seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Quran 12:7. In Joseph and his brothers are lessons for the seekers.
8. When they said, “Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than we are, although we are a whole group. Our father is obviously in the wrong.
9. “Kill Joseph, or throw him somewhere in the land, and your father‘s attention will be yours. Afterwards, you will be decent people.”
10. One of them said, “Do not kill Joseph, but throw him into the bottom of the well; some caravan may pick him up—if you must do something.”
11. They said, “Father, why do you not trust us with Joseph, although we care for him?”
12. “Send him with us tomorrow, that he may roam and play; we will take care of him.”
13. He said, “It worries me that you would take him away. And I fear the wolf may eat him while you are careless of him.”
14. They said, “If the wolf ate him, and we are many, we would be good for nothing.”
15. So they went away with him, and agreed to put him at the bottom of the well. And We inspired him, “You will inform them of this deed of theirs when they are unaware.”
16. And they came to their father in the evening weeping.
17. They said, “O father, we went off racing one another, and left Joseph by our belongings; and the wolf ate him. But you will not believe us, even though we are being truthful.”
18. And they brought his shirt, with fake blood on it. He said, “Your souls enticed you to do something. But patience is beautiful, and God is my Help against what you describe.”
19. A caravan passed by, and they sent their water-carrier. He lowered his bucket, and said, “Good news. Here is a boy.” And they hid him as merchandise. But God was aware of what they did.
20. And they sold him for a cheap price—a few coins—they considered him to be of little value.
This is from the commentary....
“And Reuben said unto them: Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness and lay no hand upon him” (Gen. 37:22).
The essential difference between the two versions of this story, one given in the Bible and the other in the Qur’ån, is this, that while the Bible narrates it as a simple story, the Holy Qur’ån preserves in it the spiritual element, which alone can justify its record in a book meant for the spiritual guidance of man. Here is a boy, whose age does not exceed seventeen years, who, though to all appearance lost forever, receives a Divine revelation and promise that he will one day be the master of his present oppressors. It is this circumstance in the life of a prophet, which really enables him to face all distresses and difficulties, viz., the deep conviction of the ultimate triumph of truth, which is produced by revelation from on high.
The Qur’ån represents Jacob as doubting from the very first the sincerity of Joseph’s brothers, but not so the Bible. Again, according to the Holy Qur’ån, Joseph relates his vision to his father, who is at once apprehensive of the envy of his brothers, if they are apprised of it; but according to the Bible, Jacob himself rebuked Joseph for his dream. Besides several discrepancies, the Bible narrative represents Jacob as an ordinary mortal, while the Holy Qur’ån represents him as a prophet. The former makes him grieve for the loss of a beloved son as any other mortal would, but the latter shows that he had from the first hope: “And Allåh is He Whose help is sought against what you describe”. And throughout the story this hope is the bright ray, without which the story would be a gloomy description, devoid of all value as a spiritual lesson. There are traces left still in the Bible narrative which show that the account as now met with in Genesis does not truly depict the character of Jacob, for in Gen. 37:11 we are told: “And his brethren envied him, but his father observed the saying”, i.e. kept the vision in his heart, which shows that he was convinced of its truth. Thus the Qur’ån, in fact, removes the inconsistencies of the Bible narrative.
Compare Gen. 37:28: “Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver”. Those who sold him were either Joseph’s brothers or the merchants who found him in the pit; according to the story as related in Genesis, Joseph’s brothers sold him to the Midianites, who again sold him in Egypt.
So yesterday I told you the story.... well a condensed version. In the Bible... it does indeed say Rueben, the oldest son, tried to save Joseph. See, his brothers, according to the Bible, wanted to just murder him and blame it on a wolf attack. Rueben, according to my Sunday School lessons, was worried that murdering Joseph would break Jacob's heart. So Rueben talked them into leaving him in the well or pit..... thinking he could sneak back later and save Joseph from certain death. But then the merchant caravan came along... and Rueben let them sell Joseph for a few pieces of silver.
Yes... the stories are indeed different. But they are the same in so many ways. So many of the Hebrew words don't translate well. We have been saying that for generations. The main parts are equal.... the dream that everyone would bow to him one day. That's the same.... planets, moon, sun...... in both books. The pit is the same.... we all know it was either a well or a pit. And whether the boys made a few silver coins from the sale or the caravan merchants turned a prophet from the sale..... Joseph was on his way to Egypt in the custody of the Midianites.
Rueben saved Joseph from sure death. That happened in both books.... just told in a little different wording. Jacob was going to sob and Rueben knew it.... that's in both books. Here's the difference.... in the Bible..... Rueben meant to save his little brother from another mother. In the Quran.... all the brothers from another mother were tired of Joseph's "holier than thou" manner.... "bow down indeed".
We worship the same God. Yes, the Muslims do say Joseph was a prophet while we don't give him prophet status. I learned that Joseph didn't believe the story the boys told him but he was so overcome with sorrow.... it caused him to hold on to Joseph's one brother from the same mother.... Benjamin... all the tighter.
It's the "brother from another mother" problem all over again. First Abraham caused the issue with Isaac and Ishmael.... and the six sons of Keturah. Now it's in Jacob's tent... between the sons of Leah and Rebecca.
I know populating the earth was the plan back then..... but it seems that there is a recurrent problem..... "other mothers" is not sitting well in the families.
Abraham's favorite was Sara..... Jacob's favorite was Rebecca..... the sons of the "other mothers" knew it.
All three, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim worship the same God. All three came through the same history.
All three have a problem with "sons from another mother".
