قَالُوا۟ يَـٰٓأَبَانَآ إِنَّا ذَهَبْنَا نَسْتَبِقُ وَتَرَكْنَا يُوسُفَ عِندَ مَتَـٰعِنَا فَأَكَلَهُ ٱلذِّئْبُ ۖ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُؤْمِنٍ لَّنَا وَلَوْ كُنَّا صَـٰدِقِينَ 17
Translations
They said, "O our father, indeed we went racing each other and left Joseph with our possessions, and a wolf ate him. But you would not believe us, even if we were truthful."
Transliteration
Qāloo yā abānā innā dhahabnā nastabiq wa taraknā Yūsuf ʿinda matāʿinā fa-akalahu al-dhiʾb wa mā anta bi-muʾmin lanā wa law kunnā sādiqīn
Tafsir (Explanation)
Yusuf's brothers fabricate a lie to their father Yaʿqub, claiming they went racing and left Yusuf with their belongings, where a wolf devoured him. Their statement 'you will not believe us even if we are truthful' reveals their knowledge of their father's expected disbelief, reflecting their guilty conscience and the weight of their deception. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this phrase exposes the brothers' awareness of how their previous behavior and jealousy had damaged their credibility with their father.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Surah Yusuf, which presents the complete story of Prophet Yusuf in sequential order—unique among Quranic surahs. This specific ayah depicts the moment the brothers return to their father after throwing Yusuf into the well, establishing the human element of their guilt and the beginning of divine providence working through their deception.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly addresses this specific lie, Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim contain numerous hadiths on the prohibition of lying (al-kadhib) and the virtue of truthfulness (al-sidq), such as the hadith: 'Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise' (Sahih Bukhari 6094).
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that lies compound guilt and damage trust irreparably—the brothers' own words betray their consciousness of wrongdoing. For modern readers, it serves as a reminder that dishonesty not only violates divine commands but also fractures relationships and ultimately cannot prevent Allah's plans from unfolding.
Related Ayahs
قَالُوا۟ تَٱللَّهِ تَفْتَؤُا۟ تَذْكُرُ يُوسُفَ حَتَّىٰ تَكُونَ حَرَضًا أَوْ تَكُونَ مِنَ ٱلْهَـٰلِكِينَ
They said, "By Allāh, you will not cease remembering Joseph until you become fatally ill or become of those who perish."
ثُمَّ بَدَا لَهُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ مَا رَأَوُا۟ ٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ لَيَسْجُنُنَّهُۥ حَتَّىٰ حِينٍ
Then it appeared to them after they had seen the signs that he [i.e., al-ʿAzeez] should surely imprison him for a time.
وَقَالَ يَـٰبَنِىَّ لَا تَدْخُلُوا۟ مِنۢ بَابٍ وَٰحِدٍ وَٱدْخُلُوا۟ مِنْ أَبْوَٰبٍ مُّتَفَرِّقَةٍ ۖ وَمَآ أُغْنِى عَنكُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍ ۖ إِنِ ٱلْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۖ عَلَيْهِ تَوَكَّلْتُ ۖ وَعَلَيْهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ ٱلْمُتَوَكِّلُونَ
And he said, "O my sons, do not enter from one gate but enter from different gates; and I cannot avail you against [the decree of] Allāh at all. The decision is only for Allāh; upon Him I have relied, and upon Him let those who would rely [indeed] rely."
وَلَمَّا فَتَحُوا۟ مَتَـٰعَهُمْ وَجَدُوا۟ بِضَـٰعَتَهُمْ رُدَّتْ إِلَيْهِمْ ۖ قَالُوا۟ يَـٰٓأَبَانَا مَا نَبْغِى ۖ هَـٰذِهِۦ بِضَـٰعَتُنَا رُدَّتْ إِلَيْنَا ۖ وَنَمِيرُ أَهْلَنَا وَنَحْفَظُ أَخَانَا وَنَزْدَادُ كَيْلَ بَعِيرٍ ۖ ذَٰلِكَ كَيْلٌ يَسِيرٌ
And when they opened their baggage, they found their merchandise returned to them. They said, "O our father, what [more] could we desire? This is our merchandise returned to us. And we will obtain supplies [i.e., food] for our family and protect our brother and obtain an increase of a camel's load; that is an easy measurement."