Sam Gerrans - The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

And when she heard of their scheming, she sent to them, and prepared for them a feasting couch, and gave to each one of them a knife, and said: “Come thou out before them.” And when they saw him, they exalted him, and cut their hands, and said: “God forbid! This is no mortal; this is only a noble angel!”

فَلَمَّا سَمِعَتْ بِمَكْرِهِنَّ اَرْسَلَتْ اِلَيْهِنَّ وَاَعْتَدَتْ لَهُنَّ مُتَّكَـٔاً وَاٰتَتْ كُلَّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُنَّ سِكّ۪يناً وَقَالَتِ اخْرُجْ عَلَيْهِنَّۚ فَلَمَّا رَاَيْنَهُٓ اَكْبَرْنَهُ وَقَطَّعْنَ اَيْدِيَهُنَّ وَقُلْنَ حَاشَ لِلّٰهِ مَا هٰذَا بَشَراًۜ اِنْ هٰذَٓا اِلَّا مَلَكٌ كَر۪يمٌ
Falamma samiAAat bimakrihinna arsalatilayhinna waaAAtadat lahunna muttakaan waatat kulla wahidatinminhunna sikkeenan waqalati okhruj AAalayhinna falammaraaynahu akbarnahu waqattaAAna aydiyahunna waqulna hashalillahi ma hatha basharan in hathailla malakun kareem
#wordmeaningroot
1falammāSo when
2samiʿatshe heardسمع
3bimakrihinnaof their schemingمكر
4arsalatshe sentرسل
5ilayhinnafor them
6wa-aʿtadatand she preparedعتد
7lahunnafor them
8muttaka-ana banquetوكا
9waātatand she gaveاتي
10kullaeachكلل
11wāḥidatinoneوحد
12min'hunnaof them
13sikkīnana knifeسكن
14waqālatiand she saidقول
15ukh'rujCome outخرج
16ʿalayhinnabefore them
17falammāThen when
18ra-aynahuthey saw himراي
19akbarnahuthey greatly admired himكبر
20waqaṭṭaʿnaand cutقطع
21aydiyahunnatheir handsيدي
22waqul'nathey saidقول
23ḥāshaForbidحوش
24lillahiAllah
25not
26hādhā(is) this
27basharana manبشر
28innot
29hādhā(is) this
30illābut
31malakunan angelملك
32karīmunnobleكرم
  • Aisha Bewley

    But when she heard of their malicious talk, she sent for them and made a sumptuous meal and then she gave a knife to each of them. She said, ‘Go out to them.’ When they saw him, they were amazed by him and cut their hands. They said, ‘Allah preserve us! This is no man. What can this be but a noble angel here!’

  • Progressive Muslims

    So when she heard of their scheming, she sent for them and prepared a banquet for them, and she gave each one of them a knife. And she said: "Come out to them," so when they saw him they exalted him and cut their hands, and they said: "God be praised, this is not a human, but a blessed 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 unto them!" And when they saw him they flattered him and 'cut their hands'. They exclaimed in their flattery, "Good Lord! This is no mortal man! This is but an angel!" (The governor's wife and her friends had planned to incriminate Joseph, and they were just buying time. They made marks on their hands to feign self-defense. There is absolutely no mention of the supposed "beauty' of Joseph, a fabrication adopted by most commentators from the Bible! Secondly, the root word QAT'A in this verse is of very special significance. Did these women chop off their hands? Must the thieves get their hands chopped off? Please see (5:38-39)).

  • Sam Gerrans The Qur'an: A Complete Revelation

    And when she heard of their scheming, she sent to them, and prepared for them a feasting couch, and gave to each one of them a knife, and said: “Come thou out before them.” And when they saw him, they exalted him, and cut their hands, and said: “God forbid! This is no mortal; this is only a noble angel!”

  • The Monotheist Group The Quran: A Monotheist Translation

    So when she heard of their scheming, she sent for them and prepared a banquet for them, and she gave each one of them a knife. And she said: "Come out to them," so when they saw him they exalted him and cut their hands, and they said: "Praise be to God, this is not a human being, but a blessed angel!"

  • Edip-Layth Quran: A Reformist Translation

    So when she heard of their scheming, she sent for them and prepared a banquet for them, and she gave each one of them a knife. She said, "Come out to them," so when they saw him they exalted him and cut their hands, and they said, "God be praised, this is not a human, but a blessed controller!"

  • Rashad Khalifa The Final Testament

    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.",

  • Mohamed Ahmed - Samira

    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."

  • Sahih International (Umm Muhammad, Mary Kennedy, Amatullah Bantley)

    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 , "Come out before them. " And when they saw him, they greatly admired him and cut their hands and said, "Perfect is Allah ! This is not a man; this is none 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 : "Come out and show thyself to them!" And when the women saw him, they were greatly amazed at his beauty, and they cut their hands , exclaiming, "God save us! This is no mortal man! This is nought but a noble angel!"

  • Marmaduke 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.

  • Abul A'la Maududi Tafhim commentary

    Hearing of their sly talk the chief's wife sent for those ladies, and arranged for them a banquet, and got ready couches,* and gave each guest a knife. Then, while they were cutting and eating the fruit, she signalled Joseph: "Come out to them." When the ladies saw him they were so struck with admiration that they cut their hands, exclaiming: "Allah preserve us. This is no mortal human. This is nothing but a noble angel!"

  • Abdel Khalek Himmat Al- Muntakhab

    When she heard of their evil intent aggravating her guilt, she invited them to her house and gave them a banquet. The seats were propped up with cushions, the table was set with delightful food and table knives were put in place, one for each. When they were served with the course whereat they use the knives, she ordered him –Yusuf- to come into the room. When the women saw him they were overwhelmed with wonder and they marvelled at his exceptional good looks with profound admiration to the extent that they missed the fruit and wounded their hands. They exclaimed " Allah forbid this is not a mortal; he is none other than a highly impressive, stately and distinguished angel."

  • Bijan Moeinian

    When governor’s wife heard about such gossips, she invited all important ladies of the town and prepared a relaxed environment for them. When they were cutting the fruits with their knives, she asked Joseph to enter the room. they were so enchanted with his look that they cut their hands. They spontaneously said: "Good Lord; is he a human being or an angel?"

  • Al-Hilali & 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 : "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 Allâh (or Allâh forbid)! No man is this! This is none other than 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!"

  • Mustafa Khattab The Clear Quran

    When she heard about their gossip, she invited them and set a banquet for them. She gave each one a knife, then said ˹to Joseph˺, "Come out before them." When they saw him, they were so stunned ˹by his beauty˺ that they cut their hands, and exclaimed, “Good God! This cannot be human; this must be a noble angel!”

  • Taqi Usmani

    So, when she heard of their taunting comments, she extended an invitation to them and arranged for them a comfortable place (to sit and dine) and gave everyone a knife, and said (to Yūsuf): "come out to them." So when they saw him, they found him great, and (were so stunned that they) cut their hands and said, “Oh God! He is no human being. He is but a noble angel.”

  • Abdul Haleem

    When she heard their malicious talk, she prepared a banquet and sent for them, giving each of them a knife. She said to Joseph, ‘Come out and show yourself to them!’ and when the women saw him, they were stunned by his beauty, and cut their hands, exclaiming, ‘Great God! He cannot be mortal! He must be a precious angel!’

  • Arthur John Arberry

    When she heard their sly whispers, she sent to them, and made ready for them a repast, then she gave to each one of them a knife. 'Come forth, attend to them,' she said. And when they saw him, they so admired him that they cut their hands, saying, 'God save us! This is no mortal; he is no other but a noble angel.'

  • E. Henry Palmer

    And when she heard of their craftiness, she sent to them and prepared for them a banquet, and gave each of them a knife; and she said, 'Come forth to them!' And when they saw him they said, 'Great God!' and cut their hands and said, 'God forbid! This is no mortal, this is nothing but an honourable angel. '

  • Hamid S. Aziz

    And some women in the city said, "The wife of the King's Minister seeks to seduce her slave for his person; truly, he has infatuated (smitten) her with lust: verily, we see her in manifest error. "

  • Mahmoud Ghali

    So, as soon as she heard their scheming, she sent for them, and she readied for them a reclining (couch). And she brought each one of them a knife, and said, (to Yûsuf), "Go out to them." So, as soon as they saw him, they were greatly (amazed) at him and cut their hands severely (The Arabic verb form implies something done repeatedly or to a high degree or great extent) and said, " Allah forbid! (i.e. Allah forbid that Yûsuf could have ever solicited her!) In no way is this a mortal; decidedly this is nothing else except an honorable angel."

  • George Sale

    And when she heard of their subtle behaviour, she sent unto them, and prepared a banquet for them, and she gave to each of them a knife; and she said unto Joseph, come forth unto them. And when they saw him, they praised him greatly; and they cut their own hands, and said, O God! This is not a mortal; he is not other than an angel, deserving the highest respect.

  • Syed Vickar Ahamed

    So when she heard of their harmful talk, she invited them and invited them for a banquet (and held a gathering) for them: She gave each of them a knife (for the fruits): And she said (to Yusuf), "Come out before them. " When they saw him, they praised him much (for his looks and beauty), and (in their amazement, they had) cut their hands: They said, "Allah is Perfect! This is not a mortal (man)! This is no one except a noble angel!"

  • Amatul Rahman 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.'

  • Ali Quli Qarai

    When she heard of their machinations, she sent for them and arranged a repast, and gave each of them a knife, and said , ‘Come out before them. ’ So when they saw him, they marveled at him and cut their hands , and they said, ‘Good heavens! This is not a human being! This is but a noble angel!’