The Koran and the Bible (Old Testament) each offer an account of Joseph. In both versions, Joseph is favored by his father over his eleven other brothers, and sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers. Aside from a few differences, there are many similarities in the Koran and in the Bible concerning the account of Joseph. In each account of Joseph, Joseph dreams that eleven stars, the sun, and the moon, bow down to him, representing that his eleven brothers, mother and father will give obeisance to him. Because of this dream Joseph’s brothers become very jealous of him and plot to kill him.
In the Koran, Joseph’s brothers, conspired against him saying, “Joseph and his brother are dearer to our father than ourselves, though we are many. Truly, our father is much mistaken. Let us slay Joseph, or cast him away in some far-off land, so that we may have no rivals in our father’s love, and after that be honorable men” (Koran 1380). Reuben, one of Joseph’s brothers, overheard this, and he delivered him out of their hands; he said, “Let us not kill him” (Genesis 37:21). Joseph is not killed by his brothers, but sold into Egypt.
The Bible states Joseph was sold for twenty pieces of silver while the Koran does not tell of a specific amount. After Joseph was sold into Egypt, both accounts tell of how, his brothers had his clothes stained with an animal’s blood and told their father that Joseph was devoured by a wild beast. After Joseph was sold into Egypt he became very favored by his master, the Pharaoh. In the Biblical account, Pharaoh so trusted Joseph that he entrusted to him everything. The Bible records that Joseph was a goodly person and well favored (Genesis 39:6). Joseph is tempted with Pharaoh’s wife who seeks to seduce him.
She bolts the doors and says, “Come! ” Joseph replies, “My lord has treated me with kindness. Wrongdoers never prosper” (Koran 1380). The only reason Joseph is able to resist is because of a sign from his lord, and being shielded from wantonness (Koran 1380). The two meet the Pharaoh at the door, who sees that Joseph’s shirt has been torn. One of the people said, “If his shirt is torn from the front, she is speaking the truth and he is lying. If it is torn from behind he is speaking the truth and she is lying (Koran 1381). Joseph’s shirt being rent from behind suggested he was speaking the truth and she was lying.
The Pharaoh said to his wife, “Woman, ask pardon for your sin. You have done wrong (Koran 1381). Joseph is jailed for a time because all the women saw him and said, “God preserve us! This is no mortal, but a gracious angel” (Koran 1381). Joseph is a temptation to the women in the Koran, but not in the Bible. In the Biblical account, Potiphar’s wife seeks to lie with Joseph. Joseph, however, refuses her because his master, her husband, has entrusted him to everything and because she is his wife, he asks, “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? ” (Genesis 39:9).
The woman however, took Joseph by the shirt when no one was around and said, “Lie with me. ” He left his garment in her hand and fled. After she realized he had left his garment she called unto the men of her house and told how that Joseph tried to ravish her. After lying to her husband about Joseph, he became very angry and had Joseph thrown into prison. The accounts are very similar, with the only differences being, the reason Joseph was imprisoned and whose wife was involved. While Joseph is in prison God still prospers him. He is able to interpret dreams for the Pharaoh’s butler and baker, and later for the Pharaoh himself.
Because they had offended the Pharaoh, they were imprisoned too. The butler dreamed that a vine was before him, and in the vine were three branches, that budded. The Pharaoh’s cup was in the butler’s hand and he took grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh’s cup and gave the cup to him (Genesis 40:11). Joseph interpreted this dream and told the butler that in three days he would be restored after the former manner when he was the Pharaoh’s butler (Genesis 40:13). The baker dreamed of three white baskets on his head, and in the upper basket was all manner of bakemeats for Pharaoh; and the birds did eat them out of the basket upon his head.
Joseph’s interpretation of this dream was that within three days Pharaoh would hang the baker on a tree and the birds would eat the flesh from off him (Genesis 40:20-21). In the Koran the dreams of both the butler and baker are the same as in the Bible as well as the interpretations. Joseph asks the butler and baker to remember him in the presence of his lord the Pharaoh. The Koran says, that Satan made him forget to mention Joseph to his lord, so he stayed in prison longer (Koran 1382). Joseph is restored to power in Egypt when he is able to interpret a dream Pharaoh has.
The dream the Pharaoh dreamed was that he stood by the river and there came up out of the river seven well-favored cows very fat and healthy. Another seven came up out of the river, but they were ill favored and lean fleshed. The seven ill-favored cows ate the seven healthy cows. The Pharaoh also dreamed of seven good ears of corn being devoured by seven bad ears of corn. Joseph interpreted these dreams as being seven years of plenty and seven years of famine. The Pharaoh gave Joseph control over the land and said, “Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art (Genesis 41:39).
And Pharaoh set Joseph over all the land of Egypt. In the Koran before Joseph will interpret the dream for Pharaoh he asks that Pharaoh’s wife confess to trying to seduce him. Joseph is set over Egypt, in both accounts. After Joseph is put back into power he governs the land wisely during the seven years of plenty. Then there are seven years of famine, but not in Egypt. Joseph ruled wisely in the seven previous years and now has plenty of food for his people and other surrounding countries. The dream that got Joseph sold into Egypt now comes to pass as his brothers, father, and mother come to buy food for themselves.
Joseph and his family are reunited when his brothers are sent to buy food out of Egypt, from Joseph. The accounts of Joseph in both the Koran and Bible have many similarities, but are somewhat different in how they are interpreted. The Islamic people or Muslims see Joseph as a prophet and not a leader while the Christians and Jews see Joseph as a leader and not a prophet. The account of Joseph in the Koran is an Islamic critique of the account of Joseph in the Old Testament. The Koran, the Bible, and Joseph
