۞ In the story of Joseph and his brothers are lessons for those who inquire. 7 NOW [Joseph's brothers] spoke [thus to one another:] "Truly, Joseph and his brother [Benjamin] are dearer to our father than we, even though we are so many. Behold, our father is surely suffering from an aberration!" 8 Kill you Joseph, or cast him forth into some land, that your father's face may be free for you, and thereafter you may be a righteous people.' 9 Thereupon one of them said: "Do not kill Joseph, but if you are bent upon doing something, cast him down to the bottom of some dark pit, perhaps some caravan passing by will take him out of it." 10 They said: O our father! what reason have you that you do not trust in us with respect to Yusuf? And most surely we are his sincere well-wishers: 11 Send him with us tomorrow to frolic and play. We will look after him' 12 He said: 'It grieves me to let him go with you, for I fear lest the wolf should devour him when you are not paying attention to him' 13 They said: 'We are many, if a wolf devours him, then we are losers' 14 So when they went away with Joseph and decided to cast him in the bottom of the dark pit, We revealed to Joseph: "Surely a time will come when you will remind them of their deed. They know nothing about the consequence of what they are doing." 15 At nightfall they came to their father weeping 16 They said: 'We went racing and left Joseph with our things. The wolf devoured him, but you will not believe us, though we speak the truth' 17 And they brought his shirt stained with false blood. He said: "Nay, but your ownselves have made up a tale. So (for me) patience is most fitting. And it is Allah (Alone) Whose help can be sought against that which you assert." 18 And there came a caravan, and they sent their waterdrawer. He let down his pail (into the pit). He said: Good luck! Here is a youth. And they hid him as a treasure, and Allah was Aware of what they did. 19 Later they sold him for a paltry sum, a few pieces of silver [dirhams]: So little did they value him. 20