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Prophethood and Status
The Quran states that in the story of Joseph and his brothers, there are signs for those who ask, containing lessons and advice.1,2The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said that Joseph was the honorable, the son of the honorable, the son of the honorable, the son of the honorable, referring to Joseph, the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham.3,4,5Joseph called upon his Lord, acknowledging that He had given him sovereignty and taught him the interpretation of dreams, and asked to die as a Muslim and be joined with the righteous.6,7
Early Life and Dreams
Joseph told his father that he had seen in a dream eleven stars, the sun, and the moon prostrating to him.8His father advised him not to relate his vision to his brothers, warning that they might contrive a plan against him, as Satan is a manifest enemy to man.9Joseph's brothers said that he and his brother were more beloved to their father than they were, despite them being a clan, and believed their father was in clear error.10Some of Joseph's brothers suggested killing him or casting him out to another land so that their father's attention would be solely for them, after which they would become righteous people.11
Imprisonment and Interpretation of Dreams
Two young men entered the prison with Joseph; one saw himself pressing wine in a dream, and the other saw himself carrying bread on his head from which birds were eating, and they asked Joseph for the interpretation.12The king had a dream of seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean ones, and seven green spikes of grain and others dry, and he asked the eminent ones to explain his vision.13The eminent ones replied that it was a mixture of false dreams and that they were not learned in the interpretation of dreams.14Joseph was asked to explain the king's vision of the cows and spikes so that the interpreter could return to the people and perhaps they would know about Joseph.15
Reunion and Fulfillment of Vision
Joseph's brothers came seeking food and entered upon him; he recognized them, but they did not recognize him.16When Joseph instructed his servants to load the camels of his brothers with food, he placed the king's measuring bowl into the bag of his full brother without their knowledge, in order to keep him.17Joseph's brothers stated that the recompense for a thief was that the person in whose bag the stolen item was found would become the recompense, meaning a slave to the one from whom he stole.18,19Joseph raised his parents upon the throne, and they bowed to him in prostration, which he identified as the explanation of his earlier vision that his Lord had made a reality.20