Surah 12. Yusuf

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Verses [Section]: 1-6[1], 7-20 [2], 21-29 [3], 30-35 [4], 36-42 [5], 43-49 [6], 50-57 [7], 58-68 [8], 69-79 [9], 80-93 [10], 94-104 [11], 105-111 [12]

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Quran Text of Verse 43-49وَ قَالَAnd saidالْمَلِكُthe kingاِنِّیْۤIndeed Iاَرٰی[I] have seenسَبْعَsevenبَقَرٰتٍcowsسِمَانٍfatیَّاْكُلُهُنَّeating themسَبْعٌsevenعِجَافٌlean onesوَّ سَبْعَand sevenسُنْۢبُلٰتٍears (of corn)خُضْرٍgreenوَّ اُخَرَand otherیٰبِسٰتٍ ؕdryیٰۤاَیُّهَاOالْمَلَاُchiefs!اَفْتُوْنِیْExplain to meفِیْaboutرُءْیَایَmy visionاِنْifكُنْتُمْyou canلِلرُّءْیَاof visionsتَعْبُرُوْنَ interpret 12. Yusuf Page 241قَالُوْۤاThey saidاَضْغَاثُConfusedاَحْلَامٍ ۚdreamsوَ مَاand notنَحْنُweبِتَاْوِیْلِ(are) in the interpretationالْاَحْلَامِ(of) the dreamsبِعٰلِمِیْنَ learned وَ قَالَBut saidالَّذِیْthe one whoنَجَاwas savedمِنْهُمَاof the twoوَ ادَّكَرَand rememberedبَعْدَafterاُمَّةٍa periodاَنَاIاُنَبِّئُكُمْ[I] will inform youبِتَاْوِیْلِهٖof its interpretationفَاَرْسِلُوْنِ so send me forth یُوْسُفُYusufاَیُّهَاOالصِّدِّیْقُthe truthful one!اَفْتِنَاExplain to usفِیْaboutسَبْعِ(the) sevenبَقَرٰتٍcowsسِمَانٍfatیَّاْكُلُهُنَّeating themسَبْعٌsevenعِجَافٌlean onesوَّ سَبْعِand sevenسُنْۢبُلٰتٍears (of corn)خُضْرٍgreenوَّ اُخَرَand otherیٰبِسٰتٍ ۙdryلَّعَلِّیْۤthat I mayاَرْجِعُreturnاِلَیtoالنَّاسِthe peopleلَعَلَّهُمْso that they mayیَعْلَمُوْنَ know قَالَHe saidتَزْرَعُوْنَYou will sowسَبْعَ(for) sevenسِنِیْنَyearsدَاَبًا ۚas usualفَمَاand that whichحَصَدْتُّمْyou reapفَذَرُوْهُso leave itفِیْinسُنْۢبُلِهٖۤits earsاِلَّاexceptقَلِیْلًاa littleمِّمَّاfrom whichتَاْكُلُوْنَ you (will) eat ثُمَّThenیَاْتِیْwill comeمِنْۢafterبَعْدِafterذٰلِكَthatسَبْعٌsevenشِدَادٌhard (years)یَّاْكُلْنَ(which will) consumeمَاwhatقَدَّمْتُمْyou advancedلَهُنَّfor themاِلَّاexceptقَلِیْلًاa littleمِّمَّاof whatتُحْصِنُوْنَ you (will) store ثُمَّThenیَاْتِیْwill comeمِنْۢafterبَعْدِafterذٰلِكَthatعَامٌa yearفِیْهِin itیُغَاثُwill be given abundant rainالنَّاسُthe peopleوَ فِیْهِand in itیَعْصِرُوْنَ۠they will press

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Translation of Verse 43-49

(12:43) And once³⁶ the king said: "I have dreamt that there are seven fat cows and seven lean cows are devouring them, and there are seven fresh green ears of corn and seven others dry and withered. My nobles! Tell me what is the interpretation of this dream, if you are well-versed in interpretation of dreams."³⁷

(12:44) They said: "These are confused dreams, and we do not know the interpretation of such dreams."

(12:45) Then of the two prisoners, the one who had been set free, now remembered, after the lapse of a long period, what Joseph had said. He said: "I will tell you the interpretation of this dream; just send me (to Joseph in prison)."³⁸

(12:46) Then he went to Joseph and said to him: "Joseph, O truthfulness incarnate,³⁹ tell the true meaning of the dream in which seven fat cows are devoured by seven lean ones; and there are seven green ears of corn and seven others dry and withered so that I may return to the people and they may learn."⁴⁰

(12:47) Joseph said: "You will cultivate consecutively for seven years. Leave in the ears all that you have harvested except the little out of which you may eat.

(12:48) Then there will follow seven years of great hardship in which you will eat up all you have stored earlier, except the little that you may set aside.

(12:49) Then there will come a year when people will be helped by plenty of rain and they will press (grapes)."⁴¹

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Commentary

36. Omitting a few years of Joseph’s life in prison, the thread of the narrative is picked up again. It is connected with the stage which marks the worldly rise of Joseph. *Mursal traditions are those in which a Successor narrates a report about or from the Prophet (peace be on him) without referring to any Companion — Ed.

37. According to the Bible and the Talmud, the king was greatly disturbed by his dreams. By a public declaration he invited all the wise men and magicians of his realm and placed the matter before them. (For the Biblical account see Genesis 41: 1 ff.)

38. The Qur’anic account here is quite brief. The Bible and the Talmud, however, mention some details — details which conform to common sense.

According to the information made available by the Bible and Talmud, the chief butler provided relevant information about Joseph to the king. The butler also mentioned that Joseph had rightly interpreted his own dream as well as the dreams of his fellow prisoners during the period of their imprisonment. (See Genesis 41: 9 ff.) He also sought the king’s permission to go and see Joseph and ask him the true meaning of the king’s dreams.

39. In Arabic usage the word siddiq, which occurs in this verse, denotes the highest degree of truthfulness and veracity. The use of the word shows how deeply that person had been influenced by Joseph’s character. The impression seems to have been a very profound one since it endured for a very long time. (For further elucidated meaning of the term see Towards Understanding the Our’ an, vol. II, al-Nisa’ 4, n. 99, p. 57.)

40. One of the two prisoners asked Joseph to interpret the dream in order that his true worth might be recognized and so that it might also be realized that a big mistake had been committed by having a person of his standing imprisoned. This, he thought, would also enable him to fulfil the promise he had made to Joseph in prison (see verse 42).

41. The actual word (ya‘sirun) used in the Qur’an literally means ‘they press out or squeeze out’ something (e.g. grapes, olives, etc.). The mention of pressing suggests the verdure and prosperity which would follow the famine as 4 result of rainfall and the rise in the water-level of the Nile. When the land would receive enough rainfall, there would be a luxuriant growth of oil seeds and fruits, both juicy and dry. Also the cattle would yield more milk as a result of the good quality fodder available to them.

Joseph did not confine himself to interpreting the king's dream. He also suggested to him to take precautionary measures against famine during the years of prosperity, the steps that ought to be taken to store the grain.

Moreover, Joseph foretold that the days of famine would be followed by those of prosperity. He prophesied this even though there was no hint of it in the king’s dream.