Synopsis

• In prison, Yusuf met two men who asked him to interpret their dreams—he told them that one of them (a wine server) would be set free and the other would be crucified.
• Yusuf asked the wine server to mention him to the King of Egypt so that he could also secure his own release from prison, but the wine server forgot to do so.
• Years later, the King of Egypt had a concerning dream that no one else was able to interpret.
• Eventually, the wine server came back to Yusuf seeking interpretation of the King’s dream. Yusuf explained that Egypt will face 7 years of abundant crops followed by 7 years of drought.

Verse 36: The Dream of the Two Inmates

36: And two other servants went to jail with Yusuf. One of them said, “I dreamt I was pressing wine.” The other said, “I dreamt I was carrying ˹some˺ bread on my head, from which birds were eating.” ˹Then both said,˺ “Tell us their interpretation, for we surely see you as one of the good-doers.”

Verses 37–40: Invitation to the Truth

37: Yusuf replied, “I can even tell you what kind of meal you will be served before you receive it. This ˹knowledge˺ is from what my Lord has taught me. I have shunned the faith of a people who disbelieve in Allah and deny the Hereafter.

38: I follow the faith of my fathers: Ibrahim, Ishaq, and Yaqub. It is not ˹right˺ for us to associate anything with Allah ˹in worship˺. This is part of Allah’s grace upon us and humanity, but most people are not grateful.

39: O my fellow-prisoners! Which is far better: many different lords or Allah—the One, the Supreme?

40: Whatever ˹idols˺ you worship instead of Him are mere names which you and your forefathers have made up—a practice Allah has never authorized. It is only Allah Who decides. He has commanded that you worship none but Him. That is the upright faith, but most people do not know.

Verses 41–42: Interpretation of the Dreams

41:“O my fellow-prisoners! ˹The first˺ one of you will serve wine to his master, and the other will be crucified and the birds will eat from his head. The matter about which you inquired has been decided.”

42: Then he said to the one he knew would survive, “Mention me in the presence of your master.” But Satan made him forget to mention Yusuf to his master, so he remained in prison for several years.

Verses 43–45: The King’s Dream

43: And ˹one day˺ the King said, “I dreamt of seven fat cows eaten up by seven skinny ones; and seven green ears of grain and ˹seven˺ others dry. O  chiefs! Tell me the meaning of my dream if you can interpret dreams.”

44: They replied, “These are confused visions and we do not know the interpretation of such dreams.”

45: ˹Finally,˺ the surviving ex-prisoner remembered ˹Yusuf after a long time and said, “I will tell you its interpretation, so send me forth ˹to Yusuf.”

Verses 46–49: Interpretation of the King’s Dream

46: ˹He said,˺ “Yusuf, O man of truth! Interpret for us ˹the dream of˺ seven fat cows eaten up by seven skinny ones; and seven green ears of grain and ˹seven˺ others dry, so that I may return to the people and let them know.”

47: Yusuf replied, “You will plant ˹grain˺ for seven consecutive years, leaving in the ear whatever you will harvest, except for the little you will eat.

48: Then after that will come seven years of great hardship which will consume whatever you have saved, except the little you will store ˹for seed˺.

49: Then after that will come a year in which people will receive abundant rain and they will press ˹oil and wine˺.”

Reflections

Calling people to Allah

Before interpreting the dreams of the prisoners, Yusuf invited them to Islam. Through his approach, we learn a number of important etiquettes, including the importance of:

• Kindness, respect, and building relationships. Yusuf did not directly accuse the prisoners of disbelief. Instead, he made a general statement about their faith saying, “I have shunned the faith of a people who disbelieve.” This approach prevented the prisoners from becoming defensive.
• Centering the conversation on Islamic monotheism.
• Asking questions to keep your audience mentally engaged. For example, Yusuf asked the prisoners, “Which is far better: many different lords or Allah—the One, the Supreme?”

Allah did not reveal the outcome of Prophet Yusuf’s efforts, teaching us that our purpose is to spread the message of Islam, for which we will be fully rewarded regardless of the results.

Dream Interpretation

The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said that there are three types of dreams (Sahih Muslim 2263a):

1. A true dream, which is a good tiding from Allah.
2. An evil dream, which is from the devil and causes pain.
3. A dream that comes from one’s daily thoughts, worries, and experiences.

It is imperative that we take a balanced approach to dreams. We should not harbor extreme superstitions about their meanings nor should we dismiss them as entirely false.

The balanced truth about dreams is that some of them can be very beneficial to a person and society…The astute believer knows that such dreams may offer practical insights from Allah, so he does not dismiss them or surrender to them. Instead, he takes them in stride, by trying to understand them and employ them (in moderation), while always keeping full trust in Allah.

Dream interpretation is a gift from Allah, as seen in verse 6, “And so will your Lord choose you ˹O Yusuf, and teach you the interpretation of dreams.” Dream interpretation should only be sought from those who are well-versed in the subject, since the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said, “Dreams are indefinite until they are interpreted. Once they are interpreted, then they materialize as such (Abu Dawud 5020)."

Allah is the Subtle

Allah’s Name, The Subtle (Al-Latif), reminds us that He delivers mercy to His creation in the most gentle and subtle ways. We see the manifestation of this name throughout the story of Yusuf—at every stage of his life, he was protected by Allah’s mercy, ultimately leading to the point where even the King was seeking him.

Explaining this point, Dr. Ali al-Fifi said, “When Allah wished to remove Prophet Yusuf from prison, He did not make the prison walls collapse, nor did He send an angel to pluck the souls of the tyrants, nor a lightning bolt from the sky to explode the iron locks off the cage. He simply caused the king to see a dream as he slept.”

He further comments, “This entire surah is about the lutf [subtle kindness] of Allah; whoever reads it and does not feel His lutf in his bones and flowing in his veins has not read it.”

Action Item: Make a conscious effort to treat those around you with kindness and compassion and ask Allah to shower you with his gentle care and mercy.

Reflect: How have you felt the presence of Al-Latif during significant moments of your life?