Joseph
- philhoraia
- Aug 21, 2023
- 5 min read
In this post we shall be looking at references to Joseph.
S 6:84 And we gave him Ishaq and Ya’qub, all did we guide. And Nuh did we guide before and of his offspring Dawud and Sulayman and Ayyub and Yusuf and Musa and Harun. And thus do we reward the good-doers.
S 12:4 When Yusuf said to his father: Father! I saw eleven planets and the sun and the moon. I saw them doing sujud to me.
Who was his father? As sujud proper is towards someone or something immediately in front of the one doing sujud, these heavenly bodies would have had to be right in front of him. Altogether there are 13. Whom or what do they represent?
S 12:7 There were in Yusuf and his brothers signs for those who ask.
Who were his brothers?
S 12:8 When they said: Yusuf and his brother is more beloved to our father than we, and we are a band. Our father is in obvious error.
Who is this brother?
S 12:9 Kill Yusuf or chuck him onto land, your father’s face may pass away for you and you may be after that a righteous people.
S 12:10 A speaker among them said: Do not kill Yusuf but throw him into the bottom of the cistern; let some caravan pick him up, if you are doers.
Who is this speaker?
S 12:11 They said: Our father, what is wrong with you? You do not feel safe with us with Yusuf. And we are advisers to him.
S 12:17 They said: Our father, we went racing and left Yusuf with our goods and a wolf ate him. And you are not going to believe us even if we were truthful.
S 12:21 And the one who bought him from Egypt said to his woman: Honour his abode. Perhaps he will benefit us or we shall take him as a child. And thus we gave power to Yusuf in the land and that we might teach him of the interpretation of ahadith. And Allah is victor over his affair but most people do not know.
Who bought him? Does the author mean that Yusuf was bought in Egypt? Or that the buyer was from Egypt? His woman? Did he want to adopt Yusuf, the historical Joseph having been about 17 at the time? Isn't adoption sinful?
S 12:29 Yusuf, turn away from this. And ask for forgiveness for your sin. You were of the sinners.
S 12:46 Yusuf, truthful one. Explain to us about seven fat cows that eat seven lean and seven green ears and others dry; perhaps I shall return to the people; perhaps they will know.
S 12:51 He said: What is your case when you enticed Yusuf from himself? They said: Far be it from Lah! We did not know any evil about him. Al-Aziz’s woman said: Now the truth has come to light. I enticed him from himself and he is of the truthful.
Lah? Where was Allah in the Egyptian pantheon, if this is supposed to be Egypt? Why is this (Egyptian) guy called Al-Aziz?
S 12:56 And thus we enabled Yusuf in the land to settle from it where he wills. We hit with our mercy whom we will. And we do not waste the wage of the good-doers.
Do 'we' have someone's wages, which they might waste?
S 12:58 And Yusuf’s brothers came and entered upon him and he recognised them and they were denying him.
Where have his brothers sprung up from and how have they met him?
S 12:69 And when they entered upon Yusuf he received his brother hospitably to him. He said: I am your brother so do not be distressed because of what they used to do.
S 12:76 So he began with their vessels before his brother’s vessel then brought it out from his brother’s vessel. Thus did we scheme for Yusuf. He would not take his brother in the king’s law but that Allah wills. We raise in degrees whom we will and learned above every possessor of knowledge.
S 12:77 They said: If he steals then a brother of his has stolen before. But Yusuf kept it secret in himself and did not disclose it to them. He said: You are evil in position and Allah is a knower of what you attribute.
As 'they' are brothers to the one accused, which other brother might have stolen before?
S 12:80 So when they had given up hope of him they came to a private conversation. The eldest of them said: Did you not know that your father took an agreement from Allah upon you and before what you relinquished concerning Yusuf? So I will not leave the land until my father permits me or Allah judges for me and he is the best of judges.
S 12:84 And he turned away from them and said: My sorrow over Yusuf! And his eyes became white from grief and he was provoked.
S 12:85 They said: By Allah, you will cease remembering Yusuf until you are decayed or are of the perishing.
S 12:87 My sons, go and enquire about Yusuf and his brother and do not despair of Allah’s refreshment. None despairs of Allah’s refreshment but the kafirun people.
The word 'refreshment' (as vocalised in the text) may be read as 'spirit'.
S 12:89 He said: Did you know what you did with Yusuf and his brother when you were ignorant?
S 12:90 They said: Are you Yusuf? He said: I am Yusuf and this is my brother. Allah has been benevolent towards us. He who fears and is patient, Allah does not waste the wage of the good-doers.
S 12:94 And when the caravan had left their father said: I find Yusuf’s smell, except you prove me wrong.
Is this a reminiscence of the Jacob and Esau story when Isaac sniffs them?
S 12:99 And when they entered upon Yusuf he put his parents up and said: Enter Egypt, if Allah wills, secure.
The historical Joseph's mother had died long before he had been taken to Egypt. Apparently he is in Egypt. But see verse 21 above.
S 40:34 And Yusuf came to you before with the proofs but you did not cease in doubt about what he had brought you until when he perished you said: Allah will not raise a messenger after him. Thus Allah misguides him who is extravagant, a doubter.
Yusuf went to the Arabs with 'the proofs'?
A Muslim claim is that the Bible in Genesis gets it wrong when it calls the ruler Pharaoh (although it does use the word 'king' too) whereas quran in S 12 calls him 'king'. The author elsewhere assumes that Fir'awn (Pharaoh) is a proper name.
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