And there entered the prison with him two young men. Said one of them, ‘Verily, I see myself[1] pressing wine.’ And the other said, ‘Verily, I see myself bearing on my head loaves from which the birds do eat; inform us of the interpretation thereof; verily, we see that thou art of those who do good.’
He said, ‘There shall not come to you any food with which ye are provided, but I will inform you both of its interpretation before it comes to you. That is (some) of what my Lord has taught me ; verily, I have left the faith of a people who do not believe in God, while in the future too they disbelieve. And I have followed the faith of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob ; we could not associate aught with God ; that is from God′s grace upon us and upon: men : but most men give not thanks. O ye twain fellow-prisoners! Are manifold lords better, or God, the one, the dominant ? 40 What ye worship beside Him are naught but names which ye have named, ye and your fathers, for which God has sent down no authority. Judgment is only God′s; He bids you worship only Him. That is the standard of religion, — but most men do not know. O ye twain fellow-prisoners ! as for one of you, he shall pour out wine for his lord : and as for the other, he shall be crucified, and the birds shall eat of his head. The matter is decreed whereon ye asked me for a decision !’
And he said to him whom he thought would escape of those two, ‘Remember me with thy lord !’ But Satan made him[2] forget the remembrance of his lord, so he tarried in prison a few years.
