Surah Yusuf Ayat 8 in Arabic Text
English Translation
Here you can read various translations of verse 8
When they said, “Joseph and his brother are more beloved to our father than we, while we are a clan. Indeed, our father is in clear error.
They said: “Truly Joseph and his brother are loved more by our father than we: But we are a goodly body! really our father is obviously wandering (in his mind)!
And call to mind when the brothers of Joseph conferred together and said: “Surely Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than we are, although we are a group of so many. Our father is clearly mistaken.
When they said: “Truly, Yusuf (Joseph) and his brother (Benjamin) are loved more by our father than we, but we are ‘Usbah (a strong group). Really, our father is in a plain error.
When they said: Verily Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than we are, many though we be. Lo! our father is in plain aberration.
As they said, “Indeed Yûsuf and his brother are more beloved to our father than we, and we are a band. Surely our father is indeed in evident error.
The brothers said [to each other], ‘Although we are many, Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than we are–– our father is clearly in the wrong.’
جب کہ انہوں نے کہا کہ یوسف اور اس کا بھائی بہ نسبت ہمارے، باپ کو بہت زیاده پیارے ہیں حاﻻنکہ ہم (طاقتور) جماعت ہیں کوئی شک نہیں کہ ہمارے ابا صریح غلطی میں ہیں
Quran 12 Verse 8 Explanation
For those looking for commentary to help with the understanding of Surah Yusuf ayat 8, we’ve provided two Tafseer works below. The first is the tafseer of Abul Ala Maududi, the second is of Ibn Kathir.
Ala-Maududi
(12:8) And call to mind when the brothers of Joseph conferred together and said: “Surely Joseph and his brother[8] are dearer to our father than we are, although we are a group of so many. Our father is clearly mistaken.[9]
8. This brother was Benjamin. He was the real younger brother of Prophet Joseph, and was his junior by many years. Their mother had died at the birth of Benjamin. That is why Prophet Jacob paid special attention to these two motherless children. Besides, Joseph was the only son, in whom he had discerned signs of righteousness and capabilities. Accordingly, when Prophet Joseph narrated his dream to him, he was all the more convinced of his future greatness, and was perturbed at the idea lest his brothers conspired against him out of envy, if they came to know of his dream, which was self explanatory. For Prophet Jacob knew that his other ten sons were not of the right type, and this was proved by the subsequent events. Therefore, naturally he was not happy with them. It is, however, strange that the Bible gives a different reason for the envy his brothers bore against Prophet Joseph. They were filled with envy against him because Joseph gave unto his father their evil report.
9. In order to grasp the full significance of the grievance the ten sons had against their father for neglecting them, we should keep in view the conditions of the clannish life. As there was no established state, each clan led its own independent life side by side with other clans. It is obvious that the power of the head of the clan depended entirely on the number of sons and grandsons, and brothers and nephews he had to defend the life, honor and property of the family. Therefore, the one leading the clannish life naturally paid more attention to his own grown up sons, etc., than to children and women of the family. As Prophet Jacob was leading clannish life, these sons of his expected a preferential treatment from him, but the Prophet thought otherwise. So they remarked: Truly our father seems to have lost his balance of mind; otherwise he could not have neglected us, and loved our two younger brothers more than us, for we are strong young men and can stand him in good stead at the time of need while these youngsters are useless as they themselves stand in need of protection.
Ibn-Kathir
The tafsir of Surah Yusuf verse 8 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Yusuf ayat 7 which provides the complete commentary from verse 7 through 10.
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