What does Quran 12:14 mean?

Quran 12:14 (Surah Yusuf, Ayah 14) translates to: "They said, "If a wolf should eat him while we are a [strong] clan, indeed, we would then be losers.""

Which Surah and Juz is Quran 12:14 from?

This ayah is from Surah Yusuf (Joseph), the 12th surah of the Quran. It appears in Juz 12.

Are there hadiths related to Quran 12:14?

Yes — there are 5 hadiths related to this ayah from Jami` at-Tirmidhi, Sahih al-Bukhari, Sunan Ibn Majah.

What tafsir is available for Quran 12:14?

Commentary on this ayah is available from Ibn Kathir, Ibn Abbas, Al-Jalalayn, Ibn Kathir — classical scholars of Quranic exegesis.

What topics does Quran 12:14 relate to?

This ayah connects to these Quranic topics: Prophet Yusuf's Story, Envy, Family Relations, Betrayal, Human Nature.

Ayah 13

قَالَ إِنِّى لَيَحْزُنُنِىٓ أَن تَذْهَبُوا۟ بِهِۦ ...

12:14Yusuf

Ayah 15

فَلَمَّا ذَهَبُوا۟ بِهِۦ وَأَجْمَعُوٓا۟ أَن يَجْعَ...

قَالُوا۟ لَئِنْ أَكَلَهُ ٱلذِّئْبُ وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ إِنَّآ إِذًۭا لَّخَٰسِرُونَ

Qaaloo la in akalahuzzi'bu wa nahnu 'usbatun innaaa izal lakhaasiroon

They said, "If a wolf should eat him while we are a [strong] clan, indeed, we would then be losers."

Themes in this ayah

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Lessons from past peoples73 True success & loss52

Scores run 0–100: how strongly this ayah speaks to a theme. 70+ is central, 50+ is clear, under 50 is weak.

6 other themes with weak connections

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12:14Ayah 1111

72 ayahs in Yusuf are strongly about lessons from past peoples. This is one of them.

← Previous on Lessons from past peoples12:13[Jacob] said, "Indeed, it saddens me that you should take him, and I fear that a wolf would eat him while you are of him unaware."Next on Lessons from past peoples →12:15So when they took him [out] and agreed to put him into the bottom of the well... But We inspired to him,

Tafsir

Scholars largely agree on this ayah

View Full Tafsir: Al-Jalalayn on 12:14→

They said ‘Truly if la-in the lām here is for oaths the wolf were to devour him when we are so hardy a band a group then we indeed are losers!’ incapable of anything. Thus he sent him off with them.

that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "While a man was tending some of his sheep, a wolf came and took a sheep. So its owner came and retrieved it. The wolf said: 'What will you do for it on the Day of the Predator, the Day when there will be no shepherd for it other than me?'" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "So I believe in that, I and Abu Bakr, and 'Umar." (One of the narrators) Abu Salamah said: "And the two of them were (present) not among the people that day."

Sahih al-Bukhari #3532Narrated Abu Huraira:Sahih

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Whilst a shepherd was amongst his sheep, a wolf attacked them and took away a sheep. The shepherd chased it and got that sheep freed from the wolf. The wolf turned towards the shepherd and said, 'Who will guard the sheep on the day of wild animals when it will have no shepherd except myself?" The people said, "Glorified be Allah." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "But I believe in it and so do Abu Bakr and `Umar although Abu Bakr and `Umar were not present there (at the place of the event).

Sunan Ibn Majah #2971It was narrated that Khuzaimah bin Jaz’ said:Sahih

“I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, I have come to ask you about the vermin of the earth. What do you say about foxes?’ He said: ‘Who eats foxes?’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, what do you say about wolves?’ He said: ‘Does anyone in whom there is anything good eat wolves?’”

Jami` at-Tirmidhi #1852Narrated Khuzaimah bin Jaz':Sahih

"I asked the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) about eating badger. He said: 'Does anyone eat badger?' So I asked him about eating wolf' He said: 'Does anyone who has any good in him eat wolf?'" The chain for this Hadith is not strong. We do not know of it except as a narration of Isma'il bin Muslim from 'Abdul-Karim Abi Umayyah. Some of the people of Hadith have criticized Isma'il and 'Abdul Karim Abi Umayyah. And he is 'Abdul-Karim bin Qais, who is Ibn Abi Al-Mukhariq. While 'Abdul-Karim bin Malik Al-Jazari is trustworthy.

Sunan Ibn Majah #2912Sahih

It was narrated from Zaid bin Thabit that a wolf bit a sheep, and they slaughtered it with a sharp-edged stone, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) allowed them to eat it.