(12:1) Alif. Lam. Ra'. These are the verses of a Book that clearly expounds the truth. (12:2) We have revealed it as a Recitation in Arabic that you may fully understand. (12:3) (O Muhammad), by revealing the Qur'an to you We narrate to you in the best manner the stories of the past although before this narration you were utterly unaware of them. (12:4) Call to mind when Joseph said to his father: "My father! I saw (in a dream) eleven stars and the sun and the moon: I saw them prostrating themselves before me." (12:5) His father said: "My son! Do not relate your dream to your brothers lest they hatch a plot to harm you. Indeed Satan is man's open enemy. (12:6) (As you have seen in the dream), so will your Lord choose you (for His task) and will impart to you the comprehension of the deeper meaning of things and will bestow the full measure of His favour upon you and upon the house of Jacob even as He earlier bestowed it in full measure upon your forefathers, Abraham and Isaac. Surely your Lord is All- Knowing, All-Wise." (12:7) Verily in the story of Joseph and his brothers there are many signs for those who inquire (about the truth). (12:8) And call to mind when the brothers of Joseph conferred together and said: "Surely Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than we are, although we are a group of so many. Our father is clearly mistaken. (12:9) So either kill Joseph or cast him into some distant land so that your father's attention may become exclusively yours. And after so doing become righteous." (12:10) Thereupon one of them said: "Do not kill Joseph, but if you are bent upon doing something, cast him down to the bottom of some dark pit, perhaps some caravan passing by will take him out of it." (12:11) After so deciding they said to their father: "Why is it that you do not trust us regarding Joseph although we are his true well-wishers?" (12:12) Send him out with us tomorrow that he may enjoy himself and play while we will be there, standing guard over him." (12:13) Their father answered: "It grieves me indeed that you should take him with you for I fear that some wolf might eat him up while you are negligent of him." (12:14) They said: "Should a wolf eat him, despite the presence of our strong group, we would indeed be a worthless lot!" (12:15) So when they went away with Joseph and decided to cast him in the bottom of the dark pit, We revealed to Joseph: "Surely a time will come when you will remind them of their deed. They know nothing about the consequence of what they are doing." (12:16) At nightfall they came to their father weeping (12:17) and said: "Father! We went racing with one another and left Joseph behind with our things, and then a wolf came and ate him up. We know that you will not believe us howsoever truthful we might be." (12:18) And they brought Joseph's shirt, stained with false blood. Seeing this their father exclaimed: "Nay (this is not true); rather your evil souls have made it easy for you to commit a heinous act. So I will bear this patiently, and in good grace. It is Allah's help alone that I seek against your fabrication." (12:19) And a caravan came, and they sent their water drawer to draw water. As he let down his bucket in the well he (observed Joseph) and cried out: "This is good news. There is a boy." They concealed him, considering him as part of their merchandise, while Allah was well aware of what they did. (12:20) Later they sold him for a paltry sum - just a few dirhams; they did not care to obtain a higher price....
