Joseph until thou be at the point of death, or be of [the number of]
the dead. He replied, I only complain of my great and unconcealable
grief and my sorrow unto God; _not unto any beside Him; for He it is
unto whom complaint is made with advantage_; and I know [by
revelation] from God what ye know not; _namely, that the dream of
Joseph was true, and that he is living_. _Then he said_, O my sons, go
and seek news of Joseph and his brother; and despair not of the mercy
of God; for none despaireth of the mercy of God except the unbelieving
people.
_So they departed towards Egypt, unto Joseph_; and when they went in
unto him, they said, O Prince, distress (_that is, hunger_) hath
affected us and our family, and we have come with paltry money (_it
was base money, or some other sort_): yet give us full measure, and be
charitable to us, _by excusing the badness of our money_; for God
recompenseth those who act charitably. _And he had pity upon them, and
compassion affected him, and he lifted up the curtain that was between
him and them: then_ he said _unto them in reproach_, Do ye know what
ye did unto Joseph, _in beating and selling and other actions_, and
his brother, _by your injurious conduct to him after the separation of
his brother_, when ye were ignorant _of what would be the result of
the case of Joseph?_[243] They replied, _after they had recognised him
(desiring confirmation)_, Art thou indeed Joseph? He answered, I am
Joseph, and this is my brother. God hath been gracious unto us, _by
bringing us together_; for whosoever feareth _God_ and is patient
[will be rewarded]: God will not suffer the reward of the well-doers
to perish. They replied, By God, verily God hath preferred thee above
us, and we have been indeed sinners. He said, [There shall be] no
reproach [cast] on you this day: God forgive you; for He is the most
merciful of those that show mercy. _And he asked them respecting his
father: so they answered, His eyes are gone. And he said_, Go ye
with this my shirt (_it was the shirt of Abraham, which he wore when
he was cast into the fire: it was on his_ [that is, Joseph’s] _neck_
[appended as an amulet] _in the well; and it was from paradise:
Gabriel commanded him to send it, and said, In it is its odour_ [that
is, the odour of paradise], _and it shall not be cast upon any one
afflicted_ [with a disease] _but he shall be restored to health_), and
cast it [said Joseph] upon the face of my father: he shall recover his
sight; and bring unto me all your family.—And when the company of
travellers had gone forth _from El-´Areesh[244] of Egypt_, their
father said, _unto those who were present of his offspring_, Verily I
perceive the smell of Joseph (_for the zephyr had conveyed it to him,
by permission of Him whose name be exalted, from the distance of three
days’ journey, or eight, or more_): were it not that ye think I dote,
_ye would believe me._ They replied, By God, thou art surely in thine
old error.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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