Quran — Page 241

They answered: " [This is one of] the most involved and confusing of dreams, and we have no deep knowledge of the real meaning of dreams."

At that, the one of the two [erstwhile prisoners] who had been saved, and [who suddenly] remembered [Joseph] after all that time, spoke [thus]: "It is I who can inform you of the real meaning of this [dream]; so let me go [in search of it]."

[And he went to see Joseph in the prison and said to him:] "Joseph, O thou truthful one! Enlighten us about [the meaning of a dream in which] seven fat cows were being devoured by seven emaciated ones, and seven green ears [of wheat appeared] next to [seven] others that were withered - so that I may return [with thy explanation] unto the people [of the court, and] that they may come to know [what manner of man thou art]!"

[Joseph] replied: "You shall sow for seven years as usual; but let all [the grain] that you harvest remain [untouched] in its ear, excepting only a little, whereof you may eat:

for, after that [period of seven good years] there will come seven hard [years] which will devour all that you shall have laid up for them, excepting only a little of that which you shall have kept in store.

And after that there will come a year in which the people will be delivered from all distress, and in which they will press [oil and wine as before]."

And [as soon as Joseph's interpretation. was conveyed to him,] the King said: "Bring him before me!" But when the [King's] messenger came unto him, [Joseph] said: "Go back to thy lord and ask him [first to find out the truth] about those women who cut their hands-for, behold, [until now it is] my Sustainer [alone who] has full knowledge of their guile!"

[Thereupon the King sent for those women; and when they came,] he asked: "What was it that you hoped to achieve when you sought to make Joseph yield himself unto you?" The women answered: "God save us! We did not perceive the least evil [intention] on his part!" [And] the wife of Joseph's former master exclaimed: "Now has the truth come to light! It was I who sought to make him yield himself unto me - whereas he, behold, was indeed speaking the truth!"

[When Joseph learned what had happened, he said: "I asked for] this, so that [my former master] might know that I did not betray him behind his back, and that God does not bless with His guidance the artful schemes of those who betray their trust.