12:47 Yusuf (Joseph)

فعبر يوسف، السبع البقرات السمان والسبع السنبلات الخضر، بأنهن سبع سنين مخصبات، والسبع البقرات العجاف، والسبع السنبلات اليابسات، بأنهن سنين مجدبات، ولعل وجه ذلك - والله أعلم - أن الخصب والجدب لما كان الحرث مبنيا عليه، وأنه إذا حصل الخصب قويت الزروع والحروث، وحسن منظرها، وكثرت غلالها، والجدب بالعكس من ذلك. وكانت البقر هي التي تحرث عليها الأرض، وتسقى عليها الحروث في الغالب، والسنبلات هي أعظم الأقوات وأفضلها، عبرها بذلك، لوجود المناسبة، فجمع لهم في تأويلها بين التعبير والإشارة لما يفعلونه، ويستعدون به من التدبير في سني الخصب، إلى سني الجدب فقال: { تَزْرَعُونَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ دَأَبًا } أي: متتابعات. { فَمَا حَصَدْتُمْ } من تلك الزروع { فَذَرُوهُ } أي: اتركوه { فِي سُنْبُلِهِ } لأنه أبقى له وأبعد من الالتفات إليه { إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ } أي: دبروا أيضا أكلكم في هذه السنين الخصبة، وليكن قليلا، ليكثر ما تدخرون ويعظم نفعه ووقعه.

بل قال " تزرعون سبع سنين دأبا " أي يأتيكم الخصب والمطر سبع سنين متواليات ففسر البقر بالسنين لأنها تثير الأرض التي تشتغل منها الثمرات والزروع وهن السنبلات الخضر ثم أرشدهم إلى ما يعتدونه في تلك السنين فقال " فما حصدتم فذروه في سنبلة إلا قليلا مما تأكلون " أى مهما استغللتم في هذه السبع السنين الخصب فادخروه في سنبله ليكون أبقى له وأبعد عن إسراع الفساد إليه إلا المقدار الذي تأكلونه وليكن قليلا قليلا لا تسرفوا فيه لتنتفعوا في السبع الشداد وهن السبع السنين المحل التي تعقب هذه السبع المتواليات وهن البقرات العجاف اللاتي تأكل السمان لأن سني الجدب يؤكل فيها ما جمعوه في سني الخصب وهن السنبلات اليابسات وأخبرهم أنهن لا ينبتن شيئا وما بذروه فلا يرجعون منه إلى شيء.

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.

He said ‘You shall sow — that is go ahead and sow — seven years consecutively — and this was the interpretation of the seven fat ones — but that which you reap leave it in the ear lest it spoil except for a little which you eat thresh it.

Obviously, the dream of the king had told him only about seven years of good crops followed by seven years of famine. But, Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) also added to it that, following the year of drought, there will be an year of good rains and crops. Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) came to know about it either because the total number of years of famine were no more than seven whereby, as the customary practice of Allah would have it, the eighth year would be that of rains and crops. According to early commentator, Qatadah, Allah Tai a had Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) know about it through a revelation so that the amount of information they receive could be over and above that which was to be interpreted through the dream - so that the spiritual excellence of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) is further enhanced to become the cause of his being released. Then, another factor was added to this. Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) did not consider it sufficient to limit himself to the technical interpretation of the dream only. The fact was that he also gave them a good counsel based on wisdom and fellow-feeling. He advised them to keep the extra produce yielded during the first seven years within the ears of the crop of wheat, so that it may not be affected by bacteria when old. It is borne by experience that grain while in ears is not affected by bacteria.