Quran Universe
12:77

۞قَالُوٓاْ إِن يَسۡرِقۡ فَقَدۡ سَرَقَ أَخٞ لَّهُۥ مِن قَبۡلُۚ فَأَسَرَّهَا يُوسُفُ فِي نَفۡسِهِۦ وَلَمۡ يُبۡدِهَا لَهُمۡۚ قَالَ أَنتُمۡ شَرّٞ مَّكَانٗاۖ وَٱللَّهُ أَعۡلَمُ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ

Qaloo in yasriq faqad saraqa akhun lahu min qablu faasarraha yoosufu fee nafsihi walam yubdiha lahum qala antum sharrun makanan waAllahu aAAlamu bima tasifoona

They said, "If he steals - a brother of his has stolen before." But Joseph kept it within himself and did not reveal it to them. He said, "You are worse in position, and Allah is most knowing of what you describe."

Word by word
  1. ۞قَالُوٓاْThey said
  2. إِنIf
  3. يَسۡرِقۡhe steals
  4. فَقَدۡthen verily
  5. سَرَقَstole
  6. أَخٞa brother
  7. لَّهُۥof his
  8. مِنbefore
  9. قَبۡلُۚbefore
  10. فَأَسَرَّهَاBut Yusuf kept it secret
  11. يُوسُفُBut Yusuf kept it secret
  12. فِيwithin
  13. نَفۡسِهِۦhimself
  14. وَلَمۡand (did) not
  15. يُبۡدِهَاreveal it
  16. لَهُمۡۚto them
  17. قَالَHe said
  18. أَنتُمۡYou
  19. شَرّٞ(are the) worse
  20. مَّكَانٗاۖ(in) position
  21. وَٱللَّهُand Allah
  22. أَعۡلَمُknows best
  23. بِمَاof what
  24. تَصِفُونَyou describe
Yusuf · 12:77Makkah

He heard the old lie about him and kept silent.

Yusuf holds back his reply

What was said
his brother stole tooblaming the absent Yusuf
Yusuf
keeps it insidedoes not reveal himself
Allah knows bestwhat you describe
His response
expose them nowit was me you sold
hold it inleave it to Allah

When the bowl was found, the brothers said: if he stole, a brother of his stole before, meaning Yusuf, to distance themselves. Ibn Kathir says Yusuf kept his reply to himself and did not say it aloud: you are in a worse position, and Allah knows best what you describe.

In the family group, someone brings up an old, false story about you. You know the truth. You could send the long, angry reply. Sometimes the strongest answer is the one you keep inside and leave with Allah.

If someone lies about me, I must correct it immediately.

Not every unfair remark needs my answer; Allah knows the truth of it.

Try this

Next time someone says something unfair, wait before replying, and say inside: Allah knows best.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

They [Yusuf's brothers] said: "If he steals, there was a brother of his [Yusuf] who did steal before (him). " But these things did Yusuf keep in himself, revealing not the secrets to them. He said (within himself): "You are in an evil situation, and Allah is the Best Knower of that which you describe! (77)

Yusuf's Brothers accuse Him of Theft!

After Yusuf's brothers saw that the king's bowl was taken out of Binyamin's bag, they said,

إِن يَسْرِقْ فَقَدْ سَرَقَ أَخٌ لَّهُ مِن قَبْلُ

(If he steals, there was a brother of his who did steal before.) They tried to show themselves as innocent from being like Binyamin, saying that he did just like a brother of his did beforehand, meaning Yusuf, peace be upon him! Allah said,

فَأَسَرَّهَا يُوسُفُ فِي نَفْسِهِ

(But these things did Yusuf keep in himself), meaning the statement that he said afterwards,

أَنتُمْ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا ۖ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ

(You are in an evil situation, and Allah is the Best Knower of that which you describe!) Yusuf said this to himself and did not utter it aloud, thus intending to hide what he wanted to say to himself even before he said it. Al-'Awfi reported that Ibn 'Abbas said about Allah's statement,

فَأَسَرَّهَا يُوسُفُ فِي نَفْسِهِ

(But these things did Yusuf keep in himself), "He kept in himself [his statement next],

أَنتُمْ شَرٌّ مَّكَانًا ۖ وَاللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِمَا تَصِفُونَ

(You are in an evil situation, and Allah is the Best Knower of that which you describe!)."