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YUSUF (12)

Joseph

1. Alif Lam Ra (A.L.R.); these are the Signs of the Manifest Book.(1)
2. We have sent it down as an Arabic Reading (Qur'an) that you may have understanding.(2)
3. We narrate to thee the fairest of the narratives in that We have revealed to thee this Reading (Qur'an), though thou wast, before it, among the unaware.(3)
4. When Joseph said to his father, `O my father, I saw eleven stars and the sun and the moon __ I saw them prostrating themselves before me'.(4)
5. He said, `O my son, do not narrate thy vision to thy brothers, lest they devise against thee some guile; surely the Devil is an open enemy to man.(5)
6. And so will thy Lord choose thee, and teach thee the interpretation of tales, and perfect His blessing upon thee and upon the House of Jacob, as He perfected it before on thy fathers, Abraham and Isaac; surely thy Lord is Knowing, Wise'.(6)
7. Surely in Joseph and his brothers are Signs for the inquirers.(7)
8. When they said, `surely Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than we, though we are a band; our father is surely in a clear error.(8)
9. Kill Joseph or cast him to some land, then your father's attention shall be exclusively yours, and, after him, you will be a righteous people.(9)
10. Said one of them, `do not kill Joseph, but, if you have to do, cast him into the bottom of the well; some caravan will pick him up'.(10)
11. They said, `O our father, what ails thee that thou dost not trust us with Joseph, when we are surely his well-wishers.(11)
12. Send him with us tomorrow, that he may eat and drink and play, and we shall surely be guarding him'.(12)
13. He said, `it grieves me that you should take him, and I fear that the wolf may not eat him, while you are heedless of him'.(13)
14. They said, `if the wolf eats him when we are a band, then we are surely losers!'(14)
15. So when they took him with them they agreed to put him in the bottom of the well; and We revealed to him `thou shalt tell them of this affair of theirs when they do not perceive'.(15)
16. And in the evening they came to their father weeping.(16)
17. They said, `O our father, we went racing, and left Joseph with our goods, and the wolf ate him; but thou wouldst never believe us, even though we were truthful'.(17)
18. And they came with false blood on his shirt. He said, `no, your souls have contrived a thing for you; but sweet patience; and it is God whose aid is to be sought against what you describe'.(18)
19. And there came a caravan, and they sent their waterman, and he let down his bucket. He said, `good news! Here is a youth'. And they hid him as merchandise; and God knew what they were doing.(19)
20. And they sold him for a petty price __ some counted dirhams; and they were indifferent in his case.(20)
21. And he who bought him in Egypt said to his wife, `give him a respectable lodging; it may be that he profits us or we take him for a son'. And thus We established Joseph in the land, and that We might teach him the interpretation of tales. And God prevails in His Affair, though most men know not.(21)
22. And when he reached his mature age, We gave him judgement and knowledge; and so We recompense the good-doers.(22)
23. And she, in whose house he was, solicited him and closed the doors, and said, `come on'. He said, `God be my refuge; my Lord has given me a handsome lodging; surely the wrong-doers do not prosper'.(23)
24. And she besought him, and he would have besought her, if he had not seen a proof of his Lord; so it was, that We might turn away from him evil and lewdness; surely he was one of Our exclusive servants.(24)
25. And they raced to the door, and she tore his shirt from behind, and they found her husband at the door. She said, `what is the recompense of him who intended evil with thy family, except that he should be given imprisonment or a painful punishment'.(25)
26. Said he, `it was she who besought me'. And a witness from her family bore witness, `if his shirt has been torn from before, she has spoken the truth, and he is of the liars.(26)
27. But if his shirt has been torn from behind, then she has told a lie, and he is of the truthful'.(27)
28. So when he saw his shirt torn from behind, he said, `that is a device of you women; surely your device is great'__(28)
29. `O Joseph, turn away from this' __ `and thou, (O woman), ask forgiveness for thy sin; thou wast the one at fault'.(29)
30. And women of the city said, `the governor's wife solicits her page; he has captured her heart with love; we surely see her in a clear error'.(30)
31. So when she heard their sly whispers, she sent for them and made ready for them a banquet, and gave to each one of them a knife, and said, `come out before them'. When they saw him, they were impressed by him and cut their hands and said, `God save us, this is no mortal, this is but a noble angel'.(31)
32. She said, `this is the one for whom you blamed me; and of course I did solicit him, and he abstained. Yet if he will not do what I bid him, he shall be imprisoned and be one of the humbled'.(32)
33. He said, `my Lord, prison is dearer to me than that they call me to; and if Thou dost not turn away their guile from me, I shall yearn towards them, and be among the ignorant'.(33)
34. So his Lord answered him, and turned away their guile from him; surely He is the Hearing the Knowing'.(34)
35. Then it occurred to them, after they had seen the Signs, that they must imprison him for a time.(35)
36. And two youths entered the prison with him. One of them said, `I saw myself pressing the wine'. And the other said, `I saw myself carrying on my head bread which the birds were eating of; tell us the interpretation thereof; we see thee among the good-doers'.(36)
37. He said, `the food that you are provided shall not come to you, but I shall tell you its interpretation before it comes to you; that is of the knowledge that God has given me; I have forsaken the creed of a people who do not believe in God and who disbelieve in the Hereafter.(37)
38. And I follow the creed of my fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; it is not ours to associate anything with God; that is of God's bounty to us and to mankind, but most men do not give thanks.(38)
39. O my two companions of the prison, are many lords at variance better or One Omnipotent God?(39)
40. That you serve apart from Him are nothing but names that you and your fathers have named, for which God has not sent down any authority; Judgement belongs only to God; He has commanded that you will serve none but Him; that is the standing religion but most men do not know.(40)
41. O my two companions of the prison, as for one of you, he shall pour wine for his lord; and as for the other, he shall be crucified and birds will eat of his head; the matter about which you enquire has been decided'.(41)
42. And he said to one of them, whom he thought would be saved, `mention me to thy lord!' But the Devil made him to forget to mention to his lord. So he remained in the prison for certain years.(42)
43. And the king said, `I saw seven fat cows, which seven lean ones were eating, and seven green ears of corn and others dry. O chiefs, pronounce to me on my dream, if you can expound the dream'.(43)
44. They said, `hotchpotch of nightmares and we are not the ones to know the interpretation of nightmares'.(44)
45. And one of them who was saved, and now remembered after all that time, said, `I will tell you its interpretation; send me'. __(45)
46. `Joseph, O truthful man, pronounce to us regarding seven fat cows whom seven lean ones were eating, and seven green ears of corn and others dry, that I return to people and they may know'.(46)
47. He said, `you shall sow for seven years as usual; then what you reap, leave it in its ear except a little, whereof you eat.(47)
48. Then there will come after that, seven hard years which will eat away what you have advanced for them, except a little of that you stored.(48)
49. Then, after that, there shall come a year in which it will rain for men, and in which they will press (grapes)'.(49)
50. And the King said, `bring him to me.' So when the messenger came to him, he said, `return to thy lord, and ask him, how are the women who cut their hands? My Lord knows their guile'.(50)
51. He said, `what was your business, (O women), when you solicited Joseph?' They said, `God save us, we know no evil on his part'. The Governmor's wife said, `now the reality is discovered; I solicited him, and he is surely of the truthful'.(51)
52. (Joseph said) `That (I did), so that he may know that I did not betray him in his absence, and that God does not guide the guile of the treacherous'.(52)
53. Yet I do not acquit myself; surely the soul incites to evil, except in as much as my Lord has mercy; my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful'(53)
54. The king said, `bring him to me; I would exclusively have him for myself.' Then when he had spoken with him, he said, `today thou art established with us and in our trust.'(54)
55. He said, `appoint me over the treasures of the land; I am a guardian, possessed with knowledge.'(55)
56. And so We established Joseph in the land to dwell in it wherever he would. We bestow Our mercy on whom We will, and We do not waste the wage of the good-doers.(56)
57. And surely the wage of the Hereafter is better for those who believe and guard against evil.(57)
58. And Joseph's brothers came and entered to him, and he recognised them but they remained unaware of him.(58)
59. And when he had equipped them with their goods, he said, `bring me your brother from your father; do you not see that I fill up the measure, and I am the best of hosts.(59)
60. But if you do not bring him, then you shall have no measure with me, nor shall you come near me'.(60)
61. They said, `we will solicit his father to get him, and we will surely be doing it'.(61)
62. And he said to his pages, `put their money in their packs, that they may recognise it, when they go back to their family; may be they return'.(62)
63. So when they went back to their father, they said, `father, the measure has been denied to us, so send our brother with us that we may have the measure, and we will surely be guarding him.'(63)
64. He said, `shall I entrust him to you as I entrusted his brother before? But God is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of the merciful.'(64)
65. And when they opened up their goods they found their money returned to them. They said, `father, what else do we seek? Here is our money returned to us. Now we shall get provision for our family, and guard our brother, and have an extra measure of a camel-load'.(65)
66. He said, `I will never send him with you, until you give me a solemn pledge by God that you will surely bring him to me, unless you are surrounded'. So when they had given him their solemn pledge, he said, `God shall take care of what we say'.(66)
67. And he said, `O my sons, do not enter by the same gate, but enter by different gates; yet I cannot avail you against God in the least; judgement belongs only to God; in Him I put my trust and in Him let the trustful put their trust.'(67)
68. And when they entered wherefrom their father had enjoined them, it availed them not against Cod in the least, except that it was a craving in Jacob's soul which he satisfied And he was surely a man of knowledge as We had taught him, but most men have no knowledge.(68)
69. And when they entered to Joseph, he gave his brother a seat with him and said, `I am thy brother; so do not feel sorrow on what they have been doing'.(69)
70. Then when he had equipped them with their goods he put the drinking cup in his brother's pack; and then a herald called out, `O caravan, you are surely thieves'.(70)
71. They said, turning to them, `what are you looking for?'(71)
72. They said, `we are looking for the king's cup, and whoso brings it shall have a camel's load and I guarantee it.'(72)
73. They said, `by God, you know we did not come to cause disorder in the land, and we are not thieves'.(73)
74. They said, `then what shall be his recompense, if you were liars?'(74)
75. They said, `the recompense of him in whose pack it is found, shall be that he himself shall be the recompense; thus we recompense the wrong-doers.'(75)
76. Then he made beginning with their packs, before his brother's pack, and then brought it out of his brother's pack. Thus We contrived for Joseph. He could not have taken his brother according to King's law, unless God so willed. We raise in rank whom We will; and over every man of knowledge is one knowing more.(76)
77. They said, `if he steals, his brother also stole before.' And Joseph hid it to himself, and did not disclose it to them; he said, `you are the worst-placed, and God knows best what you describe.'(77)
78. They said, `Governor, he has an aged old father, so take one of us in his place; we see thee of the good-doers.'(78)
79. He said, `God forbid that we should take any except the one with whom we found our goods; we shall then be wrong-doers'.(79)
80. So when they despaired of him, they conferred in private. The eldest of them said, `do you not know that your father has taken a solemn pledge by God from you, and how you failed regarding Joseph before. Now I will not leave the land until my father gives me leave, or God judges for me; and He is the Best of judges.(80)
81. Return to your father and say, `father, thy son stole, and we only testified what we knew, and we were no guardians of the unseen.(81)
82. And enquire of the city where we were, and the caravan in which we approached, and we are surely truthful.'(82)
83. He said, `no, but your souls have contrived a thing for you; but sweet patience. May be God will bring them all to me; He is the Knowing, the Wise.'(83)
84. And he turned away from them, and said, `alas for Joseph'. And his eyes turned white because of grief, and he was choked.(84)
85. They said, `by God, thou wilt not cease remembering Joseph, until thou art consumed, or among the perished.'(85)
86. He said, `I make complaint of my anguish and grief only to God, and I know better from God what you know not.(86)
87. O my sons, go and search for Joseph and his brother, and do not despair of God's comfort; None despairs of God's comfort excepting the disbelieving people.' (87)
88. So when they entered to him, they said, `Governor, distress has afflicted us and our family, and We have come with a little money, yet fill up the measure for us, and be charitable to us; surely God recompenses the charitable'.(88)
89. He said, `do you know what you did with Joseph and his brother when you were ignorant?'(89)
90. They said, `art thou in fact Joseph?' He said, `I am Joseph, and this is my brother; God has shown favour to us; and whoso fears God and shows patience, surely God does not waste the wage of the good-doers.'(90)
91. They said, `by God, God has preferred thee over us, and we were indeed at fault.'(91)
92. He said, `no reproach shall be on you this day; may God forgive you, and He is the Most merciful of the merciful.(92)
93. Go with this shirt of mine, and cast it on my father's face, he will be one seeing; and bring me your family all together.'(93)
94. And when the caravan departed, their father said, `surely I perceive Joseph's scent, unless you think me doting.'(94)
95. They said, `by God, thou art certainly in thy old error'.(95)
96. And when the bearer of the good news came and cast it on his face, he was seeing once again. He said, `did I not say to you that I know from God what you know not?'(96)
97. They said, `father, pray forgiveness of our sins, for indeed we were at fault'.(97)
98. He said, `I will pray to my Lord to forgive you; surely He is the Forgiving, the Merciful'.( 98)
99. So when they entered to Joseph, he made his parents to sit with him, and said, `enter Egypt, if God will, in security'.(99)
100. And he raised his parents to the throne, and they fell down prostrate before him. And he said, `father, this is the interpretation of my dream of old; my Lord has made it true; and He was good to me when he took me out of the prison, and brought you from the desert, after the Devil had set strife between me and my brothers; my Lord is gracious to what He will; surely He is the Knowing, the Wise'. __ (100)
101. `My Lord Thou hast given me a share in the kingdom and taught me interpretation of the events; O Originator of the heavens and the earth, Thou art my protector in this world and Hereafter; take me to Thee in a state of Submission, and join me with the righteous'.(101)
102. This is of the news of the unseen that We reveal to thee, and thou wast not with them when they, while devising (plan), agreed on their affair'.(102)
103. Yet, however eager thou mayest be, most of the men will not believe.(103)
104. And thou dost not ask of them any wage. It is naught but a Reminder for all people.(104)
105. And how many a Sign there is in the heavens and the earth that they pass by, turning away from it.(105)
106. And most of them do not believe in God without making associates to Him.(106)
107. But do they feel secure that an enveloping punishment of God shall not come upon them, or the Hour shall not come upon them suddenly, when they perceive not?(107)
108. Say, `this is my way: I call to God on evidence __I and those who follow me __ and God is Holy, and I am not of the idolaters'.(108)
109. And We did not send before thee any but men from the people of the cities, to whom We revealed (our Message). Have they not journeyed in the land and seen how was the end of those before them? And surely the House of the Hereafter shall be better for the godfearing; will you not understand;(109)
110. Till, when the Messengers despair and think that they are taken liars, Our help comes to them, and whomso We will is saved. But Our violence is not averted from the people of the sinners.(110)
111. Surely, in their narratives is a lesson to men of understanding. It is not a forged story, but a confirmation of what was before it, and an exposition of all things, and a guidance and a mercy to a people who believe.(111)