Surah 12 Yusuf

Surah 12. Yusuf

Alif, Lam, Ra.

These are the verses of the Clear Book.

We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an, in order that you may learn wisdom.

We do relate unto you the most beautiful of stories, in that We Reveal to you this portion of the Qur'an.  Before this, you too were among those who Knew it not.

Behold! Joseph said to his father, "O my father! I saw eleven stars, and the sun, and the moon. I saw them bow themselves to me!"

The father said, "My dear little son! Do not relate your vision to your brothers, less they make a plot against you.  For Satan is to mankind an avowed enemy!"

"Thus, will your Lord God choose you, and teach you the interpretation of stories He has given you, and perfect His favor unto you.  And, to the posterity of Jacob - even as He perfected it to your forefathers, Abraham and Isaac before!
 For, Allah is full of Knowledge and Wisdom."

Indeed, in Joseph and his people, are Signs for seekers of the Truth.

They said, "Truly Joseph and his brother are loved more by our father than us, but we are a good family! Really, our father is obviously wandering idly in his mind!"

"Cause Joseph to perish, or cast him out to some unknown land, so that the favor of your father may be given to you alone. 
There will be time enough for you to be righteous after that!"

One of them said, "Do not hurt Joseph.  But, if you must do something against him, throw him down to the bottom of the well.  He will be picked up by some caravan of travelers."

They said, "O our father! Why do you not trust us with Joseph,
 - seeing we are indeed his sincere well wishers?"

So they said, "Send him with us tomorrow to enjoy himself and play,
 and we shall take good care of him."

Jacob said, "Really, it saddens me that you should take him away.  I fear the wolf will devour him while you do not attend to him."

They replied, "If the wolf were to devour him while we are so large a party, then, we surely would have first ourselves perished!"

So, they did take him away, and they all agreed to throw him down to the bottom of the well. And, God put into his heart this Message, 'Surely one day you shall tell them the truth of this affair of theirs, while they do not see you.'

Then, they came to their father in the early part of the night, weeping.

They said, "O our father! We went racing with one another, and left Joseph with our things; and the wolf devoured him....
But you will never believe us even though we tell you the truth."

They stained his shirt with false blood.
 He said, "No, your minds have made up a tale that may pass with you. 
For me, patience is most fitting.
Against that which you describe, it is God alone who can help."

Then, there came a caravan of travelers. They sent their water-carrier for water, and he let down his bucket into the well...He said, "Ah there! Good news! Here is a fine young man!" So they concealed him as a treasure! But, Allah Knows well all that they do!

The people sold him for a miserable price, for a few dirhams counted out. 
In such low estimation did they hold him indeed!

The man in Egypt who bought him, said to his wife, "Make his stay among us honorable. Maybe he will bring us much good, or we shall adopt him as a son." Thus, did God establish Joseph in the land, so that We might teach him the interpretation of stories.
And, God has full power and control over His affairs;
but most among mankind do not Know it.

When Joseph attained his full manhood, God gave to him power and knowledge.
Thus, does He reward those who do Right.

But, she in whose house he was, sought to seduce him from his self. She fastened the doors, and said, "Now come, you dear one!" He said, "God forbid! Truly, your husband is your master, who has made my sojourn agreeable! Indeed, no good comes to those who do wrong!"

And, with lust she did desire him, and he would have desired her, but he saw the evidence of his Lord. Thus, it was that God might turn him away from evil,
 for he was one of His sincere and pure servants.

So, they both raced to the door, and she tore his shirt from the back, and they both found her husband near the door. She said, "What is the suitable punishment for one who formed an evil design against his wife but prison or a grievous punishment?"

He said, "It was she that sought to seduce me - from my true self."

And, one of the people in her household saw this, and bore witness, thusly.

 "If his shirt is torn from the front, then she has told the truth, and he is a liar!"

"But, if it is that his shirt is torn from the back, then is she the liar, and he is telling the truth!"

So, when he saw his shirt, that it was torn from the back, her husband said,
 "Behold! It is a plan of you women! Truly, what a great plan!"

"O Joseph, please let this go!
 O wife, ask forgiveness for your sin, for truly you have been at fault!"

The women in the city said, "The wife of the al 'Azeez is seeking to seduce her servant. Truly, he has inspired her with passionate love. We see that she is evidently going astray."

When she heard of their malicious talk, she sent for them and prepared a banquet for them. She gave each of them a knife and she said to Joseph, "Come out before them." When they saw him, they did admire him, and in their amazement cut their hands.
They said, "God help us! No man is this, but rather a noble angel!"

She said, "Before you there is the man with whom you did fault me! I did seek to seduce him, but he did firmly save himself from guilt!  And, now, if he does not do as I say, he shall certainly be cast into prison, and be of the company of the shamed!"

He said, "My Lord! The prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me.
 Unless you turn away their trap from me,
 I should feel inclined towards them and join the ranks of the ignorant."

So his Lord heard him in his prayer, and turned away their trap for him.
 Indeed, God Hears and Knows all things.

Then, it occurred to the men, after they had seen the Signs,
that it was best to imprison him for a time.

Now, with him, there came into the prison two young men. One of them said, "I see myself in a dream pressing wine." Said the other, "I see myself  carrying bread on my head, and birds are eating thereof." "Tell us," they said, "The truth and meaning thereof.
  For, we see you are one that does good to all."

He said, "Before any food comes in due time to feed either of you, I will surely reveal to you the truth and meaning of this or it may befall you.  That is part of the duty which my Lord has taught me. I have, I assure you, abandoned the ways of a people who do not believe in Allah, and who deny the Hereafter.

 "And, I follow the ways of my forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  And, it was not for us to associate partners with God.
Everything is from the grace and favor of God to us, and to mankind. 
Yet, most people are not grateful.

 "O my two companions of the prison! I ask you, are separate differing lords better, or the One God, Supreme and Irresistible?"

 "If not Him, you worship nothing but names which you have made up, you and your forefathers, for which God has sent down no authority. The command is for none but God. He has commanded that you worship none but Him.
That is the Right Way, but most people do not understand..."

 "O my two companions of the prison! As to one of you, he will pour out the wine for his lord to drink, as for the other, he will hang from the cross, and the birds will eat from off his head. So has been decreed that matter which you two do enquire."

And of the two, to that one whom he considered about to be saved, he said,
 "Mention me to your lord." But, Satan made him forget to mention him to his Lord, and Joseph lingered in prison a few more years.

 The king (of Egypt) said, "I do see in a vision seven fat cattle, whom seven lean ones devour, and seven green ears of corn, and seven others withered. O you chiefs! Expound to me my vision if it is that you can interpret visions."

 They said, "It was a confused medley of dreams.
 We are not skilled in the interpretation of dreams."

But, the man who had been released, one of the two who had been in prison and who now sought after him after so long a space of time, said,
 "I will tell you the truth of its interpretation. Send me there."

 "O Joseph!" He said, "O man of truth! Tell to us the dream of the seven fat cattle whom the seven lean ones devour, and of the seven green ears of corn, and the seven others withered.  That I may return to the people, and that they may understand."

Joseph said, "For seven years shall you diligently sow as is you want. And, the harvests that you reap, you shall leave them in the ear, except a little, of which you shall eat."

 "Then, will come after that period seven dreadful years, which will devour what you shall have laid by in advance for them, all except a little which you shall have specially saved."

 "Then will come after that, a year in which the people will have abundant water,
and in which they will press wine and oil."

 So the king said, "Bring him to me." But, when the messenger came to him, Joseph said, "Go back to your lord, and ask him, 'What is the state of mind of the women who cut their hands?" For my Lord is certainly well aware of their snare."

 The king said to the women, "What was your affair when you did seek to seduce Joseph from his true self?" The women said, "Allah help us! We did not mean evil against him!"
 And, al 'Azeez's wife said, "Now is the truth known to everyone.  It was I who sought to seduce him from his true self. He is indeed of those who are ever true and virtuous."

 "This I say in order that my husband may know that I have never been untrue to him in his absence, and that Allah will never guide the plan of those who deceive others."

 "Nor do I absolve myself of blame. The human soul is certainly prone to evil, unless my Lord does bestow of His Mercy.  But, surely, my Lord is Ever Forgiving, Most Merciful."

So the king said, "Bring him unto me; I will take him especially to serve me."
Therefore, when he had spoken to him, he said, "Be assured this day, you are established in position and proven to be a man of trust!

Joseph said, "Set me over the storehouses of the land. 
I will indeed guard them, as I know of their importance."

Thus did God give established power to Joseph in the land, to take possession therein wherever he pleased. And, God does bestow His Mercy on whom He pleases to.
And, God does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.

Indeed, the reward of the Hereafter is best for those who Believe,
 and are conscious of God.

Then came Joseph's brethren. They entered his presence, and he knew them,
 but they did not know him.

And, when he had provided them with suitable provisions, he said, "Bring unto me a brother of yours, of the same father as yourselves, but with a different mother.
  Do you see that I pay out full measure, and that I do provide the best hospitality?

 "Now if you do not bring him to me, you shall have no measure of corn from me,
nor shall you even come near me."

They said, "We shall certainly seek to get our wish from his father. Indeed, we shall do it."

And, Joseph told his servants to put their stock-in-trade, with which they had bartered, into their saddle-bags, so they should know it only when they returned to their people, in order that they might come back.

Now, when they returned to their father, they said, "O our father! We shall get no more measure of grain unless we take our brother. So, send our brother with us, so that we may get our measure; and we will indeed take care of him."

He said, "Shall I trust you with him with any result other than when I trusted you with his brother before? But, Allah is the Best Care Provider.
And, He is the Most Merciful of the Merciful!"

Then, when they opened their baggage, they found their stock-in-trade had been returned to them. They said, "O our father! What more can we desire? This, our stock-in-trade, has been returned to us.  So we shall get more food for our family and we shall take care of our brother; and add (at the same time) a full camel's load to our provisions.
 This is but a small quantity.

Jacob said, "Never will I send him with you until you swear a solemn oath to me, in God’s name, that you will be sure to bring him back to me unless you are yourselves surrounded and made powerless. And, when they had sworn their solemn oath, he said,
 "Over all that we say is God the Witness and Guardian!"

Further he said, "O my sons! Do not enter all by one gate. Enter by different gates. Not that I can profit you against Allah with my advice: none can command except Allah.
In God do I put my trust, and let all who trust, put their trust in Him."

 And, when they entered in the manner as their father had asked, it did not profit them in the least against God. It was but a necessity of Jacob's soul, which he discharged. For he was, by God's instruction, full of knowledge and experience.  But, most people do not know it.

Now when they came into Joseph's presence, he asked his brother to stay with him. He said to him, "Behold! I am your brother.  So do not grieve over their doings."

At length, when he had provided them with provisions suitable for them, he put the drinking cup into his brother's saddlebag. Then, shouted out a cry, "O you in the caravan! Behold! You are thieves, without doubt!"

They said, turning towards them, "What is it that you are missing?"

They said, "We are missing the measure of the king.  For him who produces it, is the reward of a camel’s load. I will be bound by it."

The brothers said, "By God, you well know that we did not come to make mischief in the land, and we are not thieves!"

The Egyptians said, "What then shall be the penalty of this, if you are proven to have lied?"

They said, "The penalty shall be that he in whose saddle-bag it is found, should be held to atone for the crime. Thus, it is we punish the evil doers!"

So, he began the search of their baggage, before he came to the baggage of his brother.  He brought it out of his brother's baggage. Thus, God did plan for Joseph. He could not take his brother by the law of the king, except if Allah had willed it to be so. 
Allah arises to degrees of wisdom whom He pleases to. 
But, over all who possess Knowledge, is The One, the All-Knowing.

They said, "If he steals, there was a brother of his who did steal before him." But these things Joseph kept locked in his heart, not revealing the secrets to them. He simply said to himself, "You are the worse situated; and God knows best the truth of what you assert!"

They said, "O Azeez! Behold! He has a father, who is aged and venerable, who will grieve for him.  So, take one of us in his place; for we see that you are gracious in doing good."

 He said, “God forbids that we take any other than him with whom we found our property.  Indeed, if we did so, we would be acting wrongfully."

Now, when they saw no hope of his giving in, they held a private conference. The leader among them said, "Did you not know that your father did take an oath from you in Allah’s Name.  And, before this, how you did fail in your duty to Joseph? Therefore, I will not leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah commands me. 
And, God is the Best to Command.

 "Do you turn back to your father, and say, 'O our father! Behold! Your son committed theft!' We bear witness only to what we know, and we could not guard against the unseen!

Ask at the town where we have been, and the caravan in which we returned, and you will find that we are indeed telling the truth.”

Jacob said, "No, you have made up a story good enough for you. So patience is most fitting for me. Maybe Allah will bring them back all to me in the end.
 For, He is indeed full of Knowledge and Wisdom."

And he turned away from them, and said, "How great is my grief for Joseph!" And, his eyes became white with sorrow, and he fell into silent despair.

They said, "By Allah, never will you cease to remember Joseph until you reach the last extremity of illness, or until you perish!"

He said, "I only complain of my suffering and anguish to God,
 and I know from God that which you know not..."

 "O my sons! Go and enquire about Joseph and his brother, and never give up hope of God's soothing Mercy.  Truly no one despairs with Allah's calming Mercy,
 except those who have no Faith, and do not Believe."

Then, when they came back into Joseph's presence they said, "O Azeez! Distress has seized us and our family.  Now, we have brought little money, so pay us full measure, we beg you, and treat it as charity to us.  For Allah does reward the charitable."

He said, "Did you know how you dealt with Joseph and his brother,
not knowing what you were doing?"

They said, "Are you indeed Joseph?" He said, "I am Joseph, and this is my brother.  Allah has indeed been gracious to us all. Behold, he that is Righteous and patient,
 never will God allow the reward of the Righteous to be lost."

They said, "By Allah. Indeed, has Allah preferred you above us,
and we certainly have been guilty of sin!"

He said, "This day let there be no blame upon you. 
God will forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of the Merciful!'

"Go with my shirt, and cast it over the face of my father. He will come to see clearly.
Then, come here to me together with all your family."

When the caravan left Egypt, their father said, "I do indeed smell the presence of Joseph. 
No, do not think of me as weak in the mind."

They said, "By Allah, truly you are wanderding in your old mind."

Then, when the bearer of the good news came, he cast the shirt over his face, and he forthwith regained clear sight. He said, "Did I not say to you,
 'I know from God that which you do not know?'"

They said, "O our father! Ask for us forgiveness for our sins, for we were truly at fault."

He said, "Soon I will ask my Lord for forgiveness for you. 
For, He is indeed, the Most Forgiving, the Most Merciful."

Then, when they entered the presence of Joseph, he provided a home for his parents with himself, and said, "Enter all of you safely into Egypt, if it pleases Allah."

And, he raised his parents high on the throne, and they fell down in prostration before him. He said, "O my father! This is the fulfillment of my past vision! God has made it come true! He was indeed good to me when he took me out of prison and brought you all here out of the desert, even after Satan had sown hatred between me and my brothers. Indeed, my Lord God understands best the mysteries of all that He plans to do.
For, indeed, He is full of Knowledge and Wisdom."

"O my Lord! You have indeed bestowed on me some power, and taught me something of the interpretation of dreams and events. O You, Creator of the heavens and the earth! You art my Protector in this world, and in the Hereafter. Take my soul at death as one submitting to Your Will as a Muslim, and unite me with the Righteous."

Such is one of the stories of what happened unseen, which We Reveal by inspiration unto you O Muhammad, though you were not present with them when they put their plans together in the process of planning their plots.

No faith will the greater part of mankind have, however ardently you may desire it.

And, no reward do you ask of them for this.  It is no less than a Message for all Creation.

And, how many Signs in the heavens and the earth do they pass by,
as they turn away from them!

And, most of them do not Believe in God, without associating others as partners with Him!

Do they feel secure then from the covering veil of the wrath of God, or of the final coming against them in the final Hour, while they do not know it?

Say to the DisBelievers, "This is the Right Path. I do invite you to the Truth, unto Allah, with Clear Evidence, as the seeing with one's own eyes, me and whoever follows me.
Glory to Allah! And, never will I join gods with God."

Nor did God send before you messengers except from mankind, whom the angels did inspire while they lived in human cities. Do they not travel throughout the earth, and see what was the end of those before them? But, the home of the Hereafter is best, for those who do Right. Will you not Understand the Word?

Respite will be granted until, when the messengers despair and give up hope of their people, and come to think that they were treated as liars.  Our help will reach them, and those whom God Wills to be delivered to safety.
 But, never will the angels ward off the punishment of those who are blatantly sinful,
and sin out of spite.

There is in the stories instruction for those people of Understanding.  It is not an invented tale, but a confirmation of that which went before it, a detailed expository of all things, 
a Guide and Mercy for those who Believe in God.

Amen