Surah Yusuf 12:21 — translation and meaning

يوسف · Verse 21 / 111 · Page 237

ۚ ۚ وَقَالَ الَّذِي اشْتَرَاهُ مِن مِّصْرَ لِامْرَأَتِهِ أَكْرِمِي مَثْوَاهُ عَسَى أَن يَنفَعَنَا أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُ وَلَدًا وَكَذَلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُ مِن تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ وَاللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَى أَمْرِهِ وَلَكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

Word by Word

ۚ
ۚ
وَقَالَ
waqala
And said
الَّذِي
alladhi
the one who
اشْتَرَاهُ
ish'tarahu
bought him
مِن
min
of
مِّصْرَ
mis'ra
Egypt
لِامْرَأَتِهِ
li-im'ra-atihi
to his wife
أَكْرِمِي
akrimi
Make comfortable
مَثْوَاهُ
mathwahu
his stay
عَسَى
asa
Perhaps
أَن
an
that
يَنفَعَنَا
yanfa'ana
(he) will benefit us
أَوْ
aw
or
نَتَّخِذَهُ
nattakhidhahu
we will take him
وَلَدًا
waladan
(as) a son
وَكَذَلِكَ
wakadhalika
And thus
مَكَّنَّا
makkanna
We established
لِيُوسُفَ
liyusufa
Yusuf
فِي
fi
in
الْأَرْضِ
al-ardi
the land
وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُ
walinu'allimahu
that We might teach him
مِن
min
(the) interpretation of
تَأْوِيلِ
tawili
(the) interpretation of
الْأَحَادِيثِ
al-ahadithi
the events
وَاللَّهُ
wal-lahu
And Allah
غَالِبٌ
ghalibun
(is) Predominant
عَلَى
ala
over
أَمْرِهِ
amrihi
His affairs
وَلَكِنَّ
walakinna
but
أَكْثَرَ
akthara
most
النَّاسِ
al-nasi
(of) the people
لَا
la
(do) not
يَعْلَمُونَ
ya'lamuna
know

Transliteration

Wa qaalal lazish taraahu mim Misra limra atiheee akrimee maswaahu 'asaaa any-yanfa'anaaa aw nattakhizahoo waladaa; wa kazaalika mak-kannaa li-Yoosufa fil ardi wa linu'allimahoo min taaweelil ahaadees; wallaahu ghaalibun 'alaaa amrihee wa laakinna aksaran naasi laa ya'lamoon

Translation

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. And Allah is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know.

Verse interpretation (Tafsir)

The man from Egypt who had purchased him said to his wife, ‘Be good to him and look after him well. He may benefit us by doing some of the things we need, or we may adopt him as a child’. Just as I saved Joseph from being killed, removed him from the well and made the heart of the minister soft towards him, I established him in Egypt, to teach him the interpretation of dreams. Allah is in full control of His affair, and His affair will come into effect. No one can compel Him, may He be glorified; but most people – who are actually disbelievers – do not know that.

Source: Al-Mukhtasar Tafsir — Tafsir Center for Quranic Studies.

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