12:1  Alif.Lam.Ra. Those are the signs of the clear book.

12:2  Indeed We, We sent it down, an Arabic Quran; perhaps you may become intelligent.

12:3  We, We narrate to you the best of the story in what We have inspired to you, this, the Quran. And indeed, you were before it surely among the heedless.

12:4  When Joseph said to his father, 'O my father! Indeed I, I saw eleven stars and the sun and the moon, I saw them prostrating to me.'

12:5  He said, 'O my son! Do not narrate your vision to your siblings, then they will plot a plot against you; indeed, the devil is a clear enemy to man.

12:6  And thus your Lord will choose you and He will teach you of the interpretation of stories and He will perfect His favour on you and on the family of Jacob as He perfected it on your two forefathers before, Abraham and Isaac, indeed, your Lord is knowing, wise.'

12:7  Surely, certainly there were signs in Joseph and his siblings for those who ask.

12:8  When they said, 'Surely, Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than us, and we are a band; indeed, our father is surely in clear error.’

12:9  ‘Kill Joseph or dump him in a land, the face of your father will be devoted to you and you will be righteous people after it.'

12:10  A speaker among them said, 'Do not kill Joseph, and throw him in the bottom of the well; some of the caravan will pick him up, if you are doers.'

12:11  They said, 'O our father! What ails you, you do not trust us with Joseph, and indeed, we are surely sincere to him?

12:12  Send him with us tomorrow to revel and to play; and indeed, we will surely be guardians to him.'

12:13  He said, 'Indeed I, it surely grieves me that you go with him and I fear that the wolf would eat him while you are heedless of him.'

12:14  They said, 'Surely, if the wolf eats him while we are a band, indeed, we then are surely losers.'

12:15  Then when they went with him and agreed that they would put him in the bottom of the well, and We inspired to him, 'Surely, you will definitely inform them of this their affair while they, they do not perceive.’

12:16  And they came to their father at nightfall, weeping.

12:17  They said, 'O our father! Indeed we, we went to race and we left Joseph by our possession, then the wolf ate him, and you do not believe us even though we are truthful.'

12:18  And they came with lying blood on his shirt. He said, 'Nay, your souls have commended an affair to you; so patience is beautiful. And God is the one whose help is sought against what you describe.'

12:19  And a caravan came, then they sent their water-drawer; then he let down his bucket. He said, 'O glad tidings! This is a boy.' And they concealed him as merchandise; and God knows what they do.

12:20  And they sold him for a very low price, a few dirhams; and they were, concerning him, among those who abstain.

12:21  And the one from Egypt who bought him said to his wife, 'Make honourable his abode; it may be that he will profit us, or we will take him as a son.' And thus We established Joseph in the land; and that We may teach him of the interpretation of stories; and God is an overcomer over His affairs, but most of mankind do not know.

12:22  And when he reached his strength We gave him judgment and knowledge, and thus We recompense the good-doers.

12:23  And the one in whose house he was sought to tempt him from his soul. And she shut the doors and she said, 'Come you!' He said, 'Refuge in God! Indeed, He is my Lord. He has made good my abode; indeed he, the wrongdoers will not prosper.'

12:24  And surely, certainly she desired him, and he desired her, if not that he saw the proof of his Lord. Thus that We may turn the evil and the immorality away from him; indeed, he was among Our servants, the sincere ones.

12:25  And they both raced to the door and she rent his shirt lengthwise from behind; and they both found her master at the door. She said, 'What is the recompense of one who desired evil with your family except that he be imprisoned or a painful punishment?'

12:26  He said, 'She sought to tempt me from my soul.' And a witness from her family testified: 'If his shirt is rent lengthwise from in front, then she spoke truth and he is among the liars;

12:27  And if his shirt is rent lengthwise from behind, then she lied and he is among the truthful.'

12:28  Then when he saw his shirt was rent lengthwise from behind, he said, 'Indeed it is of your plot; indeed, your plot is great.

12:29  Joseph, turn away from this. And seek forgiveness for your sin; indeed, you are among the sinners.'

12:30  And women in the city said, 'The wife of the Aziz seeks to tempt her servant from his soul; certainly, he has hit her pericardium with love; indeed we, we surely see her in clear error.'

12:31  Then when she heard of their plot, she sent to them and she prepared a couch for them, and she gave each one of them a knife; and she said, 'Come forth to them.' Then when they saw him, they extolled him and cut their hands and they said, 'God forbid, this is not a mortal, this is not except a noble angel.'

12:32  She said, 'So that is the one concerning whom you blamed me. And surely, certainly I sought to tempt him from his soul, then he resisted. And surely, if he does not do what I command him he will surely, definitely be imprisoned and surely, he will definitely be among the little ones.'

12:33  He said, 'My Lord! The prison is dearer to me than what they call me to; and unless You turn their plot away from me I will incline to them and I will be among the ignorant.'

12:34  Then his Lord responded to him, then He turned their plot away from him; indeed He, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.

12:35  Then it became apparent to them, after what they saw of the signs, to surely, definitely imprison him until a time.

12:36  And two young men entered the prison with him. One of them said, 'Indeed I, I see me pressing wine.' And the other said, 'Indeed, I see me carrying bread above my head, the birds eating from it. Inform us of its interpretation; indeed we, we see you are among the good-doers.'

12:37  He said, 'Food which you are provided will not come to you except I will inform you of its interpretation before that it comes to you. That is of what my Lord has taught me. Indeed I, I have left the religion of people who do not believe in God, and they, in the hereafter, they are disbelievers.

12:38  And I have followed the religion of my forefathers, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob; it is not for us to associate anything with God; that is of the grace of God upon us and upon mankind; but most of mankind do not give thanks.

12:39  O my two companions of the prison! Are separate lords better or God, the One, the Subduer?

12:40  You serve besides Him not except names which you have named, you and your forefathers, God has sent down no authority for them. The judgment is not except for God; He has commanded that you serve not except Him. That is the correct religion, but most of mankind do not know.

12:41  O my two companions of the prison! As for one of you, so he will give his lord wine to drink, and as for the other, so he will be crucified, then the birds will eat of his head. The affair, the one concerning which you both enquire for a decision has been decided.'

12:42  And he said to the one who he thought that he would be saved of both of them, 'Remember me with your lord.' So the devil made him forget the remembrance of his Lord, so he tarried in prison a few years.

12:43  And the king said, 'Indeed I, I saw seven fat cows, seven lean ones eating them and seven green ears of corn and others dry. O chiefs! Counsel me concerning my vision, if you will interpret the vision.'

12:44  They said, 'A confusion of dreams, and we know not of the interpretation of dreams.'

12:45  And the one who was saved of both of them said, - and he remembered after a while, - 'I, I will inform you of its interpretation, so send me.'

12:46  'Joseph, the truthful one! Counsel us concerning seven fat cows, seven lean ones eating them and seven green ears of corn and others dry, perhaps I may return to the people, perhaps they may know.'

12:47  He said, 'You will sow for seven years perseveringly, then what you have harvested, so leave it in its ear except a little of what you will eat.

12:48  Then after that seven severe will come, they will eat what you have sent forward for them except a little of what you make inaccessible.

12:49  Then after that years will come in which the people will be watered with rain and in which they will press.'

12:50  And the king said, 'Bring him to me.' Then when the messenger came to him, he said, 'Return to your lord, then ask him, “What is the condition of the women, the ones who cut their hands?” Indeed, my Lord knows of their plot.'

12:51  He said, 'What was your affair when you sought to tempt Joseph from his soul?' They said, 'God forbid! We have not known evil on him.' The wife of the Aziz said, 'Now the truth has become manifest. I sought to tempt him from his soul and indeed, he is surely among the truthful.'

12:52  'That is that he may know that I, I did not betray him in the unseen, and that God does not guide the plot of the treacherous.

12:53  And I do not clear my soul, indeed, the soul is surely constantly urging evil except what my Lord had compassion on; indeed, my Lord is forgiving, compassionate.'

12:54  And the king said, 'Bring him to me. I will choose him for my soul.' Then when he spoke to him, he said, 'Indeed, you are with us today established, trustworthy.'

12:55  He said, 'Appoint me over the treasures of the land; indeed, I am a knowing guardian.'

12:56  And thus We established Joseph in the land, to settle where he wills of it; We hit whom We will with Our mercy, and We do not waste the reward of the good-doers;

12:57  And surely the reward of the hereafter is better for those who believed and used to fear.

12:58  And the siblings of Joseph came, then they entered upon him, then he recognised them, and they of him were ignorant.

12:59  And when he had equipped them with their equipment, he said, 'Bring me a brother you have from your father, do you not see that I, I give the measure to the full and that I am the best of entertainers?

12:60  So if you do not bring him to me, then no measure for you with me and you will not draw near me.'

12:61  They said, 'Soon we will seek to lure away from him his father, and indeed, we are surely doers.'

12:62  And he said to his servants, 'Put their merchandise in their saddlebags, perhaps they may recognise it when they return to their family, perhaps they may return.

12:63  Then when they returned to their father, they said, 'O our father! The measure has been withdrawn from us, so send our brother with us, we will take measure, and indeed, we will surely be guardians for him.'

12:64  He said, 'Shall I trust you with him except as I trusted you with his brother before? But then God is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of the merciful.’

12:65  And when they opened their possession, they found their merchandise returned to them. They said, 'O our father! What do we seek? This is our merchandise returned to us, and we will provide for our family, and we will guard our brother, and will take a measure of a camel in addition, that is an easy measure.

12:66  He said, 'I will not send him with you until you give me a covenant of God, surely you will definitely bring him to me except that he encompassed you.' Then when they gave him their covenant, he said, 'God is a trustee over what we say.'

12:67  And he said, 'O my sons! Do not enter through one gate, and enter through separate gates; and I cannot avail you anything against God. The judgment is not except for God, upon Him I have relied, and upon Him then let those who rely rely.'

12:68  And when they entered through where their father commanded them, it avails them nothing against God except a need in the soul of Jacob which he executed; and indeed, he was surely a possessor of knowledge, because We taught him, but most of mankind do not know.

12:69  And when they entered upon Joseph, he accommodated his brother to him. He said, 'Indeed I, I am your brother, so do not grieve for what they used to do.'

12:70  Then when he had equipped them with their equipment he put the drinking vessel in the saddlebag of his brother. Then an announcer announced, 'O caravan! Indeed, you are surely thieves.'

12:71  They said, and advancing towards them, 'What do you miss?'

12:72  They said, 'We miss the drinking vessel of the king, and for whoever came with it is a load of a camel and I am a guarantor of it.'

12:73  They said, 'By God, surely, certainly you knew we came not to do evil in the land, and we are not thieves.'

12:74  They said, 'Then what is its recompense if you are liars?'

12:75  They said, 'Its recompense is whoever it is found in his saddlebag, then he is its recompense; thus we recompense the wrongdoers.'

12:76  Then he began with their containers before the container of his brother; then he brought it forth from the container of his brother. Thus We plotted for Joseph. He was not to take his brother in the religion of the king except that God wills; We raise in degrees whom We will, and above every possessor of knowledge is one who knows.

12:77  They said, 'If he steals, then certainly, a brother to him stole before.' Then Joseph concealed it in his soul and did not disclose it to them. He said, 'You are worse in position, and God knows best what you describe.'

12:78  They said, 'O Aziz! Indeed, he has a father, a greatly old man; so take one of us in his place; indeed we, we see you are among the good-doers.'

12:79  He said, 'Refuge in God! That we take except one with whom we found our possession; indeed, we then surely would be wrongdoers.'

12:80  Then when they despaired of him, they retired to discourse secretly. The great one of them said, 'Did you not know that your father certainly took a covenant of God from you, and before what you neglected concerning Joseph? So I will not leave the land until my father gives me permission or God judges for me, and He is the best of the judges.

12:81  Return to your father, then say, "O our father! Indeed, your son stole, and we bore witness not except for what we knew; and we are not guardians for the unseen.

12:82  And ask in the town, the one in which we were, and the caravan, the one in which we advanced, and indeed, we are surely truthful."'

12:83  He said, 'Nay, your souls have commended an affair to you; so patience is beautiful. Perhaps God will bring them to me all together; indeed He, He is the Knowing, the Wise.'

12:84  And he turned away from them and he said, 'O my grief over Joseph! And his eyes became white from the grief, then he was filled with anger.

12:85  They said, 'By God, you will not cease to remember Joseph until you are at the point of death or are of those who perish.'

12:86  He said, 'I complain of my sorrow and my grief only to God and I know from God what you do not know.

12:87  O my sons! Go, then inquire about Joseph and his brother and do not despair of the rest of God; indeed, none despair of the rest of God except the disbelieving people.'

12:88  Then when they entered upon him they said, 'O Aziz! The harm has touched us and our family, and we came with paltry merchandise. But then give us the measure to the full and give charity to us, indeed, God recompenses those who give charity.'

12:89  He said, 'You knew what you did with Joseph and his brother, when you were ignorant?'

12:90  They said, 'Are you indeed, surely you, Joseph?' He said, 'I am Joseph, and this is my brother; certainly, God bestowed favour on us. Indeed, he who fears and is patient, then indeed, God does not waste the reward of the good-doers.'

12:91  They said, 'By God, surely, certainly God preferred you over us; and indeed we were surely sinners.'

12:92  He said, 'No blame on you today. God will forgive you, and He is the most merciful of the merciful.

12:93  Go with this my shirt, then throw it on the face of my father, he will come to see; and come to me with your family all together.'

12:94  And when the caravan departed, their father said, 'Indeed I, surely, I find the smell of Joseph, if not that you may call me a liar.'

12:95  They said, 'By God, indeed, you are surely in your old error.'

12:96  Then when that the announcer of glad tidings came, he threw it on his face, then he returned to seeing. He said, 'Did I not say to you, “Indeed I, I know from God what you do not know.”?'

12:97  They said, 'O our father! Seek forgiveness for us for our sins; indeed, we were sinners.'

12:98  He said, 'Soon I will seek my Lord’s forgiveness for you; indeed He, He is the Forgiving, the Compassionate.

12:99  Then when they entered upon Joseph, he accommodated his parents to him, and he said, 'Enter Egypt, if God wills, secure.'

12:100  And he raised his parents on the throne, and they fell down prostrating to him. And he said, 'O my father! This is the interpretation of my vision before; certainly, my Lord has made it true, and certainly, He did good to me when He brought me forth from the prison and He brought you from the desert after that the devil incited between me and my siblings; indeed, my Lord is subtle to what He wills; indeed He, He is the Knowing, the Wise.

12:101  My Lord! Certainly, You have given me of the kingdom, and You have taught me of the interpretation of stories; O originator of the heavens and the earth! You are my patron in the world and the hereafter; cause me to die a submitter, and join me with the righteous.'

12:102  That is of the information of the unseen which We inspire to you. And you were not with them when they agreed on their affair and they plotted.

12:103  And most of mankind, even if you are eager, will not be believers.

12:104  And you do not ask them for a payment for it; it is not except a reminder to the worlds.

12:105  And how many a sign in the heavens and the earth? They pass by them and they turn away from them.

12:106  And most of them do not believe in God except while they are idolaters.

12:107  So are they secure from an overwhelming of the punishment of God coming to them? Or the Hour coming to them suddenly while they do not perceive?

12:108  Say, 'This is my way; I call to God upon evidence, I and whoever has followed me; and glory be to God; and I am not of the idolaters.'

12:109  And We have not sent before you except men to whom We inspired among the people of the towns. So did they not travel in the earth, then see how the end of those who were before them was? And surely, the home of the hereafter is better for those who feared. So will you not become intelligent?

12:110  Until when the messengers despair and they think that they certainly have been lying, Our help comes to them, then whom We will is saved; and Our punishment will not be repelled from the sinful people.

12:111  Surely, certainly there is a lesson in their story for the possessors of understanding. It is not a forged story, but a verification of that which was before it, and a detailed explanation of everything and guidance and mercy for people who believe.