Boreal
Shared Prophets
Joseph, Son of Jacob
Jacob and the Breaking of Blood Ties
Jacob, on his death bed, had a question for his sons.
2:133 Or were you (O Muhammad) present when Jacob was in the throes of death and said to his sons: “What will you worship when I am gone?” They replied: “We will worship your God and the God of your forefathers, Abraham, Isma‘il and Isaac – the One God; and to Him we submit.”
2:134 That was a nation which passed away. Hers is what she has earned and yours is what you have earned. And you shall not be questioned about what they did.
Moududi:
What is being said here is that even though they might be their offspring in terms of blood - they had, in fact, no true relationship with them (the Jews). What right did they have to pretend to belong to them when they had departed far from their way?
The remaining few lines that Jacob has in the Koran are part of Joseph’s story in a surah named after his twelfth son and which, uncharacteristically, does not stray far from the subject matter.
The Vision
Joseph, the eleventh of Jacob's twelve sons and first son of Rachel, not only gets an entire surah named after him, but one with contents almost exclusively about him. Allah, unlike his earlier appearance in the Bible, can’t be bothered with the names of the supporting cast. Nowhere is this more evident than in the story of Joseph where his brothers are just “the brothers” or “the brother”; no Benjamin, no Simeon, no Judah, no Reuben…
Joseph’s surah begins with Allah praising the easy-to-understand Arabic version of the Koran.
THE PROPHET JOSEPH
12 Yûsuf
In the Name of Allah,
the Compassionate, the Merciful
12:1 Alif – Lam – Ra.
These are the verses of the clear Book.
12:2 We have revealed it as an Arabic Qur’an, that perchance you may understand.
12:3 We narrate to you (Muhammad) the fairest narratives in revealing to you this Qur’an, although you were, prior to it, one of the headless.
With those formalities out of the way, Joseph makes his entrance.
12:4 When Joseph said to his father: “O my father, I saw [in my dream] eleven planets and the sun and the moon, I saw them prostrating themselves before me.”
12:5 He said: “My son, do not relate your dream to your brothers, lest they plot evil against you. Surely, the Devil is the sworn enemy of man.”
12:6 And thus your Lord will choose you and teach you the interpretation of dreams and will perfect His Grace upon you and upon the family of Jacob, as He has perfected it formerly upon your two fathers*, Abraham and Isaac. Surely your Lord is All-Knowing, Wise.
12:7 There are indeed in Joseph and his brothers signs for the inquiring.
Sold Into Slavery
As in the Bible, it is the affection that their father bestows on Joseph and his dreams that causes his brothers to plot against him. In the next verse, God mentions another brother, possibly Benjamin, Joseph’s youngest brother.
12:8 When they said: “Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than the rest of us, although we are a large group. Our father is truly in manifest error.”
What to do?
12:9 “Kill Joseph or cast him away in some land that your father’s love may be wholly yours, and you may become after him a righteous people.”
12:10 One of them said: “Do not kill Joseph, but rather throw him in the bottom of the pit, so that some traveller may pick him up, if you must do anything.”
First they must convince their father to let Joseph come out and play.
12:11 They said: “Our father, why do you not trust us with Joseph? We certainly wish him well.
12:12 “Send him forth with us tomorrow that he may frolic and play, and we will surely take care of him.”
Jacob worried that if he let Joseph out of his sight, he might be eaten by wolves.
12:13 He said: “It grieves me to let you take him away; and I fear that the wolf may devour him while you are not watching him.”
12:14 They said: “If the wolf should devour him while we are a large group, we should then be the real losers.”
It’s into the pit with Joseph. While the brothers were plotting, Allah was keeping Joseph appraised of their intentions, but to no avail.
12:15 But when they took him away and decided to cast him in the bottom of the pit, We revealed to him: “You should tell them about their intention while they are unaware.”
12:16 And they came to their father in the evening weeping.
In the Bible, Joseph was 17 years old when the brothers decided to get rid of him. This would indicate that his ten half-brothers (he and his younger brother Benjamin were the only sons of Rachel, Jacob’s second wife, the first being Leah) were older. Some had to be much older, but in the Koran they all behave like children, and their explanation for Joseph’s disappearance is a childish one.
12:17 They said: “Our father, we went away racing and left Joseph by our baggage; and so the wolf devoured him. You will not believe us even if we are truthful.”
12:18 And they stained his shirt with false blood. He said: “Rather, your souls tempted you to do something. So come gentle patience! To Allah I turn for help against what you say.”
In the Bible, Midianite traders were the ones to find Joseph in the pit and sell him to Ishmaelites on their way to Egypt. In the Koran, unidentified travelers who sent down buckets to get water from the “pit”—which appears to have been a functioning well—instead discover Joseph and promptly sell him.
12:19 And some travellers came, and they sent their water-drawer, who let down his bucket. He said: “Good news! Here is a boy.” And they hid him as merchandise, Allah being fully aware of what they were doing.
12:20 And they sold him for a cheap price, a number of dirhams, since they were not interested in him.
Joseph and the Governor’s Wife
Joseph’s story provided an opportunity for Allah to offer an opinion on rape and why women who make accusations of rape are usually lying. He explains how to find out the truth, using the example of the wife of the Egyptian who bought Joseph. She would attempt to seduce the reluctant Joseph after being told by her husband to make his stay an honourable one.
12:21 And the Egyptian who bought him said to his wife: “Make his stay honourable; perhaps he will profit us or we may take him for a son.” Thus We established Joseph in the land and taught him the interpretation of dreams. Allah has control over His Affairs though most people do not know.
12:22 When he was fully grown, We gave him judgement and knowledge, and thus We reward the beneficent.
12:23 And the woman, in whose house he was, sought to seduce him. She closed the doors firmly and said: “Come.” He said: “Allah forbid. It is my Lord who gave me a good abode. Surely, the wrongdoers do not prosper.”
12:24 Certainly she made for him and he would have made for her if it were not for a sign from his Lord. And that was to divert him from evil and indecency. He was indeed one of Our sincere servants.
A woman can also be expected to lie about sexual assault, for example, falsely accusing a man of attempted rape when in reality she was the aggressor.
12:25 They raced to the door, and she ripped his shirt from behind. When they met her husband at the door, she said: "What is the penalty of one who intended evil for your wife except imprisonment or severe punishment?”
Exceptionally, God, when relating this encounter, concedes that men can, on rare occasion, be the aggressors; how can you tell?
12:26 He (Joseph) said: “She sought to seduce me.” And a member of her household bore witness: “If his shirt was torn from the front, then she is telling the truth and he is a liar.
12:27 “But if his shirt is torn from behind, then she lies and he is one of the truthful.”
While admitting that men can also be forceful in the pursuit of intimacy, God makes another generalization about women: that they are skilled in the art of deception. Notice the plural form, “you women,“ in Revelation 12:28.
12:28 When he (the husband) saw that his shirt was torn from behind, he said: “This is part of your guile, you women. Your guile is indeed very great.
Her husband asked Joseph to overlook his wife’s attempt at an intimate moment and told her to beg forgiveness for her sins.
12:29 “Joseph, overlook this matter; and you, woman, ask forgiveness for your sin. You are indeed one of the sinners.”
In the Bible, the husband is a fellow by the name of Potiphar, “an officer of Pharaoh and the captain of the guard”; in the Koran, he is known only as "the governor."
12:30 And some women in the city said: “The wife of the governor has been seeking to seduce her slave; he has infatuated her with his love. We see her in manifest error."
His wife, rather than ask God’s forgiveness for having sinned, invites Joseph to dine and perhaps exchange more than the usual pleasantries with the women who have been spreading rumours about her attempt at seduction. It depends on your interpretation of “Come out unto them” in the following verse:
12:31 When she heard about their wiles, she sent after them and prepared for each of them a dining couch. Then she gave each one of them a knife and said to him (Joseph): “Come out unto them.” But when they saw him, they admired him and cut their hands and said: “Allah forbid! This is no mortal, he is but a noble angel.”
The women, completely mesmerized by Joseph’s presence, began to cut themselves. Whatever the governor’s wife had in mind, her guests wanted none of it after seeing Joseph, and neither did he, judging by her reaction.
12:32 She said: “This is the one you reproached me for. I have in fact sought to seduce him, but he held back. If he will not do what I command him, he will surely be imprisoned and will be one of the humbled.”
Joseph in Jail
In the Bible, Joseph was thrown in jail because the husband believed his wife’s lies about Joseph coming on to her. In the Koran, as can be expected, Joseph was not thrown in jail because of a woman’s accusation that he tried to have sex with her against her will; that would have been unthinkable! It is Joseph who insisted God make it so, to get away from his owner’s wife and her friends who may—judging by his expression “their guile”—also have wanted him, a prospect he was finding more and more difficult to resist.
12:33 He said: “My Lord, prison is dearer to me than that which they call me to. If you do not rid me of their guile, I will be inclined towards them and will be one of the ignorant.”
God granted Joseph his wish, with a little help from the governor and his entourage.
12:34 Thereupon his Lord answered his prayer and so rid him of their guile. He is indeed the Hearer, the Knower.
12:35 Then it occurred to them after they had seen the signs (of Joseph’s innocence) to imprison him for some time.
In the Bible, Joseph met the King’s cupbearer and baker after being in jail for some time; in the Koran, he was incarcerated alongside two young men (the assumed cupbearer and baker of the Bible) who get right to the point, seeing that Joseph just oozes righteousness.
12:36 And there entered the prison with him two youths. One of them said: “I saw in my dream that I am pressing grapes.” And the other said: “I saw in my dream that I am carrying on my head bread from which the birds were eating. Tell us their interpretation; we see that you are one of the righteous.”
Like most of the well-known and respected characters of the Bible who are welcomed in the Koran, Joseph would first offer copious praise to God and make a pitch for Allah’s religion before getting down to business.
12:37 He said: “No food with which you are provided will be given to you but I will tell you its interpretation before it arrives. This is part of what my Lord has taught me. I have forsaken the religion of a people who do not believe in Allah, and disbelieve in the Hereafter.
12:38 “And I have followed the religion of my fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. It was not for us to associate anything with Allah. That is part of Allah’s Favour upon us and upon mankind; but most men do not give thanks.
12:39 “O my two fellow-prisoners, are diverse lords better, or the One, the Omnipotent?
12:40 “You do not worship, besides Him, except names you have named, you and your fathers, for which Allah has not sent down any authority. Judgement belongs only to Allah; He has commanded that you worship none but Him. That is the right religion, but most men do not know.
Joseph does finally get around to answering the questions that were asked, responding in a brisk, matter-of-fact fashion—but that is not important. In the Bible, he said that Pharaoh would lift the baker’s head and hang him from a tree; in the Koran, he predicted the baker would be crucified. Again, no surprise there! From the many verses about crucifying disbelievers, it is reasonable to conclude that this is Allah’s favourite form of execution. The degrading, lingering death of the crucified, for a vengeful god, does have its appeal.
12:41 “O my two fellow-prisoners, one of you shall give his Lord wine to drink; whereas the other will be crucified, then the birds shall eat from his head. Thus the matter you are enquiring about is settled.”
Do I detect a note of uncertainty in the next verse?
12:42 And he said to the one of the two whom he thought would be saved: “Mention me to your Lord.” However, the Devil caused him to forget to mention him to his Lord and so he (Joseph) remained in prison a number of years.
Joseph and the King’s Dream
Warning: Abbott and Costello’s “Who's on First?” type of weirdness ahead and more women’s guile! Also, the governor is now “the King”, i.e., Pharaoh.
12:43 And the King (of Egypt) said: “I saw in my dream seven fat cows devoured by seven lean cows, and seven green ears of corn together with seven other withered ones (in the Bible, the dream is about cows and wheat). O my dignitaries, explain to me my dream, if you are able to interpret dreams.”
12:44 They said: “Confused dreams, and we know nothing about the interpretation of dreams.
In the Bible, the cupbearer remembers Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams and informs the King, who then sends for Joseph. In the Koran, it would appear that the cupbearer goes to see Joseph, gets the interpretation and returns to tell the King, or maybe not. See what you think.
12:45 And one of the two who had been released remembered after a while and said: “I will tell you its interpretation, so let me go [to Joseph].”
12:46 “Joseph, O truthful one, enlighten us concerning seven fat cows devoured by seven lean ones, and concerning seven green ears of corn and seven withered ones, so that I might go back to the people, that perchance they might learn.”
12:47 He said: “You shall sow for seven consecutive years, but what you harvest, you should leave in its ears except for the little whereof you need to eat.
12:48 “Then, afterwards seven hard years will consume what you have laid up for them, except for a little of what you have stored.
12:49 “Then there will come after that a year in which the people will receive help and will be able to press grapes in it.”
In the next verse, “the King” again sends for Joseph who, according to islamicstudies.info “declined to quit the prison till his character was cleared” who sends the messenger back with his own question and an observation about women and their guile.
12:50 The King said: “Bring him (Joseph) to me.” Then when the messenger came to him, he said: “Go back to your lord and ask him about the women who cut their own hands. My Lord knows well their guile.”
Joseph’s question and derogatory comment about women convinces the King as to his innocence and induces the “governor’s wife” to confess and clear Joseph.
12:51 He (the King) said: “What was the matter with you, women, when you sought to seduce Joseph?” They said: “Allah forbid! We learnt nothing evil about him.” The governor’s wife then said: “Now the truth has come out, I was the one who sought to seduce him, and he is indeed one of the truthful."
Guile as a noun?!
12:52 [Joseph said]: “That was said so that [my Lord] may know that I did not betray Him in secret, and that Allah will not guide the guile of the treacherous.
More of the standard repentance followed by praise for God:
12:53 “I do not exonerate myself from sin. Surely the [human] soul commands evil, except for those on whom my Lord has mercy. My Lord is truly All-Forgiving, Merciful.
Appointed Treasurer
The king again asked that Joseph be brought before him to share that arrangements have been made to protect him from the women who would try to seduce him.
12:54 The King said: “Bring him to me; I will attach him to my person alone.” And when he spoke to him, he said: “Today you are firmly established and secure with us.”
Yes, but…
12:55 He (Joseph) said: “Put me in charge of the treasures of the land; I am a keeper who knows.”
And so it came to pass.
12:56 And thus We established Joseph firmly in the land, dwelling wherever he wished. We bestow Our Mercy on whom We will, and We do not waste the rewards of the righteous.
One more pitch for the Hereafter. Yeah!
12:57 And the reward of the Hereafter is surely better for those who believe and fear Allah.
At this point, Joseph's brothers showed up in Egypt looking for "supplies"—we pick up Allah's account of how Joseph got them to convince their father Jacob to let another brother, Benjamin it is assumed, join them. Benjamin is, of course, never mentioned by name.
A Camel’s Load
In the Bible, Joseph made Simeon a hostage to get his father to let Benjamin come to Egypt. In the Koran, he would increase the family’s share of ‘merchandise’ by an extra ‘camel’s load’. This was enough to convince Jacob to let Benjamin make the trip.
12:58 Then Joseph's brothers came and went in to him. He recognized them while they did not know him.
12:59 When he provided them with their supplies, he said: “Bring me a brother of yours from your father. Do you not see that I fill up the measure and am the best of hosts?
12:60 “But, if you do not bring him to me, you shall have no measure from me and you will not come near me.”
12:61 They said: “We will solicit him from his father. Surely we shall do that.”
12:62 He said to his servants: “Put their merchandise in their saddlebags, that perchance they may recognize it when they return to their people, and perchance they will come back.”
12:63 When they returned to their father, they said: “Our father, we have been denied the full measure; so sent forth our brother with us that we may receive the measure; we will surely guard him.”
12:64 He said: “Can I entrust him to you except as I had entrusted his brother to you before? Allah is the best guardian, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.”
12:65 And when they opened their bags, they found their merchandise was returned to them. They said: “Father, what more do we desire? This is our merchandise; it has been returned to us. We shall get food for our family, guard our brother and receive an added camel’s load. That is an easy measure.”
The extra camel’s load convinced Jacob to entrust them with his youngest son after swearing that they would bring him back – unless they couldn’t.
12:66 He said: “I will not send him with you until you swear in Allah’s Name that you will bring him back to me, unless you are constrained.” So when they brought him their pledge he said: “Allah is Witness of what we say.”
Some last-minute fatherly advice is imparted.
12:67 And he said: “My sons, do not enter by one door, but enter by separate doors. I cannot avail you anything against Allah; the Judgement is truly Allah’s; in Him I put my trust, and in Him let all who trust put their trust.”
The King's Drinking Cup
As instructed by their father, the brothers enter Joseph’s house by separate doors. It must have been a really big house, if all of eleven (if you include Simeon) of Joseph’s brothers entered the house of the second most powerful man in Egypt by different entrances.
12:68 And when they entered wherefrom their father commanded them, nothing could avail them against Allah. It was only a desire in Jacob’s breast which he satisfied. He was indeed in possession of knowledge, because We taught him. But most people do not know.
What Benjamin may have been grieving in the following revelation is the presumed death of Joseph, which he now knows to have been exaggerated.
12:69 And when they came into Joseph’s presence, he took his brother into his arms saying: “I am your own brother; so do not grieve at what they were doing.”
The cup was placed in the unnamed brother’s bag, and before they could say, “thank you, farewell and God bless,” someone, from some distance away, promptly accused them of being thieves.
12:70 Then, when he provided them with their supplies, he put the drinking-vessel in his brother’s bag. Then a crier shouted: “O men of the caravan, you are thieves.”
12:71 They said, as they approached them: “What is it that you miss?”
12:72 They said: “We miss the King’s drinking cup; and to him who brings it a camel’s load will be given, and I am the guarantor thereof.”
12:73 They said: “By Allah, you know well that we have not come to spread corruption in the land, and we are no thieves.”
12:74 They said: “What is the penalty thereof, if you are liars?”
The penalty for whoever was found to have stolen the cup was, surprisingly, not having one or both hands severed.
12:75 They said: “The penalty thereof is that whoever it is found in his bag shall himself be the penalty (that is, he shall be enslaved). This is how we punish the wrongdoers.”
Joseph himself searched the bags.
12:76 And so he (Joseph) began with their bags before the bag of his brother. Then he took it out from his brother’s bag. This is how We contrived for Joseph's sake; for he could not take his brother in accordance with the King’s law, except if Allah pleased. We raise by degrees whom We will, and above every man of learning, there is one more learned.
12:77 They said: “If he has stolen, a brother of his has stolen before.” Joseph kept that to himself and did not reveal it to them.” He said: “You are in a worse position, and Allah knows best [the truth of] of what you say.”
The brother who had stolen before was, of course, Joseph. The unnamed person accused of stealing the cup was Benjamin, who is also the unnamed brother in next revelation for whom the brothers (Judah in the Bible) make a plea.
12:78 They said: “O mighty one, he has a very old father; so take one of us in his place. We see that you are one of those who are beneficent."
Joseph would have none of it.
12:79 He said: “Allah forbid that we take anyone other than the one with whom we found our property. For then we will be wrongdoers.”
The brothers held a conference. The “eldest brother” in the following revelation had to be Reuben.
12:80 Then when they despaired of him, they conferred privately. Their eldest said: “Did you not know that your father took a solemn pledge in the name of Allah from you, and before that you failed to perform your duty in the case of Joseph. I will not leave this land until my father permits me or Allah decides for me; for He is the Best of Judges."
Reuben may not have wanted to leave without Benjamin, but in the end, he obviously does not.
12:81 “Go back to your father and say: ‘Our father, your son has stolen. We bear witness only to what we know, and we could not keep watch over the Unseen.’
12:82 “‘Ask the town where we were and the caravan which we came along with. Surely we are truthful.’”
Before you can say “there’s no place like home,” the brothers were back in Canaan where Jacob awaited, still grieving for Joseph.
12:83 He (Jacob) said: “Rather, your souls made some matter look fair to you. Come gentle patience! Maybe Allah will bring them all back to me. He is indeed the All-Knowing, the Wise.”
12:84 And he turned away from them and said: “Alas for Joseph!” and his eyes turned white, because of the grief which he repressed.
Jacob sent the boys back to Egypt to enquire about two lost sons: Joseph and that other one.
12:85 They said: “By Allah, you shall continue to remember Joseph until you are about to perish or even when you do perish.”
12:86 He said: "I only complain of my sorrow and grief to Allah and I know, from Allah, what you know not.
12:87 “O my sons, go forth and enquire about Joseph and his brother and do not despair of Allah’s Mercy. Surely no one despairs of Allah’s Mercy, except the unbelieving people."
The Other Brother
When they got to see Joseph again, enquiring about their lost brothers is not what the remaining brothers had in mind.
12:88 When they went to him, they said: “O mighty one, we and our people have been visited by affliction and we have brought scant merchandise. So fill up the measure for us and be charitable to us; Allah will surely reward the charitable.”
However, it is what Joseph wanted to discuss.
12:89 He said: “Do you know what you did with Joseph and his brother, in your dire ignorance?”
God may have thought this was a good time to end the charade before things got too confusing and had Joseph reveal himself to the other brothers.
12:90 They said: “Are you truly Joseph?” He said: “Yes, I am Joseph and this is my brother. Allah has been gracious to us. Surely, whoever fears God and forbears will find that Allah will never deprive those who do the good of their reward.”
12:91 They said: “By Allah, Allah has exalted you above us, and we have only been sinful.”
Do not worry. Allah is a merciful god, the Most Merciful of all.
12:92 He said: “Let there be no reproach against you today. Allah will forgive you and He is the Most Merciful of those who have mercy.
All's Well That Ends Well
Joseph was not only good at interpreting dreams; he performed what most would consider a miracle.
12:93 “Take this shirt of mine and lay it on my father’s face, and he will regain his sight; then come to me with all your family.”
12:94 And when the caravan set out, their father said: “I find Joseph’s scent, thought you may deny it.”
In the Yusuf Ali translation used by islamicstudies.info, it is assumed that the caravan was travelling from Egypt to Canaan. “And as the caravan set out (from Egypt), their father said (in Canaan): ‘Indeed I smell the fragrance of Joseph.’” The following had to have been spoken by the brothers, when they arrived back in Canaan and were told about their father’s extraordinary sense of smell, for the passage to make sense.
12:95 They said: “By Allah, you persist in your old error.”
Whoever had the magic shirt then placed it on the old man’s face.
12:96 Then when the bearer of good news came, he placed it (the shirt) on his face and so he regained his sight. He said: “Did I not tell you that I know from Allah what you know not?”
Confronted with the miracle, the brothers again admitted to having sinned and beseeched Jacob to ask for their forgiveness.
12:97 They said: “Father, ask forgiveness for our sins; we have indeed been sinful.”
Jacob was more than happy to oblige.
12:98 He said: “I shall ask my Lord to forgive you. He is indeed the All-Forgiving, the Merciful.”
Rachel, Joseph’s mother, died giving birth to Benjamin. At least, that is the story according to the Bible.
12:99 Then, when they went in to Joseph, he lodged his parents with him and said; “Enter Egypt, Allah willing, in security.”
In the Bible, Joseph’s half-brothers bowed before him during their first encounter, and thereby fulfill the vision. In the Koran, it is his parents who bowed before their son.
12:100 And he raised both his parents to the high seat, and they fell prostrate before him. He said: "Father, this is the interpretation of my old dream; my Lord has made it come true. He was kind to me when he brought me out prison and brought you out of the desert, after the Devil has sown mischief between me and my brothers. My Lord is truly subtle in bringing about what He wills. He is indeed the All-Knowing, the Wise.
Thank you, Lord, for everything; I hope I get to see you in person along with the other righteous believers!
12:101 “Lord, you have given me power and taught me the interpretation of dreams. O Creator of the heavens and the earth; you are my protector in this world and in the Hereafter; receive my soul as a submissive one, and let me join the ranks of the righteous."
Why the News from the Unseen?
A short one-sided conversation between Allah and Muhammad follows, at the end of which God provides reassurances that revelations about His Prophets are not invented tales. This brings us to the end of the Surah Yusuf, but not before Allah strays into familiar territory where the only certainty is the punishment.
12:102 That is part of the news of the Unseen [which] We reveal to you (O Muhammad); for you were not with them when they concurred in their affair, while they plotted.
12:103 And even if you desire it, most people are not believers.
12:104 And you do not ask them for a reward for it (the Qur'an); it is nothing but a reminder for all mankind.
12:105 How many a sign in the heavens and on earth by which they pass while they turn their faces away from it!
12:106 And most of them do not believe in Allah, unless they continue to associate others [with Him].
12:107 Do they guard against a crushing strike of Allah's Punishment or the sudden coming of the Hour while they are unaware?
12:108 Say: "This is my way; I call to Allah with knowledge, I and those who follow me. Glory be to Allah; and I am not one of the polytheists."
12:109 We did not send forth [as Messengers] before you except men from the people of the cities who received Our Revelations. Have they (the Meccans) not travelled in the land and seen what was the of those who came before them? The abode of the Hereafter is surely better for those who fear God. Do you not understand?
12:110 And when the Messengers despaired and thought they would be regarded as liars, Our Help came to them and We delivered whom We pleased. The sinners could not escape Our punishment.
12:111 In these narratives about them, there is a lesson for people of understanding. It is not an invented tale, but a confirmation of what came before it, and a clear exposition of all things, and a guidance and mercy for people who believe.
A clear exposition! You be the judge.