Al-Qur'an Surah Yusuf Verse 53

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And I do not absolve my inner self of blame. Surely, man’s inner self often incites to evil, unless my Lord shows mercy. Certainly, my Lord is the Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

And I do not seek to free myself from blame, for indeed the soul is ever inclined to evil, except those shown mercy by my Lord. Surely my Lord is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

Ruwwad Translation Center

I do not absolve myself of blame. Indeed, the human soul prompts one to evil, except those to whom my Lord may show mercy. Indeed, my Lord is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

A. J. Arberry

Yet I claim not that my soul was innocent -- surely the soul of man incites to evil -- except inasmuch as my Lord had mercy; truly my Lord is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.'

Abdul Haleem

I do not pretend to be blameless, for man’s very soul incites him to evil unless my Lord shows mercy: He is most forgiving, most merciful.’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Nor I acquit myself; verily the self ever urgeth to evil save that self on Whom my Lord hath mercy; verily My Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Nor do I absolve my own self (of blame); the (human) soul is certainly prone to evil, unless my Lord do bestow His Mercy; but surely my Lord is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful."

Abul Ala Maududi

I do not seek to acquit myself; for surely one's self prompts one to evil except him to whom my Lord may show mercy. Verily my Lord is Ever Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Ahmed Ali

But I do not wish to absolve myself, for the soul is prone to evil, unless my Lord have mercy. Indeed my Lord is forgiving and kind." --

Ahmed Raza Khan

“And I do not portray my soul as innocent; undoubtedly the soul excessively commands towards evil, except upon whom my Lord has mercy; indeed my Lord is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful.”

Ali Quli Qarai

‘Yet I do not absolve my [own carnal] soul, for the [carnal] soul indeed prompts [men] to evil, except inasmuch as my Lord has mercy. Indeed my Lord is all-forgiving, all-merciful.’

Ali Ünal

"Yet I do not claim my self free of error, for assuredly the human soul always commands evil, except that my Lord has mercy (which saves us from committing evil acts). Surely my Lord is All-Forgiving, All-Compassionate (especially toward His believing servants)."

Amatul Rahman Omar

`Yet I do not hold myself to be free from weakness, for human nature is surely prone to enjoin evil, except on whom my Lord has mercy. My Lord is of course Protector (against sins), Ever Merciful.´

English Literal

And I do not acquit myself, that the self (is) incessantly commanding/urging (E) with the bad/evil/harm, except what my Lord had mercy upon, that my Lord (is) forgiving, merciful.

Faridul Haque

"And I do not portray my soul as innocent; undoubtedly the soul excessively commands towards evil, except upon whom my Lord has mercy; indeed my Lord is Oft Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Hamid S. Aziz

(The wife said) "This, I asked that he (my lord) might know that I did not betray him in his absence, and that Allah guides not the guile of the betrayers.

Hilali & Khan

"And I free not myself (from the blame). Verily, the (human) self is inclined to evil, except when my Lord bestows His Mercy (upon whom He wills). Verily, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

This is that he might know that I have not been unfaithful to him in secret, and that Allah guides not the device of the unfaithful.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And I do not declare myself free, most surely (man's) self is wont to command (him to do) evil, except such as my Lord has had mercy on, surely my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

I do not exculpate myself. Lo! the (human) soul enjoineth unto evil, save that whereon my Lord hath mercy. Lo! my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.

Muhammad Sarwar

"I do not think that I am free from weakness; all human souls are susceptible to evil except for those to whom my Lord has granted mercy. My Lord is certainly All-forgiving and All-merciful."

Qaribullah & Darwish

Yet I do not consider my soul was innocent, surely the soul incites to evil except to whom my Lord has mercy; indeed, my Lord is Forgiving, the MostMerciful'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

"And I free not myself (from the blame). Verily, the self is inclined to evil, except when my Lord bestows His mercy (upon whom He wills). Verily, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Wahiduddin Khan

I am not trying to absolve myself: for man's very soul incites him to evil unless my Lord bestows His mercy. Indeed, my Lord is forgiving and merciful."

Talal Itani

“Yet I do not claim to be innocent. The soul commands evil, except those on whom my Lord has mercy. Truly my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful.”

Tafsir jalalayn

Yet I do not exculpate my own soul, of slipping into error; verily the soul, as such, is ever inciting to evil, except that whereon, meaning the person [upon whom], my Lord has mercy, and so protects [from sin]. Truly my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful'.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

وَمَا أُبَرِّىءُ نَفْسِي

And, verily, Allah guides not the plot of the betrayers. And I free not myself (from the blame).

She said, `I do not exonerate myself from blame, because the soul wishes and lusts, and this is what made me seduce him,'

for,

إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لَامَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ إِلاَّ مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّيَ

Verily, the (human) self is inclined to evil, except when my Lord bestows His mercy (upon whom He wills).

whom Allah the Exalted wills to grant them immunity,

إِنَّ رَبِّي غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ



Verily, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.

This is the most viable and suitable understanding for the continuity of the story and the meanings of Arabic speech.

Al-Mawardi mentioned this in his Tafsir, in support of it, it was also preferred by Imam Abu Al-Abbas Ibn Taymiyyah who wrote about it in detail in a separate work.

It was said Yusuf peace be upon him is the one who said,

ذَلِكَ لِيَعْلَمَ أَنِّي لَمْ أَخُنْهُ

in order that he (the Aziz) may know that I betrayed him not, (with his wife),
بِالْغَيْبِ
in (his) absence. until the end of Ayah (53)

He said, `I sent back the emissary, so that the king would investigate my innocence and the Aziz be certain that,
أَنِّي لَمْ أَخُنْهُ
(I betrayed him not), with his wife,
بِالْغَيْبِ

وَأَنَّ اللّهَ لَا يَهْدِي كَيْدَ الْخَايِنِينَ
(in (his) absence. And, verily, Allah guides not the plot of the betrayers).'

This is the only explanation presented by Ibn Jarir At-Tabari and Ibn Abi Hatim, but the first view is stronger and more obvious because it is a continuation of what the wife of the Aziz said in the presence of the king.

Yusuf was not present at all during this time, for he was released later on and brought to the king by his order