- Alif. Lam. Ra. These are verse of the Scripture that maketh
plain.
- Lo! We have revealed it, a Lecture in Arabic, that ye may
understand.
- We narrate unto thee (Muhammad) the best of narratives in that
We have inspired in thee this Qur'an, though aforetime thou wast of
the heedless.
- When Joseph said unto his father: O my father! Lo! I saw in a
dream eleven planets and the sun and the moon, I saw them prostrating
themselves unto me.
- He said: O my dear son! Tell not thy brethren of thy vision,
lest they plot a plot against thee. Lo! Satan is for man an open foe.
- Thus thy Lord will prefer thee and will teach thee the
interpretation of events, and will perfect His grace upon thee and
upon the family of Jacob as He perfected it upon thy forefathers,
Abraham and Isaac. Lo! thy Lord is Knower, Wise.
- Verily in Joseph and his brethren are signs (of Allah's
Sovereignty) for the inquiring.
- When they said: Verily Joseph and his brother are dearer to
our father than we are, many though we be. Lo! our father is in plain
aberration.
- (One said): Kill Joseph or cast him to some (other) land, so
that your father's favour may be all for you, and (that) ye may
afterward be righteous folk.
- One among them said: Kill not Joseph but, if ye must be doing,
fling him into the depth of the pit; some caravan will find him.
- They said: O our father! Why wilt thou not trust us with
Joseph, when lo! we are good friends to him ?
- Send him with us to-morrow that he may enjoy himself and play.
And lo! we shall take good care of him.
- He said: Lo! in truth it saddens me that ye should take him
with you, and I fear less the wolf devour him while ye are heedless of
him.
- They said: If the wolf should devour him when we are (so
strong) a band, then surely we should have already perished.
- Then, when they led him off, and were of one mind that they
should place him in the depth of the pit, We inspired in him: Thou
wilt tell them of this deed of theirs when they know (thee) not.
- And they came weeping to their father in the evening.
- Saying: O our father! We went racing one with another, and
left Joseph by our things, and the wolf devoured him, and thou
believest not our saying even when we speak the truth.
- And they came with false blood on his shirt. He said: Nay, but
your minds have beguiled you into something. (My course is) comely
patience. And Allah it is Whose help is to be sought in that
(predicament) which ye describe.
- And there came a caravan, and they sent their waterdrawer. He
let down his pail (into the pit). He said: Good luck! Here is a youth.
And they hid him as a treasure, and Allah was Aware of what they did.
- And they sold him for a low price, a number of silver coins;
and they attached no value to him.
- And he of Egypt who purchased him said unto his wife: Receive
him honourably. Perchance he may prove useful to us or we may adopt
him as a son. Thus we established Joseph in the land that We might
teach him the interpretation of events. And Allah was predominant in
His career, but most of mankind know not.
- And And when he reached his prime We gave him wisdom and
knowledge. Thus We reward the good.
- And she, in whose house he was, asked of him an evil act. She
bolted the doors and said: Come! He said: I seek refuge in Allah! Lo!
he is my lord, who hath treated me honourably. Lo! wrong-doers never
prosper.
- She verily desired him, and he would have desired her if it
had not been that he saw the argument of his Lord. Thus it was, that
We might ward off from him evil and lewdness. Lo! he was of Our chosen
slaves.
- And they raced with one another to the door, and she tore his
shirt from behind, and they met her lord and master at the door. She
said: What shall be his reward, who wisheth evil to thy folk, save
prison or a painful doom ?
- (Joseph) said: She it was who asked of me an evil act. And a
witness of her own folk testified: If his shirt is torn from before,
then she speaketh truth and he is of the liars.
- And if his shirt is torn from behind, then she hath lied and
he is of the truthful.
- So when he saw his shirt torn from behind, he said: Lo! this
is of the guile of you women. Lo! the guile of you is very great.
- O Joseph! Turn away from this, and thou, (O woman), ask
forgiveness for thy sin. Lo! thou art of the faulty.
- And women in the city said: The ruler's wife is asking of her
slave-boy an ill-deed. Indeed he has smitten her to the heart with
love. We behold her in plain aberration.
- And when she heard of their sly talk, she sent to them and
prepared for them a cushioned couch (to lie on at the feast) and gave
to every one of them a knife and said (to Joseph): Come out unto them!
And when they saw him they exalted him and cut their hands,
exclaiming: Allah Blameless! This is no a human being. This is not
other than some gracious angel.
- She said: This is he on whose account ye blamed me. I asked of
him an evil act, but he proved continent, but if he do not my behest
he verily shall be imprisoned, and verily shall be of those brought
low.
- He said: O my Lord! Prison is more dear than that unto which
they urge me, and if Thou fend not off their wiles from me I shall
incline unto them and become of the foolish.
- So his Lord heard his prayer and fended off their wiles from
him. Lo! He is Hearer, Knower.
- And it seemed good to them (the men-folk) after they had seen
the signs (of his innocence) to imprison him for a time.
- And two young men went to prison with him. One of them said: I
dreamed that I was pressing wine. The other said: I dreamed that I was
carrying upon my head bread whereof the birds were eating. Announce
unto us the interpretation, for we see thee of those good (at
interpretation).
- He said: The food which ye are given (daily) shall not come
unto you but I shall tell you the interpretation ere it cometh unto
you. This is of that which my Lord hath taught me. Lo! I have forsaken
the religion of folk who believe not in Allah and are disbelievers in
the Hereafter.
- And I have followed the religion of my fathers, Abraham and
Isaac and Jacob. It never was for us to attribute aught as partner to
Allah. This is of the bounty of Allah unto us (the seed of Abraham)
and unto mankind; but most men give not thanks.
- O my fellow-prisoners! Are divers lords better, or Allah the
One, Almighty ?
- Those whom ye worship beside Him are but names which ye have
named, ye and your fathers. Allah hath revealed no sanction for them.
The decision rests with Allah only, Who hath commanded you that ye
worship none save Him. This is the right religion, but most men know
not.
- O my two fellow-prisoners! As for one of you, he will pour out
wine for his lord to drink; and as for the other, he will be crucified
so that the birds will eat from his head. Thus is the case judged
concerning which ye did inquire.
- And he said unto him of the twain who he knew would be
released: Mention me in the presence of thy lord. But Satan caused him
to forget to mention it to his lord, so he (Joseph) stayed in prison
for some years.
- And the king said: Lo! I saw in a dream seven fat kine which
seven lean were eating, and seven green ears of corn and other (seven)
dry. O notables! Expound for me my vision, if ye can interpret dreams.
- They answered: Jumbled dreams! And we are not knowing in the
interpretation of dreams.
- And he of the two who was released, and (now) at length
remembered, said: I am going to announce unto you the interpretation,
therefore send me forth.
- (And when he came to Joseph in the prison, he exclaimed):
Joseph! O thou truthful one! Expound for us the seven fat kine which
seven lean were eating and the seven green ears of corn and other
(seven) dry, that I may return unto the people, so that they may know.
- He said: Ye shall sow seven years as usual, but that which ye
reap, leave it in the ear, all save a little which ye eat.
- Then after that will come seven hard years which will devour
all that ye have prepared for them, save a little of that which ye
have stored.
- Then, after that, will come a year when the people will have
plenteous crops and when they will press (wine and oil).
- And the king said: Bring him unto me. And when the messenger
came unto him, he (Joseph) said: Return unto thy lord and ask him what
was the case of the women who cut their hands. Lo! my Lord knoweth
their guile.
- He (the king) (then sent for those women and) said: What
happened when ye asked an evil act of Joseph ? They answered: Allah
Blameless! We know no evil of him. Said the wife of the ruler: Now the
truth is out. I asked of him an evil act, and he is surely of the
truthful.
- (Then Joseph said: I asked for) this, that he (my lord) may
know that I betrayed him not in secret, and that surely Allah guideth
not the snare of the betrayers.
- I do not exculpate myself. Lo! the (human) soul enjoineth unto
evil, save that whereon my Lord hath mercy. Lo! my Lord is Forgiving,
Merciful.
- And the king said: Bring him unto me that I may attach him to
my person. And when he had talked with him he said: Lo! thou art
to-day in our presence established and trusted.
- He said: Set me over the storehouses of the land. Lo! I am a
skilled custodian.
- Thus gave We power to Joseph in the land. He was the owner of
it where he pleased. We reach with Our mercy whom We will. We lose not
the reward of the good.
- And the reward of the Hereafter is better, for those who
believe and ward off (evil).
- And Joseph's brethren came and presented themselves before
him, and he knew them but they knew him not.
- And when he provided them with their provision he said: Bring
unto me a brother of yours from your father. See ye not that I fill up
the measure and I am the best of hosts ?
- And if ye bring him not unto me, then there shall be no
measure for you with me, nor shall ye draw near.
- They said: We will try to win him from his father: that we
will surely do.
- He said unto his young men: Place their merchandise in their
saddlebags, so that they may know it when they go back to their folk,
and so will come again.
- So when they went back to their father they said: O our
father! The measure is denied us, so send with us our brother that we
may obtain the measure, surely we will guard him well.
- He said: Can I entrust him to you save as I entrusted his
brother to you aforetime ? Allah is better at guarding, and He is the
Most Merciful of those who show mercy.
- And when they opened their belongings they discovered that
their merchandise had been returned to them. They said: O our father!
What (more) can we ask ? Here is our merchandise returned to us. We
shall get provision for our folk and guard our brother, and we shall
have the extra measure of a camel (load). This (that we bring now) is
a light measure.
- He said: I will not send him with you till ye give me an
undertaking in the name of Allah that ye will bring him back to me,
unless ye are surrounded. And when they gave him their undertaking he
said: Allah is the Warden over what we say.
- And he said: O my sons! Go not in by one gate; go in by
different gates. I can naught avail you as against Allah. Lo! the
decision rests with Allah only. In Him do I put my trust, and in Him
let all the trusting put their trust.
- And when they entered in the manner which their father had
enjoined, it would have naught availed them as against Allah; it was
but a need of Jacob's soul which he thus satisfied; and lo! he was a
lord of knowledge because We had taught him; but most of mankind know
not.
- And when they went in before Joseph, he took his brother unto
him, saying: Lo! I, even I, am thy brother, therefore sorrow not for
what they did.
- And when he provided them with their provision, he put the
drinking-cup in his brother's saddlebag, and then a crier cried: O
camel-riders! Lo! ye are surely thieves!
- They cried, coming toward them: What is it ye have lost ?
- They said: We have lost the king's cup, and he who bringeth it
shall have a camel-load, and I (said Joseph) am answerable for it.
- They said: By Allah, well ye know we came not to do evil in
the land, and are no thieves.
- They said: And what shall be the penalty for it, if ye prove
liars ?
- They said: The penalty for it! He in whose bag (the cup) is
found, he is the penalty for it. Thus we requite wrong-doers.
- Then he (Joseph) began the search with their bags before his
brother's bag, then he produced it from his brother's bag. Thus did We
contrive for Joseph. He could not have taken his brother according to
the king's law unless Allah willed. We raise by grades (of mercy) whom
We will, and over every lord of knowledge there is one more knowing.
- They said: If he stealeth, a brother of his stole before. But
Joseph kept it secret in his soul and revealed it not unto them. He
said (within himself): Ye are in worse case, and Allah knoweth best
(the truth of) that which ye allege.
- They said: O ruler of the land! Lo! he hath a very aged
father, so take one of us instead of him. Lo! we behold thee of those
who do kindness.
- He said: Allah forbid that we should seize save him with whom
we found our property; then truly we should be wrong-doers.
- So, When they despaired of (moving) him, they conferred
together apart. The eldest of them said: Know ye not how your father
took an undertaking from you in Allah's name and how ye failed in the
case of Joseph aforetime ? Therefore I shall not go forth from the
land until my father giveth leave or Allah judgeth for me. He is the
Best of Judges.
- Return unto your father and say: O our father! Lo! thy son
hath stolen. We testify only to that which we know; we are not
guardians of the Unseen.
- Ask the township where we were, and the caravan with which we
travelled hither. Lo! we speak the truth.
- (And when they came unto their father and had spoken thus to
him) he said: Nay, but your minds have beguiled you into something.
(My course is) comely patience! It may be that Allah will bring them
all unto me. Lo! He, only He, is the Knower, the Wise.
- And he turned away from them and said: Alas, my grief for
Joseph! And his eyes were whitened with the sorrow that he was
suppressing.
- They said: By Allah, thou wilt never cease remembering Joseph
till thy health is ruined or thou art of those who perish!
- He said: I expose my distress and anguish only unto Allah, and
I know from Allah that which ye know not.
- Go, O my sons, and ascertain concerning Joseph and his
brother, and despair not of the Spirit of Allah. Lo! none despaireth
of the Spirit of Allah save disbelieving folk.
- And when they came (again) before him (Joseph) they said: O
ruler! Misfortune hath touched us and our folk, and we bring but poor
merchandise, so fill for us the measure and be charitable unto us. Lo!
Allah will requite the charitable,
- He said: Know ye what ye did unto Joseph and his brother in
your ignorance ?
- They said: Is it indeed thou who art Joseph ? He said: I am
Joseph and this is my brother. Allah hath shown us favour. Lo! he who
wardeth off (evil) and endureth (findeth favour); for lo! Allah loseth
not the wages of the kindly.
- They said: By Allah, verily Allah hath preferred thee above
us, and we were indeed sinful.
- He said: Have no fear this day! May Allah forgive you, and He
is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.
- Go with this shirt of mine and lay it on my father's face, he
will become (again) a seer; and come to me with all your folk.
- When the caravan departed their father had said: Truly I am
conscious of the breath of Joseph, though ye call me dotard.
- (Those around him) said: By Allah, lo! thou art in thine old
aberration.
- Then, when the bearer of glad tidings came, he laid it on his
face and he became a seer once more. He said: Said I not unto you that
I know from Allah that which ye know not ?
- They said: O our father! Ask forgiveness of our sins for us,
for lo! we were sinful.
- He said: I shall ask forgiveness for you of my Lord. Lo! He is
the Forgiving, the Merciful.
- And when they came in before Joseph, he took his parents unto
him, and said: Come into Egypt safe, if Allah will!
- And he placed his parents on the dais and they fell down
before him prostrate, and he said: O my father! This is the
interpretation of my dream of old. My Lord hath made it true, and He
hath shown me kindness, since He took me out of the prison and hath
brought you from the desert after Satan had made strife between me and
my brethren. Lo! my Lord is tender unto whom He will. He is the
Knower, the Wise.
- O my Lord! Thou hast given me (something) of sovereignty and
hast taught me (something) of the interpretation of events - Creator
of the heavens and the earth! Thou art my Protecting Guardian in the
world and the Hereafter. Make me to die muslim (unto Thee), and join
me to the righteous.
- This is of the tidings of the Unseen which We inspire in thee
(Muhammad). Thou wast not present with them when they fixed their plan
and they were scheming.
- And though thou try much, most men will not believe.
- Thou askest them no fee for it. It is naught else than a
reminder unto the peoples.
- How many a portent is there in the heavens and the earth which
they pass by with face averted!
- And most of them believe not in Allah except that they
attribute partners (unto Him).
- Deem they themselves secure from the coming on them of a pall
of Allah's punishment, or the coming of the Hour suddenly while they
are unaware ?
- Say: This is my Way: I call on Allah with sure knowledge. I
and whosoever followeth me - Glory be to Allah! - and I am not of the
idolaters.
- We sent not before thee (any messengers) save men whom We
inspired from among the folk of the townships - Have they not
travelled in the land and seen the nature of the consequence for those
who were before them ? And verily the abode of the Hereafter, for
those who ward off (evil), is best. Have ye then no sense ? -
- Till, when the messengers despaired and thought that they were
denied, then came unto them Our help, and whom We would was saved. And
Our wrath cannot be warded from the guilty.
- In their history verily there is a lesson for men of
understanding. It is no invented story but a confirmation of the
existing (Scripture) and a detailed explanation of everything, and a
guidance and a mercy for folk who believe.