The Qur'an (Oxford World's Classics)

a
Razi suggests Joseph, Benjamin, and the eldest son who remained in Egypt.
Joseph
151
12: 100

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that dream I had long ago. My Lord has made it come true and has
been gracious to me –
– He released me from prison and He brought
you here from the desert –
– after Satan sowed discord between me
and my brothers. My Lord is most subtle in achieving what He will;
He is the All Knowing, the Truly Wise. 
101My Lord! You have given
me authority; You have taught me something about the interpret-
ation of dreams; Creator of the heavens and the earth, You are my
protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Let me die in true
devotion to You. Join me with the righteous.’
102This account is part of what was beyond your knowledge
[Muhammad]. We revealed it to you: you were not present with
Joseph’s brothers when they made their treacherous plans. 
103How-
ever eagerly you may want them to, most men will not believe. 
104You
ask no reward from them for this: it is a reminder for all people
105and there are many signs in the heavens and the earth that they
pass by and give no heed to –
–
106most of them will only believe in
God while also joining others with Him. 
107Are they so sure that an
overwhelming punishment from God will not fall on them, or that
the Last Hour will not come upon them suddenly when they least
expect it? 
108Say, ‘This is my way: based on clear evidence, I, and all
who follow me, call [people] to God –
– glory be to God! –
– I do not
join others with Him.’
109All the messengers We sent before you [Muhammad] were men
to whom We made revelations, men chosen from the people of their
towns. Have the [disbelievers] not travelled through the land and
seen the end of those who went before them? For those who are
mindful of God, the Home in the Hereafter is better. Do you
[people] not use your reason? 
110When the messengers lost all hope
and realized that they had been dismissed as liars, Our help came to
them: We saved whoever We pleased, but Our punishment will not
be turned away from guilty people. 
111There is a lesson in the stories
of such people for those who understand. This revelation is no fabri-
cation: it is a con
firmation of the truth of what was sent before it; an
explanation of everything;
a
a guide and a blessing for those who
believe.
a
There are two interpretations of this phrase: (i) ‘everything to do with the story of
Joseph’; and (ii) ‘everything to do with religion’.
The Qur
an
12: 101
152

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13. THUNDER
A Medinan sura that takes its title from the thunder that praises God in verse
13. The sura is distinguished by its moving description of God’s power and
knowledge. Muhammad’s place in a long tradition of prophets, none of whom
could produce miracles on request, is stressed, and his role emphasized: it is only
to deliver the message. God is the One who will call people to account for their
deeds, and He is the witness for the truth of the message.
In the name of God, the Lord of Mercy, the Giver of Mercy
1Alif Lam Mim Ra
These are the signs of the Scripture. What your Lord has sent down
to you [Prophet] is the truth, yet most people do not believe. 
2It is
God who raised up the heavens with no visible supports and then
established Himself on the throne; He has subjected the sun and the
moon each to pursue its course for an appointed time; He regulates
all things, and makes the revelations clear so that you may be certain
of meeting your Lord; 
3it is He who spread out the earth, placed
firm mountains and rivers on it, and made two of every kind of fruit;
He draws the veil of night over the day. There truly are signs in this
for people who re
flect. 4There are, in the land, neighbouring plots,
gardens of vineyards, corn
fields, palm trees in clusters or otherwise,
all watered with the same water, yet We make some of them taste
better than others: there truly are signs in this for people who reason.
5If anything can amaze you [Prophet], then you should surely be
amazed at their asking, ‘What? When we become dust, shall we be
created anew?’ These are the ones who deny their Lord, who will
wear iron collars around their necks and be the inhabitants of the
Fire, there to remain. 
6They ask you to bring on the punishment
rather than any promised rewards, though there have been many
examples before them –– your Lord is full of forgiveness for people,
despite their wrongdoing, but He is truly severe in punishment.
7The disbelievers say, ‘Why has no miracle been sent down to him
from his Lord?’ But you are only there to give warning: [earlier]
communities each had their guide.

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8God knows what every female bears and how much their wombs
shrink or swell –
– everything has its measure with Him; 
9He knows
what is not seen as well as what is seen; He is the Great, the Most
High.
10It makes no difference whether any of you speak secretly or
aloud, whether you are hiding under cover of night or walking about
in the day: 
11each person has guardian angels before him and behind,
watching over him by God’s command. God does not change the
condition of a people [for the worse]
a
unless they change what is in
themselves, but if He wills harm on a people, no one can ward it o
ff––
apart from Him, they have no protector.
12It is He who shows you the lightning, inspiring fear and
hope; He builds up the clouds heavy with rain; 
13the thunder
sounds His praises, as do the angels in awe of Him; He sends
thunderbolts to strike whoever He will. Yet still they dispute about
God –
– He has mighty plans. 
14The only true prayer is to Him:
those they pray to besides Him give them no answer any more than
water reaches the mouth of someone who simply stretches out his
hands for it –
– it cannot do so: the prayers of the disbelievers are all
in vain. 
15All that are in heaven and earth submit
b
to God alone,
willingly or unwillingly, as do their shadows in the mornings and in
the evenings.
16Say [Prophet], ‘Who is Lord of the heavens and the earth?’ Say,
‘God.’ Say, ‘Why do you take protectors other than Him, who can
neither bene
fit nor harm even themselves?’ Say, ‘Are the blind equal
to those who can see? And are the depths of darkness equal to the
light?’ Have the partners they assign to God created anything like
His creation so that their creation is indistinguishable from His? Say,
‘God is the Creator of all things: He is the One, the All Compelling.’
17He sends water from the sky that fills riverbeds to overflowing,
each according to its measure. The stream carries on its surface a
growing layer of froth, like the froth that appears when people melt
metals in the 
fire to make ornaments and tools: in this way God
illustrates truth and falsehood –
– the froth disappears, but what is of
bene
fit to man stays behind–– this is how God makes illustrations.
18There will be the best of rewards for those who respond to their
Lord; those who do not respond would willingly give away the