The Quran

سورة یُوسُف

Surah Yûsuf 12:31

Joseph · Verse 31 of 111

فَلَمَّا سَمِعَتْ بِمَكْرِهِنَّ أَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَعْتَدَتْ لَهُنَّ مُتَّكَأً وَآتَتْ كُلَّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُنَّ سِكِّينًا وَقَالَتِ اخْرُجْ عَلَيْهِنَّ ۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْنَهُ أَكْبَرْنَهُ وَقَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ وَقُلْنَ حَاشَ لِلَّهِ مَا هَٰذَا بَشَرًا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا مَلَكٌ كَرِيمٌ

Abdul Mannan Omar

And when she heard of their sly whisperings (and taunting remarks), she sent for them and prepared a repast for them, then (on the women´s arrival) she gave to each one of them a knife (to eat fruit therewith) and said (to Joseph then), `Come forth in their presence.´ So when they saw him they found him a dignified personality and cut their hands (through wonder and) said, `Glory be to Allâh! He is not a human being. He is but a noble angel.´

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

When she heard of their malicious talk, she sent for them and prepared a banquet for them: she gave each of them a knife: and she said (to Joseph), "Come out before them." When they saw him, they did extol him, and (in their amazement) cut their hands: they said, "Allah preserve us! no mortal is this! this is none other than a noble angel!

Ahmed Ali

When she heard their slanderings, she sent for them and prepared a banquet, and gave each of them a knife (for paring fruit), and called (to Joseph): "Come out before them." When they saw him, the women were so wonderstruck they cut their hands, and exclaimed: "O Lord preserve us! He is no mortal but an honourable angel."

12 more translations

Ali Unal

When she heard of their sly whispers, she sent for them, and prepared for them a place of reclining for a sumptuous meal. She gave to each one of them a knife and said (to Joseph): "Come out before them!" When they saw him, they were so stricken with admiration of him that they cut their hands, exclaiming: "God save us! This is no human mortal; he is but a noble angel!"

Daryabadi

Then, when she heard of their cunning talk, she sent unto them a messenger, and got ready for them a cushioned Couch, and gave a knife to each of them. And she said: come forth to them. Then when they saw him, they were astonished at him, and they made a cut in their hands, and said: how perfect is God! no man is he: he is naught but an angel noble.

Faridul Haque

And when she heard of their secret talk, she sent for them and prepared cushioned mattresses for them and gave a knife to each one of them and said to Yusuf, "Come out before them!" When the women saw him they praised him and cut their hands, and said, "Purity is to Allah - this is no human being; this is not but an honourable angel!"

Maulana Muhammad Ali

So when she heard of their device, she sent for them and prepared for them a repast, and gave each of them a knife, and said (to Joseph): Come out to them. So when they saw him, they deemed him great, and cut their hands (in amazement), and said: Holy Allah! This is not a mortal! This is but a noble angel.

Maulvi Sher Ali

And when she heard of their sly whisperings, she sent for them and prepared for them a repast, and gave everyone of them a knife and then said to Joseph, `Come forth to them.' And when they saw him they found him to be a person of great dignity and in their amazement cut their hands, and said, ALLAH be glorified ! This is not a human being; this is but a noble angel.'

Muhammad Asad

Thereupon, when she heard of their malicious talk, she sent for them, and prepared for them a sumptuous repast, and handed each of them a knife and said [to Joseph]: "Come out and show thyself to them!"

Muhammad Musin Khan

So when she heard of their accusation, she sent for them and prepared a banquet for them; she gave each one of them a knife (to cut the foodstuff with), and she said [(to Yusuf (Joseph)]: "Come out before them." Then, when they saw him, they exalted him (at his beauty) and (in their astonishment) cut their hands. They said: "How perfect is Allah (or Allah forbid)! No man is this! This is none other than a noble angel!"

Muhammad Pickthall

And when she heard of their sly talk, she sent to them and prepared for them a cushioned couch (to lie on at the feast) and gave to every one of them a knife and said (to Joseph): Come out unto them! And when they saw him they exalted him and cut their hands, exclaiming: Allah Blameless! This is no a human being. This is not other than some gracious angel.

Muhammad Sarwar

When she heard their gossiping, she invited them to her house for a banquet and gave a knife to each of them. Then she told Joseph to appear before them. When they saw Joseph, they were so amazed that they cut their hands and said, "Goodness gracious! He is not a mortal but is a charming angel!".

Muhammed ali Shakir

So when she heard of their sly talk she sent for them and prepared for them a repast, and gave each of them a knife, and said (to Yusuf): Come forth to them. So when they saw him, they deemed him great, and cut their hands (in amazement), and said: Remote is Allah (from inperfection); this is not a mortal; this is but a noble angel.

Rashad Khalifa

When she heard of their gossip, she invited them, prepared for them a comfortable place, and gave each of them a knife. She then said to him, "Enter their room." When they saw him, they so admired him, that they cut their hands. They said, "Glory be to GOD, this is not a human being; this is an honorable angel."

Shabbir Ahmed

When she heard their gossip, she invited them, and prepared comfortable couches for them, and they schemed. She gave a knife to each of the women. Then, she called Joseph, “Come out to them!” And when they saw him they flattered him and ‘cut their hands’ (exhausted their efforts). They exclaimed in their flattery, “Good Lord! This is no mortal man! This is but an angel!”

Commentary 12:31 Qatta‘na Aidiya-hunna وَقَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ “cut their hands” is an idiom (cf. 5:38), which means his appearance made them motionless and powerless.…

فَلَمَّا رَأَيْنَهُ أَكْبَرْنَهُ وَقَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ وَقُلْنَ حَاشَ لِلَّهِ مَا هَـٰذَا بَشَرًا إِنْ هَـٰذَا إِلَّا مَلَكٌ كَرِيمٌ

12:31 Qatta‘na Aidiya-hunna وَقَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ “cut their hands” is an idiom (cf. 5:38), which means his appearance made them motionless and powerless. Their saying, pointing to Joseph: “That is a noble angel إِنْ هَـٰذَا إِلَّا مَلَكٌ كَرِيم” attests to the innocence of Joseph and the awe and spell they were in when they saw him.