I tell you its interpretation before it comes to you”—meaning the interpretation.

“That is part of what my Lord has taught me. Indeed, I have abandoned the religion of a people who do not believe in Allah and who deny the Hereafter.

“And I have followed the religion of my forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is not for us to associate anything with Allah. That is part of Allah’s favour upon us and upon mankind, but most people are ungrateful.”

In this way he remembers his Lord, Mighty and Majestic, for this is among the things his Lord taught him because he abandoned the religion of a polytheistic people who did not believe in Allah—even though they acknowledged the Creator—and did not believe in the Hereafter. He followed the religion of his forefathers, the leaders of the believers—whom Allah made leaders calling others by His command—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Thus, he remembered his Lord and then called the two men to believe in his Lord.

After this, he interpreted the dream, saying:

“O my two fellow prisoners! As for one of you, he will serve his master wine,”

and so on to the end of the verse. Then, when he had finished interpreting the dream:

“And he said to the one of the two whom he thought would be released, ‘Mention me to your master.’”

How, then, could Satan have made Joseph forget the remembrance of his Lord? Rather, Satan made the man who was released forget the mention connected with his master—that is, the mention related and ascribed to his master, namely mentioning Joseph in his presence.

Those who advanced that interpretation said: “It would have been better for him to rely on Allah and not say, ‘Mention me to your master.’ When he forgot to rely on his Lord, he was punished by remaining in prison for several years.”

The response is that nothing in his words,

“Mention me to your master,”

contradicts reliance on Allah. Indeed, Joseph had said:

“Judgment belongs to Allah alone.”

Likewise, his father’s words,

“Do not enter through one gate, but enter through separate gates,”

did not contradict his reliance on Allah. Rather, he said: