Translation of the meanings Ayah 81 Surah Yūsuf - English Translation - Dr. Waleed Bleyhesh Omary - The Noble Qur'an Encyclopedia

Ayah: 81

ٱرۡجِعُوٓاْ إِلَىٰٓ أَبِيكُمۡ فَقُولُواْ يَٰٓأَبَانَآ إِنَّ ٱبۡنَكَ سَرَقَ وَمَا شَهِدۡنَآ إِلَّا بِمَا عَلِمۡنَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِلۡغَيۡبِ حَٰفِظِينَ

(81) “Go back to your father and say: “O father, your son has stolen^[2800]. We bear witness only to what we knew ˹for certain˺ ^[2801]; we were never keepers over the unseen!^[2802]”

[2800] Thus he bade his brothers to give their father the fact as it occurred in the hope that he would believe them (cf. Ibn Kathīr).
[2801] That the measure was actually taken out from his belongings (cf. al-Ṭabarī, al-Wāḥidī, al-Wasīṭ, Ibn ʿAṭiyyah).
[2802] The intended meaning of this statement is vague and was interpreted differently by exegetes. But two readings are found more frequently than others: we were unaware of what was lying in store when we gave you our pledge to bring him home (cf. al-Tafsīr al-Muyassar, Tafsīr al-Madīnah al-Munawwarah), or that he would steal (cf. al-Tafsīr al-Muḥarrar).