وَجَاءُوا عَلَى قَمِيصِهِ بِدَمٍ كَذِبٍ قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنْفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًا فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ وَاللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَى مَا تَصِفُونَ ﴿۱۸﴾ وَجَاءَتْ سَيَّارَةٌ فَأَرْسَلُوا وَارِدَهُمْ فَأَدْلَى دَلْوَهُ قَالَ يَا بُشْرَى هَذَا غُلَامٌ وَأَسَرُّوهُ بِضَاعَةً وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ ﴿۱۹﴾ وَشَرَوْهُ بِثَمَنٍ بَخْسٍ دَرَاهِمَ مَعْدُودَةٍ وَكَانُوا فِيهِ مِنَ الزَّاهِدِينَ ﴿۲۰﴾

﴾18﴿ Wa jaaa'oo 'alaa qameesi hee bidamin kazib qaala bal sawwalat lakum anfusukum amraa; fasabrun jameel; wallaahul musta'aanu 'alaa maatasifoon
﴾19﴿ Wa jaaa'at saiyaaratun fa-arsaloo waaridahum fa adlaa dalwah; qaala yaa bushraa haaza ghulaam; wa asarroohu bi-daa'ah; wallaahu 'aleemun bimaa ya'maloon
﴾20﴿ Wa sharawhu bisamanim bakhsin daraahima ma'doo datinw wa kaanoo feehi minaz zaahideen

﴾18﴿ And they brought upon his shirt false blood. He (the father) said, 'Rather, your souls have enticed you to something. So patience is most fitting. And it is Allah alone whose help is sought against what you describe
﴾19﴿ And there came a caravan; they sent their water-drawer, and he let down his bucket. He said, 'Oh, good news! Here is a boy!' And they concealed him, taking him as merchandise. And Allah is All-Knowing of what they do
﴾20﴿ And they sold him for a reduced price—a few counted silver coins—and they were among those who had little interest in him

[18] In this verse, their deceit is mentioned in another way: they slaughtered an animal and smeared its blood on the shirt of Yusuf (peace be upon him), but they did not tear his shirt. Because of this, Yaqub (peace be upon him), through his insight, realized that if a wolf had eaten Yusuf (peace be upon him), it would have torn his shirt. So he said, "Rather, your souls have enticed you..." (faṣabrun jamīl – "So patience is beautiful").
"Beautiful patience" refers to enduring a calamity without complaining to creation – rather, one shows humility and supplication. This indicates that patience in the face of hardships is the way of all the prophets (peace be upon them).
“And Allah is the One whose help is sought” – this is a refutation of associating partners in seeking help. That is, seeking assistance from anyone other than Allah the Exalted, whether to remove a hardship or fulfill a need, is considered shirk (associating others with Allah).
And similarly, in verse 112 of Surah Al-Anbiya, this is mentioned – and since both the subject and predicate are definite, it indicates exclusivity (restriction to Allah alone).
[19] From this verse up to verse 21 is the second station (maqām), and in it, other aspects of their deceit and oppression are mentioned—namely, the act of making Yusuf (peace be upon him) a slave.
“Sayyārah” refers to a caravan traveling from Midian to Egypt.
“Wārid” was either one man or refers to a type, meaning the person who would bring water for his companions.
(Qāla) – the previous speech is implied (not explicitly stated).
(fa-thabbata bihī Yūsuf) – and Yusuf (peace be upon him) held firmly onto the rope.
“Yā bushrā” – the literal meaning is: “Oh good news, this is your moment!”
Another opinion is that Bushrā was the name of his companion.
“Hādhā ghulām” – this is in line with the custom of traders who, upon finding something, use it for commerce.
“Wa asarrūhu” – there are two interpretations:
1. Yusuf’s (peace be upon him) brothers hid his identity and made him appear to be merchandise.
2. The water-drawer and his companions concealed Yusuf (peace be upon him) from others in order to benefit from him themselves.
[20] In this verse, there are three interpretations:
The first interpretation is that the brothers of Yusuf (peace be upon him) sold him, and they were among those indifferent toward him—because they considered the act unlawful (haram).
The second interpretation is that the water-drawer and his companions sold Yusuf (peace be upon him) in Egypt, and they were also indifferent toward him, thinking he was a disobedient slave.
The third interpretation is that the water-drawer and his companions captured Yusuf (peace be upon him), and in this last interpretation, “sharā” means “ishtarā” (i.e., to purchase).
“Bakhs” has two meanings: deficient and unlawful. Here, the second meaning (unlawful) is preferred.
“Ma‘dūda” refers to something that is easily counted—a metaphor for it being a small amount.
“Wa kānū fīhi” – the phrase “zuhd fī” means lack of interest or desire. The pronoun “bihi” may refer to thaman (price), if the subject “kānū” refers to the brothers. Or, “fīhi” could refer to Yusuf (peace be upon him), if the pronoun refers to the water-drawer and his companions.
This verse is also evidence for the legal ruling that purchasing valuable items at a low price is permissible—provided both parties consent and no deception occurs.