By the Name
God
the Fount-of-All-Mercy
the Ever-Merciful
Alif Lam Ra
those are the Signs
of the Clear Book
We have sent it down
as an Arabic Reading
hopefully you will
understand
We will tell you
the finest of stories
as We give you
this Reading
before this
you were one of those
who knew nothing
about them
when Joseph
said to his father
"Father
I saw eleven stars
and the sun
and the moon
I saw them
making Sajda
before me"
he said
"My son
do not tell
what you have seen
to your brothers
in case they plan
some harm
to come your way
Satan is
a clear enemy
to humans
this is about
how your Liege
will choose you
and teach you
the true meaning
of things
and make perfect
Hu's blessing
on you
and on the family of
Jacob
as Hu perfected it
on your family
from long ago
Abraham and Isaac
surely
your Liege is
All-Knowing
All-Wise"
in Joseph
and his brothers
there are Signs
for those who
question
they said
"Our father loves
Joseph
and his brother
more than us
even if you put us
all together
surely
our father
has taken
the wrong way
kill Joseph
or abandon him
in some far land
so that
your father's attention
is free for you
and after that
you can be people
who do right"
one of them said
"No
do not kill Joseph
throw him into
the bottom of a well
so that at some point
a traveller
can pull him out
that is
if you have to do
something"
they said
"Father
what is your problem
that you do not trust us
with Joseph?
truly we only
wish him well
send him out with us
tomorrow
to play and have fun
surely we will be
watching over him"
he said
"The thought of you
taking him away with you
worries me
I am afraid
a wolf might eat him
while you are not
paying attention to him"
they said
"If a wolf eats him
when there is
a whole crowd of us
then we really are
a group of losers"
so they went with him
and agreed to put him
at the bottom of a well
and We revealed to him
"You shall tell them
about what they are doing
when they do not know"
and they came to
their father
in the evening
and they were weeping
they said
"Father
we went running races
and left Joseph behind
with our things
so the wolf ate him
but you would never
believe us
even though
we spoke the truth"
and they brought his shirt
with false blood on it
he said
"No
you tempted yourselves
to do something
but beauty is seen
in patience
and God alone is my help
in the face of what you say"
then some travellers came
and they sent one of them
to draw water
and when he let down
his bucket
he said
"Good news
here is a young man"
so they hid him
amongst their goods
but God knew
what they were doing
then they sold him
for a small price
a handful of silver dirhams
they did not think
he was worth very much
but the one that bought him
was from Egypt
and said to his wife
"Honour him
with a place to stay
as a guest
and it may be
that we will
make a profit from him
or we may even take him
as our own son"
so We placed Joseph
in the land
in order to teach him
the true meaning of things
God is in control
of what Hu wills
but most people do not know
and when he was fully grown
We gave him judgement
and knowledge
and in the same way
We reward
those who do good
now the woman
whose house it was
tried to seduce him
she closed the doors
and said
"Come"
he said
"God protect me
my master
has been good to me
those who do wrong
will surely not succeed"
but she wanted him
and he would have
wanted her
if he had not seen
the clear proof of his Liege
so We might
turn away from him
wickedness
and the urge to do wrong
he was one of
Our devoted servants
so they raced to the door
and she tore his shirt
from behind
but they met
her master
by the door
she said
"What is the just reward
for someone
who tries to do evil
against your family
if not prison
or a painful punishment?"
he said
"It was her
trying to seduce me"
and someone
from her people
gave witness
"If his shirt has been torn
from the front
then she is speaking the truth
and he is the one that lies
but if it is the case
that his shirt has been torn
from behind
then she has lied
and he is the one
that is telling the truth"
when he saw that his shirt
was torn from behind
he said
"This is your
female trickery
surely your trickery
is a serious matter
Joseph
turn away from this
and woman
ask to be forgiven
for your crime
there is no doubt
that you are in the wrong"
now some women
in the city
said
"The Governor's wife
has been trying to seduce
her slave
her heart is full of
the fire of love
and we see that
she is clearly
the one to blame"
when she heard
their sly whispers
she sent for them
and made ready
a fine meal for them
and gave to each of them
a knife
then she said
"Come out and serve them"
and when they saw him
they were so taken
by his beauty
that they cut their hands
saying
"God save us
this is no mortal
he can only be
an honoured Angel"
she said
"So now you see
this is the one
you blamed me for
yes
I tried to seduce him
and he refused
but if he will not
do what I order him to do
he shall be imprisoned for that
and be one of
those who are disgraced"
he said
"My Liege
I prefer to go to prison
than do
what they want me to do
but if You do not
turn their plans
away from me
then I will be
tempted by them
and so become
one of the ignorant"
so his Liege answered him
and Hu turned
their temptations
away from him
surely Hu is
the All-Hearing
the All-Knowing
then after they had
seen the Signs
it seemed good to them
that they should put him
in prison for a while
and two young men
entered prison with him
one of them said
"I dreamed
that I was
pressing grapes"
said the other
"I dreamed
that I was
carrying on my head
bread that birds were eating
tell us what it means
we can see that you are
one of those who do good"
he said
"No food will come
for you to eat
but before it comes
I will tell you what it means
what I will tell you
is from what
God has taught me
I have given up
the beliefs of those people
who do not believe in God
and more than that
do not believe
in the world to come
and I have followed
the belief of
my family from long ago
Abraham
Isaac and Jacob
it is not for us
to partner anything with God
that is God's bounty to us
and to humankind
but most people
are not thankful
my fellow prisoners
say which is better
many different gods
or God
the One
the Irresistible?
what you serve
apart from Hu
is nothing but names
that you have made up
you
and your family
before you
God has not sent down
any authority to them
judgement belongs
only to God
Hu has commanded
that you do not serve
anyone other than Hu
that is the right Way of Life
but most people
do not know
fellow prisoners
as for one of you
he will pour wine
for his lord
as for the other
he shall be hung on a cross
and birds will eat his head
what you ask about
has been decided"
then he said
to the one of them
he thought would be saved
"Mention me
when you are with your lord"
but Satan made him forget
to mention him
to his master
so he stayed in the prison
for several more years
and the king said
"I saw in a dream
seven fat cows
and seven thin cows
eating them
and seven green ears of corn
and seven withered
my advisors
tell me about my dream
if you can interpret dreams"
they said
"A jumbled mess of
nightmares
we know nothing about
interpreting nightmares"
then
the one who had been saved
finally remembered
and said
"I will tell you its meaning
so send me away"
"Joseph
you truthful man
explain to us
concerning
seven fat cows
that seven thin cows
were eating
seven green ears of corn
and seven withered
so that hopefully
I shall return to them
and they will know"
he said
"You shall sow
for seven years
in your usual way
but what you have harvested
leave in the ear
except for the little
that you eat
then after that
there will come upon you
seven hard years
that will use up
what you have
saved up for them
all but a little
that you keep in store
then after that
there will come a year
in which the people
will be helped by lots of rain
and will press grapes
in season"
the king said
"Bring him to me"
and when the messenger
came to him
he said
"Return to your lord
and ask him
what has happened
to the women
who cut their hands
surely my Liege knows
what they were up to"
he said
"Women
what was your business
when you tried
to seduce Joseph?"
they said
"God save us
we know
nothing bad about him"
then the Governor's wife said
"Now at last
the truth is in the open
I tried to seduce him
he is a truthful man
that is so he may know
that I did not
secretly betray him
and that God
does not guide
the plots of
those who betray
but I do not say that
my soul was innocent
the human soul
tempts towards
what is wrong
except for those on whom
my Liege has mercy
truly my Liege is
Most-Forgiving
Ever-Merciful"
the king said
"Bring him to me
I want to keep him
close to me"
then when he had
spoken with him
he said
"From today
you have our trust
and our favour"
he said
"Put me in charge of
the country's storehouses
I will carefully manage
and protect them"
in this way
We settled Joseph
in the land
to live wherever
he wanted
We give Our mercy
to whoever We will
and We do not let
the reward for
those who do good
go to waste
but the reward of
the world to come
is better
for those who believe
and are
Mindful of God
and Joseph's brothers came
and entered before him
and he knew them
but they did not know him
when he had given them
the supplies they needed
he said
"Bring me the brother
you left with your father
do you not see
that I fill up the measure
and am the best of hosts?
but if you do not
bring him to me
there will be no more
supplies for you
from me
nor will I let you
come close to me"
they said
"We will ask our father
for him
that we will do"
to his servants he said
"Put their trade goods
back in their saddlebags
hopefully
they will know it
when they get back
to their family
hopefully
they will return"
so when they returned
to their father
they said
"Father
the measure
was kept from us
so send us with our brother
so we can get our measure
surely we will be
looking after him"
he said
"And shall I trust you with him
as I trusted you before
with his brother?
God is the best guardian
and Hu is
the Most-Merciful
of the merciful"
and when they opened up
their saddlebags
they found their goods
had been returned to them
they said
"Father
what more could we want?
see
our goods have been
returned to us
we will get supplies
for our family
and we will be
watching over
our brother
we will get
an extra camel's load
that is an easy measure"
he said
"I will never
send him with you
until you give me
a solemn promise
by God
that you will surely
bring him back to me
if you are not
overwhelmed"
when they had made
their solemn promise
he said
"God will be guardian
over what we say"
he said
"My sons
do not enter by one door
enter by separate doors
but I cannot help you
in any way
against God
judgement
only belongs
to God
I have put my trust in Hu
and let all who trust
put their trust in Hu"
and so they entered
in the way that
their father had told them
it did not help them
against God
but it filled a need
in Jacob's soul
truly he had knowledge
that We had taught him
but most people
do not know
and when they entered
before Joseph
he took his brother
into his arms
and said
"I am your brother
so do not feel sad
because of what
they have done"
so he gave them
the supplies they needed
but he put his drinking cup
into the saddlebag
of his brother
then a herald called out
"People of the caravan
you are thieves"
turning to them
they said
"What is it
that you are missing?"
they said
"We are missing
the king's goblet
whoever finds it
will receive
a camel's load
I guarantee it"
they said
"By God
you know well
that we did not come
to spread sickness
in the land
we are not thieves"
they said
"And what will be
owed for it
if you are liars?"
they said
"This will be what is owed
if the goblet is found
in someone's saddlebag
that person will be
what is owed for it
that is how we reward
those who do evil"
so he started with their bags
before his brother's bag
then pulled it from
his brother's bag
so We arranged it
for Joseph's sake
he could not have kept
his brother from leaving
under the king's law
except that
God willed it
whoever We will
We raise them in rank
and over every
person of knowledge
is Hu that knows
they said
"If he is a thief
a brother of his
was a thief before"
but Joseph
kept his secret to himself
and did not let them know it
saying
"You are in a worse position
God knows about
whatever you speak of"
they said
"Mighty prince
he has a father
who is very old
so take one of us
in his place
we see you are one of
those who do good"
he said
"God forbid
that we should take
anyone other than
the one with whom
we found the goods
for if we did so
we would be unjust"
so when they lost hope
of being able to move him
they moved away
to talk privately
the eldest of them said
"Do you not know
how your father has taken
a solemn promise from you
by God
and before this you failed
to bring back Joseph?
I will never leave this land
until my father
gives me permission
or God judges in my favour
Hu is
the most just of judges
all of you
return to your father
and say
'Father
your son stole
we can do no more than
testify as to what we know
we could not guard
against the unseen
ask people
in the city where we were
and in the caravan
in which we went there
surely we are truthful men'"
he said
"No
you were tempted
to do something
yourselves
but it is best
to be patient
hopefully
God will bring
all of them
back to me
Hu is
the All-Knowing
the All-Wise"
and he turned
away from them
and said
"How sad I am for Joseph"
and his eyes turned white
because of the sadness
that choked up
inside him
they said
"By God
you will never stop
talking about Joseph
until you waste away or die"
he said
"I complain about
my pain and sorrow
to God
I know from God
what you do not know
my sons
leave here
and search out news
of Joseph and his brother
do not give up hope
of God's comfort
no-one gives up hope
of God's comfort
except those who are
ungrateful"
so when they entered
before him
they said
"Mighty prince
hard times have come upon
us and our families
we come with goods
of little worth
fill up the measure for us
and be charitable to us
surely God rewards
the charitable"
he said
"Are you aware
of what you did
with Joseph and his brother
when you were ignorant?"
they said
"Are you indeed Joseph?"
he said
"I am Joseph
this is my brother
God has been good to us
whoever is
Mindful of God
and is patient
surely God does not let
the reward for
those who do good
go to waste"
they said
"By God
God has indeed
preferred you over us
and certainly
we were in the wrong"
he said
"Today
no blame
will rest on you
God will forgive you
and Hu is
the Most-Merciful
of the merciful
go with this shirt
and lay it over
my father's face
and he will recover
his sight
then bring me
your family
all together"
and when
the caravan set off
their father said
"Surely I can smell
the scent of Joseph
though you probably
think I am weak minded"
they said
"By God
you are certainly making
the same old mistakes"
but when the one
who brought good news
came to him
and laid it on his face
straight away
he saw again
he said
"Did I not tell you
I know from God
what you do not know?"
they said
"Father
ask forgiveness
of our crimes for us
for certainly
we have done wrong"
he said
"I will certainly
ask my Liege
to forgive you
Hu is
the Most-Forgiving
the Ever-Merciful"
and when they entered
before Joseph
he took
his father and mother
into his arms
saying
"Enter into Egypt
in safety
if God wills"
and he lifted
his father and mother
on to the throne
and the others fell down
in Sajda before him
and he said
"See father
this is the meaning
of my dream of long ago
my Liege has made it true
Hu was good to me
when Hu brought me out
from the prison
and again
when Hu brought you
out of the desert
after Satan
had sown enmity
between me
and my brothers
my Liege is subtle
in what Hu wills
Hu is
All-Knowing
All-Wise
my Liege
You have given me authority
and You have taught me
the true meaning of things
You are the Creator
of the heavens and the earth
You are my Friend
in this world and the next
so take me to You
in true surrender
and join me with
those who do good"
that is the news of the unseen
that We reveal to you
you were not with them
when they agreed on
what to do
and made their plan
but no matter
how much you want it
most people
do not believe
you do not
ask them for
a wage for this
it is nothing
but a Reminder
to all beings
how many a Sign there is
in the heavens
and in the earth
that they pass by
turning away from it
and most of them
do not believe in God
but partner
other gods with Hu
do they feel safe
that they will not be
surrounded by
the punishment of God
or that the final hour
will not come upon them
suddenly
when they do not expect it?
say
"This is my Way
I call to God
with sure knowledge
myself and whoever
follows after me
to God be glory
and I do not worship
other gods beside Hu"
We did not send
anyone before you
apart from those
We revealed to
among the people
of the cities
have they not
journeyed in the land?
have they not seen
how the end came
to those before them?
surely the home of
the world to come
is better
for those who are
Mindful of God
do you not understand?
until
when the Messengers
gave up hope
thinking that they
were just seen as liars
Our help came to them
and whoever We willed
was saved
Our power
will never be turned away
from those who do wrong
surely
in their stories is a lesson
for those who use their minds
it is not an invented story
but a making clear
of the truth that was before it
an explanation of everything
and a guide
and a mercy
to a people who believe