In the space of one verse we move forward another two years and while Joseph continues to languish in prison Pharaoh has his own dream…
Genesis, Chapter 41
2. And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favoured kine and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.
3. And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill favoured and leanfleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river.
4. And the ill favoured and leanfleshed kine did eat up the seven well favoured and fat kine. So Pharaoh awoke.
5. And he slept and dreamed the second time: and, behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.
6. And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them.
7. And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream.
8. And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof: and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.
The Quran, 12 Yusuf
44. They said: “Mixed up false dreams and we are not skilled in the interpretation of dreams.”
The Pharaoh dreams of seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean ones and then seven healthy ears of corn devoured by seven withered ones, awakes, and asks his chief advisors for the meaning of it all. Either unwilling to accept accountability or unable, his wise men offer no help.
Genesis, Chapter 41
10. Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard’s house, both me and the chief baker:
11. And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.
12. And there was there with us a young man, an Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret.
13. And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged.
14. Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.
The Quran, 12 Yusuf
46. (He said): “O Yusuf (Joseph), the man of truth! Explain to us (the dream) of seven fat cows whom seven lean ones were devouring, and of seven green ears of corn, and (seven) others dry, that I may return to the people, and that they may know.”
At last the cup-bearer remembers his old obligation and his conscience is pricked. This is where Genesis and the Quran diverge. In Genesis, this servant does the right thing, tells Pharaoh of Joseph and presents a freshened up Joseph to him. In the Quran, although the verse is short it implies so much. Perhaps he wants increased favor in the king’s court by taking some credit for himself. Perhaps he feels like he can satisfy his past promise to help Joseph while at the same time helping himself too. Any excuse that the cup-bearer may give at this point of perhaps trying to protect Joseph from a delicate situation is negated by his own statement, “I will tell you its interpretation”. The version in the Quran clearly depicts a selfish man.
Genesis, Chapter 41
16. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.
17. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river:
18. And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow:
19. And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness:
20. And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine:
21. And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke.
22. And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good:
23. And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them:
24. And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.
25. And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do.
26. The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one.
27. And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.
28. This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh.
29. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt:
30. And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land;
31. And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous.
32. And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.
The Quran, 12 Yusuf
48. “Then will come after that, seven hard (years), which will devour what you have laid by in advance for them, (all) except a little of that which you have guarded (stored).
49. “Then thereafter will come a year in which people will have abundant rain and in which they will press (wine and oil).”
In Genesis Pharaoh relates the dreams to Joseph again and in the Quran Joseph only tells the cup-bearer who then apparently told Pharaoh and the others. The interpretation is the same though, seven years of prosperity followed by seven years of hardship.
Next in the Quran we see the loose end of Zulaikha wrapped up. I presume this would be part of the false accusations cleared and the cause of his imprisonment being vacated.
Genesis, Chapter 41
The Quran, 12 Yusuf
51. (The King) said (to the women): “What was your affair when you did seek to seduce Yusuf (Joseph)?” The women said: “Allah forbid! No evil know we against him!” The wife of Al-‘Aziz said: “Now the truth is manifest (to all), it was I who sought to seduce him, and he is surely of the truthful.”
52. [Then Yusuf (Joseph) said: “I asked for this enquiry] in order that he (Al-‘Aziz) may know that I betrayed him not in secret. And, verily! Allah guides not the plot of the betrayers.
53. “And I free not myself (from the blame). Verily, the (human) self is inclined to evil, except when my Lord bestows His Mercy (upon whom He wills). Verily, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.”
Joseph’s name is cleared with no accusers remain. The high society women admit “No evil know we against him!” And Zulaikha herself admits her fault and that Joseph was blameless. A. Yusuf Ali construes verse 53 as being a continuation of Zulaikha’s speech, which I agree would make more sense. I am not sure how widely agreed upon that view is though. And regardless, it is true that humans are naturally inclined towards selfishness and even evil, but thankfully God is “Oft-Forgiving” and “Most Merciful”.
Genesis, Chapter 41
34. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.
35. And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.
36. And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine.
37. And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants.
38. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?
39. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art:
40. Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou.
41. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt.
42. And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck;
43. And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.
44. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt.
45. And Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphnath-paaneah; and he gave him to wife Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.
The Quran, 12 Yusuf
55. [Yusuf (Joseph)] said: “Set me over the storehouses of the land; I will indeed guard them with full knowledge” (as a minister of finance in Egypt, in place of Al-‘Aziz who was dead at that time).
56. Thus did We give full authority to Yusuf (Joseph) in the land, to take possession therein, as when or where he likes. We bestow of Our Mercy on whom We please, and We make not to be lost the reward of Al-Muhsinun (the good doers – see V.2:112).
57. And verily, the reward of the Hereafter is better for those who believe and used to fear Allah and keep their duty to Him (by abstaining from all kinds of sins and evil deeds and by performing all kinds of righteous good deeds).
In both Genesis and the Quran Joseph is put in charge of the storehouses. While the Quran states Joseph was fully proved and given high rank and clearly in charge of the storehouses (which at this time was a critical position for the future survival of the kingdom), Genesis clearly states that Joseph was over all of Egypt and only Pharaoh himself ruled over him. While not as obviously stated as Genesis, perhaps as much is inferred in verse 55 of the Quran, “We give full authority to Yusuf (Joseph) in the land, to take possession therein, as when or where he likes”. From either account it seems clear to me he had as much authority as any prince in any kingdom.
The Quran now skips ahead through the 7 years of plenty and sometime into the 7 years of famine when Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt. Genesis first gives a few of the mechanics during that time and also tells of Joseph having two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim…
Genesis, Chapter 41
47. And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.
48. And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.
49. And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number.
50. And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Asenath the daughter of Poti-pherah priest of On bare unto him.
51. And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.
52. And the name of the second called he Ephraim: For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.
53. And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Egypt, were ended.
54. And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.
55. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do.
56. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.
57. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.
The Quran, 12 Yusuf
And so we see Joseph was put in a position to not only save Egypt, but also save his family. What a blessing that Joseph was sold to Egypt as a slave. What a blessing he was put in prison so he could interpret the dreams of fellow prisoners. Had he not been in those places at those times, and had he not remained righteous and worthy to be a vessel to speak God’s truths, he would not have been where he needed to be to help Pharaoh. And the position entrusted to him by Pharaoh ultimately allows him to save his own family years and years after he was first betrayed by them.
Next we will see how Joseph reunites with his family.
- Introduction to the Harmony of Joseph in Genesis and the Holy Quran
- Part 1 – The Pit of Joseph
- Part 2 – The Slavery of Joseph
- Part 3 – The Imprisonment of Joseph
- Part 4 – Prince Joseph
- Part 5 – The Reunion of Joseph