Surah Yusuf

Chapter 12 · Verse 91 · Revealed in Makkah

قَالُوا۟ تَٱللَّهِ لَقَدْ ءَاثَرَكَ ٱللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا وَإِن كُنَّا لَخَٰطِـِٔينَ

They said, "By Allah, certainly has Allah preferred you over us, and indeed, we have been sinners."

Translation: Saheeh International

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Mishary Rashid Alafasy

Reflection — Ibn Kathir

Yusuf reveals His True Identity to His Brothers and forgives Them

Allah says, when Yusuf's brothers told him about the afflictions and hardship, and shortages in food they suffered from in the aftermath of the drought that struck them, and he remembered his father's grief for losing his two children, he felt compassion, pity and mercy for his father and brothers. He felt this way, especially since he was enjoying kingship, authority and power, so he cried and revealed his true identity to them when he asked them,

هَلْ عَلِمْتُمْ مَّا فَعَلْتُم بِيُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ إِذْ أَنتُمْ جَـهِلُونَ

Reflection — Maarif ul Quran

Now the brothers of Yusuf (علیہ السلام) had no choice left with them but to confess the wrongs they had done and admit the grace and excellence of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) . So, in one voice, they all said: تَاللَّـهِ لَقَدْ آثَرَ‌كَ اللَّـهُ عَلَيْنَا وَإِن كُنَّا لَخَاطِئِينَ : ` By God, Allah has given to you preference over us [ which you deserved ], and we were surely in error [ in whatever we did - and so, forgive us in the name of Allah ].' To this in reply, Sayyidna Yusuf' (علیہ السلام) said what a prophet of his stature would say:

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