M.Asad · MealMerkezi.Net

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Alif. Lam. Ra. THESE ARE MESSAGES of a revelation clear in itself and clearly showing the truth:

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behold, We have bestowed it from on high as a discourse in the Arabic tongue, so that you might encompass it with your reason.

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In the measure that We reveal this Qur'an unto thee, (O Prophet,) We explain it to thee in the best possible way, seeing that ere this thou wert indeed among those who are unaware (of what revelation is).

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LO! Thus spoke Joseph unto his father: "O my father! Behold, I saw (in a dream) eleven stars, as well as the sun and the moon: I saw them prostrate themselves before me!"

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(Jacob) replied: "O my dear son! Do not relate thy dream to thy brothers lest (out of envy) they devise an evil scheme against thee; verily, Satan is man's open foe!

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For, (as thou hast been shown in thy dream,) even thus will thy Sustainer elect thee, and will impart unto thee some understanding of the inner meaning of happenings, and will bestow the full measure of His blessings upon thee and upon the House of Jacob -even as, aforetime, He bestowed it in full measure upon thy forefathers Abraham and Isaac. Verily, thy Sustainer is all-knowing, wise!"

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Indeed, in (the story of) Joseph and his brothers there are messages for all who search (after truth).

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NOW (Joseph's brothers) spoke (thus to one another:) "Truly, Joseph and his brother (Benjamin) are dearer to our father than we, even though we are so many. Behold, our father is surely suffering from an aberration!"

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(Said one of them:) "Slay Joseph, or else drive him away to some (faraway) land, so that your father's regard may be for you alone: and after this is done, you will be (free to repent and to live once again as) righteous people!"

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Another of them said: "Do not slay Joseph, but -rather - if you must do something - cast him into the dark depths of this well, (whence) some caravan may pick him up."

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(On this they agreed; and thereupon) they spoke (thus to their father): "O our father! Wherefore wilt thou not trust us with Joseph, seeing that we are indeed his well-wishers?

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Let him go out with us tomorrow, that he may enjoy himself and play: and, verily, we shall guard him well!"

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(Jacob) answered: "Behold, it grieves me indeed (to think) that you might take him with you, for I dread lest the wolf devour him at a moment when you are heedless of him!"

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Said they: "Surely, if the wolf were to devour him notwithstanding that we are so many-then, behold, we ought ourselves to perish!"

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And so, when they went away with him, they decided to cast him into the dark depths of the well. And We revealed (this) unto him: "Thou wilt yet remind them of this their deed at a time when they shall not perceive (who thou art) !"

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And at nightfall they came to their father, weeping,

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(and) said: "O our father! Behold, we went off racing with one another, and left Joseph behind with our things; and thereupon the wolf devoured him! But (we know that) thou wouldst not believe us even though we speak the truth" -

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and they produced his tunic with false blood upon it. (But Jacob) exclaimed: "Nay, but it is your (own) minds that have made (so terrible) a happening seem a matter of little account to you! But (as for myself,) patience in adversity is most goodly (in the sight of God); and it is to God (alone) that I pray to give me strength to bear the misfortune which you have described to me."

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AND THERE CAME a caravan; and they sent forth their drawer of water, and he let down his bucket into the well - (and when he saw Joseph) he exclaimed: "Oh, what a lucky find, this boy!" And they hid him with a view to selling him: but God had full knowledge of all that they were doing.

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And they sold him for a paltry price - a mere few silver coins: thus low did they value him.

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And the man from Egypt who bought him said to his wife: "Make his stay (with us) honourable; he may well be of use to us, or we may adopt him as a son. And thus We gave unto Joseph a firm place on earth; and (We did this) so that We might impart unto him some understanding of the inner meaning of happenings. For, God always prevails in whatever be His purpose: but most people know it not.

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And when he reached full manhood, We bestowed upon him the ability to judge (between right and wrong), as well as (innate) knowledge: for thus do We reward the doers of good.

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And (it so happened that) she in whose house he was living (conceived a passion for him and) sought to make him yield himself unto her; and she bolted the doors and said, "Come thou unto me!" (But Joseph) answered: "May God preserve me! Behold, goodly has my master made my stay (in this house)! Verily, to no good end come they that do (such) wrong!"

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And, indeed, she desired him, and he desired her; (and he would have succumbed) had he not seen (in this temptation) an evidence of his Sustainer's truth: thus (We willed it to be) in order that We might avert from him all evil and all deeds of abomination -for, behold, he was truly one of Our servants.

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And they both rushed to the door; and she (grasped and) rent his tunic from behind-and (lo!) they met her lord at the door! Said she: "What ought to be the punishment of one who had evil designs on (the virtue of) thy wife - (what) but imprisonment or a (yet more) grievous chastisement?"

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(Joseph) exclaimed: "It was she who sought to make me yield myself unto her!" Now one of those present, a member of her own household, suggested this: If his tunic has been torn from the front, then she is telling the truth, and he is a liar;

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but if his tunic has been torn from behind, then she is lying, and he is speaking the truth."

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And when (her husband) saw that his tunic was torn from behind, he said: "Behold, this is (an instance) of your guile, O womankind! Verily, awesome is your guile!

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(But,) Joseph, let this pass! And thou, (O wife,) ask forgiveness for thy sin-for, verily, thou hast been greatly at fault!"

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NOW the women of the city spoke (thus to one another): "The wife of this nobleman is trying to induce her slave-boy to yield himself unto her! Her love for him has pierced her heart; verily, we see that she is undoubtedly suffering from an aberration!

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