12:43 Yusuf (Joseph)

لما أراد الله تعالى أن يخرج يوسف من السجن، أرى الله الملك هذه الرؤيا العجيبة، الذي تأويلها يتناول جميع الأمة، ليكون تأويلها على يد يوسف، فيظهر من فضله، ويبين من علمه ما يكون له رفعة في الدارين، ومن التقادير المناسبة أن الملك الذي ترجع إليه أمور الرعية هو الذي رآها، لارتباط مصالحها به. وذلك أنه رأى رؤيا هالته، فجمع لها علماء قومه وذوي الرأي منهم وقال: { إِنِّي أَرَى سَبْعَ بَقَرَاتٍ سِمَانٍ يَأْكُلُهُنَّ سَبْعٌ } أي: سبع من البقرات { عِجَافٌ } وهذا من العجب، أن السبع العجاف الهزيلات اللاتي سقطت قوتهن، يأكلن السبع السمان التي كنَّ نهاية في القوة. { وَ } رأيت { سَبْعَ سُنْبُلَاتٍ خُضْرٍ } يأكلهن سبع سنبلات { يَابِسَاتٍ } { يَا أَيُّهَا الْمَلَأُ أَفْتُونِي فِي رُؤْيَايَ } لأن تعبير الجميع واحد، وتأويله شيء واحد. { إِنْ كُنْتُمْ لِلرُّؤْيَا تَعْبُرُونَ } فتحيروا، ولم يعرفوا لها وجها.

هذه الرؤيا من ملك مصر مما قدر الله تعالى أنها كانت سببا لخروج يوسف عليه السلام من السجن معززا مكرما وذلك أن الملك رأى هذه الرؤيا فهالته وتعجب من أمرها وما يكون تفسيرها فجمع الكهنة والحادة وكبار دولته وأمراءه فقص عليهم ما رأى وسألهم عن تأويلها فلم يعرفوا ذلك واعتذروا إليه بأنها " أضغاث أحلام " أي أخلاط أحلام اقتضته رؤياك هذه " وما نحن بتأويل الأحلام بعالمين " أي لو كانت رؤيا صحيحة من أخلاط لما كان لنا معرفة بتأويلها وهو تعبيرها فعند ذلك تذكر الذي نجا من ذينك الفتيين اللذين كانا في السجن مع يوسف وكان الشيطان قد أنساه ما وصاه به يوسف عليه السلام ذكر أمره للملك فعند ذلك تذكر بعد أمة أي مدة وقرأ بعضهم بعد أمة أي بعد نسيان فقال لهم أي للملك والذين جمعهم.

The Dream of the King of Egypt

The King of Egypt had a dream that Allah the Exalted made a reason for Yusuf's release from prison, with his honor and reputation preserved. When the king had this dream, he was astonished and fearful and sought its interpretation. He gathered the priests, the chiefs of his state and the princes and told them what he had seen in a dream, asking them to interpret it for him. They did not know its interpretation and as an excuse, they said,

أَضْغَـثُ أَحْلَـمٍ

(Mixed up false dreams), which you saw,

وَمَا نَحْنُ بِتَأْوِيلِ الاٌّحْلَـمِ بِعَـلِمِينَ

(and we are not skilled in the interpretation of dreams.) They said, had your dream been a vision rather than a mixed up false dream, we would not have known its interpretation. The man who was saved from the two, who were Yusuf's companions in prison, remembered. Shaytan plotted to make him forget the request of Yusuf, to mention his story to the king. Now, years later, he remembered after forgetfulness and said to the king and his entourage,

أَنَاْ أُنَبِّئُكُمْ بِتَأْوِيلِهِ

(I will tell you its interpretation,) he interpretation of this dream,

فَأَرْسِلُونِ

(so send me forth.) to the prison, to Yusuf, the man of truth. So they sent him, and he said to Yusuf,

يُوسُفُ أَيُّهَا الصِّدِّيقُ أَفْتِنَا

(O Yusuf, the man of truth! Explain to us..) and mentioned the king's dream to him.

Yusuf's Interpretation of the King's Dream

This is when Yusuf, peace be upon him, told the interpretation of the dream, without criticizing the man for forgetting his request that he had made to him. Neither did he make a precondition that he be released before explaining the meaning. Rather, he said,

تَزْرَعُونَ سَبْعُ سِنِينَ دَأَبًا

(For seven consecutive years, you shall sow as usual) `you will receive the usual amount of rain and fertility for seven consecutive years.' He interpreted the cows to be years, because cows till the land that produce fruits and vegetables, which represent the green ears of corn in the dream. He next recommended what they should do during these fertile years,

فَمَا حَصَدتُّمْ فَذَرُوهُ فِى سُنبُلِهِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً مِّمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ

(and that (the harvest) which you reap you shall leave it in the ears, (all) except a little of it which you may eat.) He said, `Whatever you harvest during those seven fertile years, leave it in the ears so as to preserve it better. This will help the harvest stay healthy longer, except the amount that you need to eat, which should not be substantial. Stay away from extravagance, so that you use what remains of the harvest during the seven years of drought that will follow the seven fertile years.' This was represented by the seven lean cows that eat the seven fat cows. During the seven years of drought, they will eat from the harvest they collected during the seven fertile years, as represented by the dry ears of corn in the dream. Yusuf told them that during these years, the remaining ears will not produce anything and whatever they try to plant, will not produce any harvest, so he said,

يَأْكُلْنَ مَا قَدَّمْتُمْ لَهُنَّ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً مِّمَّا تُحْصِنُونَ

(which will devour what you have laid by in advance for them, (all) except a little of that which you have guarded (stored).) He delivered the good news to them that after the consecutive years of drought, there will come a fertile year, during which people will receive rain and the land will produce in abundance. The people will then press wine and oil as usual.

And the king the king of Egypt — al-Rayyān b. al-Walīd — said ‘I saw in a dream seven fat kine being devoured being swallowed up by seven lean ones of kine ‘ijāf is the plural of ‘ajfā’ and seven green ears of corn and others that is seven other ears of corn dry that had wound themselves around the green ones and risen above them. O courtiers! Give me your opinion about my vision expound for me its interpretation if you can interpret visions’ then interpret it for me.

After that, to the person about whom Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) had gathered from the interpretation of his dream that he would be released, he said: When you are released from the prison, mention me before your master as the innocent person who is still languishing in the prison. But, once released, this person forgot about this message of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) ، as a result of which, his freedom was further delayed and he had to stay in prison for a few more years. The word used in the Qur’ an is: بِضْعَ سِنِينَ (bid'a sinin: a few years). This word holds good for a figure between three to nine. Some commentators have said that he had to live in the prison for a period of seven more years.

The king said, " I see seven fat cows that seven lean ones are eating. " The beginning of Joseph's trial was the dream concerning which he said, " I saw eleven stars " [12:4]. The cause of his deliverance was also a dream, that seen by the king of Egypt, who said, " I see seven fat cows. " This is so that you will know that things are done by the predetermination and governance of God and that He is one in driving things and taking care of things. Even though the causes are apparent, remaining with the causes is an error. The Pir of the Tariqah said, " Not seeing the cause is ignorance, but staying with the cause is associationism. Pass beyond the cause and reach the Causer. Do not close the door of causes lest you not reach yourself. " The recognizer's eyes are not on the Tablet, nor on the Pen. He is not bound to Eve, nor in prison to Adam. He has a constant thirst, even though he has a cup again and again. O most gener- ous Guardian, O most merciful Fount of Bounty! Take back the cup once so that this poor wretch may breathe! " It has been said that Joseph was perfect in two things: one was beauty of created nature, the other knowledge and astuteness. The beauty of created nature is the perfection of form, and knowl- edge and astuteness are the perfection of meaning. The Exalted Lord predetermined that his beauty would be the cause of trial and his knowledge the cause of deliverance. Thus the world's folk may know that beautiful knowledge is better than beautiful form. As the proverb says, " Knowledge bestows, though it be slow. " Since Joseph's knowledge of visions was the cause of his kingdom in this world, why is it surprising that knowledge of the Patron's attributes is the cause of the recog- nizer's kingdom in the afterworld? God says, " When thou seest it, thou wilt see bliss and a great kingdom " [76:20].