قَالَ قَآئِلٌ مِّنْهُمْ لَا تَقْتُلُوا۟ يُوسُفَ وَأَلْقُوهُ فِى غَيَـٰبَتِ ٱلْجُبِّ يَلْتَقِطْهُ بَعْضُ ٱلسَّيَّارَةِ إِن كُنتُمْ فَـٰعِلِينَ 10
Translations
Said a speaker among them, "Do not kill Joseph but throw him into the bottom of the well; some travelers will pick him up - if you would do [something]."
Transliteration
Qala qa'ilun minhum la taqtulu Yusuf wa alquhu fi ghayabat al-jubb yaltaqithu ba'du as-sayyarah in kuntum fa'ilin
Tafsir (Explanation)
One of Yusuf's brothers proposes an alternative to killing him: to cast him into a well where passing merchants (a caravan) would find and take him, thus removing him from their father's presence without direct bloodshed. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir note this as a measure of mercy among the brothers, though still a grave sin, and some commentators view this speaker as Judah (Yahudha), who sought to mitigate the severity of their plot. This ayah demonstrates how evil can be rationalized and compromised upon rather than completely abandoned.
Revelation Context
This ayah occurs within the narrative of Yusuf's brothers' conspiracy against him out of jealousy. The surah presents this story as a Meccan revelation, using Yusuf's trials as a lesson in patience (sabr) and divine providence (tawakkul) for the Prophet Muhammad and the early Muslim community facing their own persecution.
Related Hadiths
While no hadith directly quotes this ayah, Surah Yusuf itself is described in Sahih Muslim as 'ahsan al-qasas' (the best of stories). Additionally, hadiths emphasize the virtue of patience in trials, as exemplified by Yusuf's character throughout his ordeal.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches that even when people attempt to soften or rationalize sinful actions, any deliberate harm to the innocent remains a grave transgression. It reminds us that true morality cannot be achieved through compromising on wrong, but only through complete adherence to divine guidance.