Surah Yusuf, Ayah 77
Quran 12:77 · Joseph · Makki · Para 13 · Page 244
قَالُوْۤا اِنْ یَّسْرِقْ فَقَدْ سَرَقَ اَخٌ لَّهٗ مِنْ قَبْلُ ۚ فَاَسَرَّهَا یُوْسُفُ فِیْ نَفْسِهٖ وَلَمْ یُبْدِهَا لَهُمْ ۚ قَالَ اَنْتُمْ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا ۚ وَاللّٰهُ اَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَصِفُوْنَ ۟
Transliteration
Qaloo in yasriq faqad saraqa akhunlahu min qablu faasarraha yoosufu fee nafsihi walam yubdihalahum qala antum sharrun makanan wallahuaAAlamu bima tasifoon
Saheeh International
They said, "If he steals - a brother of his has stolen before." But Joseph kept it within himself and did not reveal it to them. He said, "You are worse in position, and Allāh is most knowing of what you describe."
Al-Mukhtasar fi Tafsir
The brothers of Joseph said that if he had stolen it was not surprising, since a full brother of his had stolen before he had, meaning Joseph (peace be upon him). Joseph hid his hurt at what they said, thinking to himself that their envy and the bad actions they had committed were evil itself in this context, and Allah knew best the lies that came from them.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (abridged)
They [Yusuf's brothers] said: "If he steals, there was a brother of his [Yusuf] who did steal before (him). " But these things did Yusuf keep in himself, revealing not the secrets to them. He said (within himself): "You are in an evil situation, and Allah is the Best Knower of that which you describe! (77)
Yusuf's Brothers accuse Him of Theft!
After Yusuf's brothers saw that the king's bowl was taken out of Binyamin's bag, they said,
إِن يَسْرِقْ فَقَدْ سَرَقَ أَخٌ لَّهُ مِن قَبْلُ
(If he steals, there was a brother of his who did steal before.) They tried to show themselves as innocent from being like Binyamin, saying that he did just like a brother of his did beforehand, meaning Yusuf, peace be upon him! Allah said,
فَأَسَرَّهَا يُوسُفُ فِي نَفْسِهِ
(But these things did Yusuf keep in himself), meaning the statement that he said afterwards,
أَنتُمْ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا ۖ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ
(You are in an evil situation, and Allah is the Best Knower of that which you describe!) Yusuf said this to himself and did not utter it aloud, thus intending to hide what he wanted to say to himself even before he said it. Al-'Awfi reported that Ibn 'Abbas said about Allah's statement,
فَأَسَرَّهَا يُوسُفُ فِي نَفْسِهِ
(But these things did Yusuf keep in himself), "He kept in himself [his statement next],
أَنتُمْ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا ۖ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ
(You are in an evil situation, and Allah is the Best Knower of that which you describe!)."