The Majestic Quran

31 After hearing their gossip, she sent for them, and prepared sofas for them at a banquet , giving each of them a knife before telling Joseph , “Go out to present yourself before them.” When they saw him, they were captivated by his beauty , and cut their hands and said, “God the Great! This is no mortal. This can only be a splendid great angel.” 32 Then she said, “That’s the one you blamed me for. I tried to seduce him, but he held back. However, if he doesn’t do as I tell him now, he will go to prison and be disgraced.” J G 33 “My Lord,” said Joseph, “I prefer prison to what they tell me to do. If You hadn’t deflected their cunning scheme from me, I would have yielded to them and acted unwisely.” 34 His Lord accepted his prayer and deflected their scheme away from him. He is the Listener, the Knower. 35 And so, even after seeing the evidence, of his innocence they thought it is right to imprison him for a short term. J T 36 Two young men entered the prison with him, one asked him, “I had a dream, I was pressing grapes,” the other said, “I had a dream, I was carrying bread on my head and birds were eating from it. Tell us their meaning, we see you’re a righteous person.” 37 He said, “I will tell you their meaning before your next meal arrives, it’s one of the things My Lord has taught me. I have kept away from the religion of people who don’t believe in God and who deny the Hereafter, 38 I follow instead the religion of my forefathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The associating of anything with God is not for us; that is one of God’s favours to us and to people generally , but most people are ungrateful. 39 My fellow prisoners, tell me, are many gods better or the One, God, the Supreme? 40 Whatever you worship besides Him are only names you and your forefathers coined, God hasn’t revealed any authority for them. Ultimate authority belongs to God alone; He has commanded you to worship Him alone. That’s the true religion, unfortunately, most people are ignorant. J ’ 41 My fellow inmates, one of you will serve wine to his master once more ; sadly, the other will be crucified, and the birds will peck his head. The matter on which you sought my opinion has already been decided.” 42