The Koran

Now in JOSEPH and his brethren are signs for the enquirers;4

When they said, "Surely better loved by our Father, than we, who are more in
number, is Joseph and his brother; verily, our father hath clearly erred.

Slay ye Joseph! or drive him to some other land, and on you alone shall your
father's face be set! and after this, ye shall live as upright persons."

One of them said, "Slay not Joseph, but cast him down to the bottom of the
well: if ye do so, some wayfarers will take him up."

They said, "O our Father! why dost thou not entrust us with Joseph? indeed we
mean him well.

Send him with us to-morrow that he may enjoy himself and sport: we will
surely keep him safely."

He said, "Verily, your taking him away will grieve me; and I fear lest while
ye are heedless of him the wolf devour him."

They said, "Surely if the wolf devour him, and we so many, we must in that
case be weak indeed."5

And when they went away with him they agreed to place him at the bottom of
the well. And We revealed to him, "Thou wilt yet tell them of this their
deed, when they shall not know thee."

And they came at nightfall to their father weeping.

They said, "O our Father! of a truth, we went to run races, and we left
Joseph with our clothes, and the wolf devoured him: but thou wilt not believe
us even though we speak the truth."

And they brought his shirt with false blood upon it. He said, "Nay, but
yourselves have managed this affair.6 But patience is seemly: and the help of
God is to be implored that I may bear what you tell me."

And wayfarers came and sent their drawer of water,7 and he let down his
bucket. "Good news!"8 said he, "This is a youth!" And they kept his case
secret, to make merchandise of him. But God knew what they did.

And they sold him for a paltry price-for some dirhems counted down, and at no
high rate did they value him.

And he who bought him-an Egyptian-said to his wife, "Treat him hospitably;
haply he may be useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son." Thus did we
settle Joseph in the land, and we instructed him in the interpretation of
dark sayings, for God is equal to his purpose; but most men know it not.

And when he had reached his age of strength we bestowed on him judgment and
knowledge; for thus do we recompense the well doers.

And she in whose house he was conceived a passion for him, and she shut the
doors and said, "Come hither." He said, "God keep me! Verily, my lord hath
given me a good home: and the injurious shall not prosper."

But she longed for him; and he had longed for her had he not seen a token
from his lord.9 Thus we averted evil and defilement from him, for he was one
of our sincere servants.

And they both made for the door, and she rent his shirt behind; and at the
door they met her lord. "What," said she, "shall be the recompense of him who
would do evil to thy family, but a prison10 or a sore punishment?"

He said, "She solicited me to evil." And a witness out of her own family11
witnessed: "If his shirt be rent in front she speaketh truth, and he is a
liar:

But if his shirt be rent behind, she lieth and he is true."

And when his lord saw his shirt torn behind, he said, "This is one of your
devices! verily your devices are great!

Joseph! leave this affair. And thou, O wife, ask pardon for thy crime, for
thou hast sinned."

And in the city, the women said, "The wife of the Prince hath solicited her
servant: he hath fired her with his love: but we clearly see her manifest
error."

And when she heard of their cabal, she sent to them and got ready a banquet
for them, and gave each one of them a knife, and said, "Joseph shew thyself
to them." And when they saw him they were amazed at him, and cut their
hands,12 and said, "God keep us! This is no man! This is no other than a
noble angel!"

She said, "This is he about whom ye blamed me. I wished him to yield to my
desires, but he stood firm. But if he obey not my command, he shall surely be
cast into prison, and become one of the despised."

He said, "O my Lord! I prefer the prison to compliance with their bidding:
but unless thou turn away their snares from me, I shall play the youth with
them, and become one of the unwise."

And his Lord heard him and turned aside their snares from him: for he is the
Hearer, the Knower.

Yet resolved they, even after they had seen the signs of his innocence, to
imprison him for a time.