The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 3) — Page 236
YUSUF PT. 12 قَالَ تَزْرَعُونَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ دَابَّا ۚ فَمَا CH. 12 48. He replied, 'You shall sow for seven years, working hard what you reap in its ear, except a little which you shall eat. 1551 حَصَدْتُّمْ فَذَرُوهُ فِي سُنُبُلِةٍ إِلَّا قَلِيْلًا and continuously, and leave مِمَّا تَأْكُلُونَ ثُمَّ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِ ذلِكَ سَبْعٌ شِدَادٌ يَا كُنَ Then there shall come after. 49 مَا قَدَّمْتُمْ لَهُنَّ إِلَّا قَلِيْلًا مِّمَّا shall consume all that you shall تُقْصِنُونَ ثُمَّ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ عَامَّ فِيْهِ يُغَاثُ that seven hard years which have laid by in advance for them except a little which you may preserve. 1552 50. Then there shall come after that a year in which people shall 1551. Important Words: > (working hard and continuously). See 3:12. Commentary: Joseph, while interpreting the dream, not only advised the people to lay up corn for the years of famine but also suggested to them the way in which they could safely do so, viz. by leaving the corn in the ear, for that was the safest way of preserving it. It is quite possible that Joseph should have deduced this method of preserving corn from the words of the dream itself, for after being shown seven fat and seven lean cows, the king was shown seven green and seven dry ears, and from this repetition Joseph might have deduced the remedy for the impending calamity. LIVE of famine would be so severe that all the first seven years of plenty would that the people had stored up during be eaten up except very little which they might have saved, for fear lest the famine should become prolonged or for the purpose of seed. Here we have another point of resemblance between Joseph and the Holy Prophet. Just as in the time of Joseph, Egypt was visited with a severe seven-year famine, so in the Holy Prophet's time Arabia had a terrible famine which lasted for seven long years. It was so severe that some people were forced to eat carrion. At last, the Holy Prophet was requested to pray to God for the removal of the famine. He prayed to God and the famine left the land after the people had been reduced to a most pitiable plight (Bukhārī and Muslim). This is the twelfth point of resemblance Joseph explains that the seven years between these two noble Prophets. 1552. Commentary: 1444