THEN WHAT YOU REAP LEAVE IT IN THE EAR, EXCEPTING A LITTLE WHICH YOU EAT.

THEN WHAT YOU REAP LEAVE IT IN THE EAR, EXCEPTING A LITTLE WHICH YOU EAT.'' ثُمَّ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ سَبْعٌ شِدَادٌ يَأْكُلْنَ مَا قَدَّمْتُمْ لَهُنَّ إِلاَّ قَلِيلا مِّمَّا تُحْصِنُونَ(( 48 )) 48- THEN THERE COMES AFTER THAT SEVEN HARD YEARS (OF FAMINE IN WHICH) THEY SHALL EAT WHAT YOU HAVE STORED FOR THEM, EXCEPT A LITTLE WHICH IS TO BE RESERVED.

(FOR SEEDS) ثُمَّ يَأْتِي مِنْ بَعْدِ ذَلِكَ عَامٌ فِيهِ يُغَاثُ النَّاسُ وَفِيهِ يَعْصِرُونَ(( 49 )) 49- THEN THERE SHALL COME A YEAR IN WHICH THE PEOPLE WILL HAVE ABUNDANT WATER AND IN WHICH THEY SHALL PRESS. (JUICE AND OIL) THE COMMENTARY THE EVENT OF KING'S DREAM (VERSE NO. 43 - 49) Joseph stayed in the prison for years lonely and forgotten. His occupation and engagement was self-development and teaching and preaching the prisoners.

Then a small incident changed his fate completely:ِ The king of Egypt whose name was, ©VALID-IBN-RAYYA"N¨ and whose prime minister was titled, ©AZIZ¨ dreamt a dream which he was very interested to know its meaning, but none of his advisors could explain it. The king dreamt of seven fat kine devouring them seven lean ones, and likewise seven green ear of corn, and seven withered.

The king deemed of his dream that there would be a revolution in his country through which the weak class of people; such as the [ 264 ] farmers, labourers, and slaves, would revolt and eat up the higher classes! So he was very anxious to know the real interpretation of his dream. Then the cup-bearer remembered his former fellow-prisoner, ``Joseph'' after several years that had passed; and reported his skill in the interpretation of dreams to the king.

He was then sent by the king to Joseph to ask him of the interpretation:ِ ``Joseph! O, you the truthful! Expound to us the dream of seven fat kine, eating them seven lean ones, and of seven ears of green corn and seven others being withered.'' In his expounding Joseph showed what would happen in future of abundance and famine, and also the measures to be taken for dealing with the coming calamity of drought.

He said that:ِ They could have seven years of abundant harvest, with attentive and assiduous cultivation, and that there would follow seven years of dreadful drought, which would consume all their stored reserved food and sustenances. So they had to be careful, said Joseph to the cup-bearer, and during the famine not to consume all their food, and preserve some for seeds to be sowed again.

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