The Quranic Text & Ali’s Version:

رَبِّ قَدْ آتَيْتَنِي مِنَ الْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِي مِن تَأْوِيلِ الأَحَادِيثِ...

12: 101. "O my Lord!

Thou hast indeed bestowed on me some power, and taught me something of the interpretation of dreams and events,

C1781. Then he turns to Allah in prayer, and again his modesty is predominant.

He held supreme power under the king, but he calls it "some power" or authority.

His reading of events and dreams had saved millions of lives in the great Egyptian famine; yet he refers to it as "something of the interpretation of dreams and events". And he takes no credit to himself, "All this," he says, "was Thy gift, 0 Allah! For such things can only come from the Creator of the heavens and earth."

...فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ أَنتَ وَلِيِّي فِي الدُّنُيَا وَالآخِرَةِ...

O Thou Creator of the heavens and the earth! Thou art my Protector in this world and in the Hereafter,

C1782. Power in the doing of things as well as power in intelligent forecasts and plans,-both must look to Allah: otherwise the deed and the plan would be futile.

...تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ ﴿١٠١﴾

take thou my soul (at death) as one submitting to Thy Will (as a Muslim),

and unite me with the righteous."

C1783. Joseph's prayer may be analyzed thus:

1. I am nothing; all power and knowledge are Thine;

2. such things can only come from Thee, for Thou art the Creator of all;

3. none can protect me from danger and wrong, but only Thou;

4. Thy protection I need both in this world and the next;

5. may I till death remain constant to Thee-,

6. may I yield up my soul to Thee in cheerful submission to Thy will;

7. in this moment of union with my family after many partings let me think of the final union with the great family of the righteous.

How marvelously apt to the occasion!

Other Versions:

12: 101

Pickthall O my Lord! Thou hast given me (something) of sovereignty and hast taught me (something) of the interpretation of events, Creator of the heavens and the earth! Thou art my Protecting Friend in the world and the Hereafter. Make me to die submissive (unto Thee), and join me to the righteous.

Yuksel "My Lord, you have given me sovereignty and taught me the interpretations of events and utterances. Initiator of the heavens and earth, you are my protector in this world and the Hereafter. Take me as one who has peacefully surrendered, and join me with the good doers."

Transliteration Rabbi qad a_taitani minal mulki wa 'allamtani min ta'wilil aha_dis(i), fa_tiras sama_wa_ti wal ard(i), anta waliyyi fid dunya_ wal a_khirah(ti), tawaffani muslimaw wa alhiqni bis sa_lihin(a).