Joseph, Peace Be On Him

[LXXVII.]

MECCA.—III Verses

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

ELIF. LAM. RA.¹ These are signs of the clear Book.

An Arabic Koran have we sent it down, that ye might understand it.

In revealing to thee this Koran,² one of the most beautiful of narratives will we narrate to thee, of which thou hast hitherto been regardless.

When Joseph said to his Father, “O my Father! verily I beheld eleven stars and the sun and the moon—beheld them make obeisance to me!”³

He said, “O my son! tell not thy vision to thy brethren, lest they plot a plot against thee: for Satan is the manifest foe of man.

It is thus that thy Lord shall choose thee and will teach thee the interpretation of dark saying, and will perfect his favours on thee and on the family of Jacob, as of old he perfected it on thy fathers Abraham and Isaac; verily thy Lord is Knowing, Wise!”

Now in JOSEPH and his brethren are signs for the enquirers;⁴

When they said, “Surely better loved by our Father, than we, who are more in number, is Joseph and his brother; verily, our father hath clearly erred.

Slay ye Joseph! or drive him to some other land, and on you alone shall your father’s face be set! and after this, ye shall live as upright persons.”

One of them said, “Slay not Joseph, but cast him down to the bottom of the well: if ye do so, some wayfarers will take him up.”

They said, “O our Father! why dost thou not entrust us with Joseph? indeed we mean him well.

Send him with us to-morrow that he may enjoy himself and sport: we will surely keep him safely.”

He said, “Verily, your taking him away will grieve me; and I fear lest while ye are heedless of him the wolf devour him.”

They said, “Surely if the wolf devour him, and we so many, we must in that case be weak indeed.”⁵

And when they went away with him they agreed to place him at the bottom of the well. And We revealed to him, “Thou wilt yet tell them of this their deed, when they shall not know thee.”

And they came at nightfall to their father weeping.

They said, “O our Father! of a truth, we went to run races, and we left Joseph with our clothes, and the wolf devoured him: but thou wilt not believe us even though we speak the truth.”

And they brought his shirt with false blood upon it. He said, “Nay, but yourselves have managed this affair.⁶ But patience is seemly: and the help of God is to be implored that I may bear what you tell me.”

And wayfarers came and sent their drawer of water,⁷ and he let down his bucket. “Good news!”⁸