Tafheem ul Quran
Surah 12 Yusuf, Ayat 43-49
وَقَالَ الۡمَلِكُ اِنِّىۡۤ اَرٰى سَبۡعَ بَقَرٰتٍ سِمَانٍ يَّاۡكُلُهُنَّ سَبۡعٌ عِجَافٌ وَّسَبۡعَ سُنۡۢبُلٰتٍ خُضۡرٍ وَّاُخَرَ يٰبِسٰتٍؕ يٰۤاَيُّهَا الۡمَلَاُ اَفۡتُوۡنِىۡ فِىۡ رُءۡيَاىَ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ لِلرُّءۡيَا تَعۡبُرُوۡنَ
﴿12:43﴾
قَالُوۡۤا اَضۡغَاثُ اَحۡلَامٍۚ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِتَاۡوِيۡلِ الۡاَحۡلَامِ بِعٰلِمِيۡنَ
﴿12:44﴾
وَقَالَ الَّذِىۡ نَجَا مِنۡهُمَا وَادَّكَرَ بَعۡدَ اُمَّةٍ اَنَا اُنَـبِّئُكُمۡ بِتَاۡوِيۡلِهٖ فَاَرۡسِلُوۡنِ
﴿12:45﴾
يُوۡسُفُ اَيُّهَا الصِّدِّيۡقُ اَ فۡتِنَا فِىۡ سَبۡعِ بَقَرٰتٍ سِمَانٍ يَّاۡكُلُهُنَّ سَبۡعٌ عِجَافٌ وَّسَبۡعِ سُنۡۢبُلٰتٍ خُضۡرٍ وَّاُخَرَ يٰبِسٰتٍ ۙ لَّعَلِّىۡۤ اَرۡجِعُ اِلَى النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ
﴿12:46﴾
قَالَ تَزۡرَعُوۡنَ سَبۡعَ سِنِيۡنَ دَاَبًاۚ فَمَا حَصَدْتُّمۡ فَذَرُوۡهُ فِىۡ سُنۡۢبُلِهٖۤ اِلَّا قَلِيۡلًا مِّمَّا تَاۡكُلُوۡنَ
﴿12:47﴾
ثُمَّ يَاۡتِىۡ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ ذٰلِكَ سَبۡعٌ شِدَادٌ يَّاۡكُلۡنَ مَا قَدَّمۡتُمۡ لَهُنَّ اِلَّا قَلِيۡلًا مِّمَّا تُحۡصِنُوۡنَ
﴿12:48﴾
ثُمَّ يَاۡتِىۡ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ ذٰلِكَ عَامٌ فِيۡهِ يُغَاثُ النَّاسُ وَفِيۡهِ يَعۡصِرُوۡنَ
﴿12:49﴾
(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
Notes
36. Leaving the account of the events of the intervening years of imprisonment,
the story has been resumed from the time when Prophet Joseph began to rise in
worldly rank.
37. According to the Bible and the Talmud, the king was greatly disturbed,
troubled and confused because of these dreams. So he proclaimed throughout the
entire land of Egypt, and called upon all the wise men, and the soothsayers,
and magicians of the land to interpret his dreams.
38. The Quran has told in brief the essence of the request of the chief butler,
but the Bible and the Talmud have given its details. According to these (and
it stands to reason that it must have been so), he told the king of the life
of Prophet Joseph in prison and how he interpreted their dreams rightly and
prayed the king to give him leave to see Prophet Joseph in prison for that purpose.
39. The Arabic word Siddiq is used for the one who is an embodiment of truth
and righteousness. Thus it shows that the butler had been so deeply impressed
with the pure character of Prophet Joseph that even years had failed to blot
it from his heart. For its meaning please refer to
(E.N. 99 of Surah An-Nisa).
40. That is, they might understand your true worth and realize their own
error in keeping you in prison without any just cause. And in a way I may get
the opportunity of fulfilling the promise I made with you during my imprisonment.
41. The literal meaning of yasiroon is: “they will press.” Here it has been
used to denote that state of verdure which was going to prevail after the famine
years because of rainfall and flood in the Nile. For, when the land will be
watered, there will be abundance of seed to press oil, and abundance of fruit
to press juice and abundance of fodder for cattle to press milk out of them.
It should be noted that Prophet Joseph not only interpreted the king’s dream
but also told them how to preserve and reserve grain during the first seven
years of prosperity for the subsequent seven years of famine. Moreover he foretold
the good news of prosperity after the seven years of famine, though there was
no hint of this in the dream of the king.