يوسف

ALIF LAM RA. These are the verses of the immaculate Book.

We have sent it down as a clear discourse that you may understand.

Through the revelation of this Qur'an We narrate the best of histories of which you were unaware before.

When Joseph told his father: "O my father, I saw eleven stars and the sun and the moon bowing before me in homage,"

He said: "O son, do not narrate your dream to your brothers, or they will plot against you. Surely Satan is man's acknowledged foe.

Your Lord will choose you and teach you to interpret events, and confer His favours on you and the house of Jacob, as He had done in the case of two ancestors of yours, Abraham and Isaac, before you. Indeed your Lord is all-knowing and all-wise."

In the story of Joseph and his brothers are lessons for those who inquire.

"Surely Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than we," (said his half brothers) "even though we are a well-knit band. Our father is surely in the wrong.

Let us kill Joseph or cast him in some distant land so that we may get our father's exclusive affection; then play innocent."

One of them said: "If you must do so, then do not kill Joseph, but throw him into an unused well. Some passing caravan may rescue him."

(Then going to their father) they said: "O father, why don't you trust us with Joseph? We are in fact his well-wishers.

Let him go out with us tomorrow that he may enjoy and play. We shall take care of him."

He said: "I am afraid of sending him with you lest a wolf should devour him when you are unmindful."

They replied: "If a wolf should devour him when we are there, a well-knit band, we shall certainly be treacherous."

So, when they took him out they planned to throw him into an unused well. We revealed to Joseph: "You will tell them (one day) of this deed when they will not apprehend it."

At nightfall they came to their father weeping,

And said: "We went racing with one another and left Joseph to guard our things when a wolf devoured him. But you will not believe us even though we tell the truth."

They showed him the shirt with false blood on it. (Their father) said: "It is not so; you have made up the story. Yet endurance is best. I seek the help of God alone for what you impute."

A caravan happened to pass, and sent the water-carrier to bring water from the well. He let down his bucket (and pulled Joseph up with it). "What luck," said the man; "here is a boy;" and they hid him as an item of merchandise; but what they did was known to God.

And they sold him as worthless for a few paltry dirham.

The Egyptian who bought him instructed his wife: "House him honourably. He may be of use to us. We may even adopt him as a son." So, We firmly established Joseph in the land, and taught him the interpretation of dreams. God dominated in his affairs, though most men do not know.

When he reached the prime of life We gave him wisdom and knowledge. Thus We reward those who are good.

But she in whose house he resided wished to seduce him and, closing the doors, said: "Come into me. "God forbid!" he said; "he is my master who has approved my stay. Surely those who act wrongly do not prosper."

But the woman desired him, and he would have desired her but for the indication he received from his Lord. This was so that We may avert both evil and lechery from him, for he was one of Our chosen devotees.

Both of them raced to the door, and she (grabbed and) rent his shirt from behind. They met her lord outside the door. "There is no other penalty for a man," said she, "who wanted to outrage your wife but imprisonment or grievous punishment."

(Joseph) said: "It was she who wanted to seduce me." And a witness from her family testified: "If the shirt is torn from the front then the woman is speaking the truth, and he is a liar.

But if the shirt is torn from behind then she is a liar, and he speaks the truth."

When the husband saw the shirt torn at the back, he said: "Surely this is a woman's ruse, and the wiles of women are great.

Ignore this affair, O Joseph; and you, O woman, ask forgiveness for your sin, for you were surely errant."

In the city the women gossiped: "The minister's wife longs after her page. He has captured her heart. We think she is in clear error."

When she heard their slanderings, she sent for them and prepared a banquet, and gave each of them a knife (for paring fruit), and called (to Joseph): "Come out before them." When they saw him, the women were so wonderstruck they cut their hands, and exclaimed: "O Lord preserve us! He is no mortal but an honourable angel."

She said: "This is the one you blamed me for. I did desire his person, but he preserved himself from sin. Yet in case he does not do my bidding he will be put into prison and disgraced."

(Joseph) prayed: "O Lord, dearer is prison than what they invite me to. Unless You turn their guiles away from me I shall succumb to their charms and thus become a pagan."

His Lord heard his prayer, and averted the women's wiles from him. He verily hears and knows everything.

And yet in spite of having seen these clear proofs they found it proper to incarcerate him for a time.

Two other youths were imprisoned along with him. Said one of them: "I dreamt that I was pressing grapes;" and the other: "I dreamt that I was carrying bread on my head, and the birds were pecking at it. You tell us the meaning of this. You seem to be a righteous man."

(Joseph) answered: "I will give you its interpretation before the food you are served arrives. This knowledge is one of the things my Lord has taught me. I have given up the religion of those who do not believe in God and deny the life to come.

I follow the faith of my fathers, of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. We cannot associate anyone with God. This is among God's favours to us and to all mankind; but most men are not grateful.

(Tell me) O fellow-prisoners, are a number of gods better, or one God omnipotent?

(What) you worship besides Him are nothing but names that you and your fathers have assigned, for which no sanction has been sent down by God. Authority belongs to God alone. He commands that you worship none but Him. This is the right way; but most men are ignorant.

O fellow-prisoners, one of you will serve wine to your master, the other will be crucified and the birds will peck at his brain. Determined is the matter of your inquiry."

And (Joseph) asked the man he knew would be released: "Remember me to your lord;" but Satan made him forget to mention this to his lord, and Joseph remained in prison for a number of years.

(One day) the king said (to his courtiers): "I saw seven fat cows in a dream being devoured by seven lean ones, and seven ears of corn that were green and seven others that were seared. O courtiers, tell me the significance of my dream, if you know how to interpret them."

"They were only confused dreams," they said; "we do not know how to interpret them."

Then the servant, who of the two had been released, remembering (Joseph), said: "I will give you its interpretation; let me go for it."

(And coming to the prison) he said: "O Joseph the truthful, tell us (the meaning of) seven fat cows being devoured by seven lean ones, and seven green ears of corn and seven seared, that I may go back to the people and tell them."

He said: "Sow as usual for seven years, and after reaping leave the corn in the ears, except the little you need for food.

Then there will come seven years of hardship which will consume the grain you had laid up against them, except a little you may have stored away.

This will be followed by a year of rain, and people shall press (the grapes)."

The king said: "Bring him to me. So when the messenger came to Joseph, he said: "Go back to your lord and ask him: 'How fare the women who had cut their hands?' My Lord is cognisant of their guile."

The king asked the women: "What was the affair of seducing Joseph?" "God preserve us," they said; "we know no evil against him." The wife of the minister said: "The truth has now come out. It was I who desired to seduce him, but he is indeed a man of virtue." --

(At this Joseph remarked:) "From this (the Minister) should know that I did not betray him in his absence, and that God does not surely let the wiles of those who betray ever succeed.