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12:42 – And of the two to that one whom he considered about to be saved he said: "Mention me to
thy lord." But Satan made him forget to mention him to his lord: and (Joseph) lingered in
prison a few (more) years. 169716981699
1697 Joseph never mentioned himself in interpreting the dream, nor ever thought of himself in his kindness to his fellowsufferers
in prison. It was afterwards, when the cup-bearer's dream came true, and he was being released on being
restored to favour, that we can imagine him taking an affectionate leave of Joseph, and even asking him in his elation
if he could do anything for Joseph. Joseph had no need of earthly favours,- least of all, from kings or their favourites.
The divine grace was enough for him. But he had great work to do, which he could not do in prison-work for Egypt and
her king, and the world at large. If the cup-bearer could mention him to the king, not by way of recommendation, but
because the king's own justice was being violated in keeping an innocent man in prison, perhaps that might help to
advance the cause of the king and of Egypt. And so he said, "Mention me to Pharaoh." (12.42)
1698 The eternal Plan does not put Allah's Prophets under obligations to men commanding mere worldly favour or earthly
power. If they are given a chance, the obligation is on the worldly men, however highly placed...In this case, the poor
cup-bearer was but human. When he was in the midst of the Court, he forgot the poor fellow-prisoner languishing in
prison. In this he yielded to the lower part of his nature, which is guided by Satan. (12.42)
1699 A few (more) years: bidh' in Arabic signifies a small indefinite number, say up to 3, 5, 7 or 9 years. (12.42)
12:47 - (Joseph) said: "For seven years shall ye diligently sow as is your wont: and the harvests
that ye reap ye shall leave them in the ear except a little of which ye shall eat. 1704
1704 Joseph not only shows what will happen, but, unasked, suggests the measures to be taken for dealing with the
calamity when it comes. There will be seven years of abundant harvest. With diligent cultivation they should get
bumper crops. Of them they should take a little for their sustenance and store the rest in the ear, the better to
preserve it from the pests that attack corn-heaps when they have passed through the threshing floor. (12.47)
12:48 - "Then will come after that (period) seven dreadful (years) which will devour what ye shall
have laid by in advance for them (all) except a little which ye shall have (specially) guarded.
1705
17:12 - We have made the Night and the Day as two (of Our) Signs: the Sign of the Night have We
obscured while the Sign of the day We have made to enlighten you; that ye may seek Bounty
from your Lord and that ye may know the number and count of the years: all things have We
explained in detail. 21852186
2185 If we were to cry when it is night, we shall look foolish when it is day; for the night is but a preparation for the day:
perhaps, as the last verse says, we pray for the day when we want rest for the night. Both are Signs from Allah.
Darkness and light stand for ignorance and knowledge. "Where ignorance is bliss, its folly to be wise." Darkness and
light may also stand for shadow and sunshine, sorrow and joy: both may be for our development. (17.12)
2186 By the physical light we see physical facts. And this physical gift of Allah is good for us in two ways: (1) we can
arrange for our livelihood, or we can attain the knowledge of the physical sciences and gain some control over the
physical forces of nature; and (2) the daily rising and setting of the sun gives us the computation of days and years,
for the physical natural year is the solar year. (17.12)
17:13 - Every man's fate We have fastened on his own neck: on the Day of Judgment We shall
bring out for him a scroll which he will see spread open. 21872188
2187 Fate: Tair, literally a bird, hence an omen, an evil omen, fate. Cf. xxxvi. 19. The Arabs, like the ancient Romans,
sought to read the mysteries of human fate from the flight of birds. And many of us in our own day seek to read our
future fortunes by similar superstitions. We read in the previous verse that there are Signs of Allah, but they are not
meant to subserve the vulgar purpose of disclosing our future destiny in a worldly sense. They are meant for quite
other purposes, as we have explained. Our real fate does not depend upon birds or omens or stars. It depends on our
deeds; good or evil, and they hang round our necks. (17.13)
2188 These deeds, good or evil, will be embodied in a scroll which will be quite open to us in the light of the Day of
Judgment, however much we may affect to be ignorant of it now or waste our energies in prying into mysteries that do
not concern us. (17.13)
18:25 - So they stayed in their Cave three hundred years and (some) add nine (more). 2365
2365 This verse should be read with the next verse. In the floating oral tradition the duration of time in the Cave was given
differently in different versions. When the tradition was reduced to writing, some Christian writers (e.g., Simeon
Metaphrastes) named 372 years, some less. In round numbers 300 years in the solar Calendar would amount to 309
in the lunar Calendar. But the next verse points out that all these are mere conjectures: the number is known to Allah
alone. The authority on which Gibbon relies mentions two definite reigns, that of Decius (249-251 A.D.) and that of
Theodosius 11 (408-450 A.D.). Taking 250 and 450, we get an interval of 200 years. But the point of the story does
not lie in the name of any given Emperor, but in the fact that the beginning of the period coincided with an Emperor
who persecuted: the Emperor's name at the end of the period may be taken as approximately correct, because the
story was recorded within two generations afterwards. One of the worst Emperors to persecute the Christians was
Nero who reigned from 54 to 68. If we took the end of his reign (A.D. 68) as the initial point, and (say) 440 A.D. as the
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