Page 838 - An Index to the Qur'an

He said, ‘Allah is my refuge! He is My lord and dreamt that I was pressing grapes.’ The other
has been good to me with where I live. Those said, ‘I dreamt I carried bread upon my head and
who do wrong will surely not succeed.’ (12:23) birds were eating it. Tell us the true meaning of
She wanted him and he would have wanted her, these dreams. We see that you’re one of the right-
had he not seen the Clear Proof of his Lord. That eous.’ He said, ‘No meal to feed you will arrive
happened so We might avert from him all evil before I have informed you what they mean. That
and lust. He was Our chosen servant. (12:24) is part of what my Lord taught me. For I have left
They raced to the door. She tore his shirt at the the religion of a people who clearly have no faith
back. They met her husband by the door. She in Allah and who refuse to acknowledge the truth
said, ‘How should a man whose intention was to of the world to come. I hold fast to the creed of
harm your family be punished for what he did my forebears Ibrahim and Ishaq and Ya‘qub. We
except with prison or painful punishment?’ don’t associate anything with Allah. And that is
(12:25) how Allah has favoured us and all mankind, but
He said, ‘It was she who tried to seduce me.’ A most do not give thanks. My fellow-prisoners, are
witness from her people then declared, ‘If his many lords better, or Allah, the only One, the
shirt is torn in front, she speaks the truth and he Conqueror? What you serve apart from Him are
has clearly told a shameless lie. If his shirt is torn only names which you and your forefathers have
at the back, then she has lied and he has clearly made up. There is no mandate for them from
told the simple truth.’ (12:26-27) Allah. Allah alone is qualified to judge. His order
He saw the shirt torn at the back and said, ‘The is to worship none but Him. That is in truth the
source of this is women’s deviousness. Without a straight and upright religion, but most of
doubt your guile is very great. Yusuf, ignore all mankind simply do not know. My fellow-cap-
this, and you, my wife, should ask forgiveness for tives, one of you will serve his lord with wine,
your evil act. There is no doubt that you are in the other of you will be crucified and birds will
the wrong.’ Some city women said, ‘The gover- eat his head. The thing you asked about is foreor-
nor’s wife solicited her slave. He’s fired her heart dained.’ He said to the one of them he knew was
with love. We see that she’s the one to blame.’ saved, ‘Please mention me when you are with
But when she heard of their malicious talk, she your lord,’ but Satan made him forget to remind
sent for them and made a sumptuous meal and his lord, and so he stayed in prison for several
then she gave a knife to each of them. She said, years. The King declared, ‘I dreamt of seven fat
‘Go out to them.’ When they saw him, they were cows which seven thin ones ate and seven green
amazed by him and cut their hands. They said, ears of wheat and seven others which were dry.
‘Allah preserve us! This is no man. What can this O counsellors! Explain my dream to me if you
be but a noble angel here!’ She said, ‘You see! It’s are those who can interpret visions!’ (12:28-43)
him you blamed me for. I tried seducing him but They said, ‘A jumbled mass of mixed-up dreams!
he refused. If he does not do what I order him, he We do not know the meaning of such things.’
will be put in prison and brought low.’ He said, The one of them who had been saved then said,
‘My Lord, the prison is preferable to me than remembering after a period, ‘I will tell you what
what they call on me to do. Unless You turn their it signifies, so send me out.’ ‘O truthful Yusuf, tell
guile away from me, it may well be that I will fall us of seven fat cows which seven thin ones ate
for them and so become a man of ignorance.’ His and seven green ears of wheat and seven others
Lord replied to him and turned away from him which were dry so that I can return to them and
their female guile and deviousness. He is the let them know.’ He said, ‘Sow for seven years in
One Who Hears, the One Who Knows. Then, the normal way and leave that which you harvest
after they had seen the Signs, they thought that in the ear except for a small amount from which
they should still imprison him for a time. Two ser- you eat. Then after that seven hard years will ar-
vants entered prison along with him. One said, ‘I rive in which you can eat from what you set
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