Francisco Spaulding-Astudillo

Essay I Islamic History and Society

October 13, 2016
The book of Genesis and Surah are broadly consistent in their accounts of the major plot
points in the story of Joseph. There is greater dissimilarity, however, between the minor
details in each reported version of the story. This mechanical comparison of the narratives
helps underscore the stylistic differences of each text.

To begin, the significant milestones in the story of Joseph such as his brothers jealousy
and subsequent betrayal, his recounted dreams and those of the Pharaoh, and the
unexpected arrival of his brothers to buy grain are purported to have taken place by both
the book of Genesis and the Surah. Indeed, in the case of the former, it is the manner of
his brothers betrayal (not the act of betrayal, itself) and the circumstances leading up to
this event (specifically, how the brothers managed to get Joseph alone) that vary among
the narratives. For instance, Genesis indicates that Jacob had instructed Joseph to check
on his brothers and their flock whereas the Surah claims that Jacob had been persuaded,
albeit reluctantly, by the reassuring words of Josephs brothers - that he would be well
looked after during their afternoon activities. To name but one more example, the
brothers had premeditated a plan of killing Joseph in the latter version, though not in the
former.

Therefore, some information about Josephs life is included in one narrative and missing
in another or vaguely described in one and elaborated upon in greater specificity than the
other. To give an example of the first claim, Josephs dream of bundles of his brothers
grain bowing before his own is used to foreshadow his social prominence in later years,
but this story is not included in the Surah. In both narratives, one of Josephs brothers

Francisco Spaulding-Astudillo
Essay I Islamic History and Society
October 13, 2016
advocate for a more merciful punishment than death a pit. The Surah identifies this
character as merely one of the brothers whereas he is named as Rueben in the book of
Genesis. In another instance, both the Surah and Genesis tell of two young men joining
Joseph during his time in prison, though Genesis recounts both their names and
occupations in addition to the fact. In this sense, Genesis focuses more greatly character
descriptions and dialogue while the Surah tends to overlook details such as these. The
Surah, on the other hand, favors descriptions of Gods divine characteristics and faithbased observations of the characters. While the book of Genesis reads like a historical
account, the Surah is more self-aware and proselytizing in its approach.

Arguably, a religious narrative supports a particular brand of faith and therefore the parts
of the story that serve a particular purpose or convey a particular message are included or
excluded at the discretion of the author. In both the Surah and Genesis, recurring religious
motifs include the repudiation of adultery, the veneration of the god-fearing man, and the
rewards of being faithful. These overarching principles are evinced by plot milestones
such as Joseph refusing advances from Potiphars wife or his immense professional
successes, but it is the nuances in the narrative that allow the story of Joseph to be a
source of wisdom in both Islam and Christianity.