Alif-Lam-Ra. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Quran, and none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings]. These are the Verses of the Clear Book (the Quran that makes clear the legal and illegal things, legal laws, a guidance and a blessing).

Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’an that you might understand.

We relate to you the best of stories through this Qur’an by Our revelation to you (O Muhammad), though before this you were one of those who did not know.

This is the narrative of that time, when Yusuf (Joseph) said to his father: “O my father! In a dream I saw eleven stars, the sun and the moon – I saw them prostrate themselves before me!”
Meaning:-
Prostrate: lying stretched out on the ground with one’s face downward, especially in reverence or submission.

He replied: “My dear little son! Do not say anything about this dream to your brothers, lest they plot an evil scheme against you; for Shaitan is an open enemy to human beings

It will happen, as you have seen in your dream, that you will be chosen by your Lord for His work. He will teach you how to interpret dreams, and will perfect His favor upon you and the children of Ya’qoob (Jacob), as He perfected it upon your forefathers Ibrahim (Abraham) and Ishaq (Isaac) before you. Surely your Lord is Knowledgeable, Wise.

Indeed, in the story of Joseph and his brothers there are lessons for all who ask.

˹Remember˺ when they said ˹to one another˺, “Surely Joseph and his brother ˹Benjamin˺ are more beloved to our father than we, even though we are a group of so many. 1 Indeed, our father is clearly mistaken.

Let us kill Yusuf or throw him out to some far-off land so that the attention of our father turns exclusively towards us, after that, we may again become righteous people!”
Meaning:-
Righteous: (of a person or conduct) morally right or justifiable; virtuous, very good; excellent.

One of them said, “Do not kill Joseph. But if you must do something, throw him into the bottom of a well so perhaps he may be picked up by some travellers.”

After this meeting, they asked their father: “O our father! Why is it that you do not trust us with Yusuf, though we are his sincere well-wishers?

Send him with us tomorrow, that he may play and enjoy himself. We shall take good care of him.”

Their father said: “I will be worried if you take him away, for I fear lest a wolf should eat him up while you are off your guard.”

They said: “If a wolf could eat him despite our strong group, then surely we would be worthless people!”

And so, when they took him away and decided to throw him into the bottom of the well, We inspired him (to Yusuf): “˹One day˺ you will remind them of this deed of theirs while they are unaware ˹of who you are˺.”

And they came to their father at night, weeping.

They said: “Father! We went off to compete in racing with one another, and left Yusuf by our belongings, and a wolf ate him ! But you will not believe us even though we are telling the truth.”

As proof they brought his shirt stained with false blood. “No!” He cried, “Your souls have tempted you to evil. I need good patience! Allah Alone can help me bear the loss you are speaking of.”

And there came some travellers, and they sent their water-boy who let down his bucket into the well. He cried out, “Oh, what a great find! Here is a boy!” And they took him secretly ˹to be sold˺ as merchandise, but Allah is All-Knowing of what they did.

They (brought him to Egypt and) sold him for a petty price, a few dirhams (silver coins), they had such a low estimation of him.

The Egyptian who bought Yusuf said to his wife: “Be kind to him. He may prove useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son.” Thus We established Yusuf in the land and arranged to teach him the understanding of affairs. Allah has full power over His affairs; though most people do not know.

And when he reached maturity, We gave him wisdom and knowledge. This is how We reward the righteous.
Meaning:-
Righteous: (of a person or conduct) morally right or justifiable; virtuous, very good; excellent.

Now, the lady of the house (his master’s wife) attempted to seduce him. She bolted the doors and said: “Come!” He replied: “May Allah protect me from this! My lord has provided me with good residence. Should I betray his trust? Such wrongdoers shall not prosper.”
Meaning:-
Seduce: to persuade or induce to have sexual intercourse.
Betray: to deceive, misguide, or corrupt:
Wrongdoer: a person who behaves illegally or dishonestly; an offender.

And she certainly determined [to seduce] him, and he would have inclined to her had he not seen the proof of his Lord. And thus [it was] that We should avert from him evil and immorality. Indeed, he was of Our chosen servants.
Meaning:-
Seduce: attract powerfully, entice into sexual activity.
Immorality: corruption, dishonesty, character, or conduct; wickedness; evilness and sexual misconduct.

They both rushed to the door. In order to stop him she caught his shirt, and as a result she ripped his shirt from behind. At the door they met her husband. Seeing him she cried: “What punishment does someone who intended evil against your wife deserve except imprisonment or a painful punishment?”

Yusuf said: “It was she who attempted to seduce me.” At this – one accusing the other – one member of her own family bore witness saying: “If his shirt is ripped from the front, then she is speaking the truth and he is lying.
Meaning:-
Seduce: attract powerfully, entice into sexual activity.

But if it is ripped from behind, then he is speaking the truth and she is lying.”

So when he (her husband) saw that Yusuf’s shirt was ripped from behind, he said to her: “It is one of the tricks of you women! Your trick was mighty indeed!

O Yusuf, say no more about this, and you (O my wife) seek forgiveness for your sins, for you were indeed the wrongdoer.”
Meaning:-
Wrongdoer: a person who behaves illegally or dishonestly; an offender.

The women of the city began to talk about this incident, saying: “The wife of Al-Aziz has seduced her young slave, for she has fallen madly in love with him. In fact, we see her in manifest error.”
Meaning:-
Seduce: attract powerfully, entice into sexual activity.
Manifest: to make clear or obvious to the eye or mind or the understanding; show plainly

When she heard about these remarks, she invited them and prepared for them a banquet, and gave each of them a knife. When they were engaged in cutting fruit, she asked Yusuf to come out before them. When they saw him, they were so amazed that they cut their hands and exclaimed spontaneously: “Good Lord! He is no human being; he is but a noble angel.”
Meaning:-
Banquet:The definition of a banquet is an elaborate dinner, usually for the purpose of celebration
exclaimed: cry out suddenly, especially in surprise, anger, or pain.
spontaneously: happening or done in a natural, often sudden way.

She said, “This is the one for whose love you criticized me! I did try to seduce him but he ˹firmly˺ refused. And if he does not do what I order him to, he will certainly be imprisoned and ˹fully˺ disgraced.”
Meaning:-
Seduce: attract powerfully, entice into sexual activity.

He prayed, “My Lord! I would rather be in jail than do what they invite me to. And if You do not turn their cunning away from me, I might yield to them and fall into ignorance.”
Meaning:-
Ignorance<: lacking knowledge, information, or awareness about something in particular.

So his Lord responded to him and averted from him their plan. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing.
Meaning:-
Averted: to turn away or aside: to ward off; prevent:

Still, even after all the evidence they had seen (of his innocence and the guilt of their women), they thought it proper to send him to prison for a while.

Two young men also entered the prison along with him. One day one of them said: “I saw in a dream that I was pressing wine.” The other said: “I saw in a dream that I was carrying bread on my head, of which birds were eating.” Tell us the interpretation of these dreams, for we see that you are a man of virtue.
Meaning:-
Pressing Wine: Pressing in winemaking is the process where the juice is extracted from the grapes with the aid of a wine press, by hand, or even by the weight of the grape berries and clusters.
Virtue: behavior showing high moral standards.

Yusuf replied, “I can even tell you what kind of meal you will be served before you receive it. This ˹knowledge˺ is from what my Lord has taught me. In fact, I have shunned the faith of a people who disbelieve in Allah and deny the Hereafter.
Meaning:-
Shunned: rejected, persistently avoided or ignored.

I follow the faith of my forefathers Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishaq (Isaac) and Ya’qoob (Jacob). It is not ˹right˺ for us to associate (partners) anything with Allah ˹in worship˺. It is the grace of Allah on us and on mankind (that He has not made us the servants of anyone else other than Himself), yet most of the people are not grateful.

O my fellow-prisoners! Which is far better: many different lords or Allah—the One, the Supreme?

Whatever ˹idols˺ you worship instead of Him are mere names which you and your forefathers have invented -a practice Allah has never authorized. It is only Allah Who decides. He has commanded that you worship none but Him. That is the upright faith, but most people do not know.
Meaning:-
Mere: Mere means pure and simple, nothing more and nothing less. If the mere mention of someone’s name makes you happy, then just hearing his name — and that alone — is enough to make you smile.

“O my fellow-prisoners! (Here is the interpretation of your dreams), one of you will be released and serve wine to your lord (the king of Egypt); and the other will be crucified and the birds will eat from his head. That’s how your cases will be decided concerning which you inquired (that is the answer to your question).”
Meaning:-
Interpretation: act of explaining, reframing, to explain or tell the meaning of, understand action or situation in particular way.
Crucify: put (someone) to death by nailing or binding them to a cross, especially as an ancient punishment.

Then he said to the one who he thought would be released, he said: “Mention me to your master.” But Shaitan made him forget to mention (Yusuf) to his master, so he remained in the prison a few more years.

One day the king of Egypt said: “I saw seven fat cows in my dream which were eaten up by seven lean cows, likewise I saw seven green ears of corn and seven others that were dried up. O chiefs! Tell me the meaning of my dream if you can interpret the dreams.”
Meaning:-
Lean: Fatless, lithe, skinny, slender, slim, spare, svelte, thin.
Ear: the part at the top of a plant such as wheat that contains the grain.
Interpret: to explain or tell the meaning of, understand action or situation in particular way.

They said, “[It is but] a mixture of false dreams, and we are not learned in the interpretation of dreams.”
Meaning:-
Interpretation: act of explaining, reframing, to explain or tell the meaning of, understand action or situation in particular way.

Thereupon one of the two inmates (prisoner) who was released remembered Yusuf after all that time, and he said: “I will tell you its interpretation; just send me to Yusuf in the prison.”
Meaning:-
Inmate: a person who is confined in a prison.
Interpretation: act of explaining, reframing, to explain or tell the meaning of, understand action or situation in particular way.

He came to Yusuf in the prison and said: “O Yusuf the truthful one! Tell us the meaning of the dream of seven fat cows which are eaten up by seven lean ones and of seven green ears of corn and seven others dried up: so that I may return to the people and let them know the meaning of this dream.”
Meaning:-
Lean: Fatless, lithe, skinny, slender, slim, spare, svelte, thin.
Ear: the part at the top of a plant such as wheat that contains the grain.

He replied: “You will cultivate for seven consecutive years. During this time you should leave the corn you reap in the ear, except what may be sufficient for your food.
Meaning:-
Ear: the part at the top of a plant such as wheat that contains the grain.

Then, after that period, there will come upon you seven hardship years which will eat away all that you had stored except a little which you may have specifically set aside.
Meaning:-
Hardship: something difficult or unpleasant, a condition that is difficult to endure.

Then will come after that a year in which the people will be given rain and in which they will press [olives and grapes].”
Meaning:-
Press: Squeeze, to extract juice or oil.

The king said: “Bring this man to me.” When the messenger came to Yusuf, he said: “Go back to your lord and ask him about the case of those women who cut their hands. Indeed my Lord has full knowledge of their snare.”
Meaning:-
Snare: catch or involve by trickery or wile.

The king questioned those women, saying: “What do you say about the incident when you attempted to seduce Yusuf?” They replied: “God forbid! We know of no evil on his part.” The `Aziz’s wife said: “Now that the truth has come to light, it was I who attempted to seduce him. In fact he is absolutely truthful.”
Meaning:-
Seduce: attract powerfully, entice into sexual activity.
God forbid: a way of saying that you hope something does not happen.

Yusuf said, “By this inquiry I meant to let him (Al-Aziz) know that I did not betray him in his absence, and that Allah does not bless with His guidance the artful schemes of those who betray their trust.
Meaning:-
Betray: disloyalty, to be unfaithful in guarding, your actions hurt and disappoint them.
Artful: slyly crafty or cunning; deceitful; tricky: artful schemes. skillful or clever in adapting means to ends; ingenious: an artful choice of metaphors and similes.
Schemes: an underhand plot, a plan. (underhand meaning: done in secret)

And I do not seek to free myself from blame, for indeed the soul is ever inclined to evil, except those shown mercy by my Lord. Surely my Lord is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
Meaning:-
Inclined: having an interest in or a talent for something, wanting to do something or likely to do something.

The king said: “Bring him to me; I will take him for my special service.” When Yusuf had a talk with the King, he said: “From now on, you have an honorable place with us, and you will enjoy our full confidence.”

Yusuf said: “Place me over all the resources of the land. Certainly I know how to manage; I have the necessary knowledge.”

Thus We established Yusuf in the land to live therein in any way he wished. We bestow Our mercy on whom We please and We do not let the reward of good people go to waste.
Meaning:-
Bestow: an honor, right, or gift

Yet the reward in the hereafter will be even better for those who believe and are righteous.

Several years later when the famine started and there was no food available outside of Egypt, Yusuf’s brothers came to Egypt for seeking food and entered his office. He recognized them but they did not recognize him.
Meaning:-
Famine: food shortages, scarcity of food; starvation.
Seeking: to go in search, to try to find or discover by searching.

When he had provided them with their supplies, he demanded, “Bring me your brother on your father’s side. Do you not see that I give full measure and provide the best hospitality?
Meaning:-
Hospitality: Generous and friendly treatment of visitors and guests, Generous reception.

But if you do not bring him to me ˹next time˺, I will have no grain for you, nor will you ever come close to me again.”

They replied: “We shall certainly try our best to bring him from his father. This we will surely do.”

Yusuf told his servants to put his brother’s money into their saddlebags secretly so that they should know about it only when they reach their family, so that they may come back again.”
Meaning:-
Saddlebag: each of a pair of bags attached behind the saddle on a horse.

When Yusuf’s brothers returned to their father, they said: “O our Father! Grain is henceforth denied us unless we take our stepbrother with us; please send our brother with us so that we may get our measure; we take full responsibility for his safety.”
Meaning:-
Henceforth: starting from this time, from this point on.

He said: “Should I trust you with him as I once trusted you with his brother? Allah is the best protector and He is the Most Merciful of the mercy-givers.”

When they opened their baggage, they discovered that their money had been returned to them. “O our Father!” They cried with joy, “What more can we ask for? Here is our money returned back to us. We will buy more food for our family, we will take good care of our brother and obtain an extra camel load of grain. This way, it will be easy to add another camel load of grain.”

Ya’qoob (Jacob) replied: “I will never send him with you until you pledge in the name of Allah that you will surely bring him back to me unless you become helpless.” And when they had given their pledge, he said: “Allah is the Witness over the pledge you made.”
Meaning:-
Pledge: promise, undertaking, vow, word of honor, commitment, oath.

Then he said; “O my sons! Do not enter the capital city of Egypt through one gate, enter from the different gates. I cannot save you against Allah; this advice is just a precaution, because none can accurately judge except Allah. In Allah I put my trust. And in Allah let the faithful put their trust.”

When they entered the city as their father had advised them, it did not avail them against the will of Allah. Of course, Ya’qoob did his best to avert the fear he had in his heart. Indeed he possessed the knowledge which We had given him, but most people do not know.
Meaning:-
Avert: to turn away or aside:

When they entered to Yusuf, he called his brother (Benjamin) alone to himself, and said: “In fact, I am your brother (Yusuf), now you need not grieve at what they have been doing.”

When Yusuf had provided them with supplies, he put the drinking cup in his brother’s saddlebag. Then a herald cried, “O people of the caravan! You must be thieves!”
Meaning:-
Saddlebag: each of a pair of bags attached behind the saddle on a horse.
Herald: a person who brings news or announces something.

They turned back and asked: “What have you lost?”

The royal servants said: “We have lost the King’s drinking cup. (The leader of the royal servants added) and the one who brings it, will be awarded a camel-load of corn, I guarantee it.”

Yusuf’s brothers said: “By Allah! You should know, by our behavior during our stay here, that we did not come here to make mischief in the land and we are no thieves.”

The royal servants said: “What should be the punishment of the thief, if you are liars?”

They said: The penalty for it! He in whose bag (the cup) is found, he is the penalty for it. That is how we punish the wrongdoers.”
Meaning:-
Wrongdoer: a person who behaves illegally or dishonestly; an offender.

After this Yusuf first began to search the bags of his stepbrothers before the bag of his own brother (Benjamin). Finally he took it out (drinking-cup) of his brother’s bag. That is how We planned an excuse for Yusuf. He could not seize his brother under the King’s law (i.e. the law of Egypt); but Allah willed otherwise. We exalt in ranks whom We please, He is the One Whose knowledge is far greater than the knowledge of all others.

At this accusation, his brothers remarked: “This is not strange if he has committed a theft – for his brother also committed a theft before him.” Hearing this, Yusuf suppressed his feelings and did not reveal anything to them – he simply whispered to himself: “What a bad people you are! You are accusing me of something, the truth of which Allah knows best.”

They said: “O noble prince! He (Benjamin) has a very aged father who may not be able to survive without him, so please take one of us instead of him. We see that you are one of those who do good to others.”

Yusuf replied: “God forbid that we should seize other than the one with whom we found our property: if we did so then indeed we would be unjust.”
Meaning:-
God forbid: a way of saying that you hope something does not happen.

When they lost all hope in him, they spoke privately. The eldest of them said, “Do you not know that your father had taken a Solemn oath by Allah from you, nor how you failed him regarding Yusuf before? So I am not leaving this land until my father allows me to, or Allah decides for me. For He is the Best of Judges.
Meaning:-
Solemn: sincere, earnest, honest, genuine, firm,
oath: a formal and very serious promise.

Go back to your father and tell him, “father, your son committed theft. We did not see him stealing, we testify only to what we know. How could we guard against the unforeseen?
Meaning:-
Unforeseen: unpredicted, unexpected, unanticipated, unplanned.

You may enquire from the people of the city where we lodged and the caravan in which we travelled that we are indeed telling the truth.”

When they went back and told all this to their father, ” No!” Cried their father, ” Your souls must have tempted you to do something ˹evil˺. So ˹I am left with nothing but˺ beautiful patience! I trust Allah will return them all to me. Surely He ˹alone˺ is the All-Knowing, All-Wise.”

He turned his face away from them, crying: “How great is my grief for Yusuf!” And his eyes became white with sorrow, and he fell into silent melancholy.
Meaning:-
Melancholy: sadness, sorrow, unhappiness, depression.

They said: “By Allah! It appears that you will not cease to remember Yusuf until you ruin your health or kill yourself.”

He said, “I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah , and I know from Allah that which you do not know.

O my sons! Go and search for Yusuf and his brother. Never give up hope of Allah’s mercy; in fact none despairs of Allah’s mercy except the unbelieving people.”
Meaning:-
Despair: the complete loss or absence of hope.

When they went back to Egypt and entered Yusuf’s office, they said: “Noble prince! We and our family are in great distress, we have hardly any money, please give us our supplies in full and be charitable to us. Indeed, Allah rewards the charitable.”
Meaning:-
Distress: extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain.

He said: “Do you know what you did with Yusuf (Joseph) and his brother, when you were ignorant?”
Meaning:-
Ignorant: lacking knowledge, information, or awareness about something in particular.

They replied ˹in shock˺, “Are you really Yusuf?” He said, “I am Yusuf, and here is my brother ˹Benjamin˺! Allah has truly been gracious to us. In fact as for the righteous and patient; Allah really does not let the reward of the righteous be wasted.”

They admitted, “By Allah! Allah has truly preferred you over us, and we have surely been sinful.”

Yusuf said: “There is no blame on you today. May Allah forgive you! He is the most Merciful of those who show mercy!

Go, take this shirt of mine and cast it over the face of my father, he will recover his sight. Then come back to me with all the members of your family.”

When the caravan started (from Egypt) their father (who was in Ken’an) said: “Certainly I feel the scent of Yusuf, even though you may think I am out of my mind.”

They replied, “By Allah! You are definitely still in your old delusion.”
Meaning:-
Delusion: an idiosyncratic belief or impression that is firmly maintained despite being contradicted by what is generally accepted as reality.

But when the bearer of the good news arrived, he cast the shirt of Yusuf over his face and he regained his sight. Then he said: “Didn’t I tell you that I know from Allah what you do not know?”

They said: “Father! Pray for the forgiveness for our sins. We have indeed done wrong.”

He replied: “Soon I will ask my Lord for your forgiveness; surely He is the One who is the Forgiving, the Merciful.”

When they entered Yusuf’s presence, he received his parents ˹graciously˺ and said, “Enter Egypt, Allah willing, you will live here in security.”

After entering the city he helped his parents to seats on the throne, and they all fell down in prostration before him. “This,” said Yusuf to his father, “is the interpretation of my dream which I dreamt long before. My Lord has really made it come true. It was His grace that He took me out of prison, and brought you all from the desert after Satan had ignited rivalry between me and my brothers. For sure my Lord fulfills His plan in mysterious ways. Surely He is the One Who is the Knowledgeable, the Wise.
Meaning:-
Prostrate: lying stretched out on the ground with one’s face downward, especially in reverence or submission.
Ignited: make something start to burn; start a fight or argument.

O Lord! You have indeed given me a kingdom and taught me the interpretation of dreams. O, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, You are my Protector in this world and in the hereafter, make me die as a Muslim and admit me among the righteous.”

O Muhammad, this story which We have revealed to you is a tale of the unseen; for you were not there with (the brothers of Yusuf) when they collectively conspired and schemed against him.
Meaning:-
Conspire: make secret plans jointly to commit an unlawful or harmful act.
Scheme: plan, project, plan of action, program, strategy, tactic, game plan,

And most of the people, although you strive [for it], are not believers.
Meaning:-
Strive: make great efforts to achieve or obtain something.

even though you are not asking them for a reward for this ˹Quran˺. It is only a reminder to the whole world.

There are many signs in the heavens and the earth which they pass by; yet they pay no attention to them!

As a result most of them who believe in Allah also commit shirk.
Meaning:-
shirk (Arabic) : is the sin of practicing idolatry or polytheism, i.e. the deification or worship of anyone or anything other than the singular God i.e. Allah. Literally, it means ascribing or the establishment of “partners” placed beside God.

Do they feel secure that Allah’s scourge will not fall on them, or that the Hour of Doom will not come upon them suddenly while they do not suspect it?
Meaning:-
Scourge: a whip or lash, especially for the infliction of punishment or torture
Doom: death, destruction, or some other terrible fate.

Say, “This is my way; I invite to Allah with insight, I and those who follow me. And exalted is Allah ; and I am not of those who associate others with Him.”
Meaning:-
Insight: the power or act of seeing into a situation, the act or result of apprehending the inner nature of things or of seeing intuitively.
Exalted: placed at a high or powerful level; held in high regard.

All the messengers that We sent before you, O Muhammad, were men, to whom We sent Our Revelations after choosing them from the people of their town. Have these unbelievers not traveled through the land and seen what was the end of those who passed away before them? From their destiny you should know that the home of the hereafter is better for those who are righteous. Why don’t you understand?
Meaning:-
Destiny: what happens in the future : the things that someone or something will experience in the future.

And when the messengers despaired and their people thought the messengers had been denied help, Our help came to them ˹at last˺. We then saved whoever We willed, and Our punishment is never averted from the wicked people.
Meaning:-
Despaired: loss of hope, feeling of not having any hope left.
Averted: to turn away or aside
Wicked: Evil or morally wrong.

There is a lesson in these stories of former people for the men of common sense. This story of Yusuf revealed in the Qur’an is not an invented tale, but a confirmation of previous scriptures – a detailed explanation of all things, and is a guidance and blessing for the people who believe.