Verses 93–102
Verses
This section of verses presents the conclusion to the story of Joseph. It contains the verses in which Joseph instructs his brothers to convey his shirt to their father and to return to him with their entire family. Subsequently, they enter Egypt and he reunites with his parents.
ٱذْهَبُوا۟ بِقَمِيصِى هَـٰذَا فَأَلْقُوهُ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِ أَبِى يَأْتِ بَصِيرًا وَأْتُونِى بِأَهْلِكُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ٩٣
22:5412:93 Take this shirt of mine, and cast it upon my father’s face; he will regain his sight, and bring me all your folks.
This is a continuation of Joseph’s speech, in which he instructs his brothers to take his shirt to their father and place it on his face so that God may heal his eyes, restoring his sight after he had become blind due to his excessive grief and crying for the loss of Joseph. This act represents the last of the miraculous interventions God displayed in favor of Joseph in this chapter, where He turned events to his advantage, contrary to their initial appearances. Despite the malicious intentions of his brothers, who envied him, belittled him, and tried to remove him from his family by casting him into the well and selling him into slavery. However, God turned these very actions into blessings for Joseph. These actions, meant to harm him, became the reason he took up residence in the house of Potiphar in Egypt, enjoyed a place of honor, and later ascended to a position of power, where his brothers would beseech him saying, ‘O mighty one! Distress has befallen our family, and us, and we have brought a meager sum. Yet grant us the full measure, and be charitable to us! Indeed Allah rewards the charitable’ (12:88)
Furthermore, when the wife of Potiphar and other women of Egypt desired Joseph and attempted to seduce him, God preserved him, and this very incident served to establish his innocence and highlight his virtuousness. Then, when they humiliated him by imprisoning him, but this too became a means for his eventual honor and authority in the land.
When his brothers first returned to their father with Joseph’s blood-stained shirt, falsely indicating his death, it became a source of their father’s overwhelming grief. Such was the grief that it blinded him. But God, in His infinite wisdom and mercy, restored his sight. In essence, while circumstances seemed to conspire to bring Joseph down, God’s will aimed to elevate him. And what God willed occurred, irrespective of what the apparent circumstances suggested.
22:55When Joseph said, ‘and bring me all your folks,’ this was a command for the entire house of Jacob—including Jacob himself, his family, his children, and his progeny—to migrate from their pastoral life to settle in Egypt.
وَلَمَّا فَصَلَتِ ٱلْعِيرُ قَالَ أَبُوهُمْ إِنِّى لَأَجِدُ رِيحَ يُوسُفَ ۖ لَوْلَآ أَن تُفَنِّدُونِ ٩٤
12:94 As the caravan set off (faṣalat al-ʿīr), their father said, ‘I sense the scent of Joseph, if you will not consider me a dotard
(tufannidūni).’
The term faṣl means to separate or be separated from something. The verb tanfīd (from whence derives tufannidūn) is derived from fand, meaning to be of poor judgment or lacking in wisdom.
The meaning here is that when the caravan carrying Joseph’s shirt left Egypt and was distant from it, Jacob, speaking to those of his sons who were with him, sensed the familiar scent of Joseph, portending their forthcoming reunion. He might have been more convinced of this feeling had his sons not previously accused him of being delusional.
قَالُوا۟ تَٱللَّهِ إِنَّكَ لَفِى ضَلَـٰلِكَ ٱلْقَدِيمِ ٩٥
12:95 They said, ‘By God, you persist in your inveterate error
(ḍalālika al-qadīm).’
This was Jacob’s sons’ response to him when he mentioned Joseph. The term qadīm here means the opposite of new, referring to something that has been present for a while. Some of his sons who were with him retorted with this, reflecting their persistent attitude throughout the story. At the beginning of the story, they had said, ‘Our father is indeed in manifest error’ (12:8), and now, as it approaches its conclusion, they say again, By God, you persist in your inveterate error.
It seems that what they meant by ‘error’ (ḍalāl) on both occasions was what they saw as Jacob’s excessive love for Joseph. They felt that they, being many and strong, were more deserving of their father’s love and attention, as they took care of the household and defended it. In their eyes, Jacob had deviated from the path of wisdom by favoring his two youngest children who offered no tangible support, while neglecting his more capable elder sons. After Joseph’s apparent death, Jacob was deeply grieved, continuously mourning to the point that he lost his sight and became bent-backed—this only further frustrated his elder sons.
22:56In referencing their father’s prior ḍalāl, they did not mean to suggest this in the sense of religious deviation, which would be tantamount to disbelief. This is for the following reasons:
Firstly, the various parts of their statements throughout the story attest to the fact that they were monotheists, following the religion of their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Secondly, the reference here, as well as at the beginning of the story when they said, ‘Our father is indeed in manifest error’ does not contain anything to suggest a form of religious deviation. Rather, it refers to a practical and personal matter: the preferential love of a father for some children over others. This is what is meant by ‘error’ in this context, because they saw this love as misplaced.
فَلَمَّآ أَن جَآءَ ٱلْبَشِيرُ أَلْقَىٰهُ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِۦ فَٱرْتَدَّ بَصِيرًا ۖ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ٩٦
12:96 When the bearer of good news arrived, he cast it on his face, and he regained his sight. He said, ‘Did I not tell you, ‘‘I know from Allah what you do not know?’’
The bearer of good news is the one who brought the shirt to Jacob. Here, Jacob reminds his sons of the statement he made earlier when they rebuked him for mentioning Joseph: ‘I complain of my anguish and grief only to Allah. I know from Allah what you do not know.’ The meaning of this verse is clear.
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰٓأَبَانَا ٱسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا ذُنُوبَنَآ إِنَّا كُنَّا خَـٰطِـِٔينَ ٩٧
12:97 They said, ‘Father! Plead for forgiveness of our sins! We have indeed been erring.’
22:57The ones speaking here are Jacob’s sons, as is evident from their address: ‘O our father!’ By ‘sins’ here, they are referring to their transgressions related to Joseph and his brother. As for Joseph, he had already prayed for their forgiveness before.
قَالَ سَوْفَ أَسْتَغْفِرُ لَكُمْ رَبِّىٓ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٩٨
12:98 He said, ‘I shall plead with my Lord to forgive you
(sawfa astaghfiru la-kum); indeed He is the All-forgiving, the
All-merciful.’
Jacob postponed seeking forgiveness for them, as indicated by his words, sawfa astaghfiru la-kum, in which he used the future particle sawfa. Perhaps the reason he delayed this was to fully relish the joy of reuniting with Joseph and allow his heart to completely heal from the pain of separation before seeking forgiveness on their behalf. Some traditions suggest that he postponed his supplication to a time when prayers are more likely to be answered—and we will discuss these later.
فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ ءَاوَىٰٓ إِلَيْهِ أَبَوَيْهِ وَقَالَ ٱدْخُلُوا۟ مِصْرَ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ءَامِنِينَ ٩٩
12:99 When they entered into the presence of Joseph, he set his parents close to himself, and said, ‘Welcome to Egypt, in safety, God willing!’
Once again, we notice that parts of the story have been left implicit for the sake of brevity: The narrative implies that Jacob and his family left their land and journeyed to Egypt. Upon their arrival, the events described in the verse occurred.
… he set his parents close to himself has been explained as meaning that he embraced them. When he said, ‘Welcome to Egypt …,’ this suggests that Joseph initially left Egypt to receive them and then invited them to enter Egypt as a gesture of respect and politeness. Joseph’s statement, ‘… in safety, God willing’ is profoundly eloquent, as he simultaneously demonstrates his authority by granting them safety and imposing his rule, as is the customs of kings. However, he predicates all of this on God’s will, signifying that human intentions only manifest when aligned with divine will, underscoring the essence of pure monotheism. The narrative suggests that their entrance and settlement in Egypt was only permissible with the permission of its ruler, which is why he assured them of safety at the outset.
22:58The Qurʾan uses the term ‘his parents,’ but commentators differ on whether this refers to his actual mother and father, or if it means Jacob and Joseph’s maternal aunt, based on the idea that his mother died when he was young. However, the Qurʾanic discourse does not provide evidence supporting either reading, though the apparent meaning suggests that they were his biological parents.
Thus the meaning of the verse is: When they—Joseph’s parents, brothers, and their households—entered into the presence of Joseph—outside of Egypt—he set his parents close to himself—and embraced them—and said—giving them a guarantee of safety—‘Welcome to Egypt, in safety, God willing!’
وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيْهِ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ وَخَرُّوا۟ لَهُۥ سُجَّدًا ۖ وَقَالَ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ هَـٰذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُءْيَـٰىَ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّى حَقًّا ۖ وَقَدْ أَحْسَنَ بِىٓ إِذْ أَخْرَجَنِى مِنَ ٱلسِّجْنِ وَجَآءَ بِكُم مِّنَ ٱلْبَدْوِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَن نَّزَغَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَ إِخْوَتِىٓ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى لَطِيفٌ لِّمَا يَشَآءُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ١٠٠ ۞
12:100 And he raised his parents high upon the throne (ʿarsh), and they fell down prostrate before him (kharrū la-hu sujjadan). He said, ‘Father! This is the fulfillment of my dream of long ago, which my Lord has made come true. He was certainly gracious to me when He brought me out of the prison and brought you over from the desert (badw) after that Satan had incited ill feeling between me and my brothers. Indeed, my Lord is allattentive in bringing about what He wishes. Indeed, He is the
All-knowing, the All-wise.’
An ʿarsh is an elevated seat, and the term is commonly used to denote the dais that is reserved for a king. The verb kharūr means to fall to the ground. Badw means to live the Bedouin life in the desert, as this was how Jacob lived before coming to Egypt.
And he raised his parents high upon the throne means that he seated them upon the royal throne where he sat, out of respect. The narrative suggests they were raised onto the throne by Joseph’s command, facilitated by his attendants, and not by him personally. The bowing down described by the phrase, and they fell down prostrate before him, likely occurred immediately upon seeing Joseph. It is as if they entered the room, were seated, and then when Joseph appeared, illuminated with divine light reflecting his exceptional beauty, such that they could not help but prostrate before him.
22:59Regarding the phrase, and they fell down prostrate before him, the pronoun ‘him’ refers to Joseph, as indicated by the context, signifying that he was the one prostrated to. While some argue that this prostration was intended for God, given the prohibition of prostrating to anyone other than Him, there is no linguistic evidence to support this view. A similar instance occurs in the Qurʾan in the story of Adam and the angels, where God said, When We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate before Adam,’ they prostrated, but not Iblis (20:116).
The evidence that the prostration was not a form of worship directed to Joseph is that among those who prostrated to him was Jacob. The Qurʾan explicitly states that Jacob was devoted solely to God, associating no partners with Him. Similarly, Joseph to whom the prostration was directed, is also af rmed in the Qurʾan as someone who refrains from associating partners with God. This is evident when he said to his fellow inmates in prison, ‘It is not for us to ascribe any partner to Allah’ (12:38), and nothing deterred them from this belief.
Thus, it is only logical to conclude that they took Joseph as a sign from God and used him as a direction for their prostration, intending to worship God through this act, similar to the way in which the Kaʿba is used as a direction for prayer in Islam, with the worship being directed toward God, not the Kaʿba itself. It is well-known that a sign, being merely symbolic, has no intrinsic divinity and thus the only deity worthy of worship remains God, the Exalted. This topic has been discussed at length in earlier parts of this book.
From this, it becomes evident that some of the justifications offered by other commentators are unfounded. For example, the claim that the customary greeting during that time was prostration, similar to how greeting in Islam is to offer peace, or the assertion that the act of prostration was a prevalent custom then and was not explicitly forbidden unless it was directed to someone other than God, similar to certain practices in Islam, or even the idea that their prostration was akin to the act of bowing as practiced by some non-Arabs. None of these find any evidence in the text or elsewhere.
22:60He said, ‘Father! This is the fulfillment of my dream of long ago, which my Lord has made come true …’—When Joseph witnessed his parents and eleven brothers prostrating to him, he recalled the dream he had seen earlier in his life where eleven stars, the sun, and the moon were prostrating to him, a dream he had shared with his father when he was a child. Referring to their prostration, he remarked, ‘Father! This is the fulfillment of my dream of long ago, which my Lord has made come true.’
He then expressed gratitude to his Lord, saying, ‘He was certainly gracious to me when He brought me out of the prison …’—He recalled the favors that God had bestowed upon him in releasing him from a trying situation, the prison, and replacing it with ease and blessings, elevating him to a position of honor and leadership.
Note that Joseph does not mention being thrown into the well, given the presence of his brothers, as he did not wish to remind them of a past event that might upset them. Out of nobility and chivalry, he alluded to it in the most graceful manner without casting blame, saying, ‘…and brought you over from the desert after that Satan had incited ill feeling between me and my brothers’ Here, the phrase, ‘incited ill feeling,’ refers to the act of causing disruption or mischief. What he means to convey is that after the devil had caused division between him and his brothers, leading to certain events and their separation, God, in His mercy, brought Joseph to Egypt, blessed him with comfort, honor, and authority, and eventually reunited them all, moving them from the rural lands to a place of urbanized civilization.
In other words, Joseph is saying: ‘All the various adversities befell me are due to the devil causing division between me and my brothers. Of these troubles, particularly dif cult were the estrangement from you and the ordeal of imprisonment. Yet, God treated me favorably, deflecting these hardships from me one after another. These were not ordinary tribulations, but rather massive challenges and knots that seemed impossible to untie. Nevertheless, through His kindness and immense power, God intervened, turning what were once causes of destruction and misery into sources of life and blessing.’ And that is why, following these last three points, after his statement, ‘He was certainly gracious to me …,’ he adds, ‘Indeed my Lord is all-attentive in bringing about what He wishes.’
22:61When Joseph says, ‘Indeed my Lord is all-attentive (laṭīf) in bringing about what He wishes,’ he is explaining the reason why he was released from prison and his family came to Egypt from the desert. This phrase highlights the special care and favor God bestowed upon him. The hardships that surrounded him would not have loosened or deviated from their course by any ordinary means, but God, being attentive in His will, transformed each of these harsh circumstances into a source of comfort and ease. What were once causes of humiliation and enslavement became means of honor and authority.
Al-Laṭīf (‘the Gentle,’ ‘the Attentive,’ or ‘the Subtle’) is one of God’s exalted names. It indicates His omnipresence and encompassment of even the most far removed of circumstances. It alludes to His understanding of the innermost aspects of things. This emanates from His divine attribute of all-encompassing power and knowledge. The term ‘laṭīf’ in its essence refers to subtlety, intricacy, and the ability to permeate the finest of spaces. It is also used metaphorically for kindness, sagacity, and the act of gentleness.
When Joseph says, ‘Indeed He is the All-knowing, the All-wise,’ this provides a rationale for everything he recounted beginning from, ‘Father! This is the fulfillment of my dream of long ago, which my Lord has made come true …’ He ends his speech with these two names to align with his father’s description of God when discussing his dream, when Jacob said, ‘Your Lord is indeed all-knowing, all-wise.’ It is also plausible that use of the definitive article alin the All-knowing, the All-wise (al-ʿalīm al-ḥakīm) emphasizes af rmation (that is, ‘He really is the All-knowing, the All-wise’), signifying his acknowledgment of his father’s description on the day long ago when he first recounted his dream to him.
رَبِّ قَدْ ءَاتَيْتَنِى مِنَ ٱلْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِى مِن تَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ ۚ فَاطِرَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ أَنتَ وَلِىِّۦ فِى ٱلدُّنْيَا وَٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ ۖ تَوَفَّنِى مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِى بِٱلصَّـٰلِحِينَ ١٠١
12:101 ‘My Lord! You have granted me a share in the kingdom, and taught me the interpretation of dreams. Originator of the 22:62heavens and earth! You are my guardian in this world and the
Hereafter! Let my death be in submission, and unite me with the Righteous.’
After Joseph praised his Lord and recounted the dif culties God averted from him, he wished to mention the distinct blessings God had bestowed upon him. Overwhelmed by divine love and detached from anything else, he shifted his address from his father, to focus solely on God. Turning to his Lord, he declared, ‘My Lord! You have granted me a share in the kingdom, and taught me the interpretation of dreams.’
‘Originator of the heavens and earth! You are my guardian in this world and the Hereafter!’—Joseph begins a new statement, in which he redoubles his praise of God and returns to extolling the principle of divine guardianship (wilāya) after having mentioned some of its apparent manifestations, such as his release from prison, the arrival of his family from the desert, the kingdom granted to him, and the knowledge of interpreting dreams. For surely God the Exalted is the Lord in all matters great and small and is the sole guardian in this world and the next.
God’s divine guardianship (wilāya)—by which I mean His sustaining of everything in its essence, attributes, and actions—stems from His creation and manifestation of all things, and from bringing them into manifest existence from the hiddenness of non-existence. Thus, He is the originator of the heavens and the earth. Therefore, the hearts of His chosen ones and sincere servants are directed toward Him through this name, which signifies His existence in Himself and His bringing other things into existence. As God has said, ‘‘Is there any doubt about Allah, the originator of the heavens and the earth?’ (14:10).
In this way, Joseph, being one of those who are sincerely devoted to God, began his acknowledgment of this divine guardianship by saying, Originator of the heavens and earth! You are my guardian in this world and the Hereafter! In other words, he is saying, ‘I am utterly under Your guardianship, without any agency or autonomy in myself, my attributes, my actions, or possessing any benefit, harm, life, death, or resurrection for myself.’
His statement, ‘Let my death be in submission, and unite me with the Righteous,’ reveals that, having immersed himself in a state of humility before the Lord of Majesty and acknowledged His guardianship in both this life and the next, he supplicated with the request of a subject to his master. He asked that he be as God’s guardianship entails in both lives: to be submissive as long as he lives in this world and to be among the righteous in the Hereafter. For the perfection (kamāl) of a divine servant (ʿabd) lies in his surrender to his Lord, submitting what the Lord wants from him while he lives, not exhibiting what He dislikes, and not accepting that any of his own achievements belong to him. He should also be righteous, worthy of being in the proximity of his Lord and deserving of His lofty blessings in matters that do not revert to the servant’s choice. This is his request for submission in this world and to be among the righteous in the Hereafter, which is what God, exalted be He, granted to his grandfather Abraham as stated, We certainly chose him in the (present) world, and in the Hereafter he will indeed be among the Righteous. When his Lord said to him, ‘Submit,’ he said, ‘I submit to the Lord of all the worlds’ (2:130–131).
22:63The submission which he asked God to grant him represents the utmost level of submission and the highest rank of divine servanthood, for it is the act of total surrender to God. This means that a servant should not see in himself, nor in anything that he does, any form of independence, to the extent that nothing of his own being, his attributes, or his actions should distract him from his Lord. And if attributed to God, the servant’s devotion is entirely for himself.
From the preceding, it becomes clear that his statement, ‘Let my death be in submission (tawaffanī musliman),’ is a plea by Joseph for God to continuously preserve his sincerity and devotion and cause his state of submission to endure for as long as he lives. In other words, it means to live in a state of submission until God takes his life. This indicates a request for God to keep him steadfast in submission until his death. It does not imply that he should die in the state of submission even if he had not submitted to God before that moment. Nor is it merely a request to die while being a Muslim as if to say, ‘I am a Muslim, so let me pass away now.’
This clarifies the mistaken notion presented by several early exegetes that when Joseph uttered the words, ‘Let my death be in submission,’ this was a plea asking God for death. Some even said: ‘No prophet had ever asked God for death or hoped for it except Joseph.’
ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ أَنۢبَآءِ ٱلْغَيْبِ نُوحِيهِ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَمَا كُنتَ لَدَيْهِمْ إِذْ أَجْمَعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُمْ وَهُمْ يَمْكُرُونَ ١٠٢
22:6412:102 These are accounts of the Unseen which We reveal to you, and you were not with them when they conspired together
(ajmaʿū amra-hum) and schemed.
The demonstrative pronoun ‘these’ refers to the story of Joseph. The address (‘you’) here is directed to the Prophet Muḥammad. The pronouns ‘they’ and ‘them’ refer to Joseph’s brothers, with ajmaʿū being derived from ijmāʿ meaning their collective determination and intent to act.
The phrase, … and you were not with them …, serves as an adverbial qualifier for the pronoun ‘you’ in ‘reveal to you.’ The statement, … We reveal to you, and you were not with them when they conspired together and schemed, elaborates on These are accounts of the Unseen. The implication here is that the story of Joseph is one of the hidden matters, for We reveal it to you, and the circumstances were such that you were not present when Joseph’s brothers were determined on their scheme, plotting against Joseph.
Examining Narrations
(1) In Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, it is narrated from Abū Baṣīr from Abū Jaʿfar al-Bāqir, in a lengthy narration: ‘Joseph told his brothers, “There shall be no reproach on you today. May Allah forgive you … Take this shirt of mine—the one stained with the tears from my eyes— and cast it upon my father’s face; he will regain his sight, and bring me all your folks.” He dispatched them back to Jacob that day and provided them with all they needed. As their caravan departed from Egypt, Jacob sensed Joseph’s scent and said to those present, including his children, “I sense the scent of Joseph, if you will not consider me a dotard.”
His sons approached quickly, holding the shirt, joyful and elated by what they had seen of Joseph’s status and the authority God had bestowed upon him. Their journey from Egypt to where Jacob resided took nine days. When the bearer of good news arrived, he cast it on his face, and he regained his sight. Jacob asked, “What happened to Benjamin?” They replied, “We left him in good condition with his brother.” Jacob praised God for this blessing, prostrated in gratitude, his sight was restored, and his 22:65back straightened. He then told his sons, “Go to Joseph with all of you today.” They journeyed to Joseph, and with them were Jacob and Joseph’s maternal aunt Yāmīl. Eagerly, they traveled for nine days to Egypt.’
Author’s comment: The woman, Jacob’s wife who traveled with him to Egypt, and who was Benjamin’s mother, was Joseph’s maternal aunt, not his actual mother. This fact is mentioned in several narrations and is apparent in the Qur’an. Some other narrations indicates that she was indeed Joseph’s mother and that Joseph and Benjamin were full brothers by the same mother. However, these narrations are not strong enough to conclusively refute the former ones.
(2) In Majmaʿ al-bayān, al-Ṭabrisī narrates from Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Ṣādiq, regarding the verse, ‘I sense the scent of Joseph, if you will not consider me a dotard’ (12:94): ‘Jacob sensed Joseph’s scent when the caravan departed from Egypt, while he was in Palestine, a journey of ten nights away.’
Author’s comment: It has been narrated in several traditions from both Sunnī and Shiʿi sources that the shirt Joseph sent to Jacob had, in fact, been sent down from Paradise. It was Abraham’s shirt, given to him by Gabriel when he was thrown into the fire. When Abraham wore it, he felt cool and safe. Isaac inherited it, and later Jacob. Jacob made it into an amulet, hanging it on Joseph when he was born. It remained around his neck until Joseph removed it from the amulet, releasing the scent of Paradise which Jacob recognized. These narrations are of uncertain reliability, however, especially given their weak chains of transmission.
Similarly, there are other narratives from both sects which include a letter written by Jacob to Joseph. In this letter, written while Jacob believed Joseph to be the governor of Egypt on behalf of the Pharaoh’s household, he sought the release of Benjamin. In the letter, he mentions that he is the son of Isaac, the one God commanded his grandfather, Abraham, to sacrifice, only later to ransom him with a great sacrifice. It should be noted that in an earlier part of the book, we discussed that the one to be sacrificed was actually Ishmael, not Isaac.
(3) In Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, Nashīt b. Nāṣiḥ al-Bajalī says: ‘I asked Abū ʿAbd Allāh: ‘Were the brothers of Joseph prophets?’ He replied, ‘No, nor were they virtuous devout men. And how could they 22:66be when they said to their father, “By God, you persist in your inveterate error”?’
Author’s comment: There are narratives in Sunnī sources and some weak Shiʿi traditions which assert that they were indeed prophets. However, these reports are refuted by what has been conclusively established from the verses of the Qurʾan, the traditions, and rational arguments concerning the infallibility of prophets. What appears in the Qurʾan suggesting that the tribes were prophets, as in the verse, and We revealed to Abraham and Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes (4:163), contains no explicit indication that ‘the Tribes’ (al-Asbāṭ) referred to the brothers of Joseph. Rather, the term ‘Asbāṭ’ can refer to all the tribes of the Children of Israel whose lineage traces back to Jacob. As in God’s saying, “We split them up into twelve tribal communities (7:160).
(4) In al-Faqīh, Shaykh al-Ṣadūq narrates via his chain from Muḥammad b. Muslim, from Abū ʿAbd Allāh about Jacob’s words to his sons, ‘I shall plead with my Lord to forgive you,’ He said: ‘Jacob deferred this until the pre-dawn hours of Friday.’ Author’s comment: There are other narratives in line with this. In Al-Durr al-manthūr, for example, al-Suyūṭī relates from Ibn Jarīr and Abū al-Shaykh, from Ibn ʿAbbās, from the Prophet: ‘The words of my brother Jacob to his sons, ‘I shall plead with my Lord to forgive you,’ mean that he delayed asking this until the eve of Friday.’
(5) In al-Kāfī, al-Kulaynī narrates via his chain from al-Faḍl b. Abī Qurra, from Abū ʿAbd Allāh: ‘The Messenger of God stated, “The best time you supplicate to God is during the pre-dawn hours.” Then he recited the verse about Jacob saying, “I shall plead with my Lord to forgive you”, and said: “He delayed this until the predawn hours.”
Author’s comment: A similar narrative is reported in Al-Durr al-manthūr from Abū al-Shaykh and Ibn Mardawayh via Ibn ʿAbbās. The Prophet was asked: ‘Why did Jacob delay asking for forgiveness for his sons?’ He said: ‘He delayed it until the pre-dawn hours, because this is the time in which prayers are answered.’
We have already discussed the reasons this delay in our commentary on the verses. Moreover, when Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers, he approached them with chivalry and honor, without reproaching them for the harm they caused him. It is fitting then that he forgave them and sought forgiveness for them promptly. However, Jacob’s attitude toward them when his sight was restored by casting the shirt upon him was not of the same nature.
22:67(6) In Tafsīr al-Qummī, it is narrated from Muḥammad b. ʿĪsā, from Yaḥya b. Aktham, that he asked Mūsā b. Muḥammad b. ʿAlī b. Mūsā about a number of things, and he then presented these questions to Abū al-Ḥasan. One of them was: ‘Tell me about God’s saying, And he raised his parents high upon the throne, and they fell down prostrate before him (12:100), did Jacob and his sons prostrate to Joseph even while they were prophets?
Abū al-Ḥasan al-Riḍā replied: ‘As for the prostration of Jacob and his sons to Joseph, it was not for Joseph. Rather, it was an act of obedience to God and a greeting to Joseph, just as the angels’ prostration to Adam was not for Adam, but an act of obedience to God and a greeting to Adam. So Jacob, his sons, and Joseph with them prostrated in gratitude to God for their reunion. Did you not see that he said in his gratitude at that time: ‘My Lord! You have granted me a share in the kingdom, and taught me the interpretation of dreams. Originator of the heavens and earth! You are my guardian in this world and the Hereafter! Let my death be in submission, and unite me with the Righteous’ (12:101).
Author’s comment: Some discussion has already taken place about their prostration to Joseph in the explanation of the verses, above, and the apparent meaning of the narration is that Joseph also prostrated with them as they did. This is inferred from Joseph’s words of gratitude: My Lord! You have granted me a share in the kingdom …’ However, this inference is somewhat tentative.
(7) Al-ʿAyyāshī also narrates this tradition in his own Tafsīr, from Muḥammad b. Saʿīd al-Azadī, the companion of Mūsā b. Muḥammad b. al-Riḍā. He said to his brother: ‘Yaḥya b. al-Aktham wrote to him asking about some questions. One was: “Inform me about God’s saying, And he raised his parents high upon the throne, and they fell down prostrate before him …, did Jacob and his sons prostrate to Joseph?”
He said, “I asked him about that, and he said: ‘As for the prostration of Jacob and his son to Joseph, it was in gratitude to God for their reunion. Do you not see that he says in his gratitude at that time: ‘My Lord! You have granted me a share in the kingdom, and taught me the interpretation of dreams …’”
22:68Author’s comment: What al-ʿAyyāshī narrated is closer in meaning to the wording of the verse and less ambiguous in nature than what is found in al-Qummī’s commentary.
(8) In Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, it is narrated from Ibn Abī ʿUmayr, from some of his companions, from Abū ʿAbd Allāh, regarding God’s saying, And he raised his parents high upon the throne …, he said: ‘The throne is the dais (sarīr).’ And regarding His saying, and they fell down prostrate before him, he said: ‘Their prostration was an act of worship to God.’
(9) In the same source, it is narrated from Abū Baṣīr, from Imām al-Bāqir that he said in a narration: ‘They journeyed for nine days to Egypt. When they entered Joseph’s presence in the king’s house, he embraced his father, kissed him and wept. He lifted his aunt onto the king’s dais, then he entered his house where he anointed himself, applied kohl, and wore the garments of honor and kingship. Then he returned to them…’—another version reads: ‘…he went out to them’—‘And, when they saw him, they all prostrated in reverence and gratitude to God. At this, he said: “Father! This is the fulfillment of my dream of long ago, which my Lord has made come true. He was certainly gracious to me when He brought me out of the prison and brought you over from the desert after that Satan had incited ill feeling between me and my brothers.”’
He continued: ‘During those twenty years, Joseph did not anoint himself, apply kohl, wear perfume, laugh, or touch women until God reunited him with Jacob and brought together him, Jacob and his brothers.’
(10) In al-Kāfī, al-Kulaynī narrates via his chain of narrators from al-ʿAbbās b. Hilāl al-Shāmī, the freedman of Abū al-Ḥasan, he said: ‘I asked him: “May I be your ransom, what is more wondrous to people than eating coarse food, wearing rough clothes and being humble?” He replied, “Do you not know that Joseph, a prophet and the son of a prophet, used to wear silk caps embroidered with gold? He would sit in the assemblies of Pharaoh’s family and judge. People did not need his clothes, but they needed his justice. What is required of an Imām is that when he speaks, he speaks the truth, when he promises, he fulfills, and when he judges, he is fair—because God does not forbid any food or drink that is lawful—and forbids the unlawful, whether little or much. God has said: Say, ‘Who has forbidden the adornment of Allah which He has brought forth for His servants, and the good things of provision?’” (11) In Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, it is narratred from Muḥammad b. Muslim: ‘I asked Abū Jaʿfar: “How long did Jacob live with Joseph in Egypt, after God reunited the two of them and showed him the fulfillment of Joseph’s dream?” He said: “He lived for two years.” I asked: “Who was then the divine authority (ḥujja) on earth, Jacob or Joseph?” He said: “Jacob was the divine authority and Joseph was the king. When Jacob died, Joseph carried Jacob’s bones in a cof n to the Levant and buried him in Jerusalem. Then Joseph, the son of Jacob, became the divine authority.’
22:69Author’s comment: The narrations about his story are numerous. We have limited ourselves to those that touch on the verses of the Qurʾan, although most of them are not without confusions in their texts and weaknesses in their chains of narrators.
One report says that God Almighty placed prophethood from the family of Jacob in the loins of Levi, who was the one who prevented his brothers from killing Joseph when he said: ‘Do not kill Joseph, but throw him into the recess of some well …’ (12:10). He is also the one who said to his brothers when Joseph took Benjamin on the accusation of theft: I will never leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah passes a judgment for me, and He is the best of judges’ (12:80), so God granted his children prophethood in gratitude for that.
Another report says that that Joseph married the wife of Potiphar, the woman who had tried to seduce him. This was after Potiphar had died during those barren years. It is not unlikely that this was a form of grace from God to her when she confirmed Joseph’s truthfulness in her saying: ‘Now the truth has come to light! It was I who solicited him, and he is indeed telling the truth’ (12:51), assuming the narration is authentic.
22:70On the Story of Joseph
- His story in the Qurʾan:
He is Joseph, the prophet, son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham the Friend of God. He was one of the twelve sons of Jacob and the youngest of his brothers, except for his brother Benjamin. God willed to complete His favor on him by endowing him with knowledge, wisdom, dignity, and kingship, and to elevate the status of the family of Jacob through him. So, He gave him glad tidings when he was young with a vision he saw where eleven stars, the sun, and the moon were prostrating to him. He mentioned this to his father, who advised him not to relate his vision to his brothers so they would not envy him. Then he interpreted his vision that God would choose him, teach him the interpretation of events, and complete His favor upon him and the family of Jacob, just as He completed it upon his parents before him, Abraham and Isaac.
This vision was always in Joseph’s mind, taking hold of his heart, and his soul was constantly drawn to the love of his God and devotion to Him, due to his high spirit, purity of soul, and praiseworthy qualities. He had a unique beauty that was captivating and astonishing to onlookers.
Jacob loved him deeply because of the unique beauty he saw in him and the purity of his inner self he discerned. He never left him, not even for an hour. This weighed heavily on his older brothers, and their envy toward him grew so intense that they gathered and conspired against him. Some suggested killing him, while others said: ‘Kill Joseph or cast him away into some land, so that your father’s love may be exclusively yours, and that you may become a righteous lot after that’ (12:9). Then they agreed on what some of them suggested, which was to throw him into the bottom of the well so that some caravan would pick him up. They decided on this. They approached their father and persuaded him to let Joseph go with them the next day to graze and play, promising that they would look after him. Jacob did not agree and expressed his fear that a wolf might eat him. But they kept persuading him until they convinced him and took Joseph from him. They went with him to their sheep’s pastures in the desert, where they threw him into a well after removing his shirt.
Then they came to their father with his shirt stained with false blood, weeping, and told him that they had gone racing that day and left Joseph with their belongings, and a wolf ate him, and this was his shirt stained with his blood.
22:71Jacob wept and said: ‘Rather your souls have made a matter seem decorous to you. Yet patience is graceful, and Allah is the resort against what you allege’ (12:18).
He said this only because of divine intuition that God had cast into his heart. Jacob continued to remember Joseph and weep for him, and nothing could console him. His eyes turned white from grief, and he was filled with sorrow.
His sons kept watching the well until a caravan came. They sent their water drawer to draw water. He let down his bucket and Joseph clung to it. He was pulled out and they were glad to see him. The sons of Jacob approached them and claimed that he was their servant. Then they bargained with them until they sold him for a few silver coins.
The caravan took him to Egypt and put him up for sale. Potiphar of Egypt bought him and brought him into his house and said to his wife: ‘Give him an honorable place. Maybe he will be useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son’ (12:21). This was because of the signs of nobility and purity of spirit Potiphar saw in his face, along with his extraordinary beauty. So, Joseph settled in the house of Potiphar in comfort and luxury. This was the first manifestation of God’s subtle care for Joseph and His divine guardianship of him. Even though his brothers had thrown him into the well and sold him and tried to erase his memory and deprive him of a decent life in his father’s house, God had replaced his tent and nomadic life with a royal palace and a sophisticated urban life. Thus, God elevated his status precisely when they wanted to degrade and belittle him. And so, God’s will for him unfolded as events progressed.
Joseph lived in the house of Potiphar in the utmost comfort until he grew up and reached his prime. His soul continued to grow pure and his heart clean, and he devoted himself to his Lord until he was completely absorbed in His love and devoted to Him. He had no concern but God, so God chose him and devoted him to Himself, and gave him wisdom and knowledge. And this is what He does with those who do good.
However, it was during tis time that the wife of Potiphar fell in love with Joseph, and her love for him became so intense that she tried to seduce him. She locked the doors and invited him to her, saying: ‘Come!’ But Joseph refused and took refuge in God’s protection, saying: ‘God forbid! Indeed He is my Lord; He has given me a good abode. Indeed the wrongdoers are not felicitous’ (12:23). They raced to the door, and she tore his shirt from behind, and they ran into her husband at the door (12:25). She accused Joseph of intending to harm her, and Joseph denied it. However, God’s protection came to his rescue, and a baby in the cradle there testified to his innocence, and God showed him to be free of blame.
22:72Then he was tested by the love of the women of Egypt and their attempts to seduce him, and the matter of the wife of Potiphar became public, leading to his imprisonment. The wife of Potiphar instigated this in an attempt to discipline him into responding to her desires, while Potiphar wanted to silence the circulating rumors that were tarnishing the honor of his household and marring his good reputation.
Joseph entered prison along with two young men who served the king. One of them mentioned that he saw in his dream that he was pressing wine, and the other saw that he was carrying bread on his head which the birds were eating. They asked him to interpret their dreams. He interpreted the first one’s dream that he would be released and become the king’s cupbearer, and the second one’s dream that he would be crucified and the birds would eat from his head. It happened as he said. Joseph said to the one whom he knew would be delivered from among the two: ‘Mention me to your master.’ But Satan caused him to forget mentioning it to his master. So he remained in the prison for several years (12:42).
After a few years, the king saw a dream that terrified him. He mentioned it to his courtiers and said: ‘I saw in a dream seven fat cows being devoured by seven lean ones, and seven green ears and others dry. O courtiers, give me your opinion about my dream, if you can interpret dreams.’ They said, ‘Confused nightmares, and we do not know the interpretation of nightmares’ (12:43–44). It was at that point that the king’s cupbearer remembered Joseph and his interpretation of his dream. He mentioned this to the king and sought permission to return to prison and ask Joseph about the dream. The king granted him permission and sent him.
When he came to him and asked him about the dream, mentioning that people were waiting for him to reveal its meaning, he said: ‘You will sow for seven consecutive years. Then leave in the ear whatever you harvest, except a little that you eat. Then after that there will come seven hard years which will eat up whatever you have set aside for them—all except a little which you preserve. Then after that there will come a year wherein the people will be granted relief and in which they will press.’
22:73When the king heard Joseph’s interpretation, he was impressed and ordered his release and his summoning. But when the messenger came to execute the king’s order, Joseph refused to leave and appear before the king until the king investigated what had transpired between him and the women and passed judgment between him and them. When the women were brought forth and questioned about the matter, they all agreed to exonerate him of all the accusations and said: ‘Heaven be praised! We know of no evil in him.’ The wife of Potiphar said: ‘Now the truth has come to light! It was I who solicited him, and he is indeed telling the truth’ (12:51). The king greatly admired Joseph’s knowledge, wisdom, integrity, and trustworthiness, and ordered his release and his summoning with honor, saying: ‘Bring him to me, I will make him my favorite.’ Then, when he had spoken with him, he said, ‘Indeed today you will be honored and trustworthy with us.’ Thus, Joseph had passed the most rigorous tests and examinations.
Joseph said: ‘Put me in charge of the country’s granaries’—referring to those of Egypt—’I am indeed fastidious and well-informed.’ He wanted to prepare the kingdom during the seven fertile years that were to come, to rescue them from the threat of the seven barren years. The king agreed to this, and Joseph took charge. He ordered the cultivation of crops, the gathering of food, and its preservation in storehouses with careful planning and management. When the barren years hit, he distributed the stored provisions and rationed the food, thus saving them from famine. During these years, Joseph rose to a position of power in Egypt and took control of the throne. The prison had been a pathway for him to reach the seat of power and kingship, by God’s will, even though they had intended to obliterate his memory and make people forget him.
During some of those barren years, his brothers came to Joseph to get food. He recognized them, but they did not recognize him. He asked them about their situation and themselves. They told him that they were the sons of Jacob and that they were eleven brothers, the youngest of whom was with their father, who was very attached to him and never let him leave his side. Joseph expressed his longing to see his youngest brother and asked them to bring him along if they returned for more food. He treated them generously and gave them their full measure of grain. They promised to bring their younger brother, and he ordered his servants to place their merchandise back in their sacks so that they would recognize it when they returned to their family, in the hope that they would return.
22:74When they returned to their father, they told him what had transpired between them and Potiphar of Egypt, and that he had withheld their ration unless they returned with their brother Benjamin. Their father refused, but when they opened their bags and found their merchandise returned to them, they pleaded with their father to send Benjamin with them to Egypt. He refused until they gave him a solemn promise in God’s name that they would bring him back unless they were overtaken by an unforeseen event. They then prepared for their second journey to Egypt, this time with Benjamin. When they entered Joseph’s presence, he brought his brother close to him, revealed his identity to him, and told him that he planned to keep him there with him, advising him not to be distressed by what he would witness of their scheme.
When he had furnished them with their provision, he put the drinking cup into his brother’s saddle. Then a herald shouted: ‘O caravan! You are indeed thieves!’ They said, as they turned toward them, ‘What are you missing?’ They said, ‘We miss the king’s goblet.’ ‘Whoever brings it shall have a camel load, I will guarantee that.’ They said, ‘By Allah! You certainly know that we did not come to make trouble in this country, and we are not thieves.’ They said, ‘What shall be its requital if you are lying?’ They said, ‘The requital for it shall be that he in whose saddlebag it is found shall give himself over as its requital. That is how we requite thieves among ourselves.’ Then he began with their sacks, before his brother’s sack. Then he took it out from his brother’s sack (12:70–76) then he ordered the arrest of his brother and incriminated him for the theft.
His brothers debated the decision with him, even offering one of them in his place out of compassion for their aged father, but to no avail. They returned to their father in despair, except for the eldest, who said, ‘Don’t you know that your father has taken a pledge from you by Allah, and earlier you have neglected your duty in regard to Joseph? So I will never leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah passes a judgment for me, and He is the best of judges’ (12:80). So he remained in Egypt while the others departed.
Upon returning to their father and relaying the events, he responded, ‘Rather your souls have made a matter seem decorous to you. Yet patience is graceful. Maybe Allah will bring them all to me’ (12:83). He turned away from them, lamenting, ‘Alas for Joseph!’ His eyes had turned white with grief, and he choked with suppressed agony’ (12:84). When they criticized his prolonged mourning for Joseph, he replied ‘I complain of my anguish and grief only to Allah. I know from Allah what you do not know’ (12:86).
22:75He then instructed them, ‘Go, my sons, and look for Joseph and his brother, and do not despair of Allah’s mercy, for I hope that you will find them both!’ (12:87)
A group of them set out for Egypt and sought an audience with Joseph, still believing him to be the governor of Egypt. Once they were in his presence, they pleaded, citing their family’s hardship and the drought: ‘O mighty one! Distress has befallen our family …’ (12:88). They came with humble goods, asking him to complete their measure and release their brother whom he had claimed. They emphasized that God rewards the charitable.
At this point, Joseph’s prophecy was fulfilled, elevating him and his brother above those who sought to harm them. Joseph wished to reveal his identity and asked, ‘Have you realized what you did to Joseph and his brother, when you were senseless?’ They responded, ‘Are you indeed Joseph?’ They said, ‘Are you really Joseph?!’ He said, ‘I am Joseph, and this is my brother. Certainly Allah has shown us favor. Indeed if one is Godwary and patient Allah does not waste the reward of the virtuous.’ They said, ‘By Allah, Allah has certainly preferred you over us, and we have indeed been erring’ (12:89–91). They confessed their wrongdoing and realized that God elevates whom He wills and abases whom He wills, that the outcome belongs to the Godwary, and that God is ever with the steadfast. Then Joseph said: ‘There shall be no reproach on you today. May Allah forgive you, and He is the most merciful of the merciful’ (12:92).
Afterward, he ordered them to return to their families and to take his shirt and cast it over their father’s face, which would restore his sight. They prepared for their journey, and as the caravan departed, Jacob said to those sons of his who were with him: “‘I sense the scent of Joseph, if you will not consider me a dotard’ (12:94). They replied: ‘By God, you persist in your inveterate error’ (12:95). When the bearer of good news arrived, he cast the shirt over Jacob’s face and he regained his sight. Jacob said to his sons: ‘Did I not tell you,“‘I know from Allah what you do not know?”’ They said, ‘Father! Plead for forgiveness of our sins! We have indeed been erring.’ He said, ‘I shall plead with my Lord to forgive you; indeed He is the Allforgiving, the All-merciful’ (12:96–97)
22:76Then they prepared for the journey to Joseph, and he welcomed them and brought his parents close to him. He provided them with safety and settled them in the royal residence. He raised his parents high upon the throne, and they fell down before him in prostration. Joseph said: ‘Father! This is the fulfillment of my dream of long ago, which my Lord has made come true.’ He then thanked God for His kindness in warding off great calamities and bestowing upon him authority and knowledge.
The family of Jacob remained in Egypt, and the people of Egypt loved Joseph greatly for the blessings he brought them and his good governance. He called them to the monotheistic religion and the way of his forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (as mentioned in the story of the prison and in Sūrah al-Ghāf r).
- God’s praise for him and his spiritual status:
Joseph was among those who sincerely devote themselves to God, the truthful, and the doers of good. God gave him wisdom and knowledge and taught him the interpretation of dreams. God chose him, completed His favor upon him, and joined him with the righteous (see Sūrah Yūsuf). He also praised him as He praised the family of Noah and Abraham among the prophets and mentioned him among them (see Sūrah al-Anʿām).
- His story in the present Torah:
The Torah1 says: Jacob had twelve sons: the sons of Leah were Reuben, Jacob’s f rstborn, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin. The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maidservant, were Dan and Naphtali. The sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maidservant, were Gad and Asher. These were the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan Aram. The Torah also mentions that Leah and Rachel, the wives of Jacob, were the daughters of Laban the Aramean, and that Rachel, the mother of Joseph, died while giving birth to Benjamin.
22:77Joseph, when he was seventeen years old, was tending the flock with his brothers as a helper to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought their father a bad report about them. Now Israel (Jacob) loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age; and he made an ornate robe for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more. He said to them, ‘Listen to this dream I had: We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it.’ His brothers said to him, ‘Do you intend to reign over us? Will you actually rule us?’ And they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.
Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. ‘Listen,’ he said, ‘I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me.’ When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, ‘What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?’ His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.
His brothers had gone to graze their father’s flocks near Shechem, and Israel said to Joseph, ‘As you know, your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I am going to send you to them.’ ‘Very well,’ he replied. So he said to him, ‘Go and see if all is well with your brothers and with the flocks, and bring word back to me.’ Then he sent him off from the Valley of Hebron. When Joseph arrived at Shechem, a man found him wandering around in the fields and asked him, ‘What are you looking for?’ He replied, ‘I am looking for my brothers. Can you tell me where they are grazing their flocks?’ ‘They have moved on from here,’ the man answered. ‘I heard them say, ‘Let’s go to Dothan.’‘So Joseph went after his brothers and found them near Dothan.
But they saw him in the distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. ‘Here comes that dreamer!’ they said to each other. ‘Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.’ When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. ‘Let’s not take his life,’ he said. ‘Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.’ Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.
22:78‘Here comes that dreamer!’ they said to each other. ‘Come now, let’s kill him and throw him into one of these cisterns and say that a ferocious animal devoured him. Then we’ll see what comes of his dreams.’ When Reuben heard this, he tried to rescue him from their hands. ‘Let’s not take his life,’ he said. ‘Don’t shed any blood. Throw him into this cistern here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him.’ Reuben said this to rescue him from them and take him back to his father. So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the ornate robe he was wearing— and they took him and threw him into the cistern. The cistern was empty; there was no water in it.
Then they sat down to eat their meal. They looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. Judah said to his brothers, ‘What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let’s sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.’ His brothers agreed.
So when the Midianite merchants came by, his brothers pulled Joseph up out of the cistern and sold him for twenty shekels of silver to the Ishmaelites, who took him to Egypt. When Reuben returned to the cistern and saw that Joseph was not there, he tore his clothes. He went back to his brothers and said, ‘The boy is not there! Where can I turn now?’
Then they got Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. They took the ornate robe back to their father and said, ‘We found this. Examine it to see whether it is your son’s robe.’ He recognized it and said, ‘It is my son’s robe! Some ferocious animal has devoured him. Joseph has surely been torn to pieces.’ Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters came to comfort him, but he refused to be comforted. ‘No,’ he said, ‘I will continue to mourn until I join my son in the grave.’ So his father wept for him.’
22:79The Torah says: ‘Meanwhile, the Midianites sold Joseph in Egypt to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s of cials, the captain of the guard. The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his personal servant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome.
After these things, his master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph, and she said, ‘Lie with me.’ But he refused and said to his master’s wife, ‘Behold, my master does not know what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand. There is none greater in this house than I; nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?’ And as she spoke to Joseph day after day, he would not listen to her, to lie by her or to be with her.
One day, when he went into the house to do his work and none of the men of the house was there in the house, she caught him by his garment, saying, ‘Lie with me.’ But he left his garment in her hand and fled and got out of the house. And when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled out of the house, she called to the men of her household and said to them, ‘See, he has brought in a Hebrew to us to laugh at us. He came in to me to lie with me, and I cried out with a loud voice. And as soon as he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried out, he left his garment beside me and fled and got out of the house.’
Then she laid up his garment by her until his master came home, and she told him the same story, saying, ‘The Hebrew servant, whom you have brought among us, came in to me to laugh at me. But as soon as I lifted up my voice and cried, he left his garment beside me and fled out of the house.’
22:80As soon as his master heard the words that his wife spoke to him, ‘This is the way your servant treated me,’ his anger was kindled. And Joseph’s master took him and put him into the prison, the place where the king’s prisoners were confined, and he was there in prison. But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him steadfast love and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison put Joseph in charge of all the prisoners who were in the prison. Whatever was done there, he was the one who did it. The keeper of the prison paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s charge, because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it succeed.
Then the Torah recounted the story of the two prison mates and their dreams and Pharaoh’s dream. The summary is that they were Pharaoh’s chief cupbearer and chief baker, who had offended their lord the king of Egypt, and Pharaoh was angry with his two of cers and put them in custody in the house of the captain of the guard, in the prison where Joseph was confined. The chief cupbearer saw in his dream that he was pressing grapes into Pharaoh’s cup, and the other saw that birds were eating from the baked goods on his head. They asked Joseph for interpretations, and he interpreted the first dream as the cupbearer’s return to his former position and the second as the baker’s execution and the birds eating his flesh. The cupbearer promised to mention Joseph to Pharaoh, hoping that he might be released from prison, but Satan caused him to forget.
After two years, Pharaoh had a dream in which he saw seven plump and attractive cows emerge from the river. Following them were seven gaunt and unappealing cows, which stood on the riverbank. The gaunt cows then consumed the plump ones. Pharaoh woke up and soon fell asleep again. In this next dream, he saw seven lush, healthy ears of grain, and behind them were seven thin, wind-blasted ears. The thin ears swallowed the healthy ones. This vision greatly disturbed Pharaoh, prompting him to gather Egypt’s magicians and wise men. He recounted his dreams to them, but they were unable to interpret them.
At that moment, the chief cupbearer remembered Joseph and spoke of his extraordinary ability to interpret dreams. Pharaoh, intrigued, ordered for Joseph to be brought before him. Upon arrival, Joseph was informed of Pharaoh’s dreams and asked for his interpretation. Joseph said to Pharaoh: ‘Both of Pharaoh’s dreams are one. God has informed Pharaoh of His plans: the seven attractive cows and the seven healthy ears of grain represent seven years, whereas the seven unappealing cows and the seven empty ears, blasted by the east wind, symbolize another seven years—this time of famine.
22:81God has revealed to Pharaoh what He is about to do. There will be seven years of great abundance throughout the land of Egypt. However, these will be followed by seven years of famine so severe that the period of abundance will be entirely forgotten. The land will be devastated by this famine, and the abundance will not be remembered because of the severity of the impending hunger. The reason Pharaoh had the same dream twice is that this matter has been firmly decreed by God, and He will act swiftly upon it.
Now, Pharaoh should seek a discerning and wise individual and place him in charge of the land of Egypt. This person should oversee the land, taking a fifth of the harvest of Egypt during the seven plentiful years. They should gather all the food from these upcoming good years, storing grain under Pharaoh’s authority in the cities, ensuring it is kept safe. This stored grain will serve as a reserve during the seven years of famine that will follow in the land of Egypt, ensuring the land is not entirely consumed by hunger.’
The Torah recounts that Pharaoh was impressed by Joseph’s interpretation and honored him. He granted Joseph authority over the entire kingdom in all its affairs. Pharaoh gave Joseph his signet ring, dressed him in fine linen garments, placed a gold chain around his neck, and had him ride in his private chariot. As Joseph passed by, the proclamation was made, ‘Bow down!’ Joseph effectively managed affairs during the years of abundance and subsequently during the years of drought.
Furthermore, the Torah describes that when famine struck the land of Canaan, Jacob instructed his sons to descend to Egypt to purchase food. They went and came before Joseph. Although Joseph recognized them, he feigned ignorance and spoke to them with a stern demeanor. When asked where they came from, they replied, ‘From the land of Canaan to buy food.’ Joseph accused them, ‘You are spies! You have come to see where our land is vulnerable.’ They responded, ‘We are all sons of one man in Canaan. We were twelve brothers; one is no more, and the youngest is with our father. We are honest men, not spies.’
Joseph insisted, ‘By the life of Pharaoh, you are spies! You will not leave unless you bring your younger brother to me, to validate your claims.’ Consequently, they were detained for three days. Later, Joseph brought them out, took Simeon as a hostage, and instructed the others to return to Canaan and bring back their youngest brother.
22:82Joseph also ordered that their sacks be filled with grain and that the money of each man be returned to his sack. When they returned to their father Jacob and relayed their experience, Jacob refused to send Benjamin with them, lamenting, ‘You have deprived me of my children! Joseph is gone, Simeon is gone, and now you want to take Benjamin? Never will this happen!’ The brothers replied that they had not intentionally informed the Egyptian of cial about Benjamin, but he had inquired about their family, asking if their father was still alive and if they had another brother. They had answered truthfully, unaware that he would request to see their youngest sibling. Jacob remained reluctant until Judah personally vouched for Benjamin’s safe return. Finally, Jacob consented, instructing them to take the best products of the land as gifts for the Egyptian of cial and also to bring back the silver that was returned in their sacks. They did as instructed.
Upon their return to Egypt, they encountered Joseph’s steward who managed his affairs. They informed him about their situation and that their merchandise had been returned to them. They also presented their gifts to him. The steward welcomed them warmly, honored them, informed them that their money had been accounted for, and released Simeon to them. They were then ushered into Joseph’s presence, where they prostrated before him and presented their gifts. Joseph, in turn, greeted them warmly, inquired about their well-being, and sought news about their father’s health. They then introduced their youngest brother to him. Joseph honored the youth and prayed for him. Subsequently, he ordered for food to be served; a meal for himself separately, one for his brothers, and another for the Egyptians in his company.
He then instructed his steward to fill their sacks with grain and to secretly place their gifts back into their sacks. Moreover, he ordered his special goblet to be placed in the sack of the youngest brother. This was done, and at dawn, they loaded their donkeys and departed.
However, once they had left the city and had not gone far, Joseph instructed his steward to pursue them. Upon catching up, he accused them of repaying kindness with betrayal, for they had allegedly stolen Joseph’s precious goblet used for drinking and divination. They were shocked and denied the accusation, saying that the money they had found in their sacks was what they had brought from Canaan. They challenged, ‘How would we steal gold or silver from your lord’s house? If the goblet is found with any of us, let him be executed, and we will become your lord’s slaves.’
22:83The steward agreed to the proposed punishment but with a modif cation: only the one with whom the goblet was found would be taken as a slave. They hastily lowered their sacks, and each opened his. The steward began his search with the eldest and ended with the youngest, ultimately discovering the goblet in the youngest brother’s sack.
On witnessing this, the brothers tore their clothes in distress. They returned to the city and presented themselves before Joseph. They reiterated their earlier statements, their faces bearing the marks of humiliation, regret, and shame. Joseph responded, ‘Only he in whose sack the goblet was found will be my slave; the rest of you may return in peace to your father.’
Judah stepped forward and passionately pleaded with Joseph. He recounted their previous interactions, their father’s deep sorrow over the loss of Joseph, and the severe reluctance he had shown in letting Benjamin travel to Egypt. Judah had given his father a solemn pledge to ensure Benjamin’s safe return. He emphasized how unbearable it would be for their father if they returned without Benjamin, and how such news could hasten his death. Judah then offered himself as a substitute for Benjamin, willing to become a slave in Egypt, so that their father’s heart might find some solace after the loss of Joseph, his other beloved son by the same mother.
According to the Torah, Joseph was so moved by Judah’s plea that he could no longer contain his emotions in front of his attendants. He ordered everyone to leave the room. Alone with his brothers, he wept aloud, a cry so intense that even the Egyptians and Pharaoh’s household heard it. Gathering himself, Joseph declared to his stunned brothers: ‘I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?’ Overwhelmed by emotion and shock, his brothers could not respond, being deeply terrified in his presence.
Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come closer to me.’ When they had approached, he revealed, ‘I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt. Now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves for having sold me here. It was God’s plan to send me ahead of you to preserve life. For there has been famine in the land for two years, and for five more years, there will neither be plowing nor harvest. God sent me before you to ensure that you have a remnant on earth and to save your lives in a great escape. So, it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me an adviser to Pharaoh, the lord of his entire household, and the ruler over all of Egypt.
22:84Hurry back to our father and tell him, ‘Your son Joseph says: Come down to me without delay and settle in the region of Goshen. You will be near me, along with your children, your grandchildren, your flocks, herds, and everything you possess. I will sustain you there during the five years of famine, so you, your household, and all that you own will not come to poverty.’ See for yourselves, and even my brother Benjamin can confirm, that it is truly I who speak to you. Relay all the wonders you have witnessed in Egypt and quickly bring our father here.’ Then he embraced his brother Benjamin and wept, and Benjamin wept on his shoulder. Joseph kissed all his brothers and cried over them.
The Torah narrative continues, detailing how he provided them with provisions and sent them to Canaan. They informed their father of Joseph’s well-being and recounted the entire story. Jacob was overjoyed and journeyed with his entire family, numbering seventy in total, to Egypt. They settled in the region of Goshen. Joseph traveled there to meet his arriving father, and upon seeing him, they embraced tightly and wept for a long time. Jacob and his sons were given residence in the region and were highly esteemed by Pharaoh. Pharaoh granted them fertile lands in the best parts of Egypt. Throughout the drought-stricken years, Joseph provided for them. After reuniting with Joseph, Jacob lived in Egypt for another seventeen years.
This narrative from the Torah, aligning closely with the Qur’an, is summarized here, omitting some details only for clarity and brevity.
An Excursus on the Nature of Dreams
- Concern with Them:
People have been profoundly concerned with the matter of visions and dreams since ancient times, so much so that the historical origin of this interest cannot be pinpointed. Every nation has had its distinct rules and measures by which they have evaluated dreams, interpreted them, unraveled their symbolism, and resolved the mysteries of their signs, expecting either good, evil, benefit, or harm based on their interpretations.
22:85The Qurʾan has also addressed this matter. God narrated the vision of Abraham concerning his son, saying: When he was old enough to assist in his endeavor, he said, ‘My son! I see in a dream that I am sacrificing you. See what you think.’ He said, ‘Father! Do whatever you have been commanded …’ (37:105).
And there is the vision that God relayed of Joseph: ‘When Joseph said to his father When Joseph said to his father, ‘Father! I saw eleven planets, and the sun and the moon: I saw them prostrating themselves before me.’ (12:4).
There is also the vision of Joseph’s two prison mates: One of them said, ‘I dreamed that I am pressing wine.’ The other said, ‘I dreamed that I am carrying bread on my head from which the birds are eating.’ ‘Inform us of its interpretation, for indeed we see you to be a virtuous man’ (12:36).
And the vision of the king: The king said, ‘I saw in a dream seven fat cows being devoured by seven lean ones, and seven green ears and others dry. O courtiers, give me your opinion about my dream, if you can interpret dreams’ (12:43).
The vision of Moses’ mother was mentioned: when We revealed to your mother whatever was revealed: ‘Put him in the casket, and cast it into the river. Then the river will cast it on the bank …’ (20:39). According to narrations, this was also a dream.
Furthermore, there are the visions of the Prophet Muḥammad, where God said: When Allah showed them to you as few in your dream, and had He shown them as many, you would have lost heart, and disputed about the matter … (8:43). And, Certainly Allah has fulfilled His Messenger’s vision in all truth: You will surely enter the Sacred Mosque, God willing, in safety … (48:27). And, ‘We showed you except as a test for the people … (17:60). Many traditions that have been narrated support and confirm these visions, as recounted by the Prophet Muḥammad and the Imāms of the Household of the Prophet.
However, the researchers from the natural sciences in Europe do not acknowledge the existence of true dreams nor deem it necessary to study their relevance and connection to external events. Scientif cally, such dreams do not carry any weight for them, with the exception of some psychologists who have shown interest in the subject. These psychologists have countered the skepticism by citing numerous verified dreams that astonishingly predict future events or reveal hidden matters, which cannot simply be dismissed as mere coincidence or chance. Such dreams, conveyed through reliable channels and devoid of any doubt, disclose undisclosed or future events, and have been recorded in their books.
- On the Nature of Dreams:
22:86Every one of us has personally experienced dreams or visions that point toward some hidden matters, scholarly conundrums, or future events, be they of good or bad nature. We might have also heard of dreams of this nature from others. It is not possible to merely attribute these to coincidence or dismiss any connection between them and their accurate interpretations, especially for those clear dreams that do not require any interpretation.
Undeniably, dreams are a cognitive experience, and imagination plays a role in them. The imaginative power is always active, sometimes processing information received from sensory experiences, such as touch and hearing, and sometimes composing images, simple or complex, based on stored symbols and meanings. It breaks down composite images, like a complete human figure into its parts—a head, a hand, a leg, and so on— and assembles simple ones, like constructing a human figure from stored body parts. At times, these compositions match external reality, while at other times, they diverge, as in imagining a human without a head or one with ten heads.
External factors surrounding the body, such as heat or cold, and internal sudden changes, like various illnesses, impairments, mood swings, a full stomach, fatigue, and others, influence the imaginative process, and hence affect the content of a person’s dreams. For example, someone feeling extreme heat or cold might dream of raging fires or harsh winters and falling snow respectively. Someone overwhelmed by warmth leading to sweat may dream of baths, water reservoirs, or rain showers. A person experiencing stress or a full stomach may experience unclear dreams with no evident purpose. Similarly, human character traits profoundly influence one’s imaginative type. A person deeply fond of someone or passionate about a task will likely think of them while awake and dream of them while asleep. A timid, easily frightened individual may, upon hearing a sudden noise, conjure up terrifying images without basis. Similarly, feelings of animosity, admiration, arrogance, greed, and their like, pull a person’s imagination in specific directions, producing images that resonate with those emotions. Rarely does a person escape the dominance of these traits over his nature.
22:87Most visions and dreams arise from psychological imaginings which external and internal, both natural and innate factors, contribute to. These factors only narrate to the mind how they operate and their impact upon it; there’s no deeper truth beyond that.
This is what the skeptics, particularly natural scientists, have pointed out. Their stance mainly revolves around enumerating the factors that contribute to our imagination and human perception.
Yet, what is unanimously agreed upon, but not explicitly stated, is not that all visions lack authenticity. To claim this is false, as not all dreams are void of truth. Indeed, there are true dreams and authentic visions that reveal facts about objective reality. There is no denying their existence or the connection between them and external events or hidden matters, as previously mentioned.
From what has been discussed, it is evident that not all visions seen while a person sleeps are devoid of truth. This means that these diverse perceptions, which the human mind encounters in dreams and which we call visions, have origins and reasons that justify their existence and appearance in our imagination. Regardless of their differences, they relate and represent their roots and reasons. Every dream has an interpretation. Some are interpreted based on the natural cause acting within the body during sleep; others are due to internal factors, while some are from diverse incidental causes, like when one falls asleep while deeply pondering over a matter and then dreams something related to that thought.
The inquiry is primarily into one type of these dreams, those visions that do not rely on external natural, temperamental, or coincidental causes nor on inherent internal ones but are connected to external events and universal truths.
- True Dreams:
True dreams (manāmāt ḥaqqa) are those that have a connection with external events, especially events that take place in the future, like seeing something that does not yet exist coming to pass and then it takes place in reality just as envisioned. There’s no existential connection between something that exists and something that does not or something that is absent from one’s consciousness and not perceived through any senses. For instance, someone might dream that in a certain place there’s a stash of gold and silver in a particular container, and upon acting upon this dream, they find the container and its contents just as they saw it in the dream. There’s no perceptual connection between the psyche and what is absent from it and unreachable by its senses.
22:88Thus, some have said that the only connection between these events and the dreaming soul is due to the soul’s interaction with an event’s cause that lies beyond the realm of matter. Consequently, the soul connects to the cause of the event and, through that cause, to the event itself.
To clarify, there are three realms:
(1) The realm of nature (ʿālam al-ṭabīʿa), which is the worldly domain (dunyā) we inhabit. The entities within it are material forms that operate according to principles of motion, stillness, change, and transformation.
(2) The realm of archetypes (ʿālam al-mithāl), which exists above the realm of nature. It contains forms of things without any material substance, from which natural events descend and to which they return. This realm has a superior standing and causative relationship to the events of the natural world.
(3) The realm of intellect (ʿālam al-ʿaql), which is situated above the realm of exemplars. Within it lie the realities of entities and their universals, devoid of any natural substance or form. It has a causative relationship to what exists in the realm of exemplars. Given the human soul’s immaterial nature, it resonates with both the realm of exemplars and the realm of intellect. When a person sleeps and the senses are dormant, the soul naturally detaches from external natural matters and reverts to its resonating realm, witnessing some of its truths, contingent upon its readiness and capability.
If the soul is complete and adept at grasping abstract intellectual entities, it perceives and brings forth the causes of entities in their universality and luminosity. Otherwise, it narrates them in an imaginative manner, relating to the forms and cosmic particularities it is familiar with, just as we convey the concept of speed through the image of a fast-moving object, the concept of greatness via a mountain, the concept of elevation and loftiness through the sky and its celestial bodies, cunningness and deceit through a fox, envy through a wolf, bravery through a lion, and so forth.
22:89If the soul is not capable of comprehending abstracts as they are and ascending to their realm, it halts in the realm of exemplars, having ascended from the realm of nature. It may then witness events by observing their causes and reasons without actively intervening or altering anything. This often occurs in souls that are pure and characterized by truthfulness and clarity; these are termed as clear dreams (manāmāt ṣarīḥa).
At times, the soul may relate what it has seen using familiar metaphors and symbols, such as representing marriage with putting on items of clothing, honor with a crown, knowledge with light, ignorance with darkness, and the extinguishing of memory with death. Sometimes we transition from one opposite to another, as our minds shift from the concept of poverty when hearing of wealth, from the image of fire to that of ice, or from the concept of life to that of death, and so on. An example of this type of dream was recounted where a man saw in his dream that he had a seal with which he sealed people’s mouths and private parts. When he asked Ibn Sīrīn for its interpretation, he replied: ‘You will become a caller to prayer in the month of Ramaḍān, and people will fast based on your call.’
From the above discussion, it becomes clear that true dreams can be primarily divided into two categories: clear dreams (manāmāt ṣarīḥa) where the sleeping soul has not intervened, which can be interpreted directly without any hindrance, and unclear dreams (manāmāt ghayr ṣarīḥa) where the soul intervenes by narrating through metaphors and transitioning from one meaning to its counterpart or its opposite. These require interpretation by referring back to the higher principle that the soul first observed and translated into an image, like relating the crown back to pride, death back to life, life back to relief after hardship, darkness to ignorance, confusion, or misery.
The second category further divides into two subcategories. The first is where the soul narrates and moves from one thing to its counterpart or its opposite, perhaps once or twice, making it relatively easy to revert back to its primary meaning, as exemplif ed earlier. The second is where the soul narrates without any fixed reference, transitioning, for instance, from one thing to its opposite, then from the opposite to something similar, and from the likeness of the opposite to its counter-opposite, and so on. This makes it challenging or impossible for the interpreter to trace back to the original vision. These types of dreams are termed ‘confused dreams’ (aḍghāth al-aḥlām) and are usually not interpretable due to their complexity or ambiguity.
22:90Thus, it becomes evident that dreams can be classified into three main categories: clear dreams (manāmāt ṣarīḥa) that do not require interpretation due to their straightforward nature, confused dreams (aḍghāth al-aḥlām) that are not interpretable due to their complexity, and dreams where the soul narrates with metaphors and symbolic representations, which are interpretable.
The summarizes what the ancient scholars of the soul (ʿulamāʾ al-nafs) have discussed about dreams and their in-depth investigation. Readers requiring further details can refer to the texts they have written on this subject.
Support for this in the Qurʾan:
There is evidence that supports this notion found in the Qurʾan. For example, God says: It is He who takes your souls by night (6:60). He also states: Allah takes the souls at the time of their death, and those who have not died in their sleep. Then He retains those for whom He has ordained death and releases the others until a specified time (39:42). The apparent meaning is that souls are taken away and separated from their bodies, disconnected from the physical senses, and return to their Lord in a manner that is analogous to death.
Within the Qurʾanic discourse, references can be found to each of the three aforementioned categories of dreams. From the first category, we have examples like the vision of Abraham, the vision of the mother of Moses, and some of the visions of the Prophet Muḥammad. From the second category, there is the verse: They said, ‘Confused nightmares, and we do not know the interpretation of nightmares’ (12:44). From the third category, there are Joseph’s dreams, the dreams of his two prison companions, and the dream of the Egyptian king, all of which are mentioned in the chapter of Joseph.
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The story of Joseph can be found in Genesis 37-50. ʿAllāmah Ṭabātabāʾī has presented a slightly summarized version of this here. (Trans.) ↩