Al-Qur'an Surah Yusuf Verse 81

Mufti Taqi Usmani

Go back to your father and say, ‘Our father, your son has committed theft, and we do not testify except what we know, and we could not guard against the unseen.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

Return to your father and say, ‘O our father! Your son committed theft. We testify only to what we know. We could not guard against the unforeseen.[[ We did not know when we gave you our solemn oath that our brother was going to steal. ]]

Ruwwad Translation Center

Go back to your father and say, ‘O our father, your son has committed theft, and we did not tell you except what we saw, and we had no knowledge of the unseen.

A. J. Arberry

Return you all to your father, and say, "Father, thy son stole; we do not testify except that we know; we were no guardians of the Unseen.

Abdul Haleem

so go back to your father and say, “Your son stole. We can only tell you what we saw. How could we guard against the unforeseen?

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

Return unto your father, and say: our father! verily thy son hath stolen, and we testify not save according to that which we know; and of the unseen we could not be guards.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

"Turn ye back to your father, and say, 'O our father! behold! thy son committed theft! we bear witness only to what we know, and we could not well guard against the unseen!

Abul Ala Maududi

So go back to your father and tell him: "Father! Your son has certainly been guilty of stealing. We did not see him stealing but testify according to what we know, and obviously we had no power to keep watch over that what is altogether hidden from us.

Ahmed Ali

So, go to your father and tell him: 'O father, your son has committed a theft. We bear witness to only what we know; we could not prevent the unknown.

Ahmed Raza Khan

“Return to your father and then submit, ‘O our father! Indeed your son has stolen; we were witness only to what we know and we were not guardians of the unseen.’

Ali Quli Qarai

Go back to your father, and say, ‘‘Father! Your son has indeed committed theft, and we testified only to what we knew, and we could not have forestalled the unseen.

Ali Ünal

"Return to your father, and say: ‘Our father! Your son stole. We do not testify (to anything) except what we know; and we are not keepers of the Unseen.

Amatul Rahman Omar

`Return all of you to your father and say, "Our father! your son has committed the theft, and we say no more than what we know (and we did not witness him stealing), and we could not be guardians over what was unseen (by us).

English Literal

Return to your father so say: `You, our father, that your son stole/robbed, and we did not witness/testify except with what we knew, and we were not to the unseen observing/guarding .`

Faridul Haque

"Return to your father and then submit, ‘O our father! Indeed your son has stolen; we were witness only to what we know and we were not guardians of the unseen.’

Hamid S. Aziz

And when they despaired of (moving) him they retired to consult privately. Said the eldest of them, "Remember you not how your father took an oath from you. In the name of Allah? And how before this you failed in your duty with Joseph? I will surely not quit the land until my father give me leave, or Allah judge for me, for He is the Best of Judges.

Hilali & Khan

"Return to your father and say, 'O our father! Verily, your son (Benjamin) has stolen, and we testify not except according to what we know, and we could not know the unseen!

Maulana Mohammad Ali

So when they despaired of him, they conferred together privately. The eldest of them said: Know you not that your father took from you a covenant in Allah’s name, and how you fell short of your duty about Joseph before? So I shall not leave this land, until my father permits me or Allah decides for me; and He is the Best of the judges.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

Go back to your father and say: O our father! surely your son committed theft, and we do not bear witness except to what we have known, and we could not keep watch over the unseen:

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

Return unto your father and say: O our father! Lo! thy son hath stolen. We testify only to that which we know; we are not guardians of the Unseen.

Muhammad Sarwar

"Go to our father and tell him, 'Father, your son committed theft. We say only what we have seen and we have no control over the unseen.

Qaribullah & Darwish

Return, all of you to your father and say to him: 'Father, your son has committed a theft. We testify only to what we know. How could we guard against the unforeseen?

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

"Return to your father and say, `O our father! Verily, your son has stolen, and we testify not except according to what we know, and we could not know the Unseen!

Wahiduddin Khan

Return to your father and say, 'Father, your son has committed a theft. We testify only to what we know. How could we guard against the unforeseen?

Talal Itani

“Go back to your father, and say, ‘Our father, your son has stolen. We testify only to what we know, and we could not have prevented the unforeseen.’”

Tafsir jalalayn

Go back to your father and say, "O our father, your son has indeed stolen and we testified, against him, only regarding what we knew, from the certainty of having seen the [king's] cup in his saddlebag; we could not have guarded against the Unseen, that which was hidden from us, when we gave our pledge; had we known that he would steal, we would not have taken him [with us to Egypt].

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

ارْجِعُواْ إِلَى أَبِيكُمْ فَقُولُواْ يَا أَبَانَا إِنَّ ابْنَكَ سَرَقَ

وَمَا شَهِدْنَا إِلاَّ بِمَا عَلِمْنَا



"Return to your father and say, `O our father! Verily, your son has stolen, and we testify not except according to what we know, and we could not know the Unseen!

Rubil said to them (to say to their father),

وَمَا كُنَّا لِلْغَيْبِ حَافِظِينَ



and we could not know the Unseen!

or, `we did not know that your son had committed theft,' according to Qatadah and Ikrimah.

Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd bin Aslam said that it means,

`we did not know that Binyamin stole something that belonged to the king, we only stated the punishment of the thief,