The Qur’ân and the Story of Joseph

If you study the Qur’ân (or Koran), you will find many references to biblical persons, such as Abraham, Noah, Joseph, and Jesus. The Qur’ân even retells some of the biblical stories—except that it gets many of the facts wrong. Here is one example, from my book, Beyond Blind Faith: Reasons For the Hope We Have (1 Peter 3:15), Chapter Eight, “Islam’s Credibility Problem”:

As significant as these discrepancies are, the most glaring is found in the story of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife, for the Qur’ân says that her accusation is investigated and actually discovered to be false:

 . . . and a witness from her family gave testimony: “If his shirt was torn from the front, then she is truthful, and he is the liar. And if his shirt is torn from behind, then she is lying, and he is truthful.” So when he saw that his shirt was torn from behind, he said: “This is from your female scheming, your female scheming is indeed great! Joseph, turn away from this. And you woman, seek forgiveness for your sin; you were of the wrongdoers.” ^[1]

Thus, in Muhammad’s retelling of the story Joseph is exonerated. Yet the rest of the story requires that Joseph be imprisoned, so the Qur’ân simply adds: “But it appealed to them, even after they had seen the signs, to imprison him until a time.” ^[2] So according to Islam’s holy book, Joseph’s Egyptian master—who thought highly of Joseph, by the way ^[3]—cleared him of all guilt and then had him thrown into prison anyway, for no apparent reason. This exemplifies the Qur’ân’s credibility problem, since confining Joseph under these circumstances borders on the nonsensical.

(Beyond Blind Faith is available on Amazon.com, in both print book and e-book formats.)

[1] Qur’ân, 12:26-29. Indeed, the wife eventually confesses that she lied. Qur’ân, 12:50-53.

[2] Qur’ân, 12:35

[3] See Genesis 39:1-6.