12 The Prophet Joseph -Yusuf

In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Most Merciful 
[12.1] AlifLaamRa. Those are the verses of the Clear Book. 
[12.2] We have sent it down, an Arabic Koran, in order that you understand. 
[12.3] In the sending down of this Koran, We will narrate to you (Prophet Muhammad) the best of narratives, of which you were previously unaware. 
[12.4] When Joseph said to his father: 'Father, I saw eleven planets, and the sun and the moon; I saw them prostrating themselves before me. ' 
[12.5] He said: 'O my son, say nothing of this vision to your brothers lest they should cunningly plot against you indeed, satan is the clear enemy of the human, 
[12.6] so your Lord will choose you and teach you the interpretation of visions, and perfect His Favor upon you and upon the House of Jacob, as He perfected it on
your fathers Abraham and Isaac before you. Your Lord is Knowing, Wise. 
[12.7] Indeed, in Joseph and his brothers there were signs for those who inquire. 
[12.8] They said: 'Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than ourselves, even though we are many. Truly, our father is obviously wrong. 
[12.9] (Let us) kill Joseph, or cast him away in some (far off) land, so that your father's face will be left for you, and afterwards you will be a righteous nation. ' 
[12.10] One of them said: 'No, do not kill Joseph, if you do anything, cast him into a dark pit, a traveler will pick him up. ' 
[12.11] They said: 'Father, what is the matter with you, do you not trust us with Joseph? Indeed, we are sincere advisors. 
[12.12] Send him with us tomorrow to frolic and play. We will look after him. ' 
[12.13] He said: 'It grieves me to let him go with you, for I fear lest the wolf should devour him when you are not paying attention to him. ' 
[12.14] They said: 'We are many, if a wolf devours him, then we are losers! ' 
[12.15] When they went with him, they agreed to put him in the bottom of a well. We revealed to him: 'You shall tell them of what they did when they are not aware
(it is you). ' 
[12.16] At nightfall, they returned weeping to their father. 
[12.17] They said: 'We went racing and left Joseph with our things. The wolf devoured him, but you will not believe us, though we speak the truth. ' 
[12.18] And they brought his shirt (stained) with blood, a lie. He said: 'No, your souls have tempted you to do something. But come sweet patience! The help of
Allah is always there to seek against that which you describe. ' 
[12.19] Thereafter travelers came, and sent their waterman. And when he had let down his pail, (he cried:) 'Rejoice, a boy! ' Then they concealed him among their
merchandise, but Allah knew what they did. 
[12.20] Then, they sold him for a trifling price, a number of dirhams, because they considered him to be of little value. 
[12.21] The Egyptian that bought him said to his wife: 'Make his stay honorable. He may benefit us, or take him for our son. ' As such We established Joseph in the
land, so that We might teach him the interpretation of visions. Allah prevails in His affairs, though most people do not know. 
[12.22] And when he reached maturity, We bestowed on him judgment and knowledge. As such We recompense those who do good. 
[12.23] And she, in whose house he was, sought to seduce him and closed the doors saying: 'Come! ' 'In Allah is my refuge! ' he replied. 'My Lord has made my
dwelling a good one. Harmdoers never prosper. ' 
[12.24] She desired him, had he not been shown the proof of his Lord he would have taken her. But We turned him away from evil and abomination, for he was one
of Our sincere worshipers. 
[12.25] They raced to the door and she tore his shirt from behind. And by the door, they met her husband whereupon she said: 'What is the recompense of one
whose intent is evil against your people other than being imprisoned, or sternly punished! ' 
[12.26] He (Joseph) said: 'It was she who sought to seduce me, ' and a witness (an infant) of her people bore witness, saying: 'If his shirt is torn from the front, she is
speaking the truth and he is one of the liars, 
[12.27] but, if his shirt is torn from behind, she lied, and he is of the truthful. ' 
[12.28] And when he saw his shirt torn at the back, he said: 'This is one of your (women's) guiles. Your guile, (O woman), is great indeed! 
[12.29] Joseph, turn away from this. And you, ask forgiveness for your sin. You are indeed one of the sinners. ' 
[12.30] Certain women in the city said: 'The Governor's wife has sought to seduce her servant. He has made her heart stricken with love for him. Clearly, we
perceive her to be in error. ' 
[12.31] When she heard of their sly whispers, she sent for them and prepared a banquet. To each she gave a knife, (then called Joseph saying:) 'Come and attend to
them. ' When they saw him, they were so taken with him that they cut their hands, and said: 'Allah save us! This is no mortal, he is no other but a noble angel! ' 
[12.32] Whereupon she said: 'Now you see, this is he on whose account you blamed me. Yes, I sought to seduce him, but he was unyielding. If he declines to do
what I command, he shall be imprisoned and be one of the humiliated. ' 
[12.33] He supplicated: 'Lord, prison is dearer to me than that to which they invite me. Yet if You do not shield me from their guile I shall yield to them and be one of
the ignorant. ' 
[12.34] His Lord answered him and He turned their guile away from him. Indeed, He is the Hearer, the Knower. 
[12.35] Then it seemed good to them, even after they had seen the signs, that they should imprison him for some time. 
[12.36] Two young men went to prison with him. One of them said: 'I saw (in a vision) that I was pressing grapes. ' And the other said: 'I saw (in a vision) that I was
carrying bread upon my head, and that birds ate of it. Tell us its interpretation, for we can see you are among the good. ' 
[12.37] He said: 'Before any food comes to feed either of you, I will give you its interpretation. That which I will tell you has been taught to me by Allah. I reject the
belief of a nation who do not believe in Allah and disbelieve in the Everlasting Life. 
[12.38] I follow the creed of my fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is not for us to associate anything with Allah. Such is the favor of Allah to us, and to
mankind. Yet most people do not give thanks. 
[12.39] My fellowprisoners, say which is better, many gods at variance, or Allah the One, the Conqueror? 
[12.40] That which you worship, other than Him, are nothing but names which you and your fathers have named and for which Allah has sent down no authority.
Judgement rests with Allah alone. He has commanded you to worship none except Him. That is the right religion, yet most people do not know. 
[12.41] My fellowprisoners, one of you will pour wine for his lord whereas the other will be crucified, and birds will peck at his head. The matter you inquired about
has been decided. 
[12.42] And he said to the one of the two who he knew would be saved: 'Mention me in the presence of your lord. ' But satan made him forget to mention him to his
master, so that he remained in prison for a certain number years. 
[12.43] The king said: 'I saw in a vision seven fatted cows being devoured by seven lean ones; and seven green ears of corn and seven others withered. My
counselors, tell me the meaning of my vision, if you can interpret visions. ' 
[12.44] They said: 'They are confused nightmares, nor do we know anything of the interpretation of visions. ' 
[12.45] After all that time, the one of the two who had been saved remembered, he said: 'I will interpret it for you, so let me go. ' 
[12.46] (He said:) 'Joseph, the truthful, tell us of the seven fatted cows that were devoured by seven lean ones also of the seven green ears of corn and the other
seven which were withered, so that I can go back to the people and then they will then know. ' 
[12.47] He replied: 'You shall sow for seven years as is your way. Leave in the ear (of corn) you reap, except a little which you eat. 
[12.48] Thereafter, seven hard years will come upon you which will consume all but little of that which you have stored. 
[12.49] Then, there will come a year in which people are helped, in which the people will press. ' 
[12.50] The king said: 'Bring him before me. ' But when the king's envoy came to him, he said: 'Go back to your lord and ask him: "What about the women who cut
their hands. Indeed, my Lord knows their guile. ' 
[12.51] 'What was your business, women, ' he asked, 'when you solicited Joseph? ' 'Allah save us! ' they replied. 'We know no evil against him. ' The Governor's
wife said: 'The truth has been discovered at last; I solicited him; he is among the truthful. 
[12.52] This (I have done) so that he will know I did not secretly betray him, and that Allah does not guide the guile of the treacherous. 
[12.53] Yet I do not consider my soul was innocent, surely the soul incites to evil except to whom my Lord has mercy; indeed, my Lord is Forgiving, the Most
Merciful. ' 
[12.54] The king said: 'Bring him before me. I will assign him to myself. ' And when he had spoken with him he said: 'Today, you are firmly established in both our
favor and trust. ' 
[12.55] He (Joseph) said: 'Give me charge of the storehouses of the land, I am a knowledgeable guardian. ' 
[12.56] And as such We established Joseph in the land to live wherever he liked. We bestow Our Mercy on whom We will, and We never waste the wage of the
righteous. 
[12.57] Indeed, the reward of the Everlasting Life is better for those who believe and are cautious. 

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