Al-Qur'an Surah Yusuf Verse 80

Mufti Taqi Usmani

So when they lost hope in him, they went aside for consultation. The oldest of them said, “Do you not know that your father has taken pledge from you in the name of Allah, while you had defaulted earlier in the case of Yūsuf. So, I shall never leave this land unless my father permits me or Allah decides about me. He is the best of all judges.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

When they lost all hope in him, they spoke privately. The eldest of them said, “Do you not know that your father had taken a solemn oath by Allah from you, nor how you failed him regarding Joseph before? So I am not leaving this land until my father allows me to, or Allah decides for me. For He is the Best of Judges.

Ruwwad Translation Center

When they lost hope in him, they conferred privately. The eldest of them said, “Do you not know that your father has taken from you a solemn pledge by Allah, and before this you failed with regard to Joseph? Therefore I will never leave this land until my father gives me permission or Allah decides for me, for He is the Best of Judges.

A. J. Arberry

When they despaired of moving him, they conferred privily apart. Said the eldest of them, 'Do you not know how your father has taken a solemn pledge from you by God, and aforetime you failed regarding Joseph? Never will I quit this land, until my father gives me leave, or God judges in my favour; He is the best of judges.

Abdul Haleem

When they lost hope of [persuading] him, they withdrew to confer with each other: the eldest of them said, ‘Do you not remember that your father took a solemn pledge from you in the name of God and before that you failed in your duty with regard to Joseph? I will not leave this land until my father gives me leave or God decides for me- He is the best decider-

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Then when they despaired of him they counselled together privately. The eldest of them said: know ye not that your father hath taken an assurance from you before Allah? and aforetime ye have been remiss in your duty in respect of Yusuf; I so will by no means go forth from the land until my father giveth me leave or Allah judgeth for me, and He is the Best of judges.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

Now when they saw no hope of his (yielding), they held a conference in private. The leader among them said; "Know ye not that your father did take an oath from you in Allah's name, and how, before this, ye did fail in your duty with Joseph? Therefore will I not leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah commands me; and He is the best to command.

Abul Ala Maududi

Then, when they had despaired of Joseph they went to a corner and counselled together. The eldest of them said: "Do you not know that your father has taken a solemn promise from you in the name of Allah, and you failed in your duty towards Joseph? So I will not depart from this land until my father permits me, or Allah pronounces His judgement in my favour. He is the best of those who judge."

Ahmed Ali

When they despaired of (persuading) him, they went aside to confer. The oldest of them said: "You know that your father has pledged you in the name of God, and you have been guilty of iniquity in the case of Joseph before. I will not leave this place unless my father permits or God decides for me, for He is the best of all judges.

Ahmed Raza Khan

So when they did not anticipate anything from him, they went away and started consulting each other; their eldest brother said, “Do you not know that your father has taken from you an oath upon Allah, and before this, how you had failed in respect of Yusuf? Therefore I will not move from here until my father permits or Allah commands me; and His is the best command.”

Ali Quli Qarai

When they had despaired of [moving] him, they withdrew to confer privately. The eldest of them said, ‘Don’t you know that your father has taken a [solemn] pledge from you by Allah, and earlier you have neglected your duty in regard to Joseph? So I will never leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah passes a judgement for me, and He is the best of judges.

Ali Ünal

So, when they lost hope of moving him, they withdrew to take counsel among themselves. The eldest of them said: "Do you not know how your father took a solemn pledge from you in God’s Name, and how, before that, you failed with regard to Joseph? Never will I depart from this land, until my father gives me leave, or God judges for me (by ending my life or enabling me to win back my brother). And He is the Best of judges.

Amatul Rahman Omar

When they were despaired of (moving) him, they retired to confer together in private. One of their leaders said, `Are you not aware that your father has bound you to a solemn pledge in the name of Allâh? And how before this, you fell short of your duty in respect of Joseph? Never will I, therefore, leave this land until my father gives me permission or Allâh, Who is the best of Judges, decides (the matter) for me.

English Literal

So when they despaired from him, they cleared secretly conversing, their oldest said: "Did you not know that your father, had taken on you a promise/covenant from God and from before what you abused/exceeded the limit in (on) Joseph, so I will never/not leave/depart the land until my father permits/allows for me, or God judges/rules for me, and he (is) best (of) the judges/rulers."

Faridul Haque

So when they did not anticipate anything from him, they went away and started consulting each other; their eldest brother said, "Do you not know that your father has taken from you an oath upon Allah, and before this, how you had failed in respect of Yusuf? Therefore I will not move from here until my father permits or Allah commands me; and His is the best command."

Hamid S. Aziz

Said he, "I seek refuge in Allah from taking any save him with whom we found our property; verily, we should then be certainly unjust."

Hilali & Khan

So, when they despaired of him, they held a conference in private. The eldest among them said: "Know you not that your father did take an oath from you in Allah's Name, and before this you did fail in your duty with Yusuf (Joseph)? Therefore I will not leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah decides my case (by releasing Benjamin) and He is the Best of the judges.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

He said: Allah forbid that we should seize other than him with whom we found our property, for then surely we should be unjust!

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Then when they despaired of him, they retired, conferring privately together. The eldest of them said: Do you not know that your father took from you a covenant in Allah's name, and how you fell short of your duty with respect to Yusuf before? Therefore I will by no means depart from this land until my father permits me or Allah decides for me, and He is the best of the judges:

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

So, When they despaired of (moving) him, they conferred together apart. The eldest of them said: Know ye not how your father took an undertaking from you in Allah's name and how ye failed in the case of Joseph aforetime? Therefore I shall not go forth from the land until my father giveth leave or Allah judgeth for me. He is the Best of Judges.

Muhammad Sarwar

When they lost all hope (of convincing the Prince), they moved into a corner whispering to each other. The eldest among them said, "Do you not remember that you had solemnly promised our father to return Benjamin to him and that before this you had broken your promise concerning Joseph? I shall never leave this land until my father gives me permission or God decides for me; He is the best Judge.

Qaribullah & Darwish

When they despaired of him, they went in private to confer together. The eldest said: 'Do you not know that your father took a pledge from you in the Name of Allah, and that you failed before regarding Joseph? I shall never stir from this land until my father gives me leave or Allah makes known to me His judgement: He is the Best of judges.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

So, when they despaired of him, they consulted in private. The eldest among them said: "Know you not that your father did take an oath from you in Allah's Name, and before this you did fail in your duty with Yusuf Therefore I will not leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah decides my case and He is the Best of the judges.

Wahiduddin Khan

When they had lost all hope of [persuading] him, they withdrew, conferring among themselves. The eldest said, "Do you not know that your father took from you a pledge in God's name. You have already failed with regard to Joseph, so I shall never leave the land until my father permits me to, or God decides [things] for me. He is the best judge!

Talal Itani

And when they despaired of him, they conferred privately. Their eldest said, “Don’t you know that your father received a pledge from you before God, and in the past you failed with regard to Joseph? I will not leave this land until my father permits me, or God decides for me; for He is the Best of Deciders.”

Tafsir jalalayn

So when they despaired of [moving] him, they withdrew to confer privately [together] (najiyyan is a verbal noun that can be used to refer to one person or more, in other words [understand it as meaning] yunj ba`duhum ba`dan, `one conferring with the other'). The most senior of them, in years -- Reuben -- or, [the most senior of them] in opinion -- Judah, said; `Are you not aware that your father has taken a solemn pledge, a covenant, from you by God, concerning your brother, and formerly (wa-min qablu m; the m is extra) you failed regarding Joseph? (but it [the m] is also said to be relating to the verbal action, [in other words it is] a subject, the predicate of which is min qabl, `formerly'). So I will never leave, part with, this land, the land of Egypt, until my father permits me, to return to him, or God judges for me, through the deliverance of my brother; and He is the best, the fairest, of judges.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Yusuf's Brothers consult Each Other in Confidence; the Advice Their Eldest Brother gave Them

Allah tells;

فَلَمَّا اسْتَيْأَسُواْ مِنْهُ خَلَصُواْ نَجِيًّا

So, when they despaired of him, they consulted in private.

Allah narrates to us that Yusuf's brothers were desperate because they could not secure the release of their brother Binyamin, even though they had given a promise and sworn to their father to bring him back. They were unable to fulfill their promise to their father, so,
خَلَصُو
(in private), away from people's eyes,
نَجِيًّا
(they consulted), among themselves,

قَالَ كَبِيرُ

The eldest among them said,

and his name, as we mentioned, was Rubil, or Yahudha. He was the one among them who recommended throwing Yusuf into a well, rather than killing him. So Rubil said to them,

هُمْ أَلَمْ تَعْلَمُواْ أَنَّ أَبَاكُمْ قَدْ أَخَذَ عَلَيْكُم مَّوْثِقًا مِّنَ اللّهِ

Know you not that your father did take an oath from you in Allah's Name,

that you will return Binyamin to him.

However, you were not able to fulfill this promise.

وَمِن قَبْلُ مَا فَرَّطتُمْ فِي يُوسُفَ

and before this you did fail in your duty with Yusuf.

فَلَنْ أَبْرَحَ الَارْضَ

Therefore I will not leave this land,

I will not leave Egypt,

حَتَّىَ يَأْذَنَ لِي أَبِي

until my father permits me,

allows me to go back to him while he is pleased with me,

أَوْ يَحْكُمَ اللّهُ لِي

or Allah decides my case,

by using the sword, or, they says; by allowing me to secure the release of my brother,

وَهُوَ خَيْرُ الْحَاكِمِينَ



and He is the Best of the judges.

He next ordered them to narrate to their father what happened so that they could present their excuse about that happened to Binyamin and as claim their innocence before him