SURAH (2) YOUSOUF (AYA 31 to 50)

فَلَمَّا سَمِعَتْ بِمَكْرِهِنَّ أَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَعْتَدَتْ لَهُنَّ مُتَّكَأً وَآتَتْ كُلَّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُنَّ سِكِّينًا وَقَالَتِ اخْرُجْ عَلَيْهِنَّ ۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْنَهُ أَكْبَرْنَهُ وَقَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ وَقُلْنَ حَاشَ لِلَّهِ مَا هَٰذَا بَشَرًا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا مَلَكٌ كَرِيمٌ {12:31}

[Q12:31] Falammaa sami'at bimak rihinna arsalat ilaihinna wa a'tadat lahunna muttaka anw wa aatat kulla waahidatim min hunna sikkeenanw wa qaala tikh ruj 'alaihinna falammaa ra aynahooo akbarnahoo wa qatta'na aydiyahunna wa qulna haasha lillaahi maa haaza basharaa; in haazaaa illaa malakun kareem. 
[Q12:31] So when she heard of their sly talk she sent for them and prepared for them a repast, and gave each of them a knife, and said (to Yusuf): Come forth to them. So when they saw him, they deemed him great, and cut their hands (in amazement), and said: Remote is ALLAH (SWT) (from imperfection); this is not a mortal; this is but a noble angel.

[Q12:31] Maka apabila ia (Zulaikha) mendengar cacian mereka, dia pun menjemput mereka dan menyediakan satu jamuan untuk mereka, serta memberikan kepada tiap-tiap seorang di antara mereka sebilah pisau. Dan pada ketika itu berkatalah ia (kepada Yusuf): "Keluarlah di hadapan mereka". Maka ketika mereka melihatnya, mereka tercengang melihat kecantikan parasnya, dan mereka dengan tidak sedar melukakan tangan mereka sambil berkata: "Jauhnya ALLAH (SwT) dari kekurangan! Ini bukanlah seorang manusia, ini tidak lain melainkan malaikat yang mulia!" 

The imputation against Zulaikha’s conduct had spread almost to every house in the town. Zulaikha at last chose some of the women, the chief characters among the propagandists, and invited them to a feast with a fruit which needed to be cut with a knife (It is said that it was Citrus or sweet lemons). And ordered Joseph to enter the chamber and wish the ladies. When Joseph did as commanded by his mistress, all the women were so stunned and got so enchanted that instead of cutting the fruits they cut their own hands and did not know or even feel what they are doing.

Hasha lillah is a phrase which denotes remoteness from imperfection or the like, or freedom therefrom; generally implying wonder or admiration -How far (or how free) is ALLAH (SWT) from every imperfection! It implies wonder at the power of ALLAH (SWT) as manifested in the creation of a beautiful person like Yusuf.

The women all agreed that no man had a right to resist their solicitations, so Zulaykha, in her tragic guilt, threatened Yusuf with imprisonment and disgrace. YET, inspite of having seen the clear proofs of his innocence, the men, as a political move, sent him to prison for a time, until the scandalous gossip of the town regarding the high official's wife had ceased.

Ä  There came into the prison two young men with him. They were employed in the court of Firawn. [A] One was a cup-bearer, and [B] the other was a cook. They were both in disgrace. [a] The former dreamed that he was pressing grapes, [b] the latter that he was carrying bread, but the birds ate of it.

Ä  They saw in Yusuf a man of God endowed with His wisdom, THEREFORE told him their dreams and asked him to interpret them. Refer to verse 21. FIRST Yusuf taught the truth of ALLAH (SWT) and the faith in the hereafter to both men. It was his mission, his duty. The highest good he could do to them was to teach the polytheist Egyptians the gospel of unity of ALLAH (SWT).

He had the heritage of great men renowned for wisdom and truth such as Ibrahim, Is-haq and Yaqub, whose faith he followed, and all of them never associated anyone with ALLAH (SWT) - belief in one ALLAH (SWT) is a grace of ALLAH (SWT) to mankind.

All false gods are nothing but names that polytheists have named for which there is no divine sanction. SOVEREIGNTY BELONGS TO ALLAH (SWT) ALONE, THEREFORE, WORSHIP NONE BUT HIM-THIS IS THE RIGHT RELIGION.

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(12:31) When she heard about their cunning talk, she invited them to a banquet at her house and got ready pillows for the party *26 and placed before each of them a knife. Then, (when they were engaged in cutting fruit) she made a sign to Joseph as if to say, "Come out before them." When they caught sight of him, they were so amazed that they cut their hands, and exclaimed spontaneously, "Good God! He is no man; he is a noble angel!"

*26 The ancient Egyptians used to place pillows and cushions in such feasts for the guests to recline. And this is confirmed by the archaeological remains in Egypt.
There is no mention at all of this banquet in the Bible but it has been described in the Talmud in a way quite different from that of the Qur'an. Needless to say that while this narrative in the Qur'an is natural, life-like and teaches moral lessons, the one in the Talmud lacks all these things. 

قَالَتْ فَذَٰلِكُنَّ الَّذِي لُمْتُنَّنِي فِيهِ ۖ وَلَقَدْ رَاوَدْتُهُ عَنْ نَفْسِهِ فَاسْتَعْصَمَ ۖ وَلَئِنْ لَمْ يَفْعَلْ مَا آمُرُهُ لَيُسْجَنَنَّ وَلَيَكُونًا مِنَ الصَّاغِرِينَ {12:32}

[Q12:32] Qaalat fazaalikunnal lazee lumtunnanee feeh; wa laqad raawattuhoo 'an nafsihee fasta'sam; wa la'il lam yaf'al maaa aamuruhoo la yusjananna wa la yakoonam minas saaghireen. 
[Q12:32] She said: This is he with respect to whom you blamed me, and certainly I sought his yielding himself (to me), but he abstained, and if he does not do what I bid him, he shall certainly be imprisoned, and he shall certainly be of those who are in a state of ignominy.

[Q12:32] (Zulaikha) berkata: "Inilah orangnya yang kamu tempelak aku mengenainya! Sebenarnya aku telah memujuknya berkehendakkan dirinya tetapi ia menolak dan berpegang teguh kepada kesuciannya; dan demi sesungguhnya kalau ia tidak mahu melakukan apa yang aku suruh tentulah ia akan dipenjarakan, dan akan menjadi dari orang-orang yang hina." 

The women all agreed that no man had a right to resist their solicitations, so Zulaikha, in her tragic guilt, threatened Yusuf with imprisonment and disgrace. YET, in-spite of having seen the clear proofs of his innocence, the men, AS A POLITICAL MOVE, sent him to prison for a time, until the scandalous gossip of the town regarding the high official's wife had ceased.

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(12:32) She said, "Well, this is he concerning whom you blamed me. No doubt, I sought to seduce him and he escaped. Yet if he does not yield to my bidding, he shall be cast into prison, and shall be humbled and disgraced." *27

*27 This open demonstration of her love and declaration of her immoral designs show that the moral condition of the higher class of the Egyptian society had declined to the lowest ebb. It is quite obvious that the women whom she had invited must have been ladies belonging to the upper most stratum of the society. The very fact that she presented her beloved before them without any hesitation in order to convince them of his beauty and youth that had urged her to fall in love with him, shows that there was nothing uncommon in this demonstration. Then these ladies did not reproach her but themselves practically demonstrated that, in those circumstances, they themselves would have done the same that she did. Above all, the hostess did not feel that it was immodest to declare openly, "No doubt, I sought to seduce him and he succeeded in escaping from me. Yet I am not going to give him up. If he will not do as I bid him, he shall be cast into prison and humbled and disgraced". Incidentally, this also shows that the modern Western people and their Westernised disciples in the East are not justified in claiming the credit for giving full "freedom" to the woman. For this "progress" is no new thing: it was in vogue in Egypt in its full glory thousands of years before this. 

قَالَ رَبِّ السِّجْنُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا يَدْعُونَنِي إِلَيْهِ ۖ وَإِلَّا تَصْرِفْ عَنِّي كَيْدَهُنَّ أَصْبُ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَكُنْ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ {12:33}

[Q12:33] Qaala rabbis sijnu ahabbu ilaiya mimma yad'oo naneee 'ilaihi wa illaa tasrif 'annee kaidahunna asbu ilaihinna wa akum minal jaahileen. 
[Q12:33] He said: My Lord! The prison house is dearer to me than that to which they invite me; and if Thou turn not away their device from me, I will yearn towards them and become (one) of the ignorant.

[Q12:33] Yusuf (merayu kehadrat ALLAH (SwT) Taala dengan) berkata: "Wahai Tuhanku! Aku lebih suka kepada penjara dari apa yang perempuan-perempuan itu ajak aku kepadanya. Dan jika Engkau tidak menjauhkan daripadaku tipu daya mereka, mungkin aku akan cenderung kepada mereka, dan aku menjadi dari orang-orang yang tidak mengamalkan ilmunya".  

(see commentary for verse 3)

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(12:33) Joseph said, "My Lord! I prefer imprisonment to that to which they invite me. If Thou dost not ward off their cunning devices from me, I may be caught in their snare, and become one of the ignorant." *28

*28 In order to grasp the full significance of this prayer of Prophet Joseph, we should try to form a mental picture of the circumstances in which he was placed at that time. In the light of this passage the picture will be something like this. "There is the handsome young man of twenty in the prime of his life, who has brought health and vigour of youth from the desert into Egypt, after passing through the ordeal of forced slavery and exile. Fortune has placed him in the house of one of the highest dignitaries in the capital of the most civilized country of the world at the time. There this handsome young man meets in the prime of life with a strange experience. The lady of the house in which he has to live day and night falls passionately in love with him and begins to tempt and seduce him.Then the fame of his beauty spreads all over the capital and the other ladies of the town also become enamoured of him. Now this is the critical position. He is surrounded on all sides by hundreds of beautiful snares that have been spread to entrap and catch him unawares. All sorts of devices are employed to excite his passions and entice him: wherever he goes he encounters sin lying in ambush with all its charms and allurements and waiting for an opportune moment to make a surprise attack upon him. Such are the circumstances that are tempting him with sin, but the pious young man successfully passes through the ordeal, set for him by Satan, with the self-control that is praiseworthy indeed. But it is all the more praiseworthy that he does not feel any pride for showing such extraordinary piety in such trying and tempting circumstances. On the other hand, he very humbly invokes his Lord to protect him from those traps of sin, for he is afraid of the common human weaknesses and cries out, "My Lord, I am weak! I fear lest these temptations should over-power me, I would rather prefer imprisonment to doing such an evil thing into which they are tempting to ensnare me."
In fact, that was the most important and critical period of Prophet Joseph's training, and this hard ordeal helped to bring forth all his latent virtues of which he himself was unaware up to that time. Then he himself realized that Allah had endowed him with the high and extraordinary qualities of honesty, fidelity, piety, charity, righteousness, self-control, balance of mind, and he made full use of these when he gained power in Egypt. 

فَاسْتَجَابَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ فَصَرَفَ عَنْهُ كَيْدَهُنَّ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ الْعَلِيمُ {12:34}

[Q12:34] Fastajaaba lahoo rabbuhoo fasarafa 'anhu kaidahunn; innahoo Huswas-Samee'ul 'Aleem. 
[Q12:34] Thereupon his Lord accepted his prayer and turned away their guile from him; surely He is the Hearing, the Knowing.

[Q12:34] Maka Tuhannya memperkenankan doanya, lalu dijauhkan daripadanya tipu daya mereka; sesungguhnya ALLAH (SwT) jualah yang Maha Mendengar, lagi Maha Mengetahui. 

(see commentary for verse 3)

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(12:34) His Lord granted his prayer and warded off their guile from him. *29 Indeed, He hears everyone and knows everything.

*29 Allah warded off their guile from Prophet Joseph by strengthening his character in such a way as to make ineffective all their devices to ensnare him, This also implies that Allah opened the door of prison for him in order to keep him safe from their tricks and temptations. 

ثُمَّ بَدَا لَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ مَا رَأَوُا الْآيَاتِ لَيَسْجُنُنَّهُ حَتَّىٰ حِينٍ {12:35}

[Q12:35] Summa badaa lahum mim ba'di maa ra-awul Aayaati layasjununnahoo hatta heen. 
[Q12:35] Then it occurred to them after they had seen the signs that they should imprison him till a time. 

[Q12:35] Kemudian timbullah fikiran bagi suami perempuan itu, serta orang-orangnya hendak memenjarakan Yusuf sesudah mereka nampak tanda-tanda (yang menghendaki supaya Yusuf dijauhkan) hingga ke suatu masa.

When the women got hopeless of winning over Joseph, they suggested Zulaikha to imprison Joseph for a few days and subject him to the miseries therein so that he might then realise the value of the luxuries in the palace.

o    Zulaikha readily accepted the suggestion, for that would make the public know that it was Joseph who was guilty and not she. Joseph was enchained and taken through the streets of the town with an announcer calling in the front ‘Look ye! This is the punishment for the attempt against the chastity of the wife of the ‘Aziz’, Zulaikha’.

o    To know how Joseph felt and whose help he sought Zulaikha was in the guise of the ordinary spectator among the huge crowd witnessing the scene and heard everyone in the street praising the beauty and the innocence of Joseph and condemning her as an unchaste and crafty woman.

o    GABRIEL INSPIRED JOSEPH TO CRY OUT SAYING “GETTING IMPRISONED IS FAR BETTER THAN FALLING INTO THE DISPLEASURE OF ALLAH (SWT) AND GETTING PUNISHED BY THE HELL-FIRE.”

o    Zulaikha heard this cry and felt self-condemned. At last Joseph was put into the prison. Joseph used to always weep remembering his poor old father.

FIVE PERSONS IN THE WORLD WEPT THE MOST:

1.        Adam when separated from Eve.

2.        Jacob separated from his son Joseph.

3.        Joseph separated from his father Jacob.

4.        Lady Fatema after the death of her father, the HOLY PROPHET (ALLAHUMA SALLI ALAA MUHAMMAD WA ALI MUHAMMAD).

5.        The Fourth Holy Imam Ali ibnul-Husain-Zainal-Abideen wept for all the forty years he lived--- after the martyrdom of Imam Husain (the Third Imam) at Karbala.

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(12:35) Then it occurred to them that they should cast him into prison for a time, even though they themselves had seen manifest signs *30 (of his innocence and of the guilt of their women).

*30 It occurred to them to imprison Prophet Joseph in order "to save face" after they had seen clear proofs of his innocence and of the guilt of their own women, for no other alternative was left, in their opinion, to undo the scandal that was spreading fast in the land. But it did not occur to them that in fact his imprisonment was his moral victory and the moral defeat of the rulers and the dignitaries of Egypt. By that time, Prophet Joseph had not remained an unknown person, for all and sundry had heard stories of his beauty and piety, and of the love the "ladies" had shown towards him. Therefore when those "wise" courtiers put into practice their plausible device to imprison him in order to reverse the doings of their "ladies", the common people must have drawn their own conclusions for they knew Prophet Joseph to be a man of pure, strong and high character. So it was obvious to them that he had committed no "crime" to merit imprisonment, and that he had been imprisoned because it was an easier way of escape for the chiefs of Egypt than to keep their own ladies under control.
Incidentally, this shows that imprisonment of innocent people without trial and due procedure of law is as old as "civilization" itself. The dishonest rulers of to-day are not much different from the wicked rulers who governed Egypt some four thousand years ago. The only difference between the two is that they did not imprison people in the name and for the cause of "democracy" but they committed unlawful acts without any pretext of law. On the contrary, their modern descendants make use of the specious pretences of honesty when they are acting unjustly. They first enact the necessary unlawful laws to justify their unlawful practices and then "lawfully" imprison their victims. That is to say, the Egyptian rulers were honest in their dishonesty and did not hide the fact that they were imprisoning people to safeguard their own interests, and not those of the community. But these modern disciples of Satan cast innocent people into prison to ward off the "danger" they feel from them, but proclaim to the world that their victims are a menace to the country and the community. In short, they were mere tyrants but these are shameless liars as well. 

SECTION 5

         Joseph Preaches Unity of ALLAH in the Prison

Joseph preaches Unity of ALLAH to his fellows in the prison and interprets the dreams of his two fellow-prisoners.

وَدَخَلَ مَعَهُ السِّجْنَ فَتَيَانِ ۖ قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا إِنِّي أَرَانِي أَعْصِرُ خَمْرًا ۖ وَقَالَ الْآخَرُ إِنِّي أَرَانِي أَحْمِلُ فَوْقَ رَأْسِي خُبْزًا تَأْكُلُ الطَّيْرُ مِنْهُ ۖ نَبِّئْنَا بِتَأْوِيلِهِ ۖ إِنَّا نَرَاكَ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ {12:36}

[Q12:36] Wa dakhala ma'ahussijna fata yaan; qaala ahaduhumaaa inneee araaneee a'siru khamranw wa qaalal aakharu inneee khubzan taakulut tairu minh; nabbi'naa bitaaweelihee innaa naraaka minal muhsineen.
[Q12:36] And two youths entered the prison with him. One of them said: I saw myself pressing wine. And the other said: I saw myself carrying bread on my head, of which birds ate. Inform us of its interpretation; surely we see you to be of the doers of good. 

[Q12:36] Dan masuklah bersama-samanya ke penjara dua orang khadam raja. Salah seorang di antaranya (bertanya kepada Yusuf dengan) berkata: "Sesungguhnya aku bermimpi melihat diriku memerah anggur ". Dan berkata pula yang seorang lagi: "Sesungguhnya aku bermimpi melihat diriku menjunjung roti atas kepalaku, yang sebahagiannya dimakan oleh burung." (kemudian keduanya berkata): "Terangkanlah kepada kami akan takbirnya. Sesungguhnya kami memandangmu: dari orang-orang yang berbuat kebaikan (untuk umum)".

The two young men were

1.        ‘Saqi’ (the servant who serves the drink) called ‘Yunan’ who used to draw wine from grapes for the King.

2.        The Cook of the King. He is called ‘Mahila’

These two were imprisoned on the charge of attempting to poison the King.

Joseph used to move very sympathetically among the prisoners, treated them very kindly and had been helping them mending their worn-out clothes and in other possible ways. Joseph had the divine gift of interpreting dreams. The prisoners used to relate dreams to Joseph and seek the interpretations and so did the two companions of Joseph.

Ä  The ‘Saqi’ had dreamt that he was drawing wine by squeezing the grapes, AND ‘Mahila’ the cook had dreamt that he was holding some bread in a bowl on is head and the dirds were eating the bread away.

REFER TO VERSE 21. FIRST Yusuf taught the truth of ALLAH (SWT) and the faith in the hereafter to both men. It was his mission, his duty. The highest good he could do to them was to teach the polytheist Egyptians the gospel of unity of ALLAH (SWT). He had the heritage of great men renowned for wisdom and truth such as Ibrahim, Is-haq and Yaqub, whose faith he followed, and all of them never associated anyone with ALLAH (SWT) --- belief in one ALLAH (SWT) is a grace of ALLAH (SWT) to mankind.

All false gods are nothing but names that polytheists have named for which there is no divine sanction. SOVEREIGNTY BELONGS TO ALLAH (SWT) ALONE, THEREFORE, WORSHIP NONE BUT HIM-THIS IS THE RIGHT RELIGION.

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(12:36) Two *31 other slaves also entered into the prison along with him. *32 One day one of them said, "I have dreamt that I am pressing grapes into wine," and the other said, "I have dreamt that I am carrying loaves of bread on my head, of which birds are eating." Then both of them said, "Tell us their interpretations, for we have seen that you are a righteous man." *33

*31 At the time when Prophet Joseph was sent to prison, probably he was about twenty years old. This has been inferred from two statements in the Qur'an and the Talmud. The Qur'an (v. 42) says that `....he remained in the prison for a decade or so' and the Talmud says that `....Joseph was thirty years old when he was elevated to his honourable and trustworthy position'. 
*32 One of the two prisoners, according to the Bible, was the chief of the butlers of the king of Egypt, and the other the chief of the bakers. And according to the Talmud, they were condemned to the prison because during a feast stone grits were found in the bread and a fly in the wine. 
*33 The fact that two prisoners attested his righteousness shows that Prophet Joseph was held in high esteem in the prison. Otherwise there was no reason why the two should have requested him alone to interpret the dreams and paid their homage like this: "We have seen that you are a righteous man". It clearly means that the events narrated in the preceding verses had reached all and sundry and the people inside the prison and outside it, knew that he had not been guilty of any crime or sin. On the other hand, he had proved himself to be a noble soul who had come out successful in the hardest test of his piety. So much so that there was not the like of him in piety, not even among their own religious leaders in the whole country. That was why not only the prisoners but also the officers and officials of the prison looked upon him as an honourable man and had full confidence in him. The Bible confirms this: "And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to anything that was under his hand." (Gen. 39: 22-23). 

قَالَ لَا يَأْتِيكُمَا طَعَامٌ تُرْزَقَانِهِ إِلَّا نَبَّأْتُكُمَا بِتَأْوِيلِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتِيَكُمَا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمَا مِمَّا عَلَّمَنِي رَبِّي ۚ إِنِّي تَرَكْتُ مِلَّةَ قَوْمٍ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَهُمْ بِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ كَافِرُونَ {12:37}

[Q12:37] Qaala laa yaateekumaa ta'aamun turzaqaaniheee illaa nabbaatukumaa bitaaweelihee qabla any yaatiyakumaa; zaali kumaa mimmaa 'allamanee rabbee; innee taraktu millata qawmil laa yu'minoona billaahi wahum bil aakhirati hum kaafiroon. 
[Q12:37] He said: There shall not come to you the food with which you are fed, but I will inform you both of its interpretation before it comes to you; this is of what my Lord has taught me; surely I have forsaken the religion of a people who do not believe in ALLAH (SWT), and they are deniers of the hereafter:

[Q12:37] Yusuf menjawab: "(Aku bukan sahaja dapat menerangkan takbir mimpi kamu itu, bahkan) tidak datang kepada kamu sesuatu makanan yang diberikan kepada kamu (tiap-tiap hari dalam penjara), melainkan aku juga dapat memberitahu kepada kamu akan nama dan jenisnya, sebelum ia dibawa kepada kamu. Yang demikian itu ialah sebahagian dari apa yang diajarkan kepadaku oleh Tuhanku. Dengan sebab itu aku meninggalkan ugama kaum yang tidak beriman kepada ALLAH (SwT) serta tidak pula percayakan hari akhirat. 

Joseph wanted to be quick in interpreting the dreams for there was death for one of them. He first preached Islam, the correct faith in ALLAH (SWT), so that the man might die with faith in ALLAH (SWT) and then interpreted the dream.

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(12:37) Joseph replied, "I will tell you their interpretations before the food you get comes to you. This ability of making interpretations is a part of the knowledge that my Lord has bestowed on me. The fact is that I do not follow the ways of those people who do not believe in Allah, and deny the Hereafter.

وَاتَّبَعْتُ مِلَّةَ آبَائِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ ۚ مَا كَانَ لَنَا أَنْ نُشْرِكَ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى النَّاسِ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ {12:38}

[Q12:38] Wattab'tu millata aabaaa'eee Ibraaheema wa Ishaaqa wa Ya'qoob; maa kaana lanaaa an nushrika billaahi min shai' zaalikamin fadlil laahi 'alainaa wa 'alan naasi wa laakinna aksaran naasi laa yashkuroon. 
[Q12:38] And I follow the religion of my fathers, Ibrahim and Ishaq and Yaqoub; it beseems us not that we should associate aught with ALLAH (SWT); this is by ALLAH (SWT)'s grace upon us and on mankind, but most people do not give thanks:

[Q12:38] "Dan aku menurut ugama bapa dan datuk nenekku: Ibrahim dan Ishak serta Yaakub. Tidaklah sepatutnya kita mempersekutukan sesuatupun dengan ALLAH (SwT). Mentauhid - mengesakan ALLAH (SwT) ialah hasil dari limpah kurnia ALLAH (SwT) kepada kita dan kepada umat manusia. Tetapi kebanyakan manusia tidak bersyukur.  

(see commentary for verse 3)

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(12:38) I follow the Way of my forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob: it is not for us to associate anyone with Allah as partner. This is Allah's bounty upon us and upon all mankind (that He has not made us the servants of any other than Himself), yet most people are not grateful.

يَا صَاحِبَيِ السِّجْنِ أَأَرْبَابٌ مُتَفَرِّقُونَ خَيْرٌ أَمِ اللَّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ {12:39}

[Q12:39] Yaa saahibayis sijni 'a-arbaabum mutafarriqoona khayrun amil laahul waahidul qahhaar. 
[Q12:39] O my two mates of the prison! Are sundry lords better or ALLAH (SWT) the One, the Supreme?

[Q12:39] "Wahai sahabatku berdua yang sepenjara, memuja dan menyembah berbilang-bilang tuhan yang bercerai-berai itukah yang lebih baik atau menyembah ALLAH (SwT) Tuhan Yang Maha Esa, lagi Maha Kuasa? 

(see commentary for verse 3)

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(12:39) O my fellow prisoners, say, which, is better: various gods or the One Omnipotent Allah?

مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِنْ دُونِهِ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءً سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنْتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُمْ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ بِهَا مِنْ سُلْطَانٍ ۚ إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۚ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ {12:40}

[Q12:40] Maa  ta'budoona min doonihee illaaa asmaaa'an sam maitumoohaaa antum wa aabaaa'ukum maaa anzalal laahu bihaa min sultan; inilhukmu illaa lillaah; amara allaa ta'budooo illaaa iyyaah; zaalikad deenul qaiyimu wa laakinna aksaran naasi laa ya'lamoon … 
[Q12:40] You do not serve besides Him but names which you have named, you and your fathers; ALLAH (SWT) has not sent down any authority for them; judgment is only ALLAH (SWT)'s; He has commanded that you shall not serve aught but Him; this is the right religion but most people do not know:

[Q12:40] Apa yang kamu sembah, yang lain dari ALLAH (SwT), hanyalah nama-nama yang kamu menamakannya, kamu dan datuk nenek kamu, ALLAH (SwT) tidak pernah menurunkan sebarang bukti yang membenarkannya. Sebenarnya hukum (yang menentukan amal ibadat) hanyalah bagi ALLAH (SwT). Ia memerintahkan supaya kamu jangan menyembah melainkan Dia. Yang demikian itulah Ugama yang betul, tetapi kebanyakan manusia tidak mengetahui.  

(see commentary for verse 3)

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(12:40) The gods you worship other than Him are nothing more than mere names you and your forefathers have invented, for Allah has sent down no authority for them. Sovereignty belongs to none but Allah. He has commanded that you shall not worship anyone but Him. This is the right and straight Way, but most people do not know this.

يَا صَاحِبَيِ السِّجْنِ أَمَّا أَحَدُكُمَا فَيَسْقِي رَبَّهُ خَمْرًا ۖ وَأَمَّا الْآخَرُ فَيُصْلَبُ فَتَأْكُلُ الطَّيْرُ مِنْ رَأْسِهِ ۚ قُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ الَّذِي فِيهِ تَسْتَفْتِيَانِ {12:41}

[Q12:41] Yaa saahibayis sijni ammaaa ahadukumaa fa yasqee rabbahoo khamranw wa ammal aakharu fa yuslabu fataakulut tairu mir raasih; qudiyal amrul lazee feehi tastaftiyaan … 
[Q12:41] O my two mates of the prison! As for one of you, he shall give his lord to drink wine; and as for the other, he shall be crucified, so that the birds shall eat from his head, the matter is decreed concerning which you inquired.

[Q12:41] "Wahai sahabatku berdua yang sepenjara! (Takbir mimpi kamu itu ialah): adapun salah seorang dari kamu, maka ia akan memberi minum arak kepada tuannya. Ada pun yang seorang lagi, maka ia akan dipalang, serta burung pula akan makan dari kepalanya. Telah selesailah (dan tetaplah berlakunya) perkara yang kamu tanyakan itu". 

[The word sahibi (my companion) has been used by Yusuf to address the two fellow-prisoners who were polytheists. LIKEWISE it is not necessary that all the companions of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad) were sincere believers. Many of them were hypocrites.]

Ø  The mere use of the word ‘sahibi’ can never mean that the two fellows who were disbelievers in ALLAH (SWT) were in any sense of the term the equals of Joseph who was the apostle of ALLAH (SWT). THUS if anyone is merely called a contemporary or the companion of a great personality can never be an equal or necessarily a good person. Merely because anyone else is called the companion of the Holy Prophet (ALLAHuma sali ala Muhammad wa ala ali Muhammad), it does not necessarily mean that every one of them was a good person.

THEN Yusuf told them that the cup-bearer would again serve wine to Firawn, WHILE the cook will be crucified and the birds would peck at his brain. HE ASKED THE CUP-BEARER TO MENTION HIM TO HIS MASTER, but Shaytan made him forget to mention this to his master, and Yusuf remained in prison for a few more years.

One day the king told his courtiers that he saw in a dream seven fat cows being devoured by seven lean ones, and seven green ears of corns and seven others that were withered. None of the courtiers knew how to interpret dreams. The cup-bearer told Firawn that he would give him its interpretation and went to see Yusuf in prison. He asked him to tell him the meaning of the dream.

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(12:41) My fellow prisoners, here are the interpretations of your dreams. One of you will serve wine to his lord (the king of Egypt): as for the other, he shall be crucified and birds will eat of his head. Thus has that matter been decreed whereof you enquired." *34

*34 This discourse, which is the soul of this story, and is one of the best on the doctrine of Tauhid in the Qur'an itself, finds no place at all in the Bible and the Talmud. This is because they regard him merely as a wise and pious man and not as a Prophet. That is why Rev. Rodwell has, in regard to this passage, accused Muhammad (Allah's peace be upon him) of putting his own doctrine and conviction into the mouth of Joseph (Allah's peace be upon him). But the Qur'an not only puts forward and presents these two aspects of his life in a much better and clearer way but also presents him as a Prophet, who had started propagating the Message even in the prison.
As this discourse suggests several' very important things, it will be worthwhile to consider these one by one:
(1) This is the first occasion on which Prophet Joseph appears to have begun the preaching of the true Faith. For before this, the Qur'an reveals him in the different stages of his life as a man of high morality but does not say anything to show that he conveyed the Message also. From this it is clear that those stages were of a preparatory nature and the mission of Prophethood was entrusted to him at the stage of his imprisonment and this was his first discourse as a Prophet.
(2) Moreover, this was the first occasion when he revealed his identity to others. Before this, we find him bearing patiently everything that happened to him without revealing anything about his relationships with Prophet Abraham and others. He kept silent when the caravan made him a slave and carried him to Egypt: when AI-`Aziz bought him and when he was sent to prison. As Prophet Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Allah's peace be upon them all) were quite well-known, he might have used their names to advantage. The members of the caravan, both the Ishmaelites and the Midianites, were closely related to his family, and the Egyptians were, at least, familiar with the name of Prophet Abraham. Nay, the way in which Prophet Joseph mentioned their names in this discourse, shows that the fame of his father, grandfather and great grandfather had reached Egypt. But in spite of this, Prophet Joseph did not use their names on any of the critical occasions to save himself from the plight in which he was placed. This shows that probably he himself knew that these things were inevitable for his training for the Mission for which Allah had chosen him. Now it was absolutely necessary for him, for the sake of his Mission, to reveal this fact in order to show that he was not presenting any new Faith but the same Faith that was preached by Prophets Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Allah's peace be upon them all). This was necessary because the Message demanded that it should not be presented with the claim that it was a new and novel thing but that it was the same universal and eternal Truth that has always been presented by its bearers.
(3) This teaches us that one can, like Prophet Joseph, carve out a way for the propagation of the Message, if one has the intention and the required wisdom. The two men pay their homage to him and request him to interpret their dreams. In answer to this he says, "I will tell their interpretations but Iet me first inform you about the source of my knowledge that enables me to understand dreams". Thus he takes advantage of their request and preaches his own Faith to them. We learn from this that if a person is imbued with the true and strong desire for propagating the Truth, he can very gracefully turn the direction of the conversation towards the Message he desires to convey. On the contrary, if a person has no strong desire for the propagation of the Message, he never "finds" any opportunity for it, even though hundred and one such opportunities might have come his way which could have been utilized for this purpose. But one must be on one's guard to discriminate between the right use of an opportunity by a wise man from the crude "propagation" of a foolish and un-cultured person, who tries to thrust the Message into the ears of unwilling hearers and succeeds only in creating aversion for it in their minds because of his crude way of presentation.
(4) This also teaches the right procedure that should be followed in presenting the Message. Prophet Joseph does not present, at the very start, the details of the creed and regulations of the Faith but the most fundamental thing that distinguishes a Believer from a non-Believer, that is, the distinction between Tauhid and shirk. Then he presents it in such a rational manner as cannot fail to convince any tnan of common sense. And his argument must have impressed deeply on the minds of the two slaves. "Which is better: various gods or One Omnipotent Allah?" They knew it from their personal experience that it was much better to serve one master than a number of them. Therefore it was far better to serve the Lord of the universe than His servants. Moreover, he does not invite them directly to accept his Faith and discard their own faith, but he very wisely draws their attention to this fact; "This is Allah's bounty upon us and upon alI mankind that He has not made us the servants of any other than Himself, yet most of the people are not grateful to Him. Instead of serving Him alone, they invent gods for themselves and worship them". Then it is also noteworthy that his criterion of the faith of his addressees is based on wisdom and has no tinge of bitterness in it. He says, "The gods whom you call `the god of wealth' or `the god of health' or 'the god of prosperity' or `the god of rain' etc. are mere names you have given them without any reality behind them. The real Owner of everything is the Supreme Allah Whom you also acknowledge as the Creator and the Lord of the whole universe. He has sent no authority and given no sanction to anyone for Godhead and worship, but has reserved all the powers, all the rights and all the authorities for Himself, and commanded, `Serve and worship none but Me.'" 
(5) It may also be inferred from this discourse that Prophet Joseph must have made full use of this "opportunity" of a decade for the propagation of the Message. Some people think that that was the only time when he extended the invitation to the Message. This is wrong for two reasons. First, it is absurd to imagine that a Prophet could have been neglectful of his Mission for a long period. Second, it cannot be imagined that the person who availed himself of the opportunity when two men approached him for the interpretation of their dreams, could ever have passed a decade of imprisonment without propagating the Message entrusted to him by his Lord. 

وَقَالَ لِلَّذِي ظَنَّ أَنَّهُ نَاجٍ مِنْهُمَا اذْكُرْنِي عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ فَأَنْسَاهُ الشَّيْطَانُ ذِكْرَ رَبِّهِ فَلَبِثَ فِي السِّجْنِ بِضْعَ سِنِينَ {12:42}

[Q12:42] Wa qaala lillazee zanna annahoo najim minhumaz kurnee 'inda rabbika fa-ansaahush Shaitaanu zikra Rabbihee falabisa fis sijni bad'a sineen. 
[Q12:42] And he said to him whom he knew would be delivered of the two: Remember me with your lord; but the Shaitan caused him to forget mentioning (it) to his lord, so he remained in the prison a few years.

[Q12:42] Dan berkatalah Yusuf kepada orang yang ia percaya akan terselamat di antara mereka berdua: "Sebutkanlah perihalku kepada tuanmu". (Setelah orang itu dibebaskan dari penjara) maka ia dilupakan oleh syaitan untuk menyebutkan (hal Yusuf) kepada tuannya. Dengan sebab itu tinggALLAH (SwT) Yusuf dalam penjara beberapa tahun. 

BEFORE THE PRISONERS WERE RELEASED, JOSEPH HAD DESIRED THEM TO REMIND THE KING OF HIM [AND SINCE Joseph forgot ALLAH (SWT), his true lord, and sought help from the king and not from ALLAH (SWT), he was made to stay in the prison a few more years. When Joseph was informed of the consequence of his seeking help from the king instead of seeking it from ALLAH (SWT), he wept and prayed to ALLAH (SWT) in tear, says some commentators.]

JOSEPH HAD EMPLOYED THE TERM IS ‘WASILAH’ TO GET HIS MESSAGE TO THE KING THUS NOT FORGETTING ALLAH (SWT) BECAUSE IT IS THE ONLY HUMANLY POSSIBLE WAY FOR THE INSTANT OF TIME AND EVENT.

At last (at the time determine by ALLAH (SWT)) when the prayers of Joseph and also Jacob were heard, the period of the imprisonment of Joseph was brought to an end by a dream which the King was caused to have.

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(12:42) Then to the one who he thought would be released. Joseph said, "Mention me to your lord (the king of Egypt)". But Satan made him so neglectful that he forgot to mention him to his lord, and so Joseph remained in the prison for several years. *35

*35 Some commentators have interpreted it like this: "Satan made Prophet Joseph neglectful of his Lord, AIlah, so he placed his confidence in a man rather than Allah and desired him to mention him to his lord, the king, for his release. So AIlah punished him by letting him languish several years in the dungeon" In fact, such an interpretation is absolutely erroneous for as 'Allamah Ibn Kathir and some early commentators like Mujahid, Muhammad-bin-Ishaq and some others say, the pronoun "him" refers to that person who he thought would be released. Therefore it will mean: "Satan made him (the would-be free man) so neglectful that he forgot to mention him (Prophet Joseph) to his lord (the king)." They also cite a tradition in support of their interpretation to this effect. The Holy Prophet said, "If Prophet Joseph had not said that which he said, he would not have remained in imprisonment for several years." But `Allamah Ibn Kathir says, "This Hadith cannot be accepted because all the ways in which it has been reported are weak. Moreover, two of the reporters, Sufyan-bin-Waki`i and Ibrahim-bin-Yazid, are not trustworthy". Besides being weak on technical grounds, it is also against the dictates of common sense: if a wronged person adopted some measures for his release, he cannot be considered to be neglectful of God and guilty of the lack of trust in Allah. 

SECTION 6

         The King’s Dream---Joseph’s Interpretation

The King seeks interpretation of his dream---None of his courties could do it---Joseph in the prison interprets it.

وَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ إِنِّي أَرَى سَبْعَ بَقَرَاتٍ سِمَانٍ يَأْكُلُهُنَّ سَبْعٌ عِجَافٌ وَسَبْعَ سُنبُلاَتٍ خُضْرٍ وَأُخَرَ يَابِسَاتٍ يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلأُ أَفْتُونِي فِي رُؤْيَايَ إِن كُنتُمْ لِلرُّؤْيَا تَعْبُرُونَ

[Q12:43] Wa qaalal maliku inneee araa sab'a baqaraatin simaaniny yaakuluhunna sab'un 'ijaafunw wa sab'a sumbulaatinkhudrinw wa ukhara yaabisaat; yaaa ayuhal mala-u aftoonee fee nu'yaaya in kuntum lirru'yaa ta'buroon.  
[Q12:43] And the king said: Surely I see seven fat kine which seven lean ones devoured; and seven green ears and (seven) others dry: O chiefs! Explain to me my dream, if you can interpret the dream.

[Q12:43] Dan (pada suatu hari) raja Mesir berkata: "Sesungguhnya aku bermimpi melihat: tujuh ekor lembu yang gemuk dimakan oleh tujuh ekor lembu yang kurus, dan aku melihat tujuh tangkai (biji-bijian) yang hijau dan tujuh tangkai lagi yang kering. Wahai ketua-ketua kaum (yang hadir, terangkanlah kepadaku tentang mimpiku ini, kalau kamu orang yang pandai menafsirkan mimpi". 

When the chiefs, the great scholars who were experts in interpreting dreams got helpless against the confused nature of the dreams, the one of the two fellow-prisoners, (i.e., ‘Saqi’), requested permission to go to the prison and get the correct interpretation from the one (i.e., Joseph) who had proved himself to be an expert interpreter of dreams. The King immediately consented.

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(12:43) One *36 day the king said, "I saw in a dream seven fat cows whom seven lean cows were devouring. Likewise I saw seven green ears of corn, and seven withered ones. O my courtiers, tell me the interpretation of my dream, if you understand the meanings of dreams" *37

*36 Leaving the account of the events of the intervening years of imprisonment, the story has been resumed from the time when Prophct Joseph began to rise in worldly rank. 
*37 According to the Bible and the Talmud, the king was greatly disturbed troubled and confused in mind because of these dreams. So he proclaimed throughout the whole land of Egypt, and called upon all the wise men, and the sooth-sayers, and magicians of the land to interpret his dreams. 

قَالُوا أَضْغَاثُ أَحْلَامٍ ۖ وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَأْوِيلِ الْأَحْلَامِ بِعَالِمِينَ {12:44}

[Q12:44] Qaalooo adghaasu ahlaa minw wa maa nahnu bitaaweelil ahlaami bi'aalimeen. 
[Q12:44] They said: Confused dreams, and we do not know the interpretation of dreams.

[Q12:44] Mereka menjawab: "Yang demikian itu ialah mimpi-mimpi yang bercampur aduk, dan kami bukanlah orang-orang yang mengetahui mimpi-mimpi (yang sedemikian) itu".  

(see commentary for verse 3)

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(12:44) They answered, "These are the result of confused nightmares and we do not understand their meaning."

وَقَالَ الَّذِي نَجَا مِنْهُمَا وَادَّكَرَ بَعْدَ أُمَّةٍ أَنَا أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِتَأْوِيلِهِ فَأَرْسِلُونِ {12:45}

[Q12:45] Wa qaalal lazee najaa minhumaa waddakara ba'da ummatin ana unabbi'ukum bitalweelihee fa-arsiloon. 
[Q12:45] And of the two (prisoners) he who had found deliverance and remembered after a long time said: I will inform you of its interpretation, so let me go:

[Q12:45] Dan (pada saat itu) berkatalah orang yang terselamat di antara mereka yang berdua itu, dan yang baharu mengingati (akan pesanan Yusuf) sesudah berlalu suatu masa yang lanjut: "Aku akan memberi tahu kepada kamu tafsirannya. Oleh itu hantarkanlah daku pergi (kepada orang yang mengetahui tafsirannya) ". 

(see commentary for verse 3)

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(12:45) Then one of the two prisoners who had been released emembered the dung after a long time and said, "I will tell you its interpretation: just send me (to Joseph in the prison. *38)"

*38 The Qur'an has told in brief the essence of the request of the chief butler, but the Bible and the Talmud have given its details. According to these (and it stands to reason that it must have been so), he told the king of the life of Prophet Joseph in prison and how he interpreted their dreams rightly and prayed the king to give hits leave to see Prophct Joseph in prison for that purpose. 

يُوسُفُ أَيُّهَا الصِّدِّيقُ أَفْتِنَا فِي سَبْعِ بَقَرَاتٍ سِمَانٍ يَأْكُلُهُنَّ سَبْعٌ عِجَافٌ وَسَبْعِ سُنْبُلَاتٍ خُضْرٍ وَأُخَرَ يَابِسَاتٍ لَعَلِّي أَرْجِعُ إِلَى النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ {12:46}

[Q12:46] Yoosufu ayyuhas siddee qu aftinaa fee sab'i baqaraatin simaaniny yaakuluhunna sab'un 'ijaafunw wa sabi'i sumbulaatin khudrinw wa ukhara yaabisaatil la'alleee arj'u ilan naasi la'allahum ya'lamoon. 
[Q12:46] Yusuf! O truthful one! explain to us seven fat kine which seven lean ones devoured, and seven green ears and (seven) others dry, that I may go back to the people so that they may know.

[Q12:46] (Setelah ia berjumpa dengan Yusuf, berkatalah ia): "Yusuf, Wahai orang yang benar (pada segala-galanya)! tafsirkanlah kepada kami (seorang bermimpi melihat): tujuh ekor lembu yang gemuk dimakan oleh tujuh ekor lembu yang kurus; dan tujuh tangkai (biji-bijian) yang hijau serta tujuh tangkai lagi yang kering; (tafsirkanlah) supaya aku kembali kepada orang-orang yang mengutusku itu, semoga mereka dapat mengetahui tafsirannya". 

[Yusuf, the prophet of ALLAH (SWT), was a siddiq---truthful, who from his childhood worshipped no one save ALLAH (SWT). FROM THIS IT FOLLOWS that those who had worshipped a ghayrallah for the most part of their lives cannot be addressed as siddiq. ]

Yusuf the truthful said that there

1. Would be seven years of abundant harvest. Of them they should take a little for their sustenance and store the rest in the ears.

2. There would follow seven years of dreadful famine which will consume all the stores which were saved in the good years.

3. That would be followed by a year of rain in which people would press wine and oil.

THE KING SENT A MESSENGER TO BRING YUSUF. Yusuf told the messenger that his innocence was well-established before ALLAH (SWT), BUT BEFORE he came out of the prison there should be a public inquiry. Then the king sent for the ladies concerned. Among them came Zulaykha. The king demanded the whole truth. Zulaykha confessed that it was she who attempted to seduce Yusuf but undoubtedly he was a truthful man of virtue.

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(12:46) Going to Joseph, he said, "Joseph, O man of righteousness! *39 tell me the meaning of the dream of seven fat cows whom seven lean cows are devouring, and of seven green ears of corn and seven withered ones. Maybe I go back to those people and they might understand it." *40

*39 The Arabic word pofeIoO (Siddiq) is used for the one who is an embodiment of truth and righteousness. Thus it shows that the butler had been so deeply impressed with the pure character of Prophet Joseph that even years had failed to blot it from his heart. (For its fuller meaning please refer to E.N. 99 of An-Nusa). 
*40 That is, "They might understand your true worth and realize their own error in keeping you in prison without any just cause. And in a way I may get the opportunity of fulfilling the promise I made with you during my imprisonment. " 

قَالَ تَزْرَعُونَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ دَأَبًا فَمَا حَصَدْتُمْ فَذَرُوهُ فِي سُنْبُلِهِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ {12:47}

[Q12:47] Qaala tazra'oona sab'a sineena da aban famaa basattum fazaroohu fee sumbu liheee illaa qaleelam mimmaa taakuloon. 
[Q12:47] He said: You shall sow for seven years continuously, then what you reap leave it in its ear except a little of which you eat.

[Q12:47] Yusuf menjawab: "Hendaklah kamu menanam bersungguh-sungguh tujuh tahun berturut-turut, kemudian apa yang kamu ketam biarkanlah dia pada tangkai-tangkainya; kecuali sedikit dari bahagian yang kamu jadikan untuk makan.
 

Joseph advises the ruling authority to hoard the surplus of the foodstuff for the unseen emergencies in the interest of the people and how to preserve it so that it may not get useless.

¥  IT IS A LESSON TO THE AUTHORITIES TO BE ALWAYS ON GUARD AGAINST FAMINE WHICH MIGHT OVERTAKE A COUNTRY.

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(12:47) Joseph answered, "You will cultivate land for seven consecutive years as usual. During this period thrash out of the harvest you reap only that much grain that might suffice for your food and leave the rest in the ears.

ثُمَّ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ سَبْعٌ شِدَادٌ يَأْكُلْنَ مَا قَدَّمْتُمْ لَهُنَّ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِمَّا تُحْصِنُونَ {12:48}

[Q12:48] Summa yaatee mim ba'di zaalika sab'un shidaaduny yaa kulna maa qaddamtum lahunna illaa qaleelam mimma tuhsinoon. 
[Q12:48] Then there shall come after that seven years of hardship which shall eat away all that you have beforehand laid up in store for them, except a little of what you shall have preserved:

[Q12:48] Kemudian akan datang selepas tempoh itu, tujuh tahun kemarau yang besar, yang akan menghabiskan makanan yang kamu sediakan baginya; kecuali sedikit dari apa yang kamu simpan (untuk dijadikan benih). 

(see commentary for verse 3)

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(12:48) Then, after this, there shall come upon you seven hard years. Then you will eat up all that corn you might have kept for that period except that you will have reserved in the store.

ثُمَّ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ عَامٌ فِيهِ يُغَاثُ النَّاسُ وَفِيهِ يَعْصِرُونَ {12:49}

[Q12:49] Summa yadtee mim ba'di zaalika 'aamun feehi yughaa sun naasu wa feehi ya'siroon. 
[Q12:49] Then there will come after that a year in which people shall have rain and in which they shall press (grapes).

[Q12:48] Kemudian akan datang selepas tempoh itu, tujuh tahun kemarau yang besar, yang akan menghabiskan makanan yang kamu sediakan baginya; kecuali sedikit dari apa yang kamu simpan (untuk dijadikan benih). 

(see commentary for verse 3)

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(12:49) After that will come another year in which there will be abundant rainfall in answer to the prayer of the people and they will press (juice and oil.)" *41

*41 The literal meaning of is: "they will press." Here it has been used to denote that state of verdure which was going to prevail after the famine years because of rainfall and flood in the Nile. For, when the land will be watered, there will be abundance of seed to press oil, and abundance of fruit to press juice and abundance of fodder for cattle to press milk out of them. It should be noted that Prophet Joseph not only interpreted the king's dream but also told them how to preserve and reserve grain during the first seven years of prosperity for the subsequent seven years of famine. Moreover he foretold the good news of prosperity after the seven years of famine, though there was no hint of this in the dream of the king. 

SECTION 7

         Joseph cleared of the False Charge

Joseph is cleared of the false charge against him and is exalted in position.

وَقَالَ الْمَلِكُ ائْتُونِي بِهِ ۖ فَلَمَّا جَاءَهُ الرَّسُولُ قَالَ ارْجِعْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَاسْأَلْهُ مَا بَالُ النِّسْوَةِ اللَّاتِي قَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي بِكَيْدِهِنَّ عَلِيمٌ {12:50}

[Q12:50] Wa qaalal maliku'toonee bihee falammaa jaaa'ahur rasoolu qaalar-ji ilaa rabbika fas'alhu maa baalun niswatil laatee qatta'na aydiyahunn; inna Rabbee bikaidihinna 'Aleem. 

[Q12:50] And the king said: Bring him to me. So when the messenger came to him, he said: Go back to your lord and ask him, what is the case of the women who cut their hands; surely my Lord knows their guile.
[Q12:50] Dan (apabila mendengar tafsiran itu) berkatalah raja Mesir:" Bawalah dia kepadaku! "Maka tatkata utusan raja datang kepada Yusuf (menjemputnya mengadap raja), Yusuf berkata kepadanya: Kembalilah kepada tuanmu kemudian bertanyalah kepadanya: "Apa halnya perempuan-perempuan yang melukakan tangan mereka? Sesungguhnya Tuhanku Maha Mengetahui tipu daya mereka".  

When the ‘Saqi’ conveyed the interpretation to the King, the King got extremely pleased and wanted to hear the interpretation directly from the prisoner (Joseph) and ordered to present the prisoner to him in person.

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(12:50) The king said, "Bring him to me." But when the royal envoy came to him, Joseph said, *42 "Go back to your lord and ask him to enquire about the matter of the women who cut their hands. Indeed my Lord has full knowledge of their cunning." *43

*42 There is no mention in the Bible and the Talmud of THIS MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE STORY THAT PROPHET JOSEPH DECLINED TO QUIT THE PRISON TILL HIS CHARACTER WAS CLEARED. On the other hand, according to the Bible, "Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon; and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh" . And the Talmud depicts even a more degrading picture of the event. It says, "The king ordered that Joseph should be brought before him. But he commanded his officers to be careful not to frighten the lad, lest through fear he should be unable to interpret correctly. And the servant of the king brought Joseph forth from his dungeon, and shaved him and clothed him in new garments, and carried him before the king. The king was seated upon his throne, and the glare and glitter of the jewels which ornamented the throne dazzled and astonished the eyes of Joseph. Now the throne of the king was reached by seven steps it was the custom of Egypt for a prince or noble who held audience with the king, to ascend to the sixth step; but when an inferior or a private citizen of the land was called into his presence, the king descended to the third step and from there spoke with him." (The Talmud, H. Polano, pp.87-88).
A comparison of the degrading picture in the Talmud with this self -respecting grand, and noble picture depicted in the Qur'an will convince every unbiased critic that the one in the Qur'an is worthy of a Prophet of God. Moreover the picture in the Talmud is open to a grave objection: Had Prophet Joseph behaved like a frightened and cringing lad who was so dazzled by the glitter and glare of the jewels of the throne that he bowed to the ground, how was it that the king and the courtiers were so impressed by him that they declared, "...... the Hebrew has proved himself wise and skilful and through his wisdom shall our country be saved the pangs of want"? So much so that the king appointed him, without demur, as "governor" over the land, "second only to himself". All this shows that by that time he had proved his moral and mental superiority and had enhanced it by his refusal to quit the prison without proving his innocence. Otherwise, they would have never raised him to the highest rank in such a civilized and advanced country as Egypt.
*43 He demanded an enquiry into the matter not because he himself had any doubt of his innocence, but because he was perfectly confident of this: "My Lord has full knowledge of my innocence and of their cunning. But your lord should also make a thorough inquiry as to why I had been sent to prison, for I do not want to go before the public with any blemish or blot on my reputation. Therefore a public enquiry should be held to prove that I was an innocent victim of the injustice of the chiefs and nobles of the country, who had cast me into prison in order to cover up the guilt of their own ladies."
The words in which the demand was made clearly show that the king was already fully acquainted with the details of the incident that had happened at the banquet of the wife of Al-'Aziz. That is why a mere reference to it was enough.
Another note-worthy thing in this demand was that Prophet Joseph did not in any way hint at the part the wife of Al-`Aziz had played in the event. This is another proof of his noble character that he did not like to involve and entangle the wife of his benefactor in the matter, even though she had done him her worst.