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him and cut their hands, and said: 'Allah forbid! This is no mortal, but a
gracious angel.'
She said: 'This is the man on whose account you reproached me. I
sought to seduce him, but he was unyielding. If he declines to do my
bidding, he shall be thrown into prison and held in scorn.'
He said: 'I would prefer prison to that to which they invite me. Shield
me from their cunning, or I shall yield to them and be one of the
foolish.'
His Lord heard his prayer and warded off their wiles from him. He is
the Hearer, the Knower.
Then it occured to them, even after they had seen the signs, that they
should imprison him for some time.
Two young men went to prison with him. One of them said: 'I saw (in
my dream) that I was pressing grapes.' And the other said: 'I saw (in my
dream) that I was carrying a loaf uponmy head, and that birds came and
ate of it. Tell us the meaning of these dreams, for we can see you are
good. '
He said: 'No food with which you may be provided will come to you,
but I will give you its interpretation before it comes to you. This
knowledge is a part of that which my Lord taught me, for I have left the
faith of those that disbelieve inAllah and deny the life to come. I follow
the faith of my fathers, Ibrahim, Ishaq, and Yaqub. We must never
serve any besides Allah. Such is the gift which Allah has bestowed
upon us and all mankind.Yet most men do not give thanks.
My two fellow-prisoners! Are sundry gods better thanAllah, the One,
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JOSEPH
THE QURAN