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Towards Understanding the Quran
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 Surah Yusuf 12:43-49 [6/12] ↕
  
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Verse Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
وَقَالَAnd said
ٱلْمَلِكُthe king,
إِنِّىٓ"Indeed, I
أَرَىٰ[I] have seen
سَبْعَseven
بَقَرَٲتٍcows
سِمَانٍfat,
يَأْكُلُهُنَّeating them
سَبْعٌseven
عِجَافٌlean ones,
وَسَبْعَand seven
سُنۢبُلَـٰتٍears (of corn)
خُضْرٍgreen,
وَأُخَرَand other
يَابِسَـٰتٍ‌ۖdry.
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَاO
ٱلْمَلَأُchiefs!
أَفْتُونِىExplain to me
فِىabout
رُءْيَـٰىَmy vision
إِنif
كُنتُمْyou can
لِلرُّءْيَاof visions
تَعْبُرُونَinterpret."
﴿٤٣﴾
قَالُوٓاْThey said,
أَضْغَـٰثُ"Confused
أَحْلَـٰمٍ‌ۖdreams,
وَمَاand not
نَحْنُwe
بِتَأْوِيلِ(are) in the interpretation
ٱلْأَحْلَـٰمِ(of) the dreams
بِعَـٰلِمِينَlearned."
﴿٤٤﴾
وَقَالَBut said
ٱلَّذِىthe one who
نَجَاwas saved
مِنْهُمَاof the two
وَٱدَّكَرَand remembered
بَعْدَafter
أُمَّةٍa period,
أَنَا۟"I
أُنَبِّئُكُم[I] will inform you
بِتَأْوِيلِهِۦof its interpretation
فَأَرْسِلُونِso send me forth.
﴿٤٥﴾
يُوسُفُYusuf,
أَيُّهَاO
ٱلصِّدِّيقُthe truthful one!
أَفْتِنَاExplain to us
فِىabout
سَبْعِ(the) seven
بَقَرَٲتٍcows
سِمَانٍfat
يَأْكُلُهُنَّeating them
سَبْعٌseven
عِجَافٌlean ones,
وَسَبْعِand seven
سُنۢبُلَـٰتٍears (of corn)
خُضْرٍgreen
وَأُخَرَand other
يَابِسَـٰتٍdry,
لَّعَلِّىٓthat I may
أَرْجِعُreturn
إِلَىto
ٱلنَّاسِthe people
لَعَلَّهُمْso that they may
يَعْلَمُونَknow."
﴿٤٦﴾
قَالَHe said,
تَزْرَعُونَ"You will sow
سَبْعَ(for) seven
سِنِينَyears,
دَأَبًاas usual,
فَمَاand that which
حَصَدتُّمْyou reap
فَذَرُوهُso leave it
فِىin
سُنۢبُلِهِۦٓits ears
إِلَّاexcept
قَلِيلاًa little
مِّمَّاfrom which
تَأْكُلُونَyou (will) eat.
﴿٤٧﴾
ثُمَّThen
يَأْتِىwill come
مِنۢ بَعْدِafter
ذَٲلِكَthat
سَبْعٌseven
شِدَادٌhard (years)
يَأْكُلْنَ(which will) consume
مَاwhat
قَدَّمْتُمْyou advanced
لَهُنَّfor them,
إِلَّاexcept
قَلِيلاًa little
مِّمَّاof what
تُحْصِنُونَyou (will) store.
﴿٤٨﴾
ثُمَّThen
يَأْتِىwill come
مِنۢ بَعْدِafter
ذَٲلِكَthat
عَامٌa year
فِيهِin it
يُغَاثُwill be given abundant rain
ٱلنَّاسُthe people
وَفِيهِand in it
يَعْصِرُونَthey will press."
﴿٤٩﴾

وَقَالَ الۡمَلِكُ اِنِّىۡۤ اَرٰى سَبۡعَ بَقَرٰتٍ سِمَانٍ يَّاۡكُلُهُنَّ سَبۡعٌ عِجَافٌ وَّسَبۡعَ سُنۡۢبُلٰتٍ خُضۡرٍ وَّاُخَرَ يٰبِسٰتٍ​ؕ يٰۤاَيُّهَا الۡمَلَاُ اَفۡتُوۡنِىۡ فِىۡ رُءۡيَاىَ اِنۡ كُنۡتُمۡ لِلرُّءۡيَا تَعۡبُرُوۡنَ‏  قَالُوۡۤا اَضۡغَاثُ اَحۡلَامٍۚ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِتَاۡوِيۡلِ الۡاَحۡلَامِ بِعٰلِمِيۡنَ‏   وَقَالَ الَّذِىۡ نَجَا مِنۡهُمَا وَادَّكَرَ بَعۡدَ اُمَّةٍ اَنَا اُنَـبِّئُكُمۡ بِتَاۡوِيۡلِهٖ فَاَرۡسِلُوۡنِ‏  يُوۡسُفُ اَيُّهَا الصِّدِّيۡقُ اَ فۡتِنَا فِىۡ سَبۡعِ بَقَرٰتٍ سِمَانٍ يَّاۡكُلُهُنَّ سَبۡعٌ عِجَافٌ وَّسَبۡعِ سُنۡۢبُلٰتٍ خُضۡرٍ وَّاُخَرَ يٰبِسٰتٍ ۙ لَّعَلِّىۡۤ اَرۡجِعُ اِلَى النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمۡ يَعۡلَمُوۡنَ‏  قَالَ تَزۡرَعُوۡنَ سَبۡعَ سِنِيۡنَ دَاَبًا​ۚ فَمَا حَصَدْتُّمۡ فَذَرُوۡهُ فِىۡ سُنۡۢبُلِهٖۤ اِلَّا قَلِيۡلًا مِّمَّا تَاۡكُلُوۡنَ‏  ثُمَّ يَاۡتِىۡ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ ذٰلِكَ سَبۡعٌ شِدَادٌ يَّاۡكُلۡنَ مَا قَدَّمۡتُمۡ لَهُنَّ اِلَّا قَلِيۡلًا مِّمَّا تُحۡصِنُوۡنَ‏  ثُمَّ يَاۡتِىۡ مِنۡۢ بَعۡدِ ذٰلِكَ عَامٌ فِيۡهِ يُغَاثُ النَّاسُ وَفِيۡهِ يَعۡصِرُوۡنَ‏ 
Translation
(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
Commentary

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.