Muhammad, the Qur'an and Islam
that believers should pray and give alms, and v. 37 describes God's
provision. The vv. 38f are from a later period, and the vv. 43f ex^102 plain the
Judgment again. Other verses of this sura similar to Bible passages are
14:19 - cf. Rev. 21:1; Is. 65:7, and 14:21 - cf. Ps. 1:4.
Qur'an 12Qur'an 12Qur'an 12Qur'an 12 is one of the most remarkable narrative suras, which deals almost
solely with "the most beautiful story" (v. 3) of Joseph. Hardly any other
Qur'anic narration of comparable length is so dependent on the Jewish
Midrashim and Talmud, and certainly no other attains the pl^103 ot complexity
of this story. Sira traditions generally place the composition of this sura in
Mecca, and Islamic and Western Qur'an scholars usually agre^104 e.^105
Although it is possible that this sura was indeed composed in Mecca, based
on its strong exploitation of customary Jewish sources, one would rather
expect an early Medinan setting, not far from the synagogues and school of
the Jews there. According to the theories of one Western Qur'^106 an scholar,
at least parts of this sura were thought to have been revised in Medina.^107
Sura 12 begins with mysterious letters and implies that these are the signs
of a "clear Book" (v. 1), which was "sent down" as an Arabic Qur'an, so
that it could be understood (v. 2). In vv. 4f the narrative about Joseph^108
opens with him telling his father about his dream of the eleven stars, the sun
and the moon bowing down to him, and Jacob warns Joseph not to^109 relate
this dream to his brothers (v. 5). Later, while making their plans, one of
Joseph's brothers says that a caravan will pull Joseph out of the well (v. 10),
and the brothers then ask Jacob why he does not entrust Joseph to them (v.
11), as they would also protect him (v. 12). Jacob fears "the wolf" will eat
Joseph (v. 13), and later the brothers claim that "the wolf" ate him (v. 17).
A water-drawer finds Joseph in the well (v. 19), and "they" sell Joseph (v.
20) to an Egyptian (v. 21). Joseph would have sinned with the Egyptian's
wife, but he was warned (v. 24), and Joseph's shirt is examined^110 to see if it
was torn from the front or the back. Instead of being condem^111 ned, Joseph
is justified (vv. 28f), and Egyptian women shame the Egyptia^112 n's wife (v.
30). Upon seeing how handsome Joseph was, the Egyptian women t^113 hen
cut their hands (vv. 31f), and Joseph chooses to go to prison r^114 ather than
to obey the wishes of the Egyptian's wife (v. 33). Joseph says that he has
left the religion of those who do not believe in God (v. 37), and preaches
Monotheism to the two servants in prison (vv. 39f),