Quran Universe
12:36

وَدَخَلَ مَعَهُ ٱلسِّجۡنَ فَتَيَانِۖ قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَآ إِنِّيٓ أَرَىٰنِيٓ أَعۡصِرُ خَمۡرٗاۖ وَقَالَ ٱلۡأٓخَرُ إِنِّيٓ أَرَىٰنِيٓ أَحۡمِلُ فَوۡقَ رَأۡسِي خُبۡزٗا تَأۡكُلُ ٱلطَّيۡرُ مِنۡهُۖ نَبِّئۡنَا بِتَأۡوِيلِهِۦٓۖ إِنَّا نَرَىٰكَ مِنَ ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَ

Wadakhala maAAahu alssijna fatayani qala ahaduhuma innee aranee aAAsiru khamran waqala alakharu innee aranee ahmilu fawqa rasee khubzan takulu alttayru minhu nabbina bitaweelihi inna naraka mina almuhsineena

And there entered the prison with him two young men. One of them said, "Indeed, I have seen myself [in a dream] pressing wine." The other said, "Indeed, I have seen myself carrying upon my head [some] bread, from which the birds were eating. Inform us of its interpretation; indeed, we see you to be of those who do good."

Word by word
  1. وَدَخَلَAnd entered
  2. مَعَهُwith him
  3. ٱلسِّجۡنَ(in) the prison
  4. فَتَيَانِۖtwo young men
  5. قَالَSaid
  6. أَحَدُهُمَآone of them
  7. إِنِّيٓIndeed,I
  8. أَرَىٰنِيٓ[I] see myself
  9. أَعۡصِرُpressing
  10. خَمۡرٗاۖwine
  11. وَقَالَAnd said
  12. ٱلۡأٓخَرُthe other
  13. إِنِّيٓIndeed,I
  14. أَرَىٰنِيٓ[I] see myself
  15. أَحۡمِلُ[I am] carrying
  16. فَوۡقَover
  17. رَأۡسِيmy head
  18. خُبۡزٗاbread
  19. تَأۡكُلُ(were) eating
  20. ٱلطَّيۡرُthe birds
  21. مِنۡهُۖfrom it
  22. نَبِّئۡنَاInform us
  23. بِتَأۡوِيلِهِۦٓۖof its interpretation
  24. إِنَّاindeed,we
  25. نَرَىٰكَ[we] see you
  26. مِنَof
  27. ٱلۡمُحۡسِنِينَthe good-doers
Yusuf · 12:36Makkah

Even in prison, people saw goodness in him.

Two cellmates bring their dreams to Yusuf

Two dreams
the first manpressing wine
the second manbread on his headbirds eating
ask
Yusufwhat does it mean
Why they came to him
just another prisonerthe label they gave him
one who does goodwhat they saw

Two young men entered the prison with Yusuf. Qatadah said one was the king's wine-server and the other his baker. Each had a dream. They came to Yusuf because, they said, we see you are one of those who do good.

You are stuck in a job you did not choose, a hospital ward, a hard season. You think it is wasted time. People still notice how you treat them there. The way you behave in a low place can open the next door.

In a place like this, how I act does not matter.

Good character shows most clearly in the worst rooms, and people see it.

Try this

Wherever you feel stuck today, do one kind thing for someone stuck with you.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And there entered with him two young men in the prison. One of them said: "Verily, I saw myself (in a dream) pressing wine." The other said: "Verily, I saw myself (in a dream) carrying bread on my head and birds were eating thereof." (They said): "Inform us of the interpretation of this. Verily, we think you are one of the doers of good. (36)

Two Jail Mates ask Yusuf to interpret their Dreams

Qatadah said, "One of them was the king's distiller and the other was his baker." Each of these two men had a dream and asked Yusuf to interpret it for them.