verily I saw _in sleep_ eleven stars and the sun and the moon: I saw
them making obeisance unto me. He replied, O my child, relate not thy
vision to thy brethren, lest they contrive a plot against thee,
_knowing its interpretation to be that they are the stars and that the
sun is thy mother and the moon thy father_; for the devil is unto man
a manifest enemy. And thus, _as thou sawest_, thy Lord will choose
thee, and teach thee the interpretation of events, _or dreams_, and
will accomplish his favour upon thee _by the gift of prophecy_, and
upon the family of Jacob, as He accomplished it upon thy fathers
before, Abraham and Isaac; for thy Lord is knowing [and] wise.—Verily
in _the history of_ Joseph and his brethren are signs to the
inquirers.—When they (_the brethren of Joseph_) said, _one to
another_, Verily Joseph and his brother _Benjamin_ are dearer unto our
father than we, and we are a number of men; verily our father is in a
manifest error; slay ye Joseph, or drive him away into a _distant_
land; so the face of your father shall be directed alone unto you,
_regarding no other_, and ye shall be after it a just people:—a
speaker among them, _namely, Judah_, said, Slay not Joseph, but throw
him to the bottom of the well; then some of the travellers may light
upon him, if ye do _this_. _And they were satisfied therewith_. They
said, O our father, wherefore dost thou not intrust us with Joseph,
when verily we are faithful unto him? Send him with us tomorrow _into
the plain_, that he may divert himself and sport; and we will surely
take care of him.—He replied, Verily your taking him away will grieve
me, and I fear lest the wolf devour him while ye are heedless of him.
They said, Surely if the wolf devour him, when we are a number of men,
we shall in that case be indeed weak. _So he sent him with them._ And
when they went away with him, and agreed to put him at the bottom of
the well, _they did so_.[222] _They pulled off his shirt, after they
had beaten him and had treated him with contempt and had desired to
slay him; and they let him down; and when he had arrived half-way down
the well they let him fall, that he might die; and he fell into the
water. He then betook himself to a mass of rock; and they called to
him; so he answered them, imagining that they would have mercy upon
him. They however desired to crush him with a piece of rock; but Judah
prevented them._ And We said unto him by revelation, _while he was in
the well (and he was seventeen years of age, or less), to quiet his
heart_, Thou shalt assuredly declare unto them this their action, and
they shall not know _thee at the time_.[223] And they came to their
father at nightfall weeping. They said, O our father, we went to run
races,[224] and left Joseph with our clothes, and the wolf devoured
him; and thou wilt not believe us, though we speak truth. And they
brought false blood upon his shirt. _Jacob_ said _unto them_, Nay,
your minds have made a thing seem pleasant unto you, _and ye have done
it_;[225] but patience is seemly, and God’s assistance is implored
with respect to that which ye relate.
And travellers came _on their way from Midian (Medyen) to Egypt, and
alighted near the well_;[226] and they sent their drawer of
water,[227] and he let down his bucket _into the well: so Joseph
caught hold upon it, and the man drew him forth; and when he saw him_,
he said, O good news! This is a young man!—_And his brethren thereupon
knew his case; wherefore they came unto him_, and they[228] concealed
his case, _making him_ as a piece of merchandise; _for they said, He
is our slave who hath absconded. And Joseph was silent, fearing lest
they should slay him._ And God knew that which they did. And they sold
him for a mean price, [for] some dirhems counted down, _twenty, or
two-and-twenty_; and they were indifferent to him. _The travellers
then brought him to Egypt, and he who had bought him sold him for
twenty deenárs and a pair of shoes and two garments._ And the Egyptian
who bought him, _namely, Ḳiṭfeer_,[229] said unto his wife _Zeleekha_,
Treat him hospitably; peradventure he may be advantageous to us, or
we may adopt him as a son. _For he was childless._ And thus We
prepared an establishment for Joseph in the land _of Egypt_, to teach
him the interpretation of events, _or dreams_; for God is well able to
effect His purpose; but the greater number of men, _namely, the
unbelievers_, know not _this_. And when he had attained his age of
strength (_thirty years, or three-and-thirty_), We bestowed on him
wisdom and knowledge _in matters of religion, before he was sent as a
prophet_; for thus do We recompense the well-doers. (xii. 4-22.—_Then
follows an account of his temptation by his mistress, Zeleekha._)
Then it seemed good unto them,[230] after they had seen the signs of
_his innocence, to imprison him_. They will assuredly imprison him for
a time, _until the talk of the people respecting him cease_. _So they
imprisoned him._ And there entered with him into the prison two young
men, _servants of the king, one of whom was his cup-bearer and the
other was his victualler_. _And they found that he interpreted dreams;
wherefore_ one of them, _namely, the cup-bearer_, said, I dreamed that
I was pressing grapes: and the other said, I dreamed that I was
carrying upon my head some bread, whereof the birds did eat: acquaint
us with the interpretation thereof; for we see thee to be [one] of the
beneficent.—He replied, There shall not come unto you any food
wherewith ye shall be fed _in a dream_, but I will acquaint you with
the interpretation thereof _when ye are awake_, before _the
interpretation of_ it come unto you. This is _a part_ of that which my
Lord hath taught me. Verily I have abandoned the religion of a people
who believe not in God and who disbelieve in the world to come; and I
follow the religion of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. It is
not _fit_ for us to associate anything with God. This _knowledge of
the unity_ [hath been given us] of the bounty of God towards us and
towards mankind; but the greater number of men are not thankful. O ye
two companions (_or inmates_) of the prison, are sundry lords better,
or is God, the One, the Almighty? Ye worship not, beside Him, [aught]
save names which ye and your fathers have given _to idols_, concerning
which God hath not sent down any convincing proof. Judgment belongeth
not [unto any] save unto God _alone_. He hath commanded that ye
worship not [any] but Him. This is the right religion; but the greater
number of men know not. O ye two companions of the prison, as to one
of you, _namely, the cup-bearer_, he will serve wine unto his lord _as
formerly_; and as to the other, he will be crucified, and the birds
will eat from off his head.—_Upon this they said, We dreamed not
aught. He replied_, The thing is decreed concerning which ye [did]
ask a determination, _whether ye have spoken truth or have lied_. And
he said unto him whom he judged to be the person who should escape of
them two, _namely the cup-bearer_, Mention me unto thy Lord, _and say
unto him, In the prison is a young man imprisoned unjustly.—And he
went forth._ But the devil caused him to forget to mention _Joseph_
unto his lord:[231] so he remained in the prison some years: _it is
said, seven; and it is said, twelve._
And the king of _Egypt,[232] Er-Reiyán the son of El-Weleed_ said,
Verily I saw [in a dream] seven fat kine which seven lean _kine_
devoured, and seven green ears of corn and _seven_ other _ears_ dried
up. O ye nobles, explain unto me my dream, if ye interpret a
dream.—They replied, _These are_ confused dreams, and we know not the
interpretation of dreams. And he who had escaped, of the two _young
men, namely the cup-bearer_, said (for he remembered after a time _the
condition of Joseph_), I will acquaint you with the interpretation
thereof; wherefore send me. _So they sent him; and he came unto
Joseph, and said_, O Joseph, O thou of great veracity, give us an
explanation respecting seven fat kine which seven lean [kine]
devoured, and seven green ears of corn and other [seven] dried up,
that I may return unto the men (_the king and his companions_), that
they may know _the interpretation thereof_. He replied, Ye shall sow
seven years as usual: (_this is the interpretation of the seven fat
kine_:) and what ye reap do ye leave in its ear, _lest it spoil_;
except a little, whereof ye shall eat. Then there shall come, after
that, seven grievous [years]: (_this is the interpretation of the
seven lean kine_:) they shall consume what ye shall have provided for
them, _of the grain sown in the seven years of plenty_, except a
little which ye shall have kept. Then there shall come, after that, a
year wherein men shall be aided _with rain_, and wherein they shall
press _grapes and other fruits_.—And the king said, _when the
messenger came unto him and acquainted him with the interpretation of
the dream_, Bring unto me him _who hath interpreted it_.
(xii. 35-50.)
And when he had spoken unto him,[233] he said _unto him_, Thou art
this day firmly established with us, and intrusted _with our affairs_.
_What then seest thou fit for us to do?—He answered, Collect
provision, and sow abundant seed in these plentiful years, and
store up the grain in its ear: then the people will come unto thee
that they may obtain provision from thee. The king said, And who
will act for me in this affair? Joseph_ said, Set me over the
granaries of the land; for I am careful [and] knowing.—Thus did We
prepare an establishment for Joseph in the land, that he might take
for himself a dwelling therein wherever he pleased.—_And it is related
that the king crowned him, and put a ring on his finger, and instated
him in the place of Ḳiṭfeer, whom he dismissed from his office; after
which, Ḳiṭfeer died, and thereupon the king married him to his wife
Zeleekha, and she bore him two sons._[234] We bestow Our mercy on whom
We please, and We cause not the reward of the well-doers to perish:
and certainly the reward of the world to come is better for those who
have believed and have feared.
_And the years of scarcity began, and afflicted the land of Canaan and
Syria_, and the brethren of Joseph came, _except Benjamin, to procure
provision, having heard that the governor of Egypt gave food for its
price_.[235] And they went in unto him, and he knew them; but they
knew him not; _and they spake unto him in the Hebrew language;
whereupon he said, as one who distrusted them, What hath brought you
to my country? So they answered, For corn. But he said, Perhaps ye are
spies. They replied, God preserve us_ [_from being spies_]! _He said,
Then whence are ye? They answered, From the land of Canaan, and our
father is Jacob, the prophet of God. He said, And hath he sons beside
you? They answered, Yea: we were twelve; but the youngest of us went
away, and perished in the desert, and he was the dearest of us unto
him; and his uterine brother remained, and he retained him that he
might console himself thereby for the loss of the other._[236] _And
Joseph gave orders to lodge them, and to treat them generously._ And
when he had furnished them with their provision, _and given them their
full measure_, he said, Bring me your brother from your father,
_namely, Benjamin, that I may know your veracity in that ye have
said_. Do ye not see that I give full measure, and that I am the most
hospitable of the receivers of guests? But if ye bring him not, there
shall be no measuring _of corn_ for you from me, nor shall ye approach
me.—They replied, We will solicit his father for him, and we will
surely perform _that_. And he said unto his young men, Put their
money,[237] _which they brought as the price of the corn_, in their
sacks, that they may know it when they have returned to their family:
peradventure they will return _to us; for they will not deem it lawful
to keep it_.—And when they returned to their father, they said, O our
father, the measuring [of corn] is denied us _if thou send not our
brother unto him_; therefore send with us our brother, that we may
obtain measure; and we will surely take care of him. He said, Shall I
intrust you with him otherwise than as I intrusted you with his
brother _Joseph_ before? But God is the best guardian, and He is the
most merciful of those who show mercy.—And when they opened their
goods, they found their money had been returned unto them. They said,
O our father, what desire we _of the, generosity of the king greater
than this?_ This our money hath been returned unto us; and we will
provide corn for our family, and will take care of our brother, and
shall receive a camel-load more, _for our brother_. This is a quantity
easy _unto the king, by reason of his munificence_.—He said, I will by
no means send him with you until ye give me a solemn promise by God
that ye will assuredly bring him back unto me unless _an inevitable
and insuperable impediment_ encompass you. _And they complied with
this his desire._ And when they had given him their solemn promise, he
said, God is witness of what we say. _And he sent him with them_; and
he said, O my sons, enter not _the city of Miṣr_ by one gate; but
enter by different gates; _lest the_ [evil] _eye fall upon you_.[238]
But I shall not avert from you, _by my saying this_, anything _decreed
to befall you_ from God: _I only say this from a feeling of
compassion._ Judgment belongeth not [unto any] save unto God _alone_.
On Him do I rely, and on Him let those rely who rely.
And when they entered as their father had commanded them,
_separately_, it did not avert from them anything _decreed to befall
them_ from God, but [only satisfied] a desire in the soul of Jacob,
which he accomplished; _that is, the desire of averting the_ [evil]
_eye, arising from a feeling of compassion:_ and he was endowed with
knowledge, because We had taught him: but the greater number of men,
_namely the unbelievers_, know not _God’s inspiration of His saints_.
And when they went in unto Joseph, he received unto him (_or pressed
unto him_) his brother. He said, Verily I am thy brother;[239]
therefore be not sorrowful for that which they did _from envy to us_.
_And he commanded him that he should not inform them, and agree with
him that he should employ a stratagem to retain him with him._ And
when he had furnished them with their provision, he put the cup,
_which was a measure made of gold set with jewels_,[240] in the sack
of his brother _Benjamin_. Then a crier cried, _after they had gone
forth from the chamber of Joseph_, O company of travellers, ye are
surely thieves. They said (and turned unto them), What is it that ye
miss? They answered, We miss the king’s measure; and to him who shall
bring it [shall be given] a camel-load _of corn_, and I am surety for
it, _namely the load_. They replied, By God! ye well know that we have
not come to act corruptly in the land, and we have not been thieves.
_The crier and his companions said_, Then what shall be the recompense
of him _who hath stolen it_, if ye be liars _in your saying, We have
not been thieves,—and it be found among you?_ They answered, His
recompense [shall be that] he in whose sack it shall be found _shall
be made a slave:_ he, _the thief_, shall be compensation for it;
_namely, for the thing stolen. Such was the usage of the family of
Jacob._ Thus do We recompense the offenders _who are guilty of
theft.—So they turned towards Joseph, that he might search their
sacks._ And he began with their sacks, _and searched them_ before the
sack of his brother [Benjamin], _lest he should be suspected_. Then he
took it forth (_namely, the measure_) from the sack of his brother.
Thus, _saith God_, did We contrive a stratagem for Joseph. It was not
[lawful] for him to take his brother _as a slave for theft_ by the law
of the king of _Egypt_ (_for his recompense by his law was beating,
and a fine of twice the value of the thing stolen; not the being made
a slave_), unless God had pleased, _by inspiring him to inquire of his
brethren and inspiring them to reply according to their usage_. We
exalt unto degrees [of knowledge and honour] whom We please, _as
Joseph_; and [there is who is] knowing above every one [else] endowed
with knowledge.—They said, If he steal, a brother of his hath stolen
before; _namely, Joseph;[241] for he stole an idol of gold belonging
to the father of his mother, and broke it, that he might not worship
it._ And Joseph concealed it in his mind, and did not discover it to
them. He said _within himself_, Ye are in a worse condition _than
Joseph and his brother, by reason of your having stolen your brother
from your father and your having treated him unjustly_; and God well
knoweth what ye state _concerning him_.—They said, O prince, verily he
hath a father, a very old man, _who loveth him more than us, and
consoleth himself by him for the loss of his son who hath perished,
and the separation of him grieveth him_; therefore take one of us _as
a slave_ in his stead; for we see thee [to be one] of the beneficent.
He replied, God preserve us from taking [any] save him in whose
possession we found our property; for then (_if we took another_), we
[should be] unjust.
And when they despaired of [obtaining] him, they retired to confer
privately together. The chief of them _in age_ (_namely, Reuben, or in
judgment, namely, Judah_), said, Do ye not know that your father hath
obtained of you a solemn promise in the name of God, _with respect of
your brother_, and how ye formerly failed of your duty with respect to
Joseph? Therefore I will by no means depart from the land _of Egypt_
until my father give me permission _to return to him_, or God decide
for me _by the delivery of my brother_; and He is the best, _the most
just_, of those who decide. Return ye to your father, and say, O our
father, verily thy son hath committed theft, and we bore not testimony
_against him_ save according to that which we knew _of a certainty, by
our seeing the cup in his sack_; and we were not acquainted with what
was unseen _by us when we gave the solemn promise: had we known that
he would commit theft, we had not taken him. And send thou_, and ask
_the people of_ the city in which we have been (_namely, Miṣr_)[242]
and the company of travellers with whom we have arrived (_who were a
people of Canaan_): and we are surely speakers of truth.—_So they
returned to him, and said unto him those words_. He replied, Nay, your
minds have made a thing seem pleasant unto you, _and ye have done it_
(_he suspected them, on account of their former conduct in the case of
Joseph_); but patience is seemly: peradventure God will bring them
back (_namely, Joseph and his brother_) unto me, together; for He is
the Knowing _with respect to my case_, the Wise _in His acts_. And
he turned from them, and said, O! my sorrow for Joseph! And his eyes
became white in consequence of mourning, and he was oppressed with
silent grief. They said, By God, thou wilt not cease to think upon
Joseph until thou be at the point of death, or be of [the number of]
the dead. He replied, I only complain of my great and unconcealable
grief and my sorrow unto God; _not unto any beside Him; for He it is
unto whom complaint is made with advantage_; and I know [by
revelation] from God what ye know not; _namely, that the dream of
Joseph was true, and that he is living_. _Then he said_, O my sons, go
and seek news of Joseph and his brother; and despair not of the mercy
of God; for none despaireth of the mercy of God except the unbelieving
people.
_So they departed towards Egypt, unto Joseph_; and when they went in
unto him, they said, O Prince, distress (_that is, hunger_) hath
affected us and our family, and we have come with paltry money (_it
was base money, or some other sort_): yet give us full measure, and be
charitable to us, _by excusing the badness of our money_; for God
recompenseth those who act charitably. _And he had pity upon them, and
compassion affected him, and he lifted up the curtain that was between
him and them: then_ he said _unto them in reproach_, Do ye know what
ye did unto Joseph, _in beating and selling and other actions_, and
his brother, _by your injurious conduct to him after the separation of
his brother_, when ye were ignorant _of what would be the result of
the case of Joseph?_[243] They replied, _after they had recognised him
(desiring confirmation)_, Art thou indeed Joseph? He answered, I am
Joseph, and this is my brother. God hath been gracious unto us, _by
bringing us together_; for whosoever feareth _God_ and is patient
[will be rewarded]: God will not suffer the reward of the well-doers
to perish. They replied, By God, verily God hath preferred thee above
us, and we have been indeed sinners. He said, [There shall be] no
reproach [cast] on you this day: God forgive you; for He is the most
merciful of those that show mercy. _And he asked them respecting his
father: so they answered, His eyes are gone. And he said_, Go ye
with this my shirt (_it was the shirt of Abraham, which he wore when
he was cast into the fire: it was on his_ [that is, Joseph’s] _neck_
[appended as an amulet] _in the well; and it was from paradise:
Gabriel commanded him to send it, and said, In it is its odour_ [that
is, the odour of paradise], _and it shall not be cast upon any one
afflicted_ [with a disease] _but he shall be restored to health_), and
cast it [said Joseph] upon the face of my father: he shall recover his
sight; and bring unto me all your family.—And when the company of
travellers had gone forth _from El-´Areesh[244] of Egypt_, their
father said, _unto those who were present of his offspring_, Verily I
perceive the smell of Joseph (_for the zephyr had conveyed it to him,
by permission of Him whose name be exalted, from the distance of three
days’ journey, or eight, or more_): were it not that ye think I dote,
_ye would believe me._ They replied, By God, thou art surely in thine
old error. And when the messenger of good tidings (_namely, Judah_)
came _with the shirt_ (_and he had borne the bloody shirt; wherefore
he desired to rejoice him, as he had grieved him_), he cast it upon
his face, and he recovered his sight. [Thereupon Jacob] said, Did I
not say unto you, I know, from God, what ye know not? They said, O our
father, ask pardon of our crimes for us; for we have been sinners. He
replied, I will ask pardon for you of my Lord; for He is the Very
forgiving, the Merciful.—_He delayed doing so until the first
appearance of the dawn_, _that the prayer might be more likely to be
answered; or, as some say, until the night of_ [that is, preceding]
_Friday_.
_They then repaired to Egypt, and Joseph and the great men came forth
to meet them_; and when they went in unto Joseph, _in his pavilion or
tent_, he received unto him (_or pressed unto him_) his parents (_his
father and his mother and his maternal aunt_), and said unto _them_,
Enter ye Miṣr, if God please, in safety.[245] _So they entered; and
Joseph seated himself upon his couch_, and he caused his parents to
ascend upon the seat of state, and they (_that is, his parents and his
brethren_) fell down, bowing themselves unto him[246] (_bending, but
not putting the forehead_) [upon the ground]: _such being their mode
of obeisance in that time_. And he said, O my father, this is the
interpretation of my dream of former times: my Lord hath made it true;
and He hath shown favour unto me, since He took me forth from the
prison (_he said not, from the well,—from a motive of generosity, that
his brethren might not be abashed_), and hath brought you from the
desert, after that the devil had excited discord between me and my
brethren; for my Lord is gracious unto whom He pleaseth; for He is the
Knowing, the Wise.—_And his father resided with him four and twenty
years, or seventeen; and the period of his separation was eighteen, or
forty, or eighty years. And death came unto him; and thereupon he
charged Joseph that he should carry him and bury him by his fathers.
So he went himself and buried him. Then he returned to Egypt and
remained after him three and twenty years; and when his case was
ended, and he knew that he should not last_ [upon earth], _and his
soul desired the lasting possession, he said_, O my Lord, Thou hast
given me dominion, and taught me the interpretation of events (_or
dreams_): Creator of the heavens and the earth, Thou art my guardian
in this world and in the world to come. Make me to die a Muslim, and
join me with the righteous _among my forefathers. And he lived after
that a week, or more, and died a hundred and twenty years old. And the
Egyptians disputed concerning his burial: so they put him in a chest
of marble, and buried him in the upper part of the Nile, that the
blessing_ [resulting from him] _might be general to the tracts on each
side of it.[247] Extolled be the perfection of Him to whose dominion
there is no end!_
(xii. 54-102).
JOB.
And remember Our servant Job [Eiyoob[248]] when he called unto his
Lord, Verily the devil hath afflicted me with calamity and pain. (_The
affliction is attributed to the devil, though all was from God._) _And
it was said unto him_, Strike _the earth_ with thy foot. _And he did
so; whereupon a fountain of water sprang forth.[249] And it was said_,
This _is_ cool _water for thee_ to wash with, and to drink. _So he
washed himself and drank; and every disease that he had, external and
internal, quitted him._ And We gave unto him his family, and as many
more with them (_that is, God raised to life for him those of his
children who had died, and blest him with as many more_),[250] in Our
mercy and as an admonition unto those who are endowed with faculties
of understanding. [And We said unto him,] Take in thy hand a handful
_of dry grass, or of twigs_,[251] and strike with it _thy wife_ (_for
he had sworn that he would inflict upon her a hundred blows, because
she had staid away from him too long one day_[252]) and break not
thine oath _by abstaining from striking her._—_So he took a hundred
stalks of schoemanthus, or some other plant, and gave her one blow
with them._ Verily We found him a patient person. How excellent a
servant _was he_! For he was one who earnestly turned himself unto
God.
(xxxviii. 40-44.)
SHO´EYB.