz

O you two fellow-prisoners! As for one of you, he shall pour out wine for his lord to drink: and as for the other, he shall be crucified, and the birds shall eat from his head. Thus is the matter decreed whereof you did inquire."

Hilali & Khan

And he said to the one whom he knew to be saved: "Mention me to your lord (i.e. your king, so as to get me out of the prison)." But Shaitan (Satan) made him forget to mention it to his Lord [or Satan made [(Yusuf (Joseph)] to forget the remembrance of his Lord (Allah) as to ask for His Help, instead of others]. So [Yusuf (Joseph)] stayed in prison a few (more) years.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

O my two fellow-prisoners, as for one of you, he will serve wine for his lord to drink; and as for the other, he will be crucified, so that the birds will eat from his head. The matter is decreed concerning which you inquired.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And he said to him whom he knew would be delivered of the two: Remember me with your lord; but the Shaitan caused him to forget mentioning (it) to his lord, so he remained in the prison a few years.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And he said unto him of the twain who he knew would be released: Mention me in the presence of thy lord. But Satan caused him to forget to mention it to his lord, so he (Joseph) stayed in prison for some years.

Muhammad Sarwar

Joseph asked the one, whom he knew would not be executed, to mention his case to his Lord. Satan caused that man to forget all about Joseph and his case. Thus, Joseph remained in prison for some years.

Qaribullah & Darwish

And he said to the one of the two who he knew would be saved: 'Mention me in the presence of your lord' But satan made him forget to mention him to his master, so that he remained in prison for a certain number years.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And he said to the one whom he knew to be saved: "Mention me to your king." But Shaytan made him forget to mention it to his master. So [Yusuf] stayed in prison a few (more) years.

Wahiduddin Khan

He said to the one he thought would be saved, "Mention me to your master." However Satan made him forget to mention him to his master, and so Joseph remained in prison for a number of years.

Talal Itani

And he said to the one he thought would be released, “Mention me to your master.” But Satan caused him to forget mentioning him to his master, so he remained in prison for several years.

Tafsir jalalayn

Then he said to the one whom he deemed, [whom] he was certain, would be saved of the two -- and this was the cup-bearer; `Mention me to your lord', your master, and say to him, `There is a young man in jail who has been wrongly imprisoned'. So he [the cup-bearer] departed, but Satan caused him, that is, the cup- bearer, to forget the mention, of Joseph, before his master, so that he, Joseph, stayed, he remained, in prison for some years; it is said [that he remained] for seven years, or for twelve.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Yusuf asks the King's Distiller to mention Him to the King

Allah tells;

وَقَالَ لِلَّذِي ظَنَّ أَنَّهُ نَاجٍ مِّنْهُمَا اذْكُرْنِي عِندَ رَبِّكَ فَأَنسَاهُ الشَّيْطَانُ ذِكْرَ رَبِّهِ

فَلَبِثَ فِي السِّجْنِ بِضْعَ سِنِينَ



And he said to the one whom he knew to be saved;"Mention me to your king." But Shaytan made him forget to mention it to his master. So (Yusuf) stayed in prison a few (more) years.

Yusuf knew that the distiller would be saved. So discretely, so that the other man's suspicion that he would be crucified would not intensify, he said,
اذْكُرْنِي عِندَ رَبِّكَ
(Mention me to your King), asking him to mention his story to the king.

That man forgot Yusuf's request and did not mention his story to the king, a plot from the devil, so that Allah's Prophet would not leave the prison. This is the correct meaning of,
فَأَنسَاهُ الشَّيْطَانُ ذِكْرَ رَبِّهِ
(But Shaytan made him forget to mention it to his master),

that it refers to the man who was saved.

As was said by Mujahid, Muhammad bin Ishaq and several others.

As for, `a few years', or, Bida` in Arabic,

it means between three and nine, according to Mujahid and Qatadah.

Wahb bin Munabbih said,

"Ayub suffered from the illness for seven years, Yusuf remained in prison for seven years and Bukhtanassar (Nebuchadnezzar - Chaldean king of Babylon) was tormented for seven years."