Verse 12:40 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

36 وَدَخَلَ مَعَهُ ٱلسِّجۡنَ فَتَیَانِۖ قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَاۤ إِنِّیۤ أَرَىٰنِیۤ أَعۡصِرُ خَمۡرࣰاۖ وَقَالَ ٱلۡءَاخَرُ إِنِّیۤ أَرَىٰنِیۤ أَحۡمِلُ فَوۡقَ رَأۡسِی خُبۡزࣰا تَأۡكُلُ ٱلطَّیۡرُ مِنۡهُۖ نَبِّئۡنَا بِتَأۡوِیلِهِۦۤۖ إِنَّا نَرَىٰكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِینَ ۝٣٦ wadakhala maʿahu l-sij'na fatayāni qāla aḥaduhumā innī arānī aʿṣiru khamran waqāla l-ākharu innī arānī aḥmilu fawqa rasī khub'zan takulu l-ṭayru min'hu nabbi'nā bitawīlihi innā narāka mina l-muḥ'sinīn Two young men went into prison alongside him. One of them said, ‘I dreamed that I was pressing grapes’; the other said, ‘I dreamed that I was carrying bread on my head and that the birds were eating it.’ [They said], ‘Tell us what this means- we can see that you are a knowledgeable man.’ 37 قَالَ لَا یَأۡتِیكُمَا طَعَامࣱ تُرۡزَقَانِهِۦۤ إِلَّا نَبَّأۡتُكُمَا بِتَأۡوِیلِهِۦ قَبۡلَ أَن یَأۡتِیَكُمَاۚ ذَ ٰلِكُمَا مِمَّا عَلَّمَنِی رَبِّیۤۚ إِنِّی تَرَكۡتُ مِلَّةَ قَوۡمࣲ لَّا یُؤۡمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَهُم بِٱلۡءَاخِرَةِ هُمۡ كَـٰفِرُونَ ۝٣٧ qāla lā yatīkumā ṭaʿāmun tur'zaqānihi illā nabbatukumā bitawīlihi qabla an yatiyakumā dhālikumā mimmā ʿallamanī rabbī innī taraktu millata qawmin lā yu'minūna bil-lahi wahum bil-ākhirati hum kāfirūn He said, ‘I can tell you what this means before any meal arrives: this is part of what my Lord has taught me. I reject the faith of those who disbelieve in God and deny the life to come 38 وَٱتَّبَعۡتُ مِلَّةَ ءَابَاۤءِیۤ إِبۡرَ ٰهِیمَ وَإِسۡحَـٰقَ وَیَعۡقُوبَۚ مَا كَانَ لَنَاۤ أَن نُّشۡرِكَ بِٱللَّهِ مِن شَیۡءࣲۚ ذَ ٰلِكَ مِن فَضۡلِ ٱللَّهِ عَلَیۡنَا وَعَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا یَشۡكُرُونَ ۝٣٨ wa-ittabaʿtu millata ābāī ib'rāhīma wa-is'ḥāqa wayaʿqūba mā kāna lanā an nush'rika bil-lahi min shayin dhālika min faḍli l-lahi ʿalaynā waʿalā l-nāsi walākinna akthara l-nāsi lā yashkurūn and I follow the faith of my forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Because of God’s grace to us and to all mankind, we would never worship anything beside God, but most people are ungrateful 39 یَـٰصَـٰحِبَیِ ٱلسِّجۡنِ ءَأَرۡبَابࣱ مُّتَفَرِّقُونَ خَیۡرٌ أَمِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡوَ ٰحِدُ ٱلۡقَهَّارُ ۝٣٩ yāṣāḥibayi l-sij'ni a-arbābun mutafarriqūna khayrun ami l-lahu l-wāḥidu l-qahār Fellow prisoners, would many diverse gods be better than God the One, the All Powerful? [No indeed!]

40 مَا تَعۡبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦۤ إِلَّاۤ أَسۡمَاۤءࣰ سَمَّیۡتُمُوهَاۤ أَنتُمۡ وَءَابَاۤؤُكُم مَّاۤ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلۡطَـٰنٍۚ إِنِ ٱلۡحُكۡمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعۡبُدُوۤا۟ إِلَّاۤ إِیَّاهُۚ ذَ ٰلِكَ ٱلدِّینُ ٱلۡقَیِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكۡثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا یَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٤٠ mā taʿbudūna min dūnihi illā asmāan sammaytumūhā antum waābāukum mā anzala l-lahu bihā min sul'ṭānin ini l-ḥuk'mu illā lillahi amara allā taʿbudū illā iyyāhu dhālika l-dīnu l-qayimu walākinna akthara l-nāsi lā yaʿlamūn All those you worship instead of Him are mere names you and your forefathers have invented, names for which God has sent down no sanction. Authority belongs to God alone, and He orders you to worship none but Him: this is the true faith, though most people do not realize it

41 یَـٰصَـٰحِبَیِ ٱلسِّجۡنِ أَمَّاۤ أَحَدُكُمَا فَیَسۡقِی رَبَّهُۥ خَمۡرࣰاۖ وَأَمَّا ٱلۡءَاخَرُ فَیُصۡلَبُ فَتَأۡكُلُ ٱلطَّیۡرُ مِن رَّأۡسِهِۦۚ قُضِیَ ٱلۡأَمۡرُ ٱلَّذِی فِیهِ تَسۡتَفۡتِیَانِ ۝٤١ yāṣāḥibayi l-sij'ni ammā aḥadukumā fayasqī rabbahu khamran wa-ammā l-ākharu fayuṣ'labu fatakulu l-ṭayru min rasihi quḍiya l-amru alladhī fīhi tastaftiyān Fellow prisoners, one of you will serve his master with wine; the other will be crucified and the birds will peck at his head. That is the end of the matter on which you asked my opinion.’ 42 وَقَالَ لِلَّذِی ظَنَّ أَنَّهُۥ نَاجࣲ مِّنۡهُمَا ٱذۡكُرۡنِی عِندَ رَبِّكَ فَأَنسَىٰهُ ٱلشَّیۡطَـٰنُ ذِكۡرَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلَبِثَ فِی ٱلسِّجۡنِ بِضۡعَ سِنِینَ ۝٤٢ waqāla lilladhī ẓanna annahu nājin min'humā udh'kur'nī ʿinda rabbika fa-ansāhu l-shayṭānu dhik'ra rabbihi falabitha fī l-sij'ni biḍ'ʿa sinīn Joseph said to the one he knew would be saved, ‘Mention me to your master,’ but Satan made him forget to do this, and so Joseph remained in prison for a number of years 43 وَقَالَ ٱلۡمَلِكُ إِنِّیۤ أَرَىٰ سَبۡعَ بَقَرَ ٰتࣲ سِمَانࣲ یَأۡكُلُهُنَّ سَبۡعٌ عِجَافࣱ وَسَبۡعَ سُنۢبُلَـٰتٍ خُضۡرࣲ وَأُخَرَ یَابِسَـٰتࣲۖ یَـٰۤأَیُّهَا ٱلۡمَلَأُ أَفۡتُونِی فِی رُءۡیَـٰیَ إِن كُنتُمۡ لِلرُّءۡیَا تَعۡبُرُونَ ۝٤٣ waqāla l-maliku innī arā sabʿa baqarātin simānin yakuluhunna sabʿun ʿijāfun wasabʿa sunbulātin khuḍ'rin wa-ukhara yābisātin yāayyuhā l-mala-u aftūnī fī ru'yāya in kuntum lilrru'yā taʿburūn The king said, ‘I dreamed about seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean ones; seven green ears of corn and [seven] others withered. Counsellors, if you can interpret dreams, tell me the meaning of my dream.’ 44 قَالُوۤا۟ أَضۡغَـٰثُ أَحۡلَـٰمࣲۖ وَمَا نَحۡنُ بِتَأۡوِیلِ ٱلۡأَحۡلَـٰمِ بِعَـٰلِمِینَ ۝٤٤ qālū aḍghāthu aḥlāmin wamā naḥnu bitawīli l-aḥlāmi biʿālimīn They said, ‘These are confusing dreams and we are not skilled at dream-interpretation,’