How Did Yusuf Interpret the King's Dream?
كيف فسّر يوسف رؤيا الملك؟
The king saw in his dream seven thin cows eating seven fat cows, and seven green ears of grain and seven dry ears of grain. Yusuf (peace be upon him) interpreted the dream to mean that seven good years would come, with plentiful, abundant crops, and he said that they must not consume all the produce of their crops but must store some of it for the days of hardship. Then seven dry years would come with no rain, so the crops and the harvest would be poor, and people would live on what they had stored. After that a good year would come in which people would press grapes.
("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.") (Yusuf 12:46)
(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. 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. Then after that will come a year in which people will receive abundant rain and they will press oil and wine.") (Yusuf 12:47-49)
رأى الملك سبع بقرات نحيلات تأكل سبع بقرات سمان، وسبع سنبلات خضر وسبع سنبلات جافة. فسر له المنام يوسف عليه السلام على أنه سيأتي سبع سنوات خير والزرع كثير ووافٍ، فقال: يجب عدم استهلاك كل نتاج الزرع، بل يجب تخزين بعضه لأيام الشدة، ثم سيأتي سبع سنوات جافة لا مطر فيها فيكون الزرع والحصاد سيئًا، وسيعيش الناس من المخزون لديهم. ثم سيأتي بعد ذلك عام خير يعصر فيه الناس العنب (ملاحظة: ورد في الجواب الأصلي "سنوات خير"، والآية تذكر عامًا واحدًا: "ثم يأتي من بعد ذلك عام فيه يغاث الناس" (يوسف 12: 49)، فصُحّح.)
(يُوسُفُ أَيُّهَا الصِّدِّيقُ أَفْتِنَا فِي سَبْعِ بَقَرَاتٍ سِمَانٍ يَأْكُلُهُنَّ سَبْعٌ عِجَافٌ وَسَبْعِ سُنبُلَاتٍ خُضْرٍ وَأُخَرَ يَابِسَاتٍ لَّعَلِّي أَرْجِعُ إِلَى النَّاسِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَعْلَمُونَ) يوسف 12: 46
(قَالَ تَزْرَعُونَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ دَأَبًا فَمَا حَصَدتُّمْ فَذَرُوهُ فِي سُنبُلِهِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ ﴿٤٧﴾ ثُمَّ يَأْتِي مِن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ سَبْعٌ شِدَادٌ يَأْكُلْنَ مَا قَدَّمْتُمْ لَهُنَّ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِّمَّا تُحْصِنُونَ ﴿٤٨﴾ ثُمَّ يَأْتِي مِن بَعْدِ ذَٰلِكَ عَامٌ فِيهِ يُغَاثُ النَّاسُ وَفِيهِ يَعْصِرُونَ) يوسف 12: 47-49
1. A Plan, Not Just a Prediction | خطةٌ لا مجرد تنبؤ
Yusuf did not stop at telling the king what would happen; he immediately specified what to do about it: leave the harvested grain in its ear rather than threshing and consuming it, a practical detail that would keep it preserved through seven years of scarcity. Interpretation and administration are fused into a single piece of advice. Whether a Muslim may likewise put money aside for the future is discussed in whether someone may save their money for fear of future poverty, and how Yusuf came to be released from prison is told in why Yusuf was released from prison.
لم يكتفِ يوسف بإخبار الملك بما سيحدث، بل حدد فورًا ما ينبغي فعله حيال ذلك: ترك المحصول في سنبله بدلًا من درسه واستهلاكه، وهو تفصيلٌ عملي يحفظه طوال سبع سنوات القحط. فامتزج التفسير بالإدارة في نصيحةٍ واحدة.
2. What This Interpretation Led To | إلى أين أدى هذا التفسير
This same interpretation is what ultimately secured Yusuf's release from prison and led to his appointment over Egypt's stores, a fuller account covered in Yusuf's release, vindication, and appointment.
هذا التفسير نفسه هو ما أدى في النهاية إلى إطلاق سراح يوسف من السجن وتوليه أمر خزائن مصر، وهو موضوعٌ مشروحٌ بالكامل في صفحة إطلاق سراح يوسف وتبرئته وتوليه المنصب.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What did the king see in his dream?
Seven fat cows eaten by seven thin ones, and seven green ears of grain against seven dry ones.
What did Yusuf's interpretation advise?
To store the harvest of seven abundant years in the ear to survive seven years of drought that would follow.