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
قَالَ قَآئِلٌ مِّنْهُمْ لَا تَقْتُلُوا۟ يُوسُفَ وَأَلْقُوهُ فِى غَيَـٰبَتِ ٱلْجُبِّ يَلْتَقِطْهُ بَعْضُ ٱلسَّيَّارَةِ إِن كُنتُمْ فَـٰعِلِينَ
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]."
وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱئْتُونِى بِهِۦٓ أَسْتَخْلِصْهُ لِنَفْسِى ۖ فَلَمَّا كَلَّمَهُۥ قَالَ إِنَّكَ ٱلْيَوْمَ لَدَيْنَا مَكِينٌ أَمِينٌ
And the king said, "Bring him to me; I will appoint him exclusively for myself." And when he spoke to him, he said, "Indeed, you are today established [in position] and trusted."
فَلَمَّا سَمِعَتْ بِمَكْرِهِنَّ أَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَعْتَدَتْ لَهُنَّ مُتَّكَـًٔا وَءَاتَتْ كُلَّ وَٰحِدَةٍ مِّنْهُنَّ سِكِّينًا وَقَالَتِ ٱخْرُجْ عَلَيْهِنَّ ۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْنَهُۥٓ أَكْبَرْنَهُۥ وَقَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ وَقُلْنَ حَـٰشَ لِلَّهِ مَا هَـٰذَا بَشَرًا إِنْ هَـٰذَآ إِلَّا مَلَكٌ كَرِيمٌ
So when she heard of their scheming, she sent for them and prepared for them a banquet and gave each one of them a knife and said [to Joseph], "Come out before them." And when they saw him, they greatly admired him and cut their hands and said, "Perfect is Allāh! This is not a man; this is none but a noble angel."
إِنَّآ أَنزَلْنَـٰهُ قُرْءَٰنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’ān that you might understand.