PART 12

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In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.
1. Alif. Lâm. Râ.[1] [This is] a Book the verses whereof are
perfected and then expounded. [It comes] from One [who
is] Wise, Acquainted,
2. [Saying]: Worship none but Allah. Lo! I am to you from
Him a warner and a bringer of glad tidings.
3. And [bidding you]: Ask forgiveness of your Lord and
turn to Him repentant He will cause you to enjoy a fair
estate until a time appointed. He gives His bounty to every
bountiful one. But if you turn away, lo! [then] I fear for you
the doom of a Great Day.
4. To Allah is your return, and He is Able to do all things.
5. Lo! now they fold up their breasts that they may hide [their
thoughts] from Him. At the very moment when they cover
themselves with their clothing, Allah knows that which
they keep hidden and that which they proclaim. Lo! He is
Aware of what is in the breasts [of men].
? . 6 And there is not a creature in the earth but the sustenance
thereof depends on Allah. He knows its habitation and its
repository. All is in a clear record.
7. And He it is Who created the heavens and the earth in
six Days - and His Throne was upon the water - that He
might try you, which of you is best in deed. Yet if you [O
Muhammad] say: Lo! you will be raised again after death!
those who disbelieve will surely say: This is nothing but
mere magic.
8. And if We delay for them the doom until a reckoned time,
they will surely say: What withholds it? Verily on the day
when it comes to them, it cannot be averted from them,
and that which they ridiculed will surround them.
[1] See Sûr. [2] v.1, footnote.
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9. And if We cause man to taste some mercy from Us and
afterward withdraw it from him, lo! he is despairing,
thankless.
10. And if We cause him to taste grace after some misfortune
that had befallen him, he says: The ills have gone from
me. Lo! he is exultant, boastful;
11. Save those who are patient and do righteous deeds. Theirs
will be forgiveness and a great reward.
12. A likely thing, that you would forsake some of that which
has been revealed to you, and that your breast should be
straitened for it, because they say: Why has not a treasure
been sent down for him, or an angel come with him? You
are but a warner, and Allah is Disposer of all things.
13. Or they say: He has invented it. Say: Then bring ten sûrahs,
the like thereof, invented, and call on everyone you can
besides Allah, if you are truthful!
14. And if they [your deities] answer not your prayer, then
know that it is revealed only in the knowledge of Allah;
and that there is no deity save Him. Will you then be
Muslims [those who submit to Islâm]?
15. Whoso desires the life of the world and its splendour, We
shall repay them their deeds herein, and therein they will
not be wronged.
16. Those are they for whom is nothing in the Hereafter save
the Fire. [All] that they contrive here is vain and [all] that
they are used to do is fruitless.
17. Is he [to be counted equal with them] who relies on a clear
proof from his Lord, and a witness from Him recites it,
and before it was the Book of Moses, an example and
a mercy? Such believe therein, and whoso disbelieves
therein of the clans, the Fire is his appointed place. So be
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not you in doubt concerning it. Lo! it is the Truth from
your Lord; but most of mankind believe not.
18. Who does greater wrong than he who invents a lie
concerning Allah? Such will be brought before their
Lord, and the witnesses will say: These are they who lied
concerning their Lord. Now the curse of Allah is upon
wrong-doers,
19. Who debar [people] from the way of Allah and would
have it crooked, and who are disbelievers in the Hereafter.
20. Such will not escape in the earth, nor have they any protectors
besides Allah. For them the doom will be double. They
could not bear to hear, and they used not to see.
21. Such are they who have lost their souls, and that which
they used to invent has failed them.
22. Assuredly in the Hereafter they will be the greatest losers.
23. Lo! those who believe and do righteous deeds and humble
themselves before their Lord: such are the owners of
Paradise; they will abide eternally therein.
24. The similitude of the two parties is as the blind and
the deaf and the seer and the hearer. Are they equal in
similitude? Will you not then be admonished?
25. And We sent Noah to his folk [and he said]: I am a plain
warner to you.
26. That you worship none, save Allah. Lo! I fear for you the
doom of a painful Day.
27. The chieftains of his folk, who disbelieved, said: We
see you but a mortal like us, and we see not that any
follow you save the most abject among us, without
reflection. We behold in you no merit above us– nay,
we deem you liars.
28. He said: O my people have you considered, if I rely on
a clear proof from my Lord and there has come to me a
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mercy from Him, and it has been made obscure to you,
can we compel you to accept it when you are averse to it?
29. And O my people! I ask of you no wealth therefor. My
reward is the concern only of Allah, and I am not going
to drive away those who believe - Lo! they have to meet
their Lord - but I see you a folk that are ignorant.
30. And, O my people! who would deliver me from Allah if I
drive them away? Will you not then reflect?
31. I say not to you: “I have the depositories [containing
the provision] of Allah” nor “I have knowledge of the
Unseen,” nor say I: “Lo! I am an angel!” Nor say I to
those whom your eyes scorn that Allah will not give them
good - Allah knows best what is in their souls - Lo! then
indeed I should be of the wrong-doers.
32. They said: O Noah! You have disputed with us and
multiplied disputation with us; now bring upon us that
wherewith you threaten us, if you are of the truthful.
33. He said: Only Allah will bring it upon you if He wills, and
you can by no means escape.
34. My counsel will not profit you if I were minded to advise
you, if Allah’s will is to keep you astray. He is your Lord
and to Him you will be brought back.
35. Or say they [again] He has invented it? Say: If I have
invented it, upon me be [the consequences of] my crime,
but I am innocent of [all] that you commit.
36. And it was revealed to Noah, [saying]: No-one of your
folk will believe save him who has believed already. Be not
distressed because of what they do.
37. Build the ship under Our Eyes and by Our inspiration, and
speak not to Me on behalf of those who have wronged.
Lo! they will be drowned.
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38. And he was building the ship, and every time that chieftains
of his people passed him, they ridiculed him. He said:
Though you ridicule us, yet We ridicule you even as you
ridicule;
39. And you shall know to whom a punishment that will
confound him comes, and upon whom a lasting doom
will fall.
40. [Thus it was] till, when Our commandment came to pass
and the oven gushed forth water,[1] We said: Load therein
two of every kind, a pair [the male and female], and your
household, save him against whom the word has gone
forth already, and those who believe. And but a few were
they who believed with him.
41. And he said: Embark therein! In the name of Allah be its
course and its mooring. Lo! my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.
42. And it sailed with them amid waves like mountains, and
Noah cried to his son and he was standing aloof– O my
son! Come ride with us, and be not with the disbelievers.
43. He said: I shall betake me to some mountain that will save
me from the water. [Noah] said: This day there is none
that saves from the commandment of Allah save him on
whom He has had mercy. And the waves came in between
them, so he was among the drowned.
44. And it was said: O earth! Swallow your water and, O sky!
be cleared of clouds! And the water was made to subside.
And the commandment was fulfilled. And it [the ship]
came to rest upon [the mount] Al-Judi and it was said: A
far removal for wrong-doing folk!
45. And Noah cried to his Lord and said: My Lord! Lo! my
son is of my household! Surely Your promise is the Truth
and You are the Most Just of Judges.
[1] This was a sign of the deluge, water gushing up from underground as
well as falling from the sky.
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46. He said: O Noah! Lo! he is not of your household; Lo! he
is [one whose] work was, other than righteous, so ask not
of Me that whereof you have no knowledge. I admonish
you lest you be among the ignorant.
47. He said: My Lord! Lo! in You do I seek refuge [from the
sin] that I should ask of You that whereof I have no
knowledge. Unless You forgive me and have mercy on
me I shall be among the losers.
48. It was said [to him]: O Noah! Go you down [from the
mountain] with peace from Us and blessings upon you
and some nations [that will spring] from those with you.
[There will be other] nations to whom We shall give
enjoyment a long while and then a painful doom from Us
will overtake them.
49. This is of the tidings of the Unseen which We reveal to
you [Muhammad]. You yourself knew it not, nor did your
folk [know it] before this. Then have patience. Lo! the
sequel is for the righteous.
50. And to [the tribe of] A’âd [We sent] their brother, Hûd.
He said: O my people! Worship Allah! You have no other
deity save Him. Lo! you do but invent [lies]!
51. O my people! I ask of you no reward for it. Lo! my reward
is the concern only of Him who made me. Will you not
then understand?
52. And, O my people! Ask forgiveness of your Lord, then
turn to Him repentant; He will cause the sky to rain
abundance on you and will add to you strength to your
strength. Turn not away, [being] criminals!
53. They said: O Hûd! You have brought us no clear proof
and we are not going to forsake our gods on your [mere]
saying, and we are not believers in you.
54. We say nothing save that one of our gods has possessed
you in an evil way. He said: I call Allah to witness, and do
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you [too] bear witness, that I am innocent of [all] that you
associate with Allah.
55. Other than Him. So [try to] plot against me, all of you,
give me no respite.
56. Lo! I have relied upon Allah, my Lord and your Lord.
There is no creature but He does grasp it by the forelock!
[i.e. controls it] Lo! my Lord is on a straight path.
57. And if you turn away, still I have conveyed to you that
wherewith I was sent to you, and my Lord will set in place
of you a folk other than you. You cannot injure Him at
all. Lo! my Lord is Guardian over all things.
58. And when Our commandment came to pass We saved
Hûd and those who believed with him by a mercy from
Us; We saved them from a harsh doom.
59. And such were A’âd. They denied the signs of their Lord
and denied His messengers and followed the command
of every obstinate tyrant.
60. And a curse was made to follow them in the world and
on the Day of Resurrection. Lo! A’âd disbelieved in their
Lord. A far removal for A’âd, the folk of Hûd!
61. And to [the tribe of] Thamûd [We sent] their brother Salih.
He said: O my people! Worship Allah, you have no other
deity save Him. He brought you forth from the earth and
settled you therein. So ask forgiveness of Him and turn to
Him repentant. Lo, my Lord is Near, Responsive.
62. They said: O Salih! You have been among us before as
that wherein our hope was placed. Do you ask us not to
worship what our fathers worshipped? Lo! we verily are in
grave doubt concerning that to which you call us.
63. He said: O my people! Have you considered: if I am
[acting] on clear proof from my Lord and there has come
to me a mercy from Him, who will save me from Allah if
I disobey Him? You would add to me nothing save loss.
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64. O my people! This is the she-camel of Allah, a sign to you,
so let her to feed in Allah’s earth, and touch her not with
harm lest a near doom seize you.
65. But they hamstrung her, and then he said: Enjoy life in
your dwelling place three days! This is a promise that will
not be belied.
66. So, when Our commandment came to pass, We saved
Salih, and those who believed with him, by a mercy from
Us, from the disgrace of that day. Lo, your Lord! He is the
Strong, the Mighty.
67. And the [Awful] Cry overtook those who did wrong, so
that morning found them fallen prone in their dwellings,
68. As though they had not dwelt there. Lo! Thamûd
disbelieved in their Lord. A far removal for Thamûd!
69. And Our messengers came to Abraham with good news.
They said: Peace! He answered: Peace! and delayed not to
bring a roasted calf.
70. And when he saw their hands reached not to it, he
mistrusted them and conceived a fear of them. They said:
Fear not! Lo! we are sent to the folk of Lot.
71. And his wife, standing by, and she laughed, then We gave
her good tidings [of the birth] of Isaac, and, after Isaac,
of Jacob.
72. She said: Oh, woe is me! Shall I bear a child when I am an
old woman, and this my husband is an old man? Lo! This
is an amazing thing!
73. They said: Wonder you at the commandment of Allah?
The mercy of Allah and His blessings be upon you, O
people of the house! Lo! He is Owner of Praise, Owner
of Glory!
74. And when the fright departed from Abraham, and the
glad news reached him, he began to argue with Us on
behalf of the folk of Lot.
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75. Lo! Abraham was forbearing, imploring, penitent.
76. [The angels said] O Abraham! Forsake this! Lo! your Lord’s
commandment has gone forth, and lo! there comes to
them a doom which cannot be repelled.
77. And when Our messengers came to Lot, he was distressed
for them and felt for them great discomfort and he said:
This is a distressful day.
78. And his people came to him, running towards him - and
before then they used to commit abominations - He said:
O my people! Here are my daughters! They are purer for
you. Fear Allah, and degrade me not in [the person of] my
guests. Is there not among you a man of reason?
79. They said: Well you know that we have no right to your
daughters, and well you know what we want.
80. He said: Would that I had strength to resist you or had
some strong support [among you]!
81. [The messengers] said: O Lot! Lo! we are messengers of
your Lord; they shall not reach you. So travel with your
people in a part of the night, and let not one of you turn
round - [all] save your wife. Lo! that which smites them
will smite her [also]. Lo! their tryst is [for] the morning. Is
not the morning near?
82. So when Our commandment came to pass We overthrew
[that township] and rained upon it stones of clay, one
after another,
83. Marked with fire in the providence of your Lord [for the
destruction of the wicked]. And they are never far from
the wrong-doers.
84. And to Midian [We sent] their brother Shu’eyb. He said: O
my people! Worship Allah. You have no other deity save
Him! And give not short measure and short weight. Lo!
I see you well-to-do, and lo! I fear for you the doom of a
besetting Day.
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85. O my people! Give full measure and full weight in justice,
and wrong not people in respect of their goods. And do
not evil in the earth, causing corruption.
86. That which Allah leaves with you is better for you if you
are believers; and I am not a keeper over you.
87. They said: O Shu’eyb! Does your way of prayer command
you that we should forsake that which our fathers [used
to] worship, or that we [should leave off] doing what we
will with our own property. Lo! you are the forbearing,
the discerning.
88. He said: O my people! Have you considered: if I am [acting]
on a clear proof from my Lord and He sustains me with
fair sustenance from Him [how can I concede anything
to you]? I desire not to do behind your backs that which I
ask you not to do. I desire nothing save reform so far as I
am able. My welfare is only in Allah. Upon Him I rely and
to Him I turn [repentant].
89. And, O my people! Let not the schism with me cause you
to sin so that there befall you that which befell the folk of
Noah and the folk of Hûd, and the folk of Salih; and the
folk of Lot are not far off from you.
90. And ask forgiveness of your Lord and then turn to Him
repentant. Lo! my Lord is, Merciful, Affectionate.
91. They said: O Shu’eyb! We understand not much of that
you tell, and lo! we do see you weak among us. But for
your family, we should have stoned you, for you are not
strong against us.
92. He said: O my people! Is my family more to be honoured by
you than Allah? And you put Him behind you, neglected!
Lo! my Lord surrounds what you do.
93. And, O my people! Act according to your power, lo, I [too]
am acting. You will soon know on whom there comes a
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doom that will abase him, and who it is that lies. And
watch! Lo! I am watcher with you.
94. And when Our commandment came to pass we saved
Shu’eyb and those who believed with him by a mercy from
Us; and the [Awful] Cry seized those who did injustice,
and morning found them [corpses] fallen prone in their
dwellings.
95. As though they had not dwelt there. A far removal for
Midian, even as Thamûd had been removed afar!
96. And verily We sent Moses with Our signs and a clear
authority.
97. To Pharaoh and his chiefs, but they did follow the
command of Pharaoh, and the command of Pharaoh
was no right guide.
98. He will go before his people on the Day of Resurrection
and will lead them to the Fire. Ah, hapless is the place [to
where they are] led.
99. A curse is made to follow them in the world and on the
Day of Resurrection. Hapless is the gift [that will be]
given [them].
100. That is [something] of the tidings of the townships’
[which were destroyed of old]. We relate it to you
[Muhammad]. Some of them are [still] standing and
some [already mowed down] reaped.
101. We wronged them not, but they did wrong themselves;
and their gods on whom they call besides Allah availed
them nothing then came your Lord’s command; they
added to them nothing save ruin.
102. Even thus is the grasp of your Lord when he grasps the
townships while they are doing wrong. Lo! His grasp is
painful, very strong.
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103. Lo! herein verily there is a sign for those who fear the
doom of the Hereafter. That is a day to which mankind
will be gathered, and that is a day that will be witnessed.
104. And We defer it only as a term already reckoned.
105. On the day when it comes no soul will speak except
by His permission; some among them will be wretched,
[others] glad.
106. As for those who will be wretched [on that day] they will
be in the Fire; for them therein is [violent] sighing and
inhaling.
107. Abiding there so long as the heavens and the earth endure
save for that which your Lord wills. Lo! your Lord is
Doer of what He wills.
108. And as for those who will be glad [that day] they will be
in the Paradise, abiding there so long as the heavens and
the earth endure save for that which your Lord wills: a
gift unfailing.
109. So be not in doubt [O Muhammad] concerning that
which these [folk] worship. They worship only as their
fathers worshipped before. Lo! We shall pay them their
whole due unabated.
110. And We verily gave to Moses the Scripture, and there
was disagreement thereupon; and had it not been for a
Word that had already gone forth from your Lord, the
case would have been judged between them, and lo! they
are in grave doubt concerning it [this Qur’ân].
111. And lo! to each your Lord will verily repay his deeds in
full. Lo! He is Acquainted of what they do.
112. So tread you the straight path as you are commanded,
and those who turn [to Allah] with you, and transgress
not. Lo! He is Seer of what you do.
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113. And incline not toward those who do wrong lest the Fire
touches you, and you have no protectors against Allah,
and afterward you would not be helped.
114. Establish prayer at the two ends of the day and in some
watches of the night. Lo! good deeds wipe out ill-deeds.
This is a reminder for the mindful.
115. And have patience, [O Muhammad], for lo! Allah loses
not the wages of the good-doers.
116. If only there had been among the generations before
you men possessing a remnant [of good sense] to warn
[their people] from corruption in the earth, as did a few
of those whom We saved from them! The wrong-doers
followed that by which they were made luxurious, and
were criminals.
117. In truth your Lord destroyed not the townships unjustly
while their folk were reformers.
118. And if your Lord had willed, He verily would have made
mankind one nation, yet they cease not differing,
119. Save him on whom your Lord has mercy; and for that He did
create them. And the Word of your Lord has been fulfilled:
Verily I shall fill Hell with the jinn and men together.
120. And all that We relate to you of the story of the
messengers is in order that thereby We may make firm
your heart. And herein has come to you the Truth and
an exhortation and a reminder for believers.
121. And say to those who believe not: Work according to
your position. Lo! we [too] are working.
122. And wait! Lo! We [too] are waiting.
123. And Allah’s is the Unseen of the heavens and the earth,
and to Him the whole matter will be returned. So worship
Him and rely upon Him. Lo! your Lord is not unaware
of what you [mortals] do.
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12- JOSEPH [YUSUF]
Revealed at Mecca, [111 verses]
Yûsuf takes its name from its subject which is the lifestory
of Joseph. It differs from all other Sûrahs in having
only one subject. The differences from the Bible narrative are
striking. Jacob is here a Prophet, who is not deceived by the
story of his son’s death, but is distressed because, through
a suspension of his clairvoyance, he cannot see what has
become of Joseph. The real importance of the narrative, its
psychic burden, is emphasised throughout, and the manner
of narration, though astonishing to Western readers, is vivid.
Tradition says that it was recited by the Prophet at Mecca to
the first converts from Yathrib (Al-Madînah), i.e. in the second
year before the Hijrah; but that, as N?ldeke points out, does
not mean that it was not revealed till then, but that it had been
revealed by then. A late Meccan Sûrah.
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful
1. Alif. Lâm. Râ.[1] These are the verses of the clear Book.
2. Lo! We have sent it down, as an Arabic Qur’ân, that you
may understand.
3. We narrate to you [Muhammad] the best of narratives in
that We have revealed to you this Qur’ân, though you were,
before it, of the heedless.
4. When Joseph said to his father: O my father! Lo! I saw [in
a dream] eleven planets and the sun and the moon, I saw
them prostrating themselves to me.
[1] See Sûr. [2] v.1, footnote.
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5. He said: O my son! Tell not your brothers of your vision,
lest they plot a plot against you. Lo! Satan is for man an
open foe.
6. Thus your Lord will prefer you and will teach you the
interpretation of events, and will perfect his grace upon
you and upon the family of Jacob as He perfected it upon
your forefathers, Abraham and Isaac. Lo! your Lord is
Knower, Wise.
7. Verily in Joseph and his brothers are signs [of Allah’s
Sovereignty] for the inquirers.
8. 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.
9. [One said]: Kill Joseph or cast him to some [other] land, so
that your father’s favour may be all for you, and [that] you
may afterward be righteous folk.
10. One among them said: Kill not Joseph but, if you must
be doing, throw him into the depth of the well; some
caravan of travellers will pick him.
11. They said: O our father! Why will you not trust us with
Joseph, when lo! we are to him sincere counsellors?
12. Send him with us tomorrow that he may enjoy himself
and play. And lo! we shall take good care of him.
13. He said: Lo! in truth it saddens me that you should take
him with you, and I fear lest the wolf devour him while
you are unaware of him.
14. They said: If the wolf should devour him when we are [so
strong] a band, then surely we would be losers.
15. Then, when they led him off, and were of one mind that
they should place him into the bottom of the well, We
inspired in him: You will tell them [someday] of this deed
of theirs when they know [you] not.
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16. And they came weeping to their father in the evening.
17. Saying: O our father! We went racing one with another, and
left Joseph by our things, and the wolf devoured him, and
you believe not our sayings even when we speak the truth.
18. 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 you describe.
19. And there came a caravan of travellers, and they sent their
water-drawer. He let down his bucket [into the well]. He
said: Good luck! Here is a boy. And they hid him as a
merchandise, and Allah was Aware of what they did.
20. And they sold him for a low price, a number of silver
coins; and they attached no value to him.
21. And he of Egypt who purchased him said to his wife:
Receive him honourably. Perhaps 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 is predominant over
His affair, but most of people know not.
22. And when he reached his maturity We gave him wisdom
and knowledge. Thus We reward the doers of good.
23. And she, in whose house he was, sought to seduce him
[to do an evil act]. She closed the doors and said: Come!
He said: I seek refuge in Allah! Lo! he [your husband] is
my lord, who has treated me honourably. Indeed, wrongdoers
never prosper.
24. She verily desired him, and he would have desired her if
it had not been that he saw the proof of his lord. Thus it
was, that We might ward off from him evil and lewdness.
Lo! he was of Our chosen slaves.
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25. And they raced with one another to the door, and she tore
his shirt from behind, and they met her lord at the door.
She said: What shall be his reward, who wishes evil to
your folk, save prison or a painful doom?
26. [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 speaks truth and he is of the liars.
27. And if his shirt is torn from behind, then she has lied and
he is of the truthful.
28. 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.
29. O Joseph! Turn away from this, and you, [O woman], ask
forgiveness for your sin. Lo! you are of the sinful.
30. 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 see her in plain aberration.
31. 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 to them! And when they saw him
they exalted him and cut their hands, exclaiming: Allah
Blameless! This is not a human being. This is no other
than some gracious angel.
32. She said: This is he on whose account you blamed me. I
asked of him an evil act, but he proved abstentious, but if
he does not do my request he verily shall be imprisoned,
and verily shall be of those brought low.
33. He said: O my Lord! Prison is more dear than that to which
they urge me, and if You ward not off their wiles from
me I shall incline to them and become of the ignorant.
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34. So his Lord heard his prayer and warded off their wiles
from him. Lo! He is Hearer, Knower.
35. And it seemed good to them [the men-folk] after they had
seen the signs [of his innocence] to imprison him for a time.
36. 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 to us the interpretation,
for we see you of those good [at interpretation].
37. He said: The food which you are given [daily] shall not
come to you but I shall tell you the interpretation before
it comes to you. This is of that which my Lord has taught
me. Lo! I have forsaken the religion of folk who believe
not in Allah and are disbelievers in the Hereafter.
38. And I have followed the religion of my fathers, Abraham
and Isaac and Jacob. It never was for us to associate
anything with Allah. This is of the bounty of Allah to us
[the seed of Abraham] and to mankind; but most men
give not thanks.
39. O my two fellow-prisoners! Are various lords better, or
Allah the One, the Almighty?
40. Those whom you worship besides Him are but names which
you have named, you and your fathers. Allah has revealed
no sanction for them. The decision rests with Allah only,
Who has commanded you that you worship none save
Him. This is the right religion, but most men know not.
41. 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 you did inquire.
42. And he said to him of the two who he knew would be
released: Mention me in the presence of your lord. But
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Satan caused him to forget to mention it to his lord, so he
[Joseph] stayed in prison for some years.
43. And the king said: Lo! I saw in a dream seven fat cows
which seven lean were eating, and seven green ears of
corn and other [seven] dry. O notables! Expound for me
my vision, if you can interpret visions.
44. They answered: Jumbled dreams! And we are not knowing
in the interpretation of dreams.
45. And he of the two who was released, and [now] at length
remembered, said: I am going to announce to you the
interpretation, therefore send me forth.
46. [And when he came to Joseph in the prison, he exclaimed]:
Joseph! O you truthful one! Expound for us the seven fat
cows which seven lean were eating and the seven green
ears of grain and other [seven] dry, that I may return to
the people, so that they may know.
47. He said: You shall sow seven years consecutively, but that
which you reap, leave it in its ears, all save a little which
you eat.
48. Then after that will come seven hard years which will
devour all that you have prepared for them, save a little
of that which you have stored.
49. Then, after that, will come a year when the people will
have plenteous crops and when they will press [wine
and oil].
50. And the king said: Bring him to me. And when the
messenger came to him, he [Joseph] said: Return to your
lord and ask him what was the case of the women who
cut their hands. Lo! my Lord knows their guile.
51. He [the king] [then sent for those women and] said: What
happened when you asked an evil act of Joseph? They