Joseph and his brothers: the cards as text

Stories. Draft written with AI help: awaiting scholar review.

1. Card 1

   A dream, a well, a prison, a palace, and brothers forgiven.

2. Card 2

   A dream and a jealous family

   Young Joseph had a dream: eleven stars, the sun and the moon bowed to him. His father Jacob told him to keep it from his brothers, who were already jealous of the love their father had for him.

3. Card 3

   Qur'an 12:3-4

   نَحۡنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيۡكَ أَحۡسَنَ ٱلۡقَصَصِ بِمَآ أَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡكَ هَٰذَا ٱلۡقُرۡءَانَ وَإِن كُنتَ مِن قَبۡلِهِۦ لَمِنَ ٱلۡغَٰفِلِينَ ۝٣

   ³ We relate to you [O Prophet] the best of stories through Our revelation of this Qur’an, although before this you were unaware of them.

4. Card 4

   Lesson: Joseph's first test came from jealousy inside his own family.

5. Card 5

   The well and the shirt

   Joseph's jealous brothers threw him into a well and came home with his shirt stained with false blood. Jacob did not believe them, and said: beautiful patience. A caravan found Joseph and sold him in Egypt.

6. Card 6

   Qur'an 12:18

   وَجَآءُو عَلَىٰ قَمِيصِهِۦ بِدَمࣲ كَذِبࣲۚ قَالَ بَلۡ سَوَّلَتۡ لَكُمۡ أَنفُسُكُمۡ أَمۡرࣱاۖ فَصَبۡرࣰ جَمِيلࣰۖ وَٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُسۡتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ ۝١٨

   ¹⁸ They brought his shirt, stained with false blood. He said, “Nay; rather your souls have enticed you to commit something. But I will bear it with beautiful patience. It is Allah’s help that I seek against what you claim.”

7. Card 7

   Lesson: Jacob's "beautiful patience": grief without complaint.

8. Card 8

   Temptation and prison

   Joseph grew up in the house of al-'Aziz, an Egyptian official. The official's wife tried to seduce him. He refused and ran; she tore his shirt from behind, which proved his innocence. Still, he was imprisoned to quiet the scandal.

9. Card 9

   Qur'an 12:23

   وَرَٰوَدَتۡهُ ٱلَّتِي هُوَ فِي بَيۡتِهَا عَن نَّفۡسِهِۦ وَغَلَّقَتِ ٱلۡأَبۡوَٰبَ وَقَالَتۡ هَيۡتَ لَكَۚ قَالَ مَعَاذَ ٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّهُۥ رَبِّيٓ أَحۡسَنَ مَثۡوَايَۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفۡلِحُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ ۝٢٣

   ²³ But the woman in whose house he was living tried to seduce him. She bolted the doors and said, “Come here to me!” He said, “I seek refuge with Allah! My master has made my stay good. Indeed, the wrongdoers will never succeed.”

10. Card 10

    Lesson: Joseph chose prison over wrongdoing.

11. Card 11

    Dreams, and the storehouses of Egypt

    Prison was not the end for Joseph. There he interpreted dreams. The king later dreamt of seven fat cows eaten by seven thin ones. Joseph explained: seven years of plenty, then seven of famine. He was put in charge of Egypt's stores.

12. Card 12

    Lesson: Joseph's knowledge, used honestly, fed a nation.

13. Card 13

    "No blame on you today"

    Famine drove Joseph's brothers to Egypt for grain. Eventually Joseph revealed himself. They feared revenge. He said: no blame on you today; may God forgive you. His parents came, and the dream came true.

14. Card 14

    Qur'an 12:92

    قَالَ لَا تَثۡرِيبَ عَلَيۡكُمُ ٱلۡيَوۡمَۖ يَغۡفِرُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡۖ وَهُوَ أَرۡحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ ۝٩٢

    ⁹² He said, “There is no blame on you today. May Allah forgive you, for He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.

15. Card 15

    Lesson: Forgiveness was the ending Joseph's dream pointed to.

16. Card 16

    Joseph in Genesis and the Qur'an

    Joseph's story closely follows Genesis in outline. The Qur'an adds Jacob's "beautiful patience", the torn shirt as evidence, and Joseph preaching one God in prison, and frames the whole as a lesson in trust.

17. Card 17

    Lesson: Genesis and the Qur'an tell the same story; the Qur'an tells it to teach trust in a hidden plan.

18. Card 18

    Reflect: How did the torn shirt show Joseph was innocent?

    Answer: It was torn from behind, as he fled. It was torn from the back, which showed he was running away, not attacking.

19. Card 19

    The end of Joseph and his brothers.

Read the full sheet or swipe the cards.