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15. Joseph (Yusuf)

 

Do you know the story of Joseph? Joseph was the favorite son of Jacob of Israel and his brothers had jealousy towards him because of their father's love. In fact, they faked Joseph's death and sold him into slavery into Egypt, but Joseph was faithful to God he didn't get mad at God or question God or be bitter towards him, he just continued to wait upon the Lord.  The Lord used Joseph to provide salvation not just for Egypt, but for the world. In a time of famine, God gave Joseph the wisdom and dream to save and store up food for seven years in the good times. This was to provide salvation through food and provision during the seven years of famine. This story of Joseph was pointing forward to the jealousy that the Jews, the Pharisees, would have towards Jesus because of the Father’s love. It pointed towards the betrayal the Jews would have towards Jesus. But the story of Joseph also pointed forward to how God was providing salvation to be offered to the world, through Jesus.

·      Read in The Qur’an – 6:83-86, 12

 

Readings from The Qur’an:

·      The Qur'an 6:83-86. And that was Our Proof which We gave Ibrahim (Abraham) against his people. We raise whom We will in degrees. Certainly your Lord is All-Wise, All-Knowing. 84. And We bestowed upon him Ishaq (Isaac) and Ya'qub (Jacob), each of them We guided, and before him, We guided Nub (Noah), and among his progeny Dawud (David), Sulaiman (Solomon), Ayyub (Job), Yusuf (Joseph), Musa (Moses), and Harun (Aaron). Thus do We reward Al-Muhsinun (the good-doers - see the footnote of V .9:120). 85. And Zakariya (Zechariah), and Yahya (John) and 'Isa (Jesus) and Iliyas (Elias), each one of them was of the righteous. 86. And Isma'il {Ishmael) and Al-Yasa' (Elisha), and Yunus (Jonah) and Lut (Lot), and each one of them We preferred above the 'Alamin [mankind and jinn (of their times)].

·      Since the Qur’an says revelation and guidance came to Yusuf (Joseph), and through the Torat (Torah), shouldn’t Muslims know the full story of Yusuf (Joseph), given in the Tanakh and Bible?

·      The Qur'an 12:4 “(Remember) when Yusuf (Joseph) said to his father: "O my father! Verily, I saw (in a dream) eleven stars and the sun and the moon - I saw them prostrating themselves to me."

·      This is similar to the account of Genesis 37:9-11, but why is the first dream about the bowing down of the sheaves (Genesis 37:5-8) missing from the Qur’an?

·      The Qur'an 12:19 “And there came a caravan of travelers and they sent their water-drawer, and he let down his bucket (into the well). He said: "What good news! Here is a boy." So they hid him as merchandise (a slave). And Allah was the All-Knower of what they did.”

·      The Qur'an 12:26 “He [Yusuf (Joseph)] said: "It was she that sought to seduce me;" and a witness of her household bore witness (saying): "If it be that his shirt is tom from the front, then her tale is true and he is a liar!”

·      The Qur'an 12: 30-32 “And women in the city said: "The wife of Al-'Aziz is seeking to seduce her (slave) young man, indeed she loves him violently; verily we see her in plain error." 31. So when she heard of their accusation, she sent for them and prepared a banquet for them; she gave each one of them a knife (to cut the foodstuff with), and she said [(to Yusuf (Joseph)]: "Come out before them.” Then, when they saw him, they exalted him (at his beauty) and (in their astonishment) cut their hands. They said: "How perfect is Allah (or Allah forbid)! No man is this! This is none other than a noble angel!" 32. She said: "This is he (the young man) about whom you did blame me, and I did seek to seduce him, but he refused.”

·      The Qur'an 12:35 “Then it occurred to them, after they had seen the proofs (of his innocence), to imprison him for a time.”

·      Chapter (Surah) 12 of the Qur’an recounts the story of Joseph (Yusuf). Why do you think so much attention is given to Joseph?

·      Why are these proofs not mentioned in the Bible? Why would they imprison him if the evidence proved his innocence?

·      How does this compare to the Biblical account of Joseph?

·      The Qur'an 12: 36 “And there entered with him two young men in the prison. One of them said: "Verily, I saw myself (in a dream) pressing wine." The other said:"Verily, I saw myself (in a dream) carrying bread on my head and birds were eating thereof." (They said): "Inform us of the interpretation of this. Verily, we think you are one of the Muhsinun (doers of good)."”

·      The Qur'an 12: 38. “And I have followed the religion of my fathers, Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishaq (Isaac) and Ya'qub (Jacob) and never could we attribute any partners whatsoever to Allah.”

·       Why is there no reference to Ishmael (Isma’il) here?

·       The Qur'an 12: 41. "O two companions of the prison! As for one of you, he (as a servant) will pour out wine for his lord (king or master) to drink; and as for the other, he will be crucified and birds will eat from his head. Thus is the case judged concerning which you both did inquire."

·      Is this an anachronistic reference to crucifixion since it was not practiced in Egypt? Since there is no archaeological evidence that crucifixion was practiced in Egypt, where did this idea come from?

·       The Qur'an 12:45-46. Then the man who was released (one of the two who were in prison), now at length remembered and said: "I will tell you its interpretation, so send me forth." 46. (He said): "0 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."

·      Why does this account narrate that Joseph shared the interpretation of the dream through an intermediary rather than directly himself?

·      The Qur'an 12:51. (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."

·      The Qur'an 12:93-96 “Go with this shirt of mine, and cast it over the face of my father, he will become clear-sighted, and bring me all your family." 94. And when the caravan departed, their father said: "I do indeed feel the smell of Y11suf (Joseph), if only you think me not a dotard (a person who has weakness o f mind because of old age)."  95. They said: "By Allah! Certainly, you are in your old error." 96. Then, when the bearer ofthe glad t i ~ arrived, he cast it (the shirt) over his face, and he became clear-sighted. He said: "Did I not say to you, 'I know from Allah that which you know not.'"

·      Is this story in the Tanakh or Bible which predate the Qur’an by 2,000+ years? If not, where did it come from?

·      The Qur'an 12:111 “Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of understanding. It (the Qur'an) is not a forged statement but a confirmation of (Allah's existing Books) which were before it [i.e. the Taurat (Torah), the lnjeel (Gospel) and other Scriptures of Allah] and a detailed explanation of everything and a guide and a Mercy for the people who believe.”

·      If the Qur’an is a confirmation of the Tanakh and Bible, then should we find any differences between them?

  • The Qur’an 12:19 “And there came a caravan of travelers and they sent their water-drawer, and he let down his bucket (into the well). He said: ‘What good news! Here is a boy.’ So they hid him as merchandise (a slave). And Allah was the All-Knower of what they did.”

·      Why is this Qur’anic account so different from the Biblical account (Genesis 37:12-28) when Joseph’s brother’s lower him into the well and raise him back up in order to sell him into slavery and make a profit (instead of their original plans to kill him)?

  • The Qur’an 12:26 “He [Yusuf (Joseph)] said: "It was she that sought to seduce me;" and a witness of her household bore witness (saying): ‘If it be that his shirt is torn from the front, then her tale is true and he is a liar!’”

  • The Qur’an 12: 30-32 “And women in the city said: "The wife of Al-'Aziz is seeking to seduce her (slave) young man, indeed she loves him violently; verily we see her in plain error." 31. So when she heard of their accusation, she sent for them and prepared a banquet for them; she gave each one of them a knife (to cut the foodstuff with), and she said [(to Yusuf (Joseph)]: "Come out before them.” Then, when they saw him, they exalted him (at his beauty) and (in their astonishment) cut their hands. They said: "How perfect is Allah (or Allah forbid)! No man is this! This is none other than a noble angel!" 32. She said: "This is he (the young man) about whom you did blame me, and I did seek to seduce him, but he refused. And now if he refuses to obey my order, he shall certainly be cast into prison, and will be one of those who are disgraced."

·      Why is this account of Potiphar’s wife in the Qur’an differ in so many details from the biblical account? Why is so much of the Bible’s account missing from the Qur’an’s account? (See Genesis 39)

  • The Qur’an 12:35 “Then it occurred to them, after they had seen the proofs (of his innocence), to imprison him for a time.”

  • The Qur’an 12:51 “(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.’”

·      Why are these proofs not mentioned in the Bible? Why would they imprison him if the evidence proved his innocence?

  • The Qur’an 12:36 “And there entered with him two young men in the prison. One of them said: "Verily, I saw myself (in a dream) pressing wine." The other said:"Verily, I saw myself (in a dream) carrying bread on my head and birds were eating thereof." (They said): "Inform us of the interpretation of this. Verily, we think you are one of the Muhsinun (doers of good)." “

·      Why are so many of the details of Genesis 40 omitted? 

  • The Qur’an 12:38 "And I have followed the religion of my fathers, Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishaq (Isaac) and Ya'qub (Jacob) and never could we attribute any partners whatsoever to Allah.”

·      Why is there no reference to Ishmael (Isma’il) here if he is so prominent in Islam?

  • The Qur’an 12:41 "O two companions of the prison! As for one of you, he (as a servant) will pour out wine for his lord (king or master) to drink; and as for the other, he will be crucified and birds will eat from his head. Thus is the case judged concerning which you both did inquire."

·      Why are the interpretations of the dream so different between the Qur’an and the Bible (Genesis 40)?

  • The Qur’an 12:45-46 “Then the man who was released (one of the two who were in prison), now at length remembered and said: ‘I will tell you its interpretation, so send me forth.’ 46. (He said): "0 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."

·      Why does the Qur’an say that the released man went back to Joseph when the Biblical account (Genesis 41:14) says Pharoah brought Joseph directly to himself?

  • The Qur’an 12:93-96 "Go with this shirt of mine, and cast it over the face of my father, he will become clear-sighted, and bring me all your family." 94. And when the caravan departed, their father said: "I do indeed feel the smell of Yusuf (Joseph), if only you think me not a dotard (a person who has weakness of mind because of old age)." 95. They said: "By Allah! Certainly, you are in your old error."  96. Then, when the bearer of the glad tidings arrived, he cast it (the shirt) over his face, and he became clear-sighted. He said: "Did I not say to you, 'I know from Allah that which you know not.'"

·      Why is this so different from the account of Genesis 42-46?

·      The Qur’an 12:111 “Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of understanding. It (the Qur'an) is not a forged statement but a confirmation of (Allah's existing Books) which were before it [i.e. the Taurat (Torah), the lnjeel (Gospel) and other Scriptures of Allah] and a detailed explanation of everything and a guide and a Mercy for the people who believe.”

·       Why would Surah (chapter) 12 of the Qur’an end with this verse?

·       Why are the Qur’anic accounts of Joseph missing so much and changing so much from the Biblical accounts which were recorded 2,000 years prior?

 

Readings from The Tanakh and The Bible:

  • Genesis 37, 39-47

  • Hebrews 11:22 “By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.”

·      Joseph’s brothers sold him out, betrayed him, just as Judas sold Jesus out and betrayed him. We also sell Jesus out when we betraying Him for our love of the world and our sinful flesh

·      God would use Joseph to provide salvation in the time of a famine the same way God provides Jesus as the way of salvation from sin.

 

See also:

·      “What does the Bible say about Joseph?” www.trustworthyword.com/joseph