Home > Torah - Genesis Stories in the Quran
This incident is in the Bible in Genesis 37:33–35 and the Quran verses are below:-
Surah 12:18 - And they brought his shirt, with fake blood on it. He said, “Your souls enticed you to do something. But patience is beautiful, and God is my Help against what you describe.”
Surah 12:83 - He said, “Rather, your souls have contrived something for you. Patience is a virtue. Perhaps God will bring them all back to me. He is the Knowing, the Wise.”
In the Bible, Jacob has been completely deceived by the bloody garment and is grief-stricken by the belief that Joseph is dead.
In the Bible, even the greatest patriarchs can be deceived. Jacob’s grief is raw and honest, showing that godliness does not exempt one from the pain of loss or the deception of others.
By making Jacob see through the lie immediately, the Quran removes the human weight of the tragedy. If Jacob knows Joseph isn't actually dead, his "patience" is less of a struggle and more of a waiting game. This fits the Islamic view of Prophets as being nearly infallible (Ismah), which contradicts the Biblical portrayal of Prophets as flawed men saved by grace.
In Surah 12:93–96, the Quran claims that Joseph’s shirt was sent back to Jacob, and when he placed it over his face, his eyesight was restored.
This is entirely absent from the Bible. Historically and textually, this appears to be a later addition or a folkloric element. For the Christian, this "supernaturalizing" of the story serves as a distraction from the true miracle: God's sovereign providence in saving a nation through a rejected brother.
In the Quran, it portrays Jacob as spiritually discerning that his sons are lying and patiently trusts God that all his sons will return.
In Genesis, Jacob grieves but does not go blind as the Quran claims. In the Quran, Jacob grieves until his eyes turn white/blind (Surah 12:84). The Quran also adds a miracle-like blindness detail about the shirt of Joseph which is not in the Bible. It’s either based on a myth or made up.
Christians see this as evidence of the Quran using an earlier source but corrupting the story to suit its own narrative.
The Bible and the Quran are in sharp disagreement on this story.
| Feature | Genesis 37 (Biblical) | Surah 12 (Quranic) |
|---|---|---|
| Discernment | Successfully deceived; believes Joseph is dead. | Sees through the lie; suspects a contrived plot. |
| Grief Style | Human agony; refuses comfort; expects Sheol. | Stoic patience (Sabrun Jameel); trusts God. |
| Blindness | None mentioned (Historical account). | Blindness from weeping; restored by a shirt (Mythical). |
| Prophetic Role | A suffering father in need of God's providence. | An enlightened figure who knows the outcome. |