it “occurred to them”—that is, it became apparent to them—“after they had seen the signs” proving his innocence, “that they should imprison him for a time,” so that the news would die down and people would forget it. When something becomes widespread, it continues to be mentioned and circulated so long as its causes remain; once those causes disappear, it is forgotten. They therefore deemed this expedient and put him in prison.

(36–40) “Two young men entered prison with him. One of them said, ‘I dreamed that I was pressing wine.’ The other said, ‘I dreamed that I was carrying bread upon my head, from which birds were eating. Tell us its interpretation; indeed, we see you as one of those who do good.’ * He said, ‘No food allotted to you will come to you without my first telling you the interpretation. This is among what my Lord has taught me. I have forsaken the religion of a people who do not believe in Allah, and it is they who disbelieve in the Hereafter.’”

That is, when Joseph entered prison, “two young men entered prison with him”—in other words, two youths. Each of them had a dream and recounted it to Joseph so that he might interpret it. “One of them said, ‘I dreamed that I was pressing wine.’ The other said, ‘I dreamed that I was carrying bread upon my head,’” and from that bread “birds were eating. Tell us its interpretation” ⦗398⦘—that is, explain it to us and tell us what the outcome of the two dreams will be. Their statement, “Indeed, we see you as one of those who do good,” means: You are one of those who show kindness to others, so show kindness to us by interpreting our dreams, just as you have shown kindness to others. Thus they appealed to Joseph on the basis of his kindness.

“He said” to them in response to their request, “No food allotted to you will come to you without my first telling you the interpretation.” That is: Let your hearts be reassured, for I shall hasten to interpret your dreams. Your lunch or dinner—the next meal brought to you—will not arrive before I have told you the interpretation.

Joseph (peace be upon him) may have intended to call them to faith at this moment, when their need for him had become apparent, so that his call would be more effective and they would be more receptive to it.

He then said, “This”—the interpretation I shall give you—“is among what my Lord has taught me.” That is, this is knowledge from Allah: He taught it to me and favored me with it. That is because “I have forsaken the religion of a people who do not believe in Allah, and it is they who disbelieve in the Hereafter.” The word “forsaking” may refer either to someone who had entered into something and then left it, or to someone who never entered it in the first place.

It should therefore not be said that Joseph had previously followed a religion other than that of Abraham.