In the name of God, the Almighty,¹ the Merciful.

¹ alif lām rā¹ Those are the proofs² of the Clear Writ.³

² We have sent it down as an Arabic recitation,¹ that you might use reason.

³ We relate to thee the best of stories¹ in what We have revealed² to thee of this Qur’an,³ though thou wast before it among those unaware.

⁴ When Joseph said to his father: “O my father: I saw¹ eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw them submitting² to me,”

⁵ He said: “O my son: relate thou not thy dream to thy brothers lest they plan a plan against thee; the satan¹ is to man an open enemy.

⁶ “And thus will thy Lord choose thee, and teach thee the interpretation of events, and complete His favour upon thee and upon the house of Jacob as He completed it upon thy fathers before, Abraham and Isaac; thy Lord is knowing and wise.”

⁷ In Joseph and his brothers were proofs¹ for those who ask.

⁸ When they said: “Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than are we, when we are a group; our father is in manifest error.

⁹ “Kill Joseph, or banish him to a land; the face of your father will pass to you — and be you after it a righteous people,”

¹⁰ Said a speaker among them: “Kill not Joseph, but cast him into the depth of the well — some caravan will gather him up — if you must act.”¹

¹¹ They said: “O our father: what ails thee, that thou trustest us not with Joseph when we are sincere counsellors to him?

¹² “Send thou him with us tomorrow, that he might run¹ and play; and we will guard him.”

¹³ He said: “It grieves me that you should go with him; and I fear lest the wolf should eat him when you are unmindful of him.”

¹⁴ They said: “If the wolf should eat him when we are a group, then will we be the losers.”¹

¹⁵ Then when they went with him, and agreed to place him in the depth of the well[...].¹ And We revealed² to him: “Thou wilt inform them of this deed of theirs when they perceive not.”

¹⁶ And they came to their father in the evening, weeping.

¹⁷ They said: “O our father: we went to run races, and left Joseph with our goods — and the wolf ate him; and thou wouldst not believe us, though we were truthful.”

¹⁸ And they came with false blood on his shirt. He said: “Nay,¹ your souls have enticed you into a matter; then: comely patience — and God is the one whose aid is sought against what you describe.”

¹⁹ And there came a caravan; and they sent their water-drawer,¹ and he let down his pail. He said: “O glad tidings: here is a lad!” And they hid him as merchandise; and God knows what they did.

²⁰ And they sold him for a low price — a few dirhams¹ — and they were, concerning him, of those content with little.

²¹ And said he who bought him from Egypt,¹ to his wife: “Be thou honourable in his dwelling;² it may be that he will benefit us, or we will take him as a son.” And thus did We establish Joseph in the land, and that We might teach him the interpretation of narratives; and God prevails over His affair, but most men³ understand not.

²² And when he reached maturity, We gave him judgment and knowledge; and thus reward We the doers of good.

²³ And she in whose house he was sought to lure him away from his soul;¹ and she closed the doors, and said: “Come thou hither.” He said: “I seek refuge in God — He is my Lord² who made good my dwelling; the wrongdoers³ do not succeed.”

²⁴ And she desired him; and he desired her[...]¹ were it not that he saw the evidence of his Lord.² Thus — that We might turn away from him evil and sexual immorality;³ he was among Our sincere servants.

²⁵ And they¹ raced to the door; and she tore his shirt from behind; and they² met her master at the door. She said; “What is the reward of him who wished evil on thy household save that he be imprisoned, or a painful punishment?”

²⁶ Said he: “She it was who sought to lure me away from my soul.” And there bore witness a witness from her household: “If his shirt is torn from the front, then she has spoken the truth and he is of the liars.

²⁷ “But if his shirt is torn from behind, then she has lied and he is of the truthful.”

²⁸ And when he saw his shirt torn from behind, he said: “This is a plan of you women;¹ indeed, your guile² is great.

²⁹ “Joseph: disregard thou this; and wife:¹ ask thou forgiveness for thy transgression;² thou art of the offenders.”³

³⁰ And women in the city said: “The wife of the Governor¹ is seeking to lure her houseboy away from his soul; he has enslaved² her to love; we see her in manifest error.”

³¹ And when she heard of their scheming, she sent to them, and prepared for them a feasting couch,¹ and gave to each one of them a knife, and said: “Come thou out before them.” And when they saw him, they exalted him, and cut their hands, and said: “God forbid!² This is no mortal; this is only a noble angel!”

³² She said: “This is he for whom you blamed me. And I indeed sought to lure him away from his soul, but he proved patient; but if he do not what I command him, he will be imprisoned and be of those brought low.”

³³ He said: “My Lord: prison is preferable to me than that to which they¹ invite me; and save Thou divert their² plan from me, I will incline to them³ and be of the ignorant.”

³⁴ And his Lord responded to him, and diverted their¹ plan from him; He is the Hearing, the Knowing.

³⁵ Then was it clear to them,¹ after they had seen the proofs,² that they should imprison him for a time.

³⁶ And two young men entered the prison with him. One of them¹ said: “I dreamed² that I was pressing wine.” And the other said: “I dreamed³ that I was bearing upon my head bread whereof the birds were eating — inform thou us of the interpretation; we see thou art among the doers of good.”

³⁷ Said he: “There will not come to you¹ food wherewith you² are provided save that I will have informed you³ of its interpretation before it comes to you.⁴ That is from what my Lord has taught me. I have left the creed⁵ of people who believe not in⁶ God; and they, of the Hereafter, are deniers.

³⁸ “And I have followed the creed of my fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob;¹ it is not for us to ascribe a partnership² to God with anything. That is of the bounty of God upon us, and upon mankind;³ but most men⁴ are not grateful.

³⁹ “O my two prison companions: are different lords better or God, the One, the Vanquishing?

⁴⁰ “You¹ serve, besides² Him, only names which you have named, you and your fathers; God sent not down for them any authority. Judgment is but for God. He commanded that you serve not save Him. That is the right doctrine;³ but most men⁴ know not.

⁴¹ “O my two prison companions: as for one of you: he will pour for his lord wine; and as for the other: he will be crucified,¹ and the birds will eat from his head. Decided is the matter about which you² sought opinion.”

⁴² And he said to him he knew would be delivered of the two: “Remember thou me before thy lord.” But the satan¹ caused him to forget the mention² to his lord; so he stayed in prison some years.

⁴³ And the King said: “I dreamed of¹ seven fat cows, which seven lean were eating; and seven green ears of corn and others withered.² O eminent ones: advise me concerning my dream, if you can interpret visions.”

⁴⁴ They said: “Confused, false dreams! And we are not learned in the interpretation of dreams.”

⁴⁵ And said he who was delivered of the two, and remembered after a time:¹ “I will inform you of the interpretation; so send me.”

⁴⁶ “Joseph, O man of truth: advise thou us concerning the seven fat cows which seven lean were eating, and the seven green ears of corn and others withered,¹ that I might return to the people, that they might know.”

⁴⁷ He said: “You will sow seven years as usual; what you have reaped, leave in the ear save a little whereof you will eat.

⁴⁸ “Then will come after that seven hard;¹ they will consume what you sent ahead for them save a little whereof you will keep in store.

⁴⁹ “Then after that will come a year wherein men will be given abundant rain¹ and wherein they will press.”²

⁵⁰ And the King said: “Bring him to me!” But when the messenger¹ came to him, he said: “Return thou to thy lord, and ask him what is the state of the women² who cut their hands; my Lord knows of their plan.”

⁵¹ Said he:¹ “What was the case of you women² when you sought to lure Joseph away from his soul?” They said: “God forbid! We know no evil³ against him.” Said the wife of the Governor: “Now the truth⁴ is manifest: I sought to lure him away from his soul, and he speaks the truth.⁵

⁵² “That is so he¹ might know that I betrayed him not unseen, and that God guides not the plan of the treacherous.

⁵³ “And I absolve not myself; the soul commands to evil,¹ save that my Lord has mercy; my Lord is forgiving and merciful.”²

⁵⁴ And the King said: “Bring him to me! I will attach him to my person.”¹ Then when he had spoken with him, he said: “Thou art this day with us established² and trusted.”

⁵⁵ Said he: “Appoint thou me over the storehouses¹ of the land; I am a knowledgeable custodian.”

⁵⁶ And thus We established Joseph in the land, to settle therein wheresoever he willed. We visit with Our mercy whom We will, and We cause not to be lost the reward of the doers of good.

⁵⁷ And the reward of the Hereafter is better for those who heed warning¹ and are in prudent fear.²

⁵⁸ And the brothers of Joseph came, and entered upon him; and he knew¹ them, but he was to them unknown.

⁵⁹ And when he had furnished them with their provisions, he said: “Bring me a brother of yours from your father; see you not that I give full measure, and that I am the best of hosts?

⁶⁰ “But if you bring him not to me, then no measure will there be for you with me, nor will you approach me.”

⁶¹ They said: “We will seek to lure him away from his father¹ — and that will we do.”

⁶² And he said to his servants:¹ “Put their merchandise in their saddlebags, that they might recognise it when they return to their people, that they might return.”

⁶³ And when they returned to their father, they said: “O our father: forbidden us was the measure, so send thou with us our brother; we will obtain the measure; and we will keep him safe.”¹

⁶⁴ He said: “Am I to trust him to you save as I trusted his brother to you before? And God is the best custodian, and He is the most merciful of those who show mercy.”

⁶⁵ And when they opened their possessions, they found their merchandise returned to them. They said: “O our father: what more can we ask!¹ This is our merchandise returned to us. And we will get provision for our people and guard our brother, and will have increase of a camel’s measure² — that is an easy measure.”

⁶⁶ He said: “I will not send him with you until you give me a solemn oath before¹ God that you will bring him to me save that you be surrounded.” And when they had brought him their solemn oath, he said: “God is guardian over what we say.”

⁶⁷ And he said: “O my sons: enter not by one gate, but enter by different gates.¹ But I cannot avail you anything against God. Judgment is but for God; in Him have I placed my trust. And in Him let trust those who would place their trust aright.”²

⁶⁸ And when they entered in what manner¹ their father had commanded them, it availed them nothing against God; it was but a need in the soul of Jacob which he satisfied. And he was a man of knowledge due to what We had taught him; but most men² know not.

⁶⁹ And when they entered upon Joseph, he took his brother to himself; he said: “I am thy brother, so despair thou not at what they did.”¹

⁷⁰ And when he had furnished them with their provisions, he put the drinking-cup into the saddlebag of his brother.¹ Then a crier cried: “O you of the caravan: you are thieves!”

⁷¹ Said they, approaching them: “What is it you are missing?”

⁷² They said: “We do miss the King’s goblet; and for him who brings it is a camel-load; and I guarantee it.”

⁷³ Said they: “By God, you know we came not to work corruption in the land! And we are not thieves.”

⁷⁴ They said: “And what is the recompense¹ for it, if you are liars?”

⁷⁵ Said they: “The recompense¹ for it is that he in whose saddlebag it is found, he is the recompense² for it. Thus³ requite we the wrongdoers.”⁴

⁷⁶ So he began with their bags before the bag of his brother; then he brought it forth from the bag of his brother. (Thus did We plan for Joseph; he could not have taken his brother within the doctrine¹ of the King save that God had so willed. We raise in degree² whom We will; and over every possessor of knowledge is One knowing.)

⁷⁷ Said they: “If he steals, then there stole a brother¹ of his before.” (But Joseph concealed it² within his soul, and did not reveal it to them, saying: “You are in worse position; and God best knows what you describe.”)

⁷⁸ Said they: “O Governor: he has a father, old and great,¹ so take thou one of us in his place;² we see thou art among the doers of good.”

⁷⁹ He said: “God forbid¹ that we take save him with whom we found our goods! Then should we be the wrongdoers.”²

⁸⁰ And when they had despaired of him, they separated themselves for private conference. The eldest of them said: “Know you not that your father took a solemn oath from you before¹ God — and you failed concerning Joseph before? And I will not leave the land until my father gives me leave, or God judges in my favour; and He is the best of judges.

⁸¹ “Return to your father, and say: ‘O our father: thy son stole; and we bear not witness save to what we know; and we are not custodians of the Unseen.

⁸² “‘And ask thou of the city in which we were, and the caravan in which we approached; and we are truthful.’”

⁸³ He said:¹ “Nay,² your souls have enticed you into a matter. Then: comely patience — it may be that God will bring them³ to me all together; He is the Knowing, the Wise.”

⁸⁴ And he turned away from them and said: “O my grief for Joseph!” And his eyes became white from the sorrow he was suppressing.

⁸⁵ They said: “By God, thou wilt never cease remembering Joseph until thou art decrepit, or art of those who perish!”

⁸⁶ He said: “I but complain of my distress and grief to God; but I know from God what you know not.¹

⁸⁷ “O my sons: go and ask about Joseph and his brother, and despair not of the comfort¹ of God; none despairs of the comfort of God save the unbelieving² people.”

⁸⁸ And when they entered upon him, they said: “O Governor: affliction has touched us and our people, and we have come with paltry¹ merchandise. Fulfil thou for us the measure, and be thou charitable to us; God rewards the charitable.”

⁸⁹ He said: “Know you what you did to Joseph and his brother, when you were ignorant?”

⁹⁰ They said: “Is it indeed thou, Joseph?” He said: “I am Joseph, and this is my brother. God has favoured us. Whoso is in prudent fear¹ and is patient — God causes not to be lost the reward of the doers of good.”

⁹¹ They said: “By God, indeed God has preferred thee over us and we were of the offenders!”

⁹² He said: “No blame is upon you this day. God will forgive you; and He is the most merciful of those who show mercy.

⁹³ “Go with this my shirt, and cast it upon the face of my father — he will come to see — and come to me with your household all together.”

⁹⁴ And when the caravan departed, their father said: “I perceive¹ the scent² of Joseph––³ had you not thought me weak in mind.”

⁹⁵ They said: “By God, thou art in thine old error!”

⁹⁶ Then when the bearer of glad tidings came he cast it¹ upon his face, and he could see again.² He said: “Said I not to you that I know from God what you know not?”

⁹⁷ They said: “O our father: ask thou forgiveness for us for our transgressions;¹ we were of the offenders.”²

⁹⁸ He said: “I will ask forgiveness for you of my Lord; He is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”

⁹⁹ And when they entered upon Joseph, he took his parents to himself, and said: “Enter Egypt,¹ if God wills, in safety.”

¹⁰⁰ And he raised his parents upon the throne. And they¹ fell down to him in submission,² and he said: “O my father: this is the fulfilment³ of my dream before. My Lord has made it true.⁴ And He did good to me when He took me out of the prison, and brought you from the desert⁵ after the satan⁶ had provoked to evil between me and my brothers. My Lord is subtle in what He wills; He is the Knowing, the Wise.”⁷

¹⁰¹ “My Lord: Thou hast given me some dominion, and hast taught me some of the interpretation of events; Creator of the Heavens and the Earth: Thou art my ally in the World and the Hereafter. Take Thou me as one submitting,¹ and join Thou me with the righteous.”

¹⁰² That is of the reports of the Unseen which We reveal¹ to thee; and thou wast not with them when they resolved upon their affair, when they were scheming.

¹⁰³ And most men¹ — though thou be desirous — are not believers.²

¹⁰⁴ And thou askest not of them for it any reward; it is only a reminder¹ to all mankind.²

¹⁰⁵ And how many a proof¹ is there in the heavens and the earth which they pass by, and from which they turn away!

¹⁰⁶ And most of them believe not in God save as¹ idolaters.²

¹⁰⁷ Do they then feel secure against an enveloping of the punishment of God coming upon them, or the Hour coming upon them unexpectedly when they perceive not?

¹⁰⁸ Say thou: “This is my path. I invite to God with insight — I and whoso follows me. And glory¹ be to God! And I am not of the idolaters.”

¹⁰⁹ And We sent before thee only men to whom We revealed¹ from among the people of the cities. (So have they not travelled in the earth and seen how was the final outcome of those who were before them? And the abode of the Hereafter is best for those who are in prudent fear;² will you then not³ use reason!)

¹¹⁰ When¹ the messengers had despaired and thought that they had been denied, there came to them Our help² and who We willed was delivered. And repulsed not is Our wrath from the lawbreaking people.

¹¹¹ There is in their story a lesson for men of understanding; it is not an invented narrative¹ but a confirmation of what is before it,² and an exposition of every thing,³ and guidance, and a mercy for people who believe.