Quran Universe
12:71

قَالُواْ وَأَقۡبَلُواْ عَلَيۡهِم مَّاذَا تَفۡقِدُونَ

Qaloo waaqbaloo AAalayhim matha tafqidoona

They said while approaching them, "What is it you are missing?"

Word by word
  1. قَالُواْThey said
  2. وَأَقۡبَلُواْturning towards
  3. عَلَيۡهِمthem
  4. مَّاذَاWhat (is it)
  5. تَفۡقِدُونَyou miss
Yusuf · 12:71Makkah

What have you lost? they asked, turning back.

The brothers face the accusation

The caravan stops
the crieryou are thieves
and they turn
the brotherswhat is missing?
Their first response
panic or angerhow dare you
a questionwhat have you lost?

Hearing the cry, the brothers turned toward the men. Ibn Kathir says they looked at the one calling out and simply asked: what is it that you have lost? The men who once lied about Yusuf were now the ones accused.

Security stops you at the shop exit. A colleague says something has gone missing from the office. Your heart races. Asking a calm question first often helps more than defending yourself loudly.

When accused, I need to fight back immediately.

A calm question can be the strongest first answer to an accusation.

Try this

The next time someone challenges you, ask one calm question before you defend yourself.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (shared passage from 12:70)

So when he furnished them forth with their provisions, he put the bowl in his brother's bag. Then a crier cried: "O you (in) the caravan! Surely, you are thieves! (70)They, turning towards them, said: "What is it that you have lost? (71)They said: "We have lost the bowl of the king and for him who produces it is (the reward of) a camel load; and I will be bound by it. (72)

Yusuf had His Golden Bowl placed in Binyamin's Bag; a Plot to keep Him in Egypt

After Yusuf supplied them with their provisions, he ordered some of his servants to place his silver bowl (in Binyamin's bag), according to the majority of scholars. Some scholars said that the king's bowl was made from gold. Ibn Zayd added that the king used it to drink from, and later, measured food grains with it since food became scarce in that time, according to Ibn 'Abbas, Mujahid, Qatadah, Ad-Dahhak and 'Abdur-Rahman bin Zayd. Shu'bah said that Abu Bishr narrated that Sa'id bin Jubayr said that Ibn 'Abbas said that the king's bowl was made from silver and he used it to drink with. Yusuf had the bowl placed in Binyamin's bag while they were unaware, and then had someone herald,

أَيَّتُهَا الْعِيرُ إِنَّكُمْ لَسَارِقُونَ

(O you (in) the caravan! Surely, you are thieves!) They looked at the man who was heralding this statement and asked him,

مَّاذَا تَفْقِدُونَ - قَالُوا نَفْقِدُ صُوَاعَ الْمَلِكِ

("What is it that you have lost?" They said: "We have lost the bowl of the king..."), which he used to measure food grains,

وَلِمَن جَاءَ بِهِ حِمْلُ بَعِيرٍ

(and for him who produces it is a camel load), as a reward,

وَأَنَا بِهِ زَعِيمٌ

(and I will be bound by it.), as assurance of delivery of the reward.