Quran 12:21 — Yusuf, verse 21
M. A. S. Abdel Haleem · selected translation
The Egyptian who bought him said to his wife, ‘Look after him well! He may be useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son.’ In this way We settled Joseph in that land and later taught him how to interpret dreams: God always prevails in His purpose, though most people do not realize it.
وَقَالَ الَّذِي اشْتَرَاهُ مِنْ مِصْرَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ أَكْرِمِي مَثْوَاهُ عَسَىٰ أَنْ يَنْفَعَنَا أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُ مِنْ تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ ۚ وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰ أَمْرِهِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
waqāla alladhī ish'tarāhu min miṣ'ra li-im'ra-atihi akrimī mathwāhu ʿasā an yanfaʿanā aw nattakhidhahu waladan wakadhālika makkannā liyūsufa fī l-arḍi walinuʿallimahu min tawīli l-aḥādīthi wal-lahu ghālibun ʿalā amrihi walākinna akthara l-nāsi lā yaʿlamūna
Other translations
- A. J. Arberry
- He that bought him, being of Egypt, said to his wife, 'Give him goodly lodging, and it may be that he will profit us, or we may take him for our own son.' So We established Joseph in the land, and that We might teach him the interpretation of tales. God prevails in His purpose, but most men know not.
- Muhammad Asad
- And the man from Egypt who bought him said to his wife: "Make his stay [with us] honourable; he may well be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son. And thus We gave unto Joseph a firm place on earth; and [We did this] so that We might impart unto him some understanding of the inner meaning of happenings. For, God always prevails in whatever be His purpose: but most people know it not.
- Sahih International
- And the one from Egypt who bought him said to his wife, "Make his residence comfortable. Perhaps he will benefit us, or we will adopt him as a son." And thus, We established Joseph in the land that We might teach him the interpretation of events [i.e., dreams]. And Allāh is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know.
Words
| # | Word | Meaning | Root |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | وَقَالَwaqāla | And said | قول |
| 2 | ٱلَّذِىalladhī | the one who | — |
| 3 | ٱشْتَرَىٰهُish'tarāhu | bought him | شري |
| 4 | مِنmin | of | — |
| 5 | مِّصْرَmiṣ'ra | Egypt | مصر |
| 6 | لِٱمْرَأَتِهِۦٓli-im'ra-atihi | to his wife | مرأ |
| 7 | أَكْرِمِىakrimī | Make comfortable | كرم |
| 8 | مَثْوَىٰهُmathwāhu | his stay | ثوي |
| 9 | عَسَىٰٓʿasā | Perhaps | عسي |
| 10 | أَنan | that | — |
| 11 | يَنفَعَنَآyanfaʿanā | (he) will benefit us | نفع |
| 12 | أَوْaw | or | — |
| 13 | نَتَّخِذَهُۥnattakhidhahu | we will take him | أخذ |
| 14 | وَلَدًۭا ۚwaladan | (as) a son | ولد |
| 15 | وَكَذَٰلِكَwakadhālika | And thus | — |
| 16 | مَكَّنَّاmakkannā | We established | مكن |
| 17 | لِيُوسُفَliyūsufa | Yusuf | — |
| 18 | فِىfī | in | — |
| 19 | ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍi | the land | أرض |
| 20 | وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُۥwalinuʿallimahu | that We might teach him | علم |
| 21 | مِنmin | (the) interpretation of | — |
| 22 | تَأْوِيلِtawīli | (the) interpretation of | أول |
| 23 | ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ ۚl-aḥādīthi | the events | حدث |
| 24 | وَٱللَّهُwal-lahu | And Allah | أله |
| 25 | غَالِبٌghālibun | (is) Predominant | غلب |
| 26 | عَلَىٰٓʿalā | over | — |
| 27 | أَمْرِهِۦamrihi | His affairs | أمر |
| 28 | وَلَـٰكِنَّwalākinna | but | — |
| 29 | أَكْثَرَakthara | most | كثر |
| 30 | ٱلنَّاسِl-nāsi | (of) the people | نوس |
| 31 | لَاlā | (do) not | — |
| 32 | يَعْلَمُونَyaʿlamūna | know | علم |