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Prison companions

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Prison companions

صاحبا السجن

The "Prison Companions" (صاحبا السجن) hold a unique place in the revered Islamic narrative of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph), as recounted in Surah Yusuf. These two young men entered the prison alongside Yusuf, seeking his wisdom to interpret their vivid dreams. [One saw himself pressing wine, the other carrying bread for birds]. Yusuf, ever insightful and divinely guided, used this opportunity not only to interpret their dreams but also to call them to the pure monotheism of Allah, asking, [“O my two companions of prison, are separate lords better or Allah, the One, the Prevailing?”]. His interpretations were precise: [one would be released to serve his master wine, while the other would be crucified]. Prophet Yusuf then entrusted the one he knew would be freed with a plea: to [mention him to his master], hoping for his release. Though forgotten for a time due to Satan’s whisper, this companion eventually remembered Yusuf, leading to his eventual vindication and reunion with his family after many years. Their encounter highlights Yusuf's prophetic wisdom, unwavering faith, and the intricate divine plan that unfolds even through seemingly small interactions and delays, ultimately leading to Allah's decree.

Quran 5 verses

وَدَخَلَ مَعَهُ ٱلسِّجْنَ فَتَيَانِ قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَآ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰنِىٓ أَعْصِرُ خَمْرًا وَقَالَ ٱلْـَٔاخَرُ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰنِىٓ أَحْمِلُ فَوْقَ رَأْسِى خُبْزًا تَأْكُلُ ٱلطَّيْرُ مِنْهُ نَبِّئْنَا بِتَأْوِيلِهِۦٓ إِنَّا نَرَىٰكَ مِنَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

Wa dakhala ma'ahussijna fata yaan; qaala ahaduhumaaa inneee araaneee a'siru khamranw wa qaalal aakharu inneee khubzan taakulut tairu minh; nabbi 'naa bitaaweelihee innaa naraaka minal muhsineen

And there entered the prison with him two young men. One of them said, "Indeed, I have seen myself [in a dream] pressing wine." The other said, "Indeed, I have seen myself carrying upon my head [some] bread, from which the birds were eating. Inform us of its interpretation; indeed, we see you to be of those who do good."

اور ان کے ساتھ دو اور جوان بھی داخل زندان ہوئے۔ ایک نے ان میں سے کہا کہ (میں نے خواب دیکھا ہے) دیکھتا (کیا) ہوں کہ شراب (کے لیے انگور) نچوڑ رہا ہوں۔ دوسرے نے کہا کہ (میں نے بھی خواب دیکھا ہے) میں یہ دیکھتا ہوں کہ اپنے سر پر روٹیاں اٹھائے ہوئے ہوں اور جانور ان میں سے کھا رہے (ہیں تو) ہمیں ان کی تعبیر بتا دیجیئے کہ ہم تمہیں نیکوکار دیکھتے ہیں

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: Commentary Mentioned in the verses cited above is a supplementary event relating to the story of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) . It has been repeatedly stressed that the Holy Qur’ an is no book of history, or of stories and tales. When a story or historical event is mentioned in it, the sole objectiv...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: And there entered the prison with him two youths two young men servants of the king one of whom was his cup-bearer the other his food-taster. They noticed that he interpreted dreams and so they said ‘Let us try him’. One of them the cup-bearer said ‘I dreamed that I was pressing wine’ that is grapes...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Two Jail Mates ask Yusuf to interpret their Dreams Qatadah said, "One of them was the king's distiller and the other was his baker." Each of these two men had a dream and asked Yusuf to interpret it for them.

يَٰصَٰحِبَىِ ٱلسِّجْنِ ءَأَرْبَابٌ مُّتَفَرِّقُونَ خَيْرٌ أَمِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّارُ

Yaa saahibayis sijni 'a-arbaabum mutafarriqoona khayrun amil laahul waahidul qahhaar

O [my] two companions of prison, are separate lords better or Allah, the One, the Prevailing?

میرے جیل خانے کے رفیقو! بھلا کئی جدا جدا آقا اچھے یا (ایک) خدائے یکتا وغالب؟

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: After that, he declares his abhorrence for disbelief and his disengagement from the community of disbelievers. Then, with it, he also stresses that he is a member of the House of Prophets and it is their Community that he adheres to and that he is a scion of the House of Ibrahim, Ishaq and Ya` qub (...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: He Joseph then explicitly calls them to faith saying O my two fellow-prisoners! inmates of the prison Are several lords better or is God the One the Almighty better? an interrogative meant as an affirmative.
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): ءَأَرْبَابٌ مُّتَّفَرِّقُونَ خَيْرٌ أَمِ اللَّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ (Are many different lords (gods) better or Allah, the One, the Irresistible) to Whose grace and infinite kingdom everything and everyone has submitted in humiliation. Prophet Yusuf explained to them next that it is because of th...

يَٰصَٰحِبَىِ ٱلسِّجْنِ أَمَّآ أَحَدُكُمَا فَيَسْقِى رَبَّهُۥ خَمْرًا وَأَمَّا ٱلْـَٔاخَرُ فَيُصْلَبُ فَتَأْكُلُ ٱلطَّيْرُ مِن رَّأْسِهِۦ قُضِىَ ٱلْأَمْرُ ٱلَّذِى فِيهِ تَسْتَفْتِيَانِ

Yaa saahibayis sijni ammaaa ahadukumaa fa yasqee rabbahoo khamranw wa ammal aakharu fa yuslabu fataakulut tairu mir raasih; qudiyal amrul lazee feehi tastaftiyaan

O two companions of prison, as for one of you, he will give drink to his master of wine; but as for the other, he will be crucified, and the birds will eat from his head. The matter has been decreed about which you both inquire."

میرے جیل خانے کے رفیقو! تم میں سے ایک (جو پہلا خواب بیان کرنے والا ہے وہ) تو اپنے آقا کو شراب پلایا کرے گا اور جو دوسرا ہے وہ سولی دیا جائے گا اور جانور اس کا سر کھا جائیں گے۔ جو امر تم مجھ سے پوچھتے تھے وہ فیصلہ ہوچکا ہے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: After having made his call to truth, Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) turned to the dreams mentioned by two of his prison mates declaring that one of the two of them will get his release, return to his job and keep serving wine to his master. As for the other, the crime against him will stand proved and...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: O fellow-prisoners! As for one of you that is the cup-bearer he will depart after three days and he shall serve his lord his master wine to drink as usual; and as for the other he will depart after three days and he will be crucified so that the birds will eat from his head this is the interpretatio...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Interpretation of the Dreams Yusuf said, يصَاحِبَىِ السِّجْنِ أَمَّآ أَحَدُكُمَا فَيَسْقِى رَبَّهُ خَمْرًا (O two companions of the prison! As for one of you, he will pour out wine for his master to drink;) to the man who saw in a dream that he was pressing wine. He did not direct this speech at...

وَقَالَ لِلَّذِى ظَنَّ أَنَّهُۥ نَاجٍ مِّنْهُمَا ٱذْكُرْنِى عِندَ رَبِّكَ فَأَنسَىٰهُ ٱلشَّيْطَٰنُ ذِكْرَ رَبِّهِۦ فَلَبِثَ فِى ٱلسِّجْنِ بِضْعَ سِنِينَ

Wa qaala lillazee zanna annahoo najim minhumaz kurnee 'inda rabbika fa-ansaahush Shaitaanu zikra Rabbihee falabisa fis sijni bad'a sineen

And he said to the one whom he knew would go free, "Mention me before your master." But Satan made him forget the mention [to] his master, and Joseph remained in prison several years.

اور دونوں شخصوں میں سے جس کی نسبت (یوسف نے) خیال کیا کہ وہ رہائی پا جائے گا اس سے کہا کہ اپنے آقا سے میرا ذکر بھی کرنا لیکن شیطان نے ان کا اپنے آقا سے ذکر کرنا بھلا دیا اور یوسف کئی برس جیل خانے میں رہے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: After that, to the person about whom Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) had gathered from the interpretation of his dream that he would be released, he said: When you are released from the prison, mention me before your master as the innocent person who is still languishing in the prison. But, once releas...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: Then he said to the one whom he deemed whom he was certain would be saved of the two — and this was the cup-bearer ‘Mention me to your lord’ your master and say to him ‘There is a young man in jail who has been wrongly imprisoned’. So he the cup-bearer departed but Satan caused him that is the cup-b...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): Yusuf asks the King's Distiller to mention Him to the King Yusuf knew that the distiller would be saved. So discretely, so that the other man's suspicion that he would be crucified would not intensify, he said, اذْكُرْنِى عِندَ رَبِّكَ (Mention me to your King.) asking him to mention his story to th...

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِى نَجَا مِنْهُمَا وَٱدَّكَرَ بَعْدَ أُمَّةٍ أَنَا۠ أُنَبِّئُكُم بِتَأْوِيلِهِۦ فَأَرْسِلُونِ

Wa qaalal lazee najaa minhumaa waddakara ba'da ummatin ana unabbi'ukum bitalweelihee fa-arsiloon

But the one who was freed and remembered after a time said, "I will inform you of its interpretation, so send me forth."

اب وہ شخص جو دونوں قیدیوں میں سے رہائی پا گیا تھا اور جسے مدت کے بعد وہ بات یاد آگئی بول اٹھا کہ میں آپ کو اس کی تعبیر (لا) بتاتا ہوں مجھے (جیل خانے) جانے کی اجازت دے دیجیئے

Commentary

Ma'arif-ul-Quran: While watching the proceedings of this event, that released prisoner recollected the message given by Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) ، though after the passage of a long time in between. He stepped forward and said that he may be able to tell him the interpretation of this dream. At that time, by ment...
Tafsir al-Jalalayn: And he of the two who was released that is of the two young men namely the cup-bearer remembering iddakara the original tā’ of tadhakkara has been changed to a dāl and assimilated with the dhāl after a time after a period of time the predicament of Joseph said ‘I will inform you of its interpretatio...
Tafsir Ibn Kathir (English): The Dream of the King of Egypt The King of Egypt had a dream that Allah the Exalted made a reason for Yusuf's release from prison, with his honor and reputation preserved. When the king had this dream, he was astonished and fearful and sought its interpretation. He gathered the priests, the chiefs o...

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