12. Surah Yusuf (Joseph)
The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:
12: 53. "Nor do I absolve my own self (of blame):
إِنَّ النَّفْسَ لأَمَّارَةٌ بِالسُّوءِ إِلاَّ مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّيَ...
the (human soul) is certainly prone to evil, unless my Lord do bestow His Mercy:
...إِنَّ رَبِّي غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ ﴿٥٣﴾
but surely certainly my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
12: 53
Asad And yet, I am not trying to absolve myself: for, verily, man’s inner self does incite to evil, and saved are only they upon whom my Sustainer bestows His grace. Behold my Sustainer is much forgiving, a dispenser of grace!” [see asad’s note 53]
Pickthall I do not exculpate myself. Lo! the (human) soul enjoineth unto evil, save that whereon my Lord hath mercy. My Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.
Yuksel "I do not make myself free of blame, for the person is inclined to sin, except what my Lord has mercy on. My Lord is Forgiving, Compassionate."
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Ali’s comments:
C1712a. Ammara: prone, impelling, headstrong, passionate.
See n. 5810 to 75:2.
C1713. See n. 1712.
1 construe this verse to be a continuation of the speech of the wife of the 'Aziz. It is more appropriate to her than to Joseph. (R).
Asad’s comments:
53 Lit., "is indeed wont to command [the doing of] evil"- i.e., is filled with impulses which often conflict with what the mind regards as a moral good. This is obviously a reference to the statement in verse 24 above - "she desired him, and he desired her; [and he would have succumbed,] had he not seen [in this temptation] an evidence of his Sustainer' s truth" - as well as to Joseph's prayer in verse 33, "unless Thou turn away their guile from me, I might yet yield to their allure". (See also note 23 above.) Joseph's stress on the weakness inherent in human nature is a sublime expression of humility on the part of one who himself had overcome that very weakness: for, as the sequence shows, he attributes his moral victory not to himself but solely to the grace and mercy of God.