Tafseer of Joseph · Yusuf · 12:14
They said, "If a wolf should eat him while we are a [strong] clan, indeed, we would then be losers."
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the words of Allah the Exalted: قَالُوا لَئِنْ أَكَلَهُ الذِّئْبُ وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ إِنَّا إِذًا لَخَاسِرُونَ (They said: "If the wolf were to eat him while we are a strong company, then we would indeed be losers.") (verse 14)
Abū Jaʿfar says: Allah the Exalted says: The brothers of Yūsuf said to their father Yaʿqūb: If the wolf were to eat Yūsuf in the wilderness while we, being eleven, are with him to guard him — and they are the ʿuṣba (the strong company) — (then we would indeed be losers), that is to say: then we would indeed be weaklings and ruined.
