a model for muslim youth in the story of joseph (yusuf)

8/3/2019 A Model for Muslim Youth In the Story of Joseph (Yusuf)

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AMODEL

FORAMUSLIMYOUTH

IN THE STORYOF JOSEPH(YUSUF)

(PEACEBE UPONHIM)

AUTHOR: DR. Mahmood Shakir Saeed

TRANSLATED BY: Khalid lbraheem Al'Dossary



WORLD ASSEMBLYT OF MUSLIMYOUTH

PUBLICATION

IN THB NAME OF ALLAH, MOST GRACIOUS'MOSTMEITCIFI.JL.

nWe do relate unto thee tbe most bautiful of stories, in that We reveal tothee this (portion of the) Qur'an: Before this, thou too was amqrg those who

knew it not."

(Yusuf:3)

nsaythou: ThissmyWay; do nviteuotoAllah,-with a certain

knowlJge I andwhoever ollows me,Glory to Allah! andneverwill I join

godswithAllah!"

(Yusuf:l0B)

"There s in dheirstories,nstruction or menenduedwith understanding.t

is nota tale nvented,buta confirmationof whatwent before t,- adetailed

expositionof all things,and a Guideand a Mercy to anysuchasbelieve."

(Yusuf:1l)

haise be to Allah who has put in the prophet's story a lesson as

an exampleto thosewith uridersq4ing.YoV t.l.r.blessingsand

p"u"" beuponthe dealexampleof life andmorality,Muhammad'

The world Assembly of Muslim Youth is pleased_to r_esento

vou this brief treatis-e,uA Model for a Muslim Youth in the

Sto.y of Joseph't, peacebe upon him by Mahmood ShakirSaeed.



The story of Joseph,peacebe upon him, representshe peakofall.the

Qur'anicstorieswith

regard o its tbpical unity'and isartistic appeal, and also with regard to tha lessons-of faithwhich the story contains.

Joseph, he rig_hteous.,ay blessingsand peacebe upon him, isan example of a patient youth who has aised hiniself abovecarnal desiresand temptationsof Satan.He was an exampleofa da'eeyouth who worked day and night in all circumstances

and conditions to raise the woids of A[ah. He took advantageof all occasionsto introduce people to the religion of Truth. Fealso took advantage of whatAllatr traOendowedhim with theknowledge and skills for the interpretation of dreamsand theknowledgeof management.

He used heseskills to establish he religion of Ailah and attractthe heartsof men to it. This undoubtlyis the model of a young

Muslim that we need in our worid todav. He combineiperseverancg nd firmness, nsight and undersianaingwith faithand knowledge n the dealingsof life. He did this iniuch awaythat people could see n Ishm the ideal code.This code i3sufficient to solveproblems n all spheresof life.

The story of Jeseph,Wace be upon him, is considered o be abeacon for youth in particular. It contains crucial situations

showing truthfulnessand chastity in the face of instinctivemotives and natural desires.Joseph,peaceand blessingsbeupon him, was able to stand n thi faie of temptations,-eventhough all the enticing elementswere present.Hb was a youngperson, in a strange and, unmarried,

-anOhe was comminded

by a beautiful woman with high position calling him to herselfin total secrecy, hreateninghim with prison anEhumiliation ifhe did not do what she wanted. Wittr att these temptingcircumstances,he chose



to bepatientandpreferredhewayof Allah.

one of the mpst mportant essonshatone can_et roql this

storv is the continuityof conflict beweengood and.eviland

tt"

'ni"toryof gooctandvirtue.This victory over evil for the

faithful foilowe-rsalwayshappens t theendof apredicament.

Another esson rom this story is that whaleverafflicts man,irotn intol"rableordealsor criies in life will alwaysbesolved

andovercome.

"So,verily,with everydifficulty,theres relieftVerily , with every

difficulty there s relief."

(Inshirah:5&6)

As one of the poets said: "The situation was difficult and worsened

d;tby duy, "li"f cameat themomentwhen thoughtt.would

neirer'anii,e.n taabin Rabah pokeanessentialruthwhenhe

,uid thut, n Any who is gnel6dand sadwho listens o the

chapterofYusuf(Joseph) ill feel elieved."

we havetried by printing this story to showthe nobility of

Joseph,sife so i6it it wi-llbe a ledsono youth andothers.Allafi, theGreathasspokenhe nrthwhenHesays:

'All thar we relate to the.eof the stories of thc messeirgers,- with it we

malcefirm thy heart in them there cometh to thee the Truth, as well as an

exhortation and a messageof re,membranceo thosewho believe,"

(Hud:120)



We extendour gratitudeand thanks o our brotherDr. MahmoodShakir Saeed or his invaluable contribution. We ask Allah,Exalted is He, to reward him for what he hasoffered us,and tomake this work beneficial to the readerswho are the youth ofthe Islamic nation and everywhere.

May Allah make them successful ollowing in the footstepsofJoseph, he righteous, and in applying the way of our ProphetMuhammad, peaceand blessingsof Allah be upon him. Wealways seek help from Allah, He is our only Patron andSupporter.

The SecretaryGeneral

of WAMY

Dr. Maneh Bin Hammad Al-Johani



INTR,ODUCTION

In theNameof Allah, may heblessings nd.peacef Allah be

uponhis Messenger,is family,his comparuons,nclall tnose

who follow him.

The vouth arethe spirit of a nation,theresourceof thefuture,

;J if;"Gp" f- t"i"orrow. They are the nerveof life andthe

;i""d'th;i"un. in the arteryofihe society.The societywill

neverProgress xcept-by h9tt.e..ff"Its'n the contextot myip";;tft;itr"

yootti, I would like to present he following

lsSUeS:

l. Who are the Youth?

Many think thatthe youth- r-elseg:rnentof a societywho are

U"t*t"n theagesof l8 and40. Buti-heactof thematters that

;;ilildt;idrial able o pl?ya role n.thesgcletv,be.ita:hild'a srown-up,youngor dldis a member !.th9youth'Hence'

tftliiputniJipiti"r is notconfined19a specifiedageor acertainperioi of time. A humanbeingstaysyoung so longas ne ls

;bift;il; his society, iscduntry,andhis nation'Thushe

.t n. Vouneas ongashe offerssomeof his expertise ndhis"k;6;i,tdg;*n"tttJt

is a worker,Peasant,mployee, r and

employer.2. What is the dutYof the Youth?

A sreatduty is laid uponthe shoulders f the Youth to serve

il"i;;;ti-*a tn"i, society.They aresupposed.toulfill

their greatduty withoutany izinesi or tardiness.heYouth

*ilf ti"t fulfill rhis duty fully unless hey believe n^it, are

aware f it, andaredirectLdo i with conviction ndsatisfaction'

Theremustbe nocoercion r force.



If he is pushedby his strong faith, awaking belief, his nationaland socral sense, hen he will work day-and night. He willendeavour n every sphereto servehis nition undto servehis:guntry.Thp.you$ willalways strive to work industriously nthe causeof developing his nation and move it up the laddei ofcivilization.

A human Filg does not only perform his duty when he isenucedor fnghtened.But he does t in the bestmannerwhen

lgn?. undoubting faith. Thus, we can be

surethat the fruit ofhis duty will be rgape$.The youth in every society are thecauseof progress,de-velopment, nd prestige.They ar6also the

:l_u,1"^gfocietyfalling into the abyss.T'his is because hey

lorm the essentialwgrking group of every intellectual,sociai,political, or moral sphere.

- -

3. What are the rights of the youth?

Due to the significant role the youth play in elevatine thesociety as ryg havenoticed, we might wohdired what has-beenoffered to thiq segmentof societylwhat must they be offeredtg guar-anleeheir continuousproductivity and steadfastnessndoing theirduty fully withoutdeviation?

since they have beenasked to fulfill their duty, in return they

have somerights. They shouldnot be blamed f thev requesrsughrights.The fully grown yourh is like the floweiwtriitr isfull of life, ambition, and determinationhatdoesnot settleorrelax. He is.always in needof care and cateringto his needsand personalconcerns.He is in needof someon-eo hold himby his hand and offer him what is neededn rhis life to

"nuut"im to lead his society and country to progressand theachievementof



the desiredgoals'These ightsvary with time andwith the

"""ii""r""ntiano*uri u" aidressed-withareandguidancen

order o fultill theneeds f the ime'



THE STORY OF JOSEPH

Now let us look at.th story of Joseph,peacebe upon him, ashasbeenmentioned n the l2 Chaptbroi the Holy Qur'an.Thischapter s entitledJoseph Yusuf1n Arabic) and ititars withthe Arabic syllabic lettersAlif, [,am, Ra. It is our view and theview of -?ny commentators hat these ettersare ust symbolsand signsthat are not known exceptby ALLAH arid thoie who

1e {irmly entrenchedn knowledg-e.Otherchaptersof the Holy

Qur'an starts with thesethree Aiabic syllabic letters.Thesechapters.areYunus and Hud, and they are the chapters thatcome before the chapter of Joseph n the eur'anic order. Thechaptersof Ibrahim and Al-Hiji come after yusuf. They arelep?rateq from Yusuf by the chapterAl-Ra'd. TheseChairtersbeginasfollows:

In the nameof Allah, Most Gracious,Most Merciful.

n{lif I qm Ra. These are the versesof the perspicuousBook.""We have sentis down asan Arabic Qur'an, in order that ye may learn wisdom."

(Yunus: l&2)

"Alif I ^m Ra. Clhis is) a Book, with verses undamental (of establishedmeaning), further explained in detail,- from One Who is Wise and Well_

acquainted (with all things):

(Hud:l)

tt4lif I qm Ra. A Book which We have revealed unto thee, in order that rhoumightest lead mankind out of the depths of darkness nto light-by the leave

of their Lord to the way of (Him) the Exalted in power, worthtv of allhaisel"

(Ibrahim: 1)



*Alif RamRa.Theseare heayatsof Revelation,-bf aqur'm thatmakes

thingsclear.n(Hijr:1)

The first thing we notice followin-g-each of t!"t"- openings is

rdfi;i.*iiip uetweenhemand-the ord BookorKinb in

Arabic.This6ncouragess to seek nowledgend earning

*ft"ift"r it bethrougheadingor writing.Theses alsoa call to

benefit romtheknowledge ndmorality hat heBookcontarns.

W" *" Ato urged o poniler' o think-,.and1ocontemplatehat

tur ue"n revefiedfrdm this.Bookof inexhaustiblewordsand

[;;;i;Jg;. This call is continuous nd permanent nd will

;-d;;l&g as he book"*i.t

. TheBook s for all peoples f

all times.

After the ist verse n the 12thchaPter, he wordsof ALLAH

state:

"we havesentt downo - *?bl$'an in orderhatyemayearn

This clearly showsthat the Holy-Book came n a lang-uagehat

,[;1, ilid understand nd speik.Thatlanguagewas heArabic

language.

The rethorical style requires the considerationof the situation-O ttut human beings re not spoken o excePt n the langulge

tttut ttt"v understand]Thosewithout knowledgeare not spoken

;;;;# *ay ttrot a scholar is spoken to, an-d he opposite is

i^". fn tfrir iegard, ProphetMuhimmad (pbuh) instrucledus to

rp""t to peopie with what thgy 931 understandand leave out

oit ut ttt"y can not understand na ne posedthe question: nDo

you want that



ALI-A,H and his messenger e disbelieved?"

The story of Joseph s prefacedwith this saying of Allah, theExalted:

"We do relate rmto thee the most beautifirl of stories, in that We reveal tothee this (portion of the) Qur'an: before this, thou too was among those who

knew tnot."

(Yusuf:3)

From this it becomes clear that whatever is narrated in thisstory is from ALLAH. There is a great diffefence betweenwhat is from Allah and what is from anyoneelse.

The most beautiful of stories is the one that is most truthful,has he best speech, and honourableaim, hasthe most respectedgoal and the straightest path to follow.The stories

of the HolyQur'an that are used are historical eventsor incidents whichhaveno element of fantasy or imagination. They arereal Never-theless they are unique in their excitementand suspensewithabsolutefacts.

6



THE EVENTS OF THE STORY AND ITS LESSONS

The story starts vith Joseph,Peacebg up-".,nim, tellin-ghisfather about the strangevision he had while asleep.He was

waiting lbr its interPretation'

A notedcompanion f the Prophet,bn.Abbas, aid hat:"visions

of theproph6tsarc revelationsrom Allah'"

Behold, Josephsaid to his lather: "o my father! I did seeelevcn starsand

the sun and the moon: I saw them prosuate hemselves o me!(Yusuf:4)

But his l'ather,ProphetJacob(Yacub in Arabic) could only

ieueatone sideol the vision to his son.That is, the visionyas a

irue vision and that therewasmuch go.d awaitinghim in his

lil'e.

Jacob mplorecl oseph ot to mention hisvision to hisbrothers'1"."U felretl thar tliel' rvoulclenvy him and conspireagainst

i,i. in on unbcarablcvay. Thus,wlehave he first lesson rom

i-t , ,t.rry. Wc are encgu'ragedo tulfil our requirementswith

cliscretion nd to to dealr,r'iihothersaccording o their personal

qualities ndour knowlcdge f them'

Joseph,cacc

bcupon him, was the youngest f the twclve

iiil'.nit'Jrcn of Jacirb.Hc wasthc mostprcl'erred,o thefather

itn[ ttt" m1lstbelovecl o him. Jacob would meetJosePh-with

iriling l'accanda happyhcart.He would isten o whathesaid

*itt ,,i"r"..t bc it tor irmplcne\^'s r ,lgtgPh': ceds.. is brother

Bcnjamincnjoyedthesamestatuswi thhis fatheral thoughtoar"rrir .r"9r"6. rn" other brothcrs noticed his prel-erential

treatmcnt-l'romhcir lather.TheysUlrted oldingsccretmeetings



to conspireagainstJoseph n a way that increased heir motivesof envy and hatred.

Theysaid:"Tnrly Joseph ndhis brotherare ovedmoreby our father hanwe:but wearcagoodlybody! Really our father s obviously n error!

(Yusuf:8)

The ten brothers then decided to kill Joseph. They based their

3cti9n upon the belief that their father pieferred the younger

brothers Joseph and Benjamin over them. They thoughi that-bygetting rid of Joseph they would reconcile ihemselves withtheir father. Thus, they thought their father's heart would turnto them and their hearts would be cured from remorse and oaincaused by Joseph's preferred status over them.

There s an mportant esson n thisfor everyMuslim. He shouldnot let his children l-eelhis preference oi someof them over

the others.He should not havemore concernand care to someof them over the others,especially if they are of different sex,male and female, or from different mothers.In my opinionequality betweenchildren is a basicconditionofjustic-ebetweenwives. This is a matter that one has to make sure or be certainof beforethinking aboutmarrying againfor the second, hird,or fourth time.

When the time of thinkingandplanninghad ended hetime foraction came. The sons urged their father to sendJosephwiththem while they grazed heir sheep.They gavehim their wordthat they would takecare of Joseph.



They said: nO,ottr father! Why dost thou not trust us with Josef,'- seeing

we iue indeedhis sincerewell wishers'"

(Yusuf: 11)

nsend him with us tomorrow to enjoy himself and play, and we shall take

everycareof him.'

(Yusuf: 12)

As a resultof their nsistenceheir atheragreedeluctantly.

(Jacob) said: "Really it saddensme that ye should talcehim away: I fear lestthe wolf should dcvou him while ye attend not to him'n

Susuf: 13)

But the brothersaflirmed that they would take careof Joseph.

f["ii]"ttt"iwas pleasedwhen lhey lolfl him thatJosephwould

havea chance o enjoy himself anOptay' Thus they deceived

their father.

Josephran with his brothers to the Pasture.The brothers took

i-"iift" fearful words of their father,an excuse o implement

iit;i; ;i"" againstJoseph.A consensuswas reached hat they

-i,"iifditri"":loreptr dolwna well and leavehim to his fate and

destinY.

'Then they came to their father in the early part of the night weeping."

(Yusuf: 16)

They said: ,'o our father! we went racing with one another,and leftJoseph

with our thrngs;and the wolf devouredhim. But thou wilt neverbelieveus

even though we tell the truth."

(Yusuf: 17)

9



Hence falsehoodreveals tself as if the guilty one is saying"come and take me". In the poet'swords,-"buf he eyesoi thE

listener knows from the eyei of the speaker,whethbr he is afriend or a foe."

l-ater the sons of Jacob returned at night so that the eyes oftheir father would not see them and the darknessof the nightwould cover them. The evidenceexposed hem and revealedtheir conspiracy.Their deceit could not havebeenhidden fromtheir father.

Theystainedis shirtwith atse lood.Hesaid: Nay,butyourmindshavenadeup a tale thatmaypass)with you, (forme)patiences most itting:

againsthatwhichyeassert,t isAllah(alone)whose elp canbesought..."

(Yusuf: 8)

In this there is a call or a lessonnot to be hasty in makingjudgments,but to be deliberateand patient n undeistanding hEsituations;to tackle the situation froh all angles o find oui thetruth. There is also a call anda lesson o seek he help of Allahduring trials, adversityor problems.

It has been stated n this context that therewas oncea womanwho soughta courtjudgment from Shuraih.Shecame o Shuraihweeping and.Shabee aid: "Oh, the father of Omaya,

don't youseeher weeping."Shuraih esponed:

"The brothers of Joseph came weeping though they wereoppressorsand liars. It is not proper for a human being to bejudged exceptby the truth."

l0



Then help came to Joseph rom Heaven.A calavan passedby

the well dnO rewas takenout of the well.

'Tben tbere ciamea caravan of travellers: they sent their water carier (for

water).And he let down his bucket (into the well) . . . He said: "Ah there!

Good news! Here is a (fine) young man!" So they ssaeslsd him asa

treasure!But Allah knoweth well all that they do!'

O-usul:19)

The (brethren) soldhim for a miserable price,- for a few diftans count€d

out In such ow estimationdid they hold him!

(\ usuf: 20)

Allah doesnot neglecthissen'ants.Be with Allah andbe without

fear.

u...And for thosewho fear Allatr, He (ever)Preparesa way out " "And He

provides for him from (sources)he nevercould expect"'"

(Ialaq 2&3)

That is what is confirmedby the ncident hatJoseph,peacebe

upon him, faced n this story.

Josephwas later sold in Egypt. He was transferred rom one

couritry to another and from one hand to anther until he was

settled n the houseof El-Aziz. El-Aziz was the Ministerof

it;;r;;t in Egypt at that time and he saw in Joseph

resourcefulnessand righteousness.

"The man in Egypt who bought him, saidto his wife: 'Make his stay (among

us) honourable: May be he will bring us much good, or we shall adopt him

as a son.'Thus did We establishJoseph n the land, thatWe

l l



niglh teach tr;- the interprretationof stodes (md events). Ard Allah hathfirll power and cmtol over His affairs; but nost among mankind

fta65, ignoLu(Yusuf:21)

Tlere ry1sg greatdifferencebtween thepeopleof theqilavany.ttg q"ta Joseph or a miserableprice, a f6w Dirhams,andF)-Anz.

"The(Brethren) sold him

for a miserable price,- for a few dirhams cormtedout in such low estimation did they hold him!"(Yusuf:21)

But El-Aziz consideredhim to be a priceless ewel. Evenpaymentswith heapsof gold and silver would be-insufficienr.But Joseph's rials were !o continue n pursuitof him.

tsut she n whosehouseHe was,sought o seduce im and she astenedhedoors,and said:nNowcome,"He said:"Allah forbidr rnrly (thyhusband)is my lord! Hemademy sojnurnagreeablelruly to nogoodc-omehose

whodo wrong!(Yusuf:23)

In the Arabic text of the Qur'an there is a word "Er-murawadah",which means seeking to seduce. It really means trickery and

deception. That is conspiring and plotting against someorie in avery nice way and using clever deieit.

Joseph with his stronglqith, morality and piety, did not want tob"Tuy or deceivethe El-Aziz. The-onerirtro'traOput him upand was so generousto him. The one who put hirir up in hiihouseand consideredhim a son.He did not want to me'*etooowith

t2



evil and generositywith betrayaland deception.This was a

great wro'ng doingand the wrong {9ers are never successful.This is the moraliry of a Muslim in all conditions.

In a firm and dignified manner with honor, strengthand faith,

Josephsaid:

'Allah forbid! Truly thy husband is my lord! He made my sojoum

agreeable!Tnrly to no good come those who do wrong!"

(Yusuf:23)

But the woman was insistentand had prepared or every

eventuality.The wife of El'Aziz had madeher decision.She

desiredhim and he would havedesired her, if it weren't for the

fact that he had seen he evidenceof his l-ord again.

.And (with passion)did shedesirehim, and he would bave desiredher,but

that he saw the evidence of his l-ord: thus (did We order) that We mighttum away from him (all) evil and indecent deeds:for he was one of Our

seryants chosen."

(Yusuf:24)

Facedwith theuncontrolleddesireof this woman,Josephcould

not do anything except try to escape o the door. She chased

him and tr-et0rim and in trying to free himself of her, his shirt

was ripped in the back. Josephis hirt later became he evidenceof his innocenceas t rvas he evidenceagainstJoseph's rothers

before.

Then came help as his lord, F;l-Azizappearedat the door which

brought the scene o an end for Joseph'sbenefit, peacebe upon

him.

t3



All happening re romthemercyandgraceof Allah.Somearesignsof mercy which Allah

showerJupon his servantsandsupport€rso facilitate$e-ir-r!fy: Othersareslipsand trips nwhichtheenemies f Allah fall-similar o thewiv a moth'fallsinto the ire.

nSohe whogives (in charity)and ears(Allah), and(in all sincerity)testifies o theBest,- we will indeodmskesmoothor him thepathto

Ease.Butbe whois a greedymis€,rand rhinks himself self-sufficient,

andgives

the ie to theBest,-We will indeedmalresnooth fel him theParthof Misery."

(AI-Lail, The Nighr $ 10)

Hence, the coming of El-Aziz at that crucial moment wasundoubtedlyone of the signsof Allah. It manifestedAllah'smercyand graceas it revealeda constantprotection or thatseryantwho wasbeingpreparedor theoffiie of prophethood.

A Muslim doesnot betrayhistrustor deceiveottreriand f acalamitybefallshim, he s eversteadfast. lso,a Muslimdoesnot succumb r weakenn thepresencef temptations.

"so they both raced each other to the door, and ghe ore his shirt from tteback They both formd her lord near the door. Shesaid: rWbat is the

(fiaing) prmishent for one who formed md evil design sgainnl thy wifs,but prism or a grievous chastisern66l!"

(Yusuf:25)

"He sai& "It was she tbat sought to seduccme - from my (tnre) self., Andone of her household saw (this) and borc witness, (thus): - "If it be that his

shirt is rent from the frmt, then is her tale tnre, md he is a liax!(Yususf:26)

t4



"But if it bethathis shirt is tornfrom iheback, hen s she he iar, andhe s

tellingthetnrth!

(Yusuf:2?

nSowhpnhesawhis shirt, - that t was om at theback,-(herhusband) aid:

"Behold! t is a snaleof you womeir!Truly' nighty is your snale!"

(Yusuf:28)

"O Joseph, ass his over! (Owife), ask orgivenessor thy sin,for tnrly

thouhastbeenat fault!"(Yusuf:29)

El-Aziz who was the Minister of Treasury of Egypt with his

insight, knowledge,and exPertisesaw the generosityand good

'''ofitiiy of Joseltr. This lid him to bear witness that Joseph

was speaking the truth. Some other commentators have

mentidned th-atan infant was in the house and that infant

supporteaJoseph'sestimony.This was relatedby Abu Hurayrattand Ibn Abbas,May Allah be pleasedwith them.

The woman exaggerated n the defenseof her chastity and

purity by asking-ior the imprisonmentof Josephor a -toughbuniJtrmLnt.Jos-eph, ho was true with his Lord, strongly and

ionfidently defended imselfsaying.

"It was shewho sought !o seduceme from my true self'"(Yusuf:26)

He saidthis without the need o confirm the truth with emphasis,

evasion,or by swearingan oath. He left the truth flowing-

according to its nature, ithout th9 negdto follow theways of

thosewh-ocommit falsehoodand lies by swearingand talking

t5



toomuchto hidethe truth with falsehood. his is the wayfor aMuslim in his life. His way must be the way of truth andhis

saylngmust bethe truthandhe shouldnot fear abidingby thetruthor reporach.

Thus we c:tn see hat the innocenceof Josephwasproven.Hewasacquitted rom the falsehoodand accusations hich thewife of El,-Anzhadstated.

The wisdom,expertise,and experience f El-Aziz in many

matterswasmanifestedwhenhecame o hiswife not to accuseher alone,but to show he universality f this trait n the emalesex.

Herhusbmd aid:nBehold!It isa snarc f youwomen! ruly,nigbty isyoursnareln(Ynsuf.28)

Then El-Aziz combining advice, guidance,and reproach or hiswife turned to Josephand said:

"OJosephasshisover!

This meant that Josephshould avoid talking about this matter.Then turning to his wife, he said:

'(O wife) ask forgiveness for thy sins, for truly thou hast been at fault!'(Yusuf:29)

In Arabic textof theQur'an he word Al-Khateen means,exactly,thou has been from those men and women who are at fault.This is used instead of Al-Khteaat which means exactly, thatthou has

I6



been from those women who are at fault. This is done as a

mitieation or lesseningof the accusationdirectedat herto make

this"sin applicable o both the male sex and female sex, as

eiery chifh'of Adam is liable to lall into sin. Shemustconf-ess

tttir iin, ot leastto herself,andask her L,ord or forgivenessand

repentance.

This incident was soon spread n the form of a rumour on the

tips .rf people throughouithe city. This o,ccurred ven thouglt

ifi" tn"iO"tit was kriown only t6 a very closedcircle rvhichincludetlEl-Aziz, his wife, andJoseph.Among the people, he

*or"n were the majority of thoses'earching.fbrhe secrets f

the housesand they werethe mostcapableol uncovenngmese

secrets nddivulging hem.

The incidentof El-Aziz soonbecame nown among he women

andbecame hesubjectol'gossiP.

I-adiessaid n thc City: ''fhe wilb of the (great) Azjz.is seeking o scduce

hcr slave.Truly hath he inspired her with violent love: we seeshe s

evidently going astraY."

(Yusul:30)

when thisgossip eachedEl-Azizand hiswil-e, hcwife thought

longandhird od how to entrap hesewomenwho weregossiping

oUo-uter. Sheprepareclood-andcomlortableseating-for.themand shegaveeveryoneol'thcm a knifc to useon their l-ood. he

ttren artilO Josep-ho appearamongst them while they were

inattcntive

whcn Joseph amebelbre hem n his handsome pPearance

un.1p."."nle, they without thinking.cut their handsas they

*"t"' ltxrking at'him. At'ter having tittea their eyeswith the

angelic

t7



appearance f Joseph, hey realized hat their woundswerebleeding. hey hen

criedout from thedepths f their hearrs.'Allah preserues Nomortal s this This snme otherhananobleangel

(Yusuf:31)

The women told her that she wasnot to be blamed or reproachedafter what they had seen.Joseph,peaceand blessingsbe uponhim, was endowed with a portion of beauty as has been proven

in the narration of El-Isra (the ascensionof the Prophet). Thewife of El-Aziz proved undoubtedly that Joseph was loved forhis _handsomeappearance,mannerism, and morality. Sheconfessed that shehad sought to seducehim from his trub self.

Shesaid: Therebeforeyou s themanaboutwhon yedid blameme! I didse€k o seduc€ im from his (trrrc)selfbuthedid firmly savehimself

guiltless!...And now, if hedothnot my tidding, he shallcertainlybe cast

into prism, and(what s more) be of thecompanyof the vilest!"(Yusuf:32)

With this confessiont canbe seen hat thechildrenof Adamare allible. This confirms hateverysoulhears vil whispers.

This obligeseveryMuslimto reconsider hathasspreadn oursociety oday.Suchasusingservants, rivers,babysitters,and

maids n our homes.A Muslim should hink andponderoverthe evil and moral decay hat the societywill reap rom suchthings.And in thesayingof the adies,

'The wife of the (great) 'Aziz is seeking to seduceher slave. "(Yusuf:30)

l8



The additionof El-Aziz in this verse s to showthe magnitude

of the sinfulnessof the ncident.Peopleare nclined o listento

thenewsof those n Power.

we deduce -rom his, that anyonewho is in a high position s

required to caremore abouthi! reputation han othersand is to

b"'un"^urple

in evcrymatter.Butihe righteous ndGod-fearing

Joseph,who was being prepared- y Allah for his message,

chalfenged he power oT f*s lady lordty resorting to,Allah to

provide"himwiih his mercy, care,and protectionand to avert

evil frornhim.

He said:

He said: ',O my I-ord!'I'he

prison is dearer to my liking then that to yhich

they invite me: unlessThou turn away their snare rom me, I shouldfeel

inclined towards themand oin the ranks of the ignorant'"

(Yusuf:33)

The onewho takerefuge n Allah and comesunderhis protection

and is truthful in his faith must get from Allah his request'

So his t-ord hearkened to him (in his prayer) and tumed away from him

their snare:Verily He heareth and knoweth (all things)'

(Yusuf:34)

A Muslim shouldalwaysseek efuge n Allah andpraywith

sincerity o Him. A Mtislimshouldnot take efug3n human

U"in*r iik" hirr"lf, even f suchpersons o manifestworldly

powErandstrength. hey, ike himself,arepowerless'

l9



If a matter of Allah has alreadybeendecreed t cannot beadvanced r delayed,and t cannotbe repelledby evil or harm,

exceptby the commandof Allatr.

Joseph hoeeprison o escapeemptation fitna).This waswhatAllah d€creedn order to removehim from the temptationofthesituation. n two SahihFladith, he Pnophetpbuh)-said:

'Tlure will besevenFrsora slvltered undcrtlu shadeof Nlahon tlw day ofitrdgrrant and tlure will beno otlur shadebut his

shadc.'They are:

* A just ruler.

I A youngman who passes is youth in worshipandserviceof Allah, theLord of honorandglory.

* One whoseheart s habituallyattachedo theMosque.

* Two suchpersonswho love eachotherfor thesakeofAllah.

* They who oin togetheror hissake.

* And parted or his sake.

I A man who is invited for sin by a rich andbeautifulwomanbut declines, aying, fearAllatr.

The next ordeal of Joseph was his imprisonment. t wasplottedby thewife of El-Aziz herself,afterof @urse, he Willof Allah.

20



The imprisonment f fosgPlr oincidedwith the mprisonment

of two btheryoungmen.It is possible hat th! nYoyoung men

;;; i-Fso'ned ilitn roseptr.".n9" sameday because f aniniiAentitrat happenedn the king'spalace.So it.was1 gd

opportunttyor iirseph o be mprisoned.n themidstof those

itiJia"nG, abricated'accusationsndcalumnies ouldeasilybe-

i"y;ifi;L"tnst rhose onsideredndesirablen order o get rid

of them.

Truth mposesrselfand

tpwledge

lifts its holderhigh..JosePhwas

"bt;'t"gain theconfidenceoThis companionl n g1tso9 V

fri* ftigtt *oiulity, character,houghtful rftgmentand-iltig.ttt'

He foind solutions o their problEms ndwasentrustedwith

their serrets.He took it uporihimself o advise,g-urde nd. all

iffi t monotheism.He'also nterpretedheir dreamswhich

oftencame o Pass.

Thiss thewayof a Muslim, he rueMuslim.To besublimen

his affairsandto takeadvantagef anyopportunity o conveyiii" r"rruge for thecause f Allah.A Mrislimmusthave incerity

*fuf"""n"ueying

the messagendbefully certain hatAllah is

theOnebesidewhom heres noPartner.

Now with him there came into prison two young men' One of them saying:

nI seemyself (in a dream)pressingwine." Said the other: nI seemyself (in a

drean) carryingbread onmy head, and bir& are eating thereof.' "Te!l us"

(they saidi 'the truth and meaning thereof: for we see hou art me that

doth good (to all)"

(Yusuf:36)

2 l



He said: "Becauseany food comes (in due urursc) to feed either of you I

will surely reveal to you the truth and meaning of this ere it befall you. That

is part of the (Duty) which my I-ord hath taught me I have (I assureyou)

abandoned the ways of a people that believe not in Allah and that (even)

deny theHereafter."(Yusuf:37)

"And I follow the ways of my fathers, - Abraham, Isaacand Jacob; and

never could we attribute any partnerswhateverto Allah: that (comes)of the

graceof Allah to us and to mankind: yet most men are not gratcful.r'(Yusuf:38)

"O my two companions.Ot the prison! (I ask you): .ue many lords dill'ering

amongthemselvesbetter, or Allah the One, supremeand rresistible'l"(Yusuf:39)

"Whatever ye worship apart iom IIim is nothing but names which ye have

named,ye and yow fathers,- for w'hichAllah hath sentdown no authority:

the Command is lbr nonebut Allah: He hath commandetl hat ye worshrp

none but Him: that is the right religion, but most mcn understandnot...( r*usuf:40)

"O my two companionsof the prison! As to oneof'you, he will pour out the

wine for his lord to drink; as br theother,he will hang tiorn thecross,and

the birds will eat from olThis head.(So) hath beendecreed hat rnatter

whereofye fwain clocnquirc"...(Yusuf:41)

And of the two, to that one whom he consideredabout to be saved,he said:

"Mention me to thy lord, but Satanmade him fbrget to mentionhim fq hi5

lord: and (Joseph) ingered in prison a few (more) years."

(Yusuf:42)

22



Thekingof Egyptsaw slranggvlsionhatconfusedandonined

fum- ffisled-him o gathertl ttremagicians, oothsay_ers,nd

asiiotoeetsogether.te told themwhathehadseen.He askedift"tn ti interp:rethevision,but theywereall unable o do so,

as hiswasdecreed YAllah.

Thenoneof thecompanions f Joseph,who wasoutof prison

ar rhat imetold the iing about he khowledge f Jgqephn the

intemretation f dreamslHe askedhe king to sendhim to the

;;;dn ro seek he nterpretationf thedream.With thatcame

id;i;" of Joseph-romprisonand elieffromhisproblems.

Josephhenexplainedhe visionof the{ng pg^!lte1!r9w up a

olan.Thisplanwas o be ollowed n lightof difficultcircums-

i-"er wtriih wouldsoonengulf hecountry ndpeople'

Theking(ofEgypt)said:' 'Idosee(invision)sevenfatkine,whomseven

lean ones devour,-

and seve,ngfoen eanlof corn,and seven(others)

withered. O ye chiefs! Expound to me my vision if it be that ye can intcrp'r3t

visions.',They said: "A clnl'used medleyof dreams:and we are not skiled

in the interepretation of dreams'"

(Yusuf: 4344)

But tbe man who hal beeir released,one of the two (who had beenin

prison) and who now rememberedhim after (so long) a sprce of time, said:^

'I will tell you the tnrth of its interpretation: Sendye me (therefore).n(Yusuf: a5)

noh Joseph!,' oe said) noh man of tnilh! ExPorod to uE(the dfeaD) of

sevenfatkine whom sevenleo ooesdevour, md of sevengreeir ers of

csn and (seven) othen withered: That I may return to thc people, md tbat

they maYknow."

(Yusuf:45)

23



(Joseph)said: "For seven yearsshall ye diligently sow as s your wonr andthe harvest that ye reap, ye shall leave them in the ear, except a [ttle, of

which ye shall eat."(Yusuf:47)

"Then will come after that (period) sevendreadful (years), which willdevour what ye sball have laid by in advancefor them, - (All) except a little

which ye shall have (specially) guarded.

(Yusuf:48)

'Then will come after that (period) a year in which the people will haveabundant water, and in which they will press(wine and oil).'

(Yusuf:49)

The king w:rsconvinced of the interpretationof his vision. Headmired heknowledgeof the nterpreter, oseph, nd his opinionon the effective courseof action to face the forthcoming difficult

circumstances.So the king said:'Bring yehimrmtonen

But Josephrefused the King's invitation. The joy of freedomdid not preoccupyhis mind from requesting nvestigationofthe reason or his imprisonmentto provepublicly his innocence.He wanted to regain his dignity and clear his name to those

who thought ill of him. Therefore Joseph said ro the King'smessengen

nGothou back to thy lord, and ask him, \I/hat was the matter with tbe ladieswho cut lheir hands? For my Lord is certainly well aware of their snare.n

(Yusnf:5O)

u



The true believer does not fear reproach n the causeof truth

andthe innocenthanddoesnot feafto becut off. The dedication

to u"-hi"u" a good reputationand to live with honor and dignitywithout any iense o'f servility and humiliation is the way of a

Muslim andhis motto.

The requestof the imprisonedJosephstruck the earsof the

I(rn"* a thunderbolt'and causedhim to recall the incidence

ir"ofr ttt" Gginning. He, therefore,orderedan investigation and

the involved ladieswerequeshonagiln.

flhe king) said (to the ladies): "what was your affair when ye did seed o

seduceJosePh?"

The ladies could find only the true answerthat could no longer

behidden.

Theladies said:

"Allahpreserveus! No evil know we againsthim! said the

'Aziz'swife: "Now is the truth manifest (o all): it was I who sought o

seducehim he is indeed of those who are (ever) true (and virtuous)'"

(Yusuf:51)

All testified to the purity, chastity,and good moralityof

i;;";h.Et;n the wif6 of El-Aziz iould not but.join in the

testimony. he cameout of herembarrassmentndsobriety o

il;li #yond any doubtthat shewas the one who tried to

seduce iin ashas-been entionedn theverse'

A right with a seekers never ost.The riglrt !ojusticethat

i"*6tt had ost wasregained sa resultof his insistencend

a;ii"6;;mmit it and'o prove t' Thusevery ight regained

if

25



its seeker s truthful and sincere n trying to regain t.

Josephgot out of prison after being proven innocentof thatheinousaccusationand stood before the king confidently withhis head held high. The king was attractedby his speech, heintegrityof his opinion,and his eloquence ndallowedhim theopportunity o stay n his palace.

Therelbre when he had spoken to him, he said: "Be assuredhis day, thou

art of high standingwith us, investedwith all trust."(Yusuf:31)

Josephchose he most suit:lbleob which he wasmostcapableof handlingand organiz.ing.

This was possiblebecause e was fully acquaintedwith hisown abilities.

(Joseph) aid: "Setme over the store-housesf the and: I am a good

kceper,knowledgcable.

(Yusul:55)

BecauseEgypt was to received sevenyearsof f-ertility to befollowed by sevenyearsof famine, there had to be strictness,effectivemanagement, nd carefulplanningof resources. hus

Joseph(in the previous verse) placed his role as a guardianbeforehis knowledge.Guardianshipmay be sulficientwithoutknowledge n the abovecircumstances.Whereasf knowledgeis utilizedwithout guardianship, ood will not be achievednsuchcircumstance.

26



The solutionof somematters equiresknowledge,othersrequlre

experience.Somecannot dispensewith either knowledgeor

"*o"ri"n"e.In this is a clarificationof the relationshipbetween

a Muslim, his work, andhis position'A Muslim needs o choose

what suitshis inclinationsahd desiresn so far ashe is able to

do so. And in doing so, it is permissible or him to praise

trimself and revealhis qualificaiions f peopleare ignorantof

them as our Prophet Yuiuf (peaceand blessingsbe upon him)

did.

with every hardship there s relief and this is confirmed by the

sayingof Allah the exalted:

"Soverily,withevery ifhcultyheresrelief:Verilywithevery ifficulty

there s relief."

(Al-Inshirah: 5-6)

One difficulty cannot defeat two reliefs as the messenger faiiutt said.T6 the true believers, he end of fate is to felicity

andgoodness.

I-,ater, fter imprisonment,chastisement,mental andphysical

trumiiiation, Josephwas promoted to a position with a high

social status.

Thus did We give establishpower to Joseph n the land, to takepossession therein as, when,or wherehe pleased'We bestow of Our

-o"y oo whom we please, and we suffer not, to be lost, the reward of

those who dogood." "But verily the reward of the Hereafter isthe

best,for thosewho believe,and are constant n righteousness'"

(Yusuf:56-5?)

27



If therighteous_and od-fgarir_rgelievercannotachieve elicity,goodnessand happinessn this world he will surelv achieve

them in the Hereafter.Hence,a Muslim must increasehis trustand confidence n his creator and do what is pleasing o hisLord in all spheres f his life.

Joseph'snterpretationof the king's vision was fulfilled as theseven ertile.yearsp-asge_dnd weie followed by sevenyearsoffamine which engult-edhe whole country.

pgypt, d-ue o the skilled managementand wise guardianofJoseph,had stored enoughduring the lst seven Ertile yearsand was fully prepared or the coming event. This altionguaranteed

Eqypr'. prosperity so much so that Egypt becamethe land to which travellerswould comeseekingpr6visionsandsupplies. Among those who came seeking frovisions wereJoseph'sbrothers.

ThencameJoseph'srethren:heyenteredispresence,ndhe newthem,but theyknewhim not.

(Yususf:58)

f.hey did not know him because they neither expected to meethim again nor did they ever expect ihat he wouid hold such a

lrgitr position as the man who was standing in front of themheld.

Josephworked out a trick to ensure hat they would come backto Egypt againand again.He talked to them-andobtainedsomenewsabout them. He thenconfirmed to them that he would notgive them their measureof corn again until they oroughiiheir

?a



brother Benjamin to confirm the authenticity of the information

which they had told him.

Berause he trusted their honestyand their father'shonesty,he

l"iil[;i, ;d[ which they broright in exchange or the goods

thevreceiveintheirsaddlebags.ThiswasdonetomaKetnemffik;6f,i ii *as placed there-by mistake. Thus, encouraging

them to return to Egypt to bhng the stock back to him

;;;; if ih;t oia "riot intend-to

return for additional

provisions.

And when he had fumished them forth with provisions (suitable) for

the,n, he said: "Bring unto me a brother ye have' of the stme father as

yoruselves, lUut a different mother): Seeye not that I pay out full

measrue,and that I do provide the besthospitality?"

(Yusuf:59)

"Nowif ye bring him not to me, ye shall have no measure (of corn) from

me, nor shall ye (even) come near me'"(Yususf:60)

They said: 'TVe shall truy to win him from his father: Indeed we sball do it,',

(Yusuf:61)

And(Joseph)toldhisservantstoputtheirstock-in.trade(withwhichthey

haibrtereol into their saddle-bags, so they should know it only

when they retumed to their people, in oder that they might come back'

(Yusuf:62)

They went back to their father with this ominous news to seek

his igreement in allowing their brotherto accomPanyhem'

29



They would use this piece of news as a weapon in theirpsychologicalwar with their father.

Now when they renrned to their father, they sadi: "O our father! No moremeasureof grain shall we get ( 'nle5swe takeour brother): So send ourbrother with us, that we may get our measure;and we will indeed take

everyciue of him.'(Yusuf:63)

TonhgtJryopcouldonly but yieldto their elquest,specially

after heyhadsaid:

"O our fatherl What (more can we desire?This our stock-in-fade has beenrefirrned to us: so we shall get (more) I'ood for our family; we shall take careof our brother; and add (at the samefims) a ftrll camel's load (of grain to our

provisions). This is but a small quantity."(Yusuf:65)

This shows us that if a Muslim is providedwith proof andevidence during an argument, he should believe and beconvinced.He is not to deal with otherswith suspicionand illfeeling. With this view of dependence nd tiust in Allah,Jacob took an oath from his sons to bring back their brotherunless a matter beyond their power or control befell them.Hence,showinghis belief in destiny, ts goodand ts evil. Withthe kind and merciful heart of an ailing faithful father,Jacob advised his sons prior to their departure.He advisedthem with that which would benefit them and protect themfrom evil. And in the igth of understandinghe ruleof adoptingcausesand taking precautions,Jacobadvised them with thefollowing:

30



Further he said: "O my sons! Enter not all by one gate: enter ye by different

gates.Not that I can profit you aught againstAllah (with my advice): None

Ian cornmaod except Allah: On Him do I put my trusc and let all that trustput their tntst on llim."

(Yusuf:67)

The sons mplemented his adviceandentered rom wheretheir

futtt*"ormancled.

Joseph ntroducedhimself to his brother

anOaskedhim to hide thi^s ecretuntil the time came o divulge

itl ff" tft"n confined his brother from among them to let them

l;; iougt ordeal as they had given their father a strongoathto ir"p arid return their brothef The retribution meted out to

them was the same kind metedto Joseph.Once they gavetheir

father an oath to take careof Joseph,but they had deliberately

and willingly betrayed heir trust with their own hands'

Thev had lost Josephdeliberatelyand hereagain they would

t,or"'ttt"i. brotherBinjaminwhom theyhad beenentrustedwith

unO"u"n

hacl akenai oath to his careand safety.But this time

ii *ur not deliberate.However nnocent hey were his time, as

iit"u truOno control over the events,with regard o loosing their

Uioln"r, their first previouswrongful action with Joseph s now

causins hemthe punishmentwhlch theyhadthus ar beenable

6;;;p;. ihut,^justice will eventuallysettle ts.debts..with

p""pi".\f a culpril escapests grip for a cerlaincrime without'U"i,ig

p"ni.tt".t. Lrt"r hi may 5eiccused of a crime for which

il;; inno..nt. Then he wiil receive the retribution for the

"iir"which he had comitted earlier and did not get his due

punishment.

The plan of Joscphwas to placethe great beakerof the King

t-.om'irltrictr e drank into hfs brothersr addlebags.When they

had traveledsome distance,he chased hem and called upon

them:

3 l



"O ye (in) the Caravan!Behold! ye are thieves,without doubt!" They said,tuming towards them: 'Whatis it that ye miss?"

(Yusuf:7O-11)

They said: "We miss the great beaker of the king; for him who produces it.is (the reward of) a camel load; I will be bound by it."

(Yusuf:72)

(Ihe brothers) said: "By Allah! Well ye know that we came not to makemischief in the land,and we areno thieves!"'

(Ihe Egyptians) said: "What then shall be the penalty of this, if ye are(proved) to have lied?"

(Yusuf:74)

They said: 'The penalty should be that he in whose saddle-bag t is found,should be held (as bondman) to atone for rhe (crime). Thus it is we punish

the wrongdoers!"

(Yusuf:75)

"So he began (the search) with their baggage before (he camc to) thebaggageof his brother: at length he brought it out of his brother's baggage.Thns did We plan for Joseph.He could not take his brother by the law ofthe king except that Allah willed it (so). We raise to degrees(of wisdom)

whom we please; but over all endued with knowledge is One, the All-

Knowing."(Yusuf:76)

A Muslim should always be ready and prepared or any matterand he does not hold accountableanyoneeicept the offender.

32



"No bearer of burdens can bear the burden of another'"

(Al-Israa: 15)

He believes that no matter how far he has reached hrough

knowledge,high status, or Prestige n the sight of PeoPle,there arE stilf above his knowledgemany stepsand above

thesesteps,other stepsuntil they alf pour into the infinity of

divine knbwledge.Th-erefore Muslirnshouldnot becomeself-

conceitedby hii knowledgeor boastabouthis understanding,

but ratherh6 shouldhumblehimself truly believing he saying

of the Exalted:

"Of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated o you, (O men!)"

(Al-Israa: 85)

The sonsof Jacobwere at a loss when the accusationstruck

them and they realizedd that their brother was trapped.They

could not findanything with which to defend hemselvesexcept

separatinghems6lvesrom the strong elationshipbetween hem

and their brother.

They said: "If he steals,there was a b'rotherof his who did steal

before(him)."

The two brothers, Joseph and Benjamin were onl-y their

brothers from their father'i side.Their motherswere different.Joseph heard this accusation leveled at him and his

brother.

But these things did Josephkeep locked in his heart, revealing not the

secretsto them.n

(Yusuf:77)

33



He was not overpressing or a man of haste as hegatheredthe proofs and evidence that would eventually end

the matterand find the culprit. The culprit would be presentedwith his full record, so clear and precise that he could notevade ull confession,remorse,pardon,and repentance o achievereformation.

Joseph'sbrothers pleaded strongly to take one of them in theplace of Benjamin and to have mercy on their father.

But Joseph responded:

He said: Allah forhid tbatwe take otherrhanhim with whomwefound ourprop6ty: indeed(if wedid so),we shouldbe acting wrongfully."

(Yusnf:79)

It is not righteous to capture the innocent in the place of the

guilty. This constitutes an injustice which is not in line at allwith righteousness.

When the sonsof Jacobcould not find a way to getJosephorelease their brother from bondage, they got togetheranddiscussedheir plight.The eldestsonbecame rieved,worriedand embarrassedo meet his father due to his feelings ofresponsibilitywith regardo his negligence f histwo brothers,

Joseph ndBenjamin, ndsaid:'Thcrcforc will I not leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah

judges for me; and He is the best to judge. "(Yusnf:8O)

The rest of the brothers returned to their father and told himwhat

34



hadhappened.

'Tum ye back to your father, and say, 'O our father! Behold! Thy son

committed theftl We bear witness only to what we know, and we could not

well guard against he unseen!"

(Yusut:81)

"Ask at the town where we havc been and the caravan n which we rehuned,

and (you will find) we :ue indeedtelling tbe truth."

(Yusuf:82)

Look at how the truth makes ts holder speak.The speechwas

that of one confident in himself; one not requiring proofs or

evidence,nor lots of swearing,blabbing,wrong doing, or

arguments o cover up his position.

A believer s not stungon the samespot twice. Hencewe find

Jacob receiving this piece of news with doubtof their

truthfulness.

Jacobsaid: "Nay, but ye haveyourselvescontrived a story (good enough)

for you so patience is most fitting (for me).

And he spoke n the languageof a true sincerebeliever rvho

fully trusted n his [-ord'sustice.

"So patience s most fitting (to me) may be Allah will bring them (back) to

me (in the end). For He is indeedfull of knowledlge and wisdom."

(Yusul:83)

That is how he trusted n his [-ord and hoped or his bounties

an<lblessings. acob urnedawayfrom his sonswith great

35



suffering of grief, distress and the pain of separation rom hissons.When his sons noticedthat they said: "Father,have mercy

on yourself."

They said: "By Allah! (Never) wilt thou cease o rememberJosephuntil

thou reachthe last extremity of illness,or until thou die!"

(Yusuf:85)

He answered hem saying:

He said: "I only complain of my distraction and anguish o Allah, and I

know t'rom Allah that which ye know not."

Ousuf:86)

"O my sons!Go ye and enquire about Josephand his brother, and nevcr

give up hope of Allah's Soothing N{ercy: truly no onedespairsof Allah's

Soothing Mercy, except thosewho haveno laith."

(Yusuf:8?

A true believer resorts only to Allah. He does not complainexcept o Him. He standsat his door seekinghis grace.He is atrue believer who trusts in his Lord without any despair.Despair is a form of suspicionof Allah and the unbeliever sthe only one who suspectsAllah ashe doesn't ully know Himor believe n Him.

Joseph's brothers returned to Egypt as it was must for themto return for provisions and supplies.There was also thematter of' their eldestbrotherrvho took an oath upon himselfnot to return until his fathergavehim permissionor whateverAllah decreed.Also, there was their brother who was takenforcefully from them.

36



They went to Joseph asking for his provisions and charity.

Theyexplained th6ir conditi-on, he conditions of their family,

and fathbr after the absenceof their brother who was capturedthere. The heart of Josephwas full of tenderness,sym-pathy,

compassion,and eagerness or his brothers and his fam-tlyt

The'time ior divtilging his secret inally came. He asked

them:

He said:nKnowyehowyedcaltwith Josephndhisbrother, otknowing

(what eweredoing)?"(Yusuf:89)

This question stirred up surpriseand astonishment n them

for they were the only ones along with Josephwho new the

secret.

Hencethey all called out:

Theysaid:Art tbou ndeed oseph?' esaid,I amJose'ph,d this smy

brother:Allahhasnde€d een raciousous(all):behold, e hats

righteo$, never will Allah srilfer the reward to be lost' of thosewho do

right.n(Yusuf:90)

The responseof Josephwas a tough lesson o be learnedby his

brotheri in dealing-with others without envy or jealousy.Everyone is destined for that which he has been created for.

His brotherc were remorseful and heartbroken at what they had

done.They confessed o their sin saying:

Thcy said' 'By Allah! Indeod has Allah prefened thee above us, and we

c€rtainly bave been guiltY ofsin!

(Yusuf:91)

37



Joseph orgave them saying:

He said:This day et noreproache(cast) nyou:Allahwill forgiveyou,andHe s theMostMercifulof thosewhoshowmercy!

(Yusuf:92)

This was a day of pardon, orgivenessand repentance.A day ofreunion, hugging, love, serenity, mercy and repentance. t wasthe forgiveness, estival where blameand reproachwereabsent,only forgiveness,satisfactionand repentancewere there.

Joseph hen gavean order which was instantly followed:

"Gowith thismy shirt,andcast t over he aceof my father: ewill cometoseeclearly). hencome e(herQome ogether ithall your arnily."

(Yusuf:93)

What a shirt! It holds a greatsignificanceas t was the evidencepresentedby his brothers to prove that the wolf had devouredJoseph. t was their father's proof of their deceit. It presentedalso a clear proof to absolveJosephof what he had beenaccusedof. Finally, it was the cure to his father's loss of sight and thecure to his father's distress and grief.

The family was reunited and the honorable Joseph climbed up

the throne and raised his parentshigh on it. His brothers stoodbefore him peacefully and they all prostrated in praise andgratitude to Allah. Hence,Joseph'svision which he saw in hischildhood was fulfilled.

Adhc raiscdhis or€ntsighm the hrmeudthcyfell downinprostratim,dl) befq€hirn.He said: Omyfatbcr! is is thc ullillnent

38



of my vision of old! Allah hath made it come true! He was indced good to

me when He took me out of prison and brought you (all here) out of the

desert, (even) after Satanhad sown enmity between me and my brothers."

(Yusnf: 100)

Glory be to Allah the Exalted in power, the Great and always

true are His words.

"...But it is possible that ye dislike n thing which is good fu you, and that

ye love a thing which is bad foryou,

ButAllah knoweth, and ye know not.n

(Al-Baqara:216)

Who could ever hliever the eventswhich befell Joseph?The

casting of him into the well, the falling into- he hands-of the

travellers, his selling in Egypt for the miserableprice of a few

dirhams, the plot ofhis ladylord and her Plot with a_groupof

ladies,and his imprisonmeht.Who thoughtor could put into

his mind that theseeventswere the woven stringsof a throne ora crown for a new king. A king who was born from the conflictsand sat on that greatlhrone and was magnificently crow-ned.

All of that could not come into being without the decreeof the

Powerful and the All Mighty Allah.

Verily,whe,n e ntends hing,HisCommands,nBe",andt fu!(YaSin:82)

Allah holds the causeswith his mercy and decreeseventswith

his commandwhich then flow with his wisdom.

Status, prestige and abundant bounties did not make Josephfoeet the Bestowerof bountiesandthe King of kings, in whose

haids are everything. Josephsaw that it was incumbent upon

39



himtobegrateful oAllah, theBralted,orwhathehadshowered

him with. Henceheturned o him in prayer:

nOmy Lord! Thou hast indeed be'stowedon me somelxtwer, md taught me

something of the interpretation of drems, - O thou Creator of the heavens

and the euth! Thou art my Protector in this world and in the Heneafter.

Take Thou my soul (at death) as one submiring to Thy Will (asa Muslim)'

and rmite me with the righteous''

(Yusuf: 101)

A Muslim should realize that the actions of this life are theprovisions for the Hereafter.Toward this he should zealously

irepare himself. Miserable is the onewho doesnot prePare.

I-ooking closely at this story and por-rdering ler it will reveal

that it c6nstitutis a victory for morality and virtue, and a defeat

for whims and carnal dCsires.A victory for forgiveness and

pardon and a defeat forjealousy and envy. It also reveals theItrength andweaknessof humanbeings.The strength, f a human

being returnsto thepower of his mind and istensto_ther-rsPiration

of his conscience-and

if he knows the limits of his humanity

and feels wholeheartedly that heis no more thanAllah's creature

on earth. That he is one who has been created to rule andgovernby what Allah hasprescribed.And if in his weakness,f

[e surreriders o his whims and carnal desires and handsover

his will to his evil whispering soul he is destine or destruction.This picture is clearly manifested o thosewho witness t.

There is, in tbeir stories, instnrction for men enduedwith rmderstanding. It

is not a Ale invented, but a confirmation of what went before it, - a detailed

exposition of 4[ rhings, and a Guide and a Mercy to any suchas believe.n

(Yusttf:111)

4



MORAL ASPECTOFTIIE STORY OF YUSI''F

The eventsandthecharacters f !tri! storybackled hepositiveandnegativ"*p""*i iittt"-fif"

"fa.humanFing with morality

ffi ;uiltr, J'"r,".l,ti.1ne vtustim outh asochoosehe

ffiilui"y f* #;lf. eifurr p"[" ttt6 rotttwhenHesaid:

\ile shouldhim heWay:wbetherhebegratdulorungratefirl'n

(InsanorAd-Dahr:3)

ThemoralasPects f Islamthatthisstoryhasmanifested re:

1. Seekinghelpfrom thosewho areknowledgeablend

"*p"rr"nJ5otffiqaybe moreknowledgeable nd

*FUr" thanyou in solvingyourproblems'

Behold, Jce,ph saidto his father:

nO my father! I did seeeleven sta$ and

the sun and the moon: I saw tbem prootrate themselvesto Me!

(Yusuf:)

2. Explaining the dange-r-ofparentsbeing overly-' -""i"ti""at-*ith

somebf theirchildren'

They said: Truly Jooeph ndhisbrorherare ovedmoreby our fathcrthen

we:but w€re a g-[r-v uoayrReallyon fatber s obviorsly in enc!"

(Yu$tr:8)

'Slay ye Jocephor casthim ant to some untnown) lud' thatsotbefavor

aiiril-rmri -", J o* toyoudw: clb€fewillbe irncenmgb)c

youo be rigbtcottsaftcr&lt!'

(Yruttr:9)

4l



- 3. No to panic during an adversity or calamity and tokj"p calm and patient with a strong

-Uetiefin

destiny.

Tbey stained his shirt with false blood. He said: nNay,but your minds havemade up a tale (thet 6sy pass) with you, (for me) patience is most fiCing:against that which ye assert, t is Allah (alone) whosehelp can be sought."

(Yusuf: 18)

4. Peopleevaluat€ mattersfrom different points of view

depending upon their different backgrounds andmentalities.

nTbe(Br€threo)oldhim or amis€rablence, fora fewdirhamsormtedout in such low estimation did they hold him!'

(Yusuf:20)

This was the view held by the people of the cruavan,but the ong who bought him in Egypt realized his

value and virtue.

Themm in Egyptwhoborghthim, said ohis wife: Makchis stay amotrgus)honouraUe: aybehewil b'ring smrrch oodorweshalladopt im

as I son.t

(Yusnf:21)

5. Being chasle when there is a strong call to respond othe animalistic sexual instincts in the pres6nceofenticing and tempting factors.

Butsben whose ouse cwas,soughtoseduceimandsheast€nedhedoors. ndsaid:Nowoome,'HesairfnAllahforbid!Tnrly(thyhusband)

l!|

42



my o'd!Hemademysojnurnffi::lflv

tonogoodonehose ho

(Yusuf:23)

6. Not to rush into making or issuing judgemental

statementJ,-buio delibeiate he matterand turn it

6;iA; a";nGliti t"aching a verdict for a final

decision.

Sowhcnhesawhicshirt'-ftatiswastcnatthebck,-(herhrrsbond)88id:tsehold! It is a snse of you womeo!Tnrly' migbty is you snrcln

(Yusuf:28)

"oJoscph,asshis vcr!offHj?fJfess fc thvsi!'fq trulv

(Yud:29)

7. ObeyingAllah durlngProsPerity' j:1rrrrg^ltAllah' 'autihg-*i

"dt;;itf,

'anc'havihgassunancef the

divine positiverygPg$eeven f dElayedarethetraig

of a delievingMuslim'

Hc said 'omy Lord!Thprigmis dcarcrtomyliking$mrtbdtyF h

,t V ""ir. -i unlcss-Tdt orn awey hcir mar frm mc' I should cd

inclincd towards tco andoin theranksd tbc grcrant"

(Yttsuf:33)

Heseid."I oaly compleinof my distrrtion aodanguisho Allah' and

know irm Allahthat whichye loow not''

(Yusd: t6)

8. Calling peopleto the path of Allah whenever he

43



opportunitl presents tself by acting as a goodexample ndusingstrongandcolnvincinfargument.

"Omy two companions, f theprr:T! (I askyou):Are meny ads differiagamong hemselves etter,or Allah fte one, s'rpreme and rrestiHet"

(Ynsuf:39)

wharcver yeworshipapart rom Him is nothingbut nomeswhich yehavenmed, yeandyo'fathers, - for whichAlah haths€ntdownno*o-ity,thecommod is fc nme butAltah: Heharhcmmaded ttat ye worsbip

nonebut Him: tbx is theright religim, butnoot me' rmderstednot "(Ynsd:40)

9. Tolerance,goodcharacterand giving fulr advicetowhoeverhasconsulted ou.

But themanwhohadbeen cleased, e of thetwo (whohadb€e,,nprison)and whonow renemberredim dtcr (so ongl asprce?ri_", oia,

I will tell you tbetuth of its interpretatio; ,.oa y". ttt ofor"1,,(Ynsnf:45)

'o Jccph!' Expound o us(thedrcan) of sev€nat tirc whm seveoeeon€s&vour, ud of sev€og€cn carsof cornud (sevco)orhers it"*a,

rh{ | 6ay p0rrn to the people,ad ttat theymayknow.n

Yunf:46)

Joseph espondedo his former companionwithoutharshnessor -reprimanding,even thouch thecompani-on failad to menti6nJosepho tir'rn"rt",

sooner. oseph designed planr- ti."Lni-ririi*

t"deatwith h6 comrnsventil;;;;liffl""*lonot chockhim. MorSover ris wordsto-tirlotir"oafterfacingthem:

4



Hesaid: This day et no reproachbe(cas$ myou:Allah will forgiveyou,and He is the Most Merciful d thosewho showmercv!tr

Susuf:9)

10. The practicalchallengeof a Muslim to othersupon:uisurancef his truthfulness nd nnocence nd hathe s the holder of truth.

Sothe king said:nBringyehim rmtome.nBut wh€n he messeirger ame ohim, (Jose,ph)aid:nGothou back to thy lord, md askhim rwhatwas hematterwith the adieswhocut their halds? Formy [-ord s certainlywell

awae of their snre.n(Ytuuf:50)

(Ihe ting) said(to the adies):"Whatwasyour affair whenyedid s€€k o

seduce oseph?" heladies said:

nAllah

pnes€rves! no evil know weagainst irn!nSaid he'Aziz'swife: 'Now is theuuthmenifesttoAll): itwas who sougbt o seduce im he s inde€dof thce whoare(ever) nre

md virhrous)."(Ynsuf:51)

I l. Beautify oneself with the best morals and qualifications.

nSotheking said:"Bri4g him unto me; I will takehim specially o serveaboutmy own person.n bereforewhenhe had spoken o him, he said: Be

assnredhis day thou rt of hgh studing with us, nvestodwith all trust."(Yusuf.54)

12. hesent your credentialsand introduceyourself ifsuitationsor circumstancesequirc t.

45



(Joseph) said: "Set me over the store-housesof the land: I am a good

keeper,knowledgeable' "

(Yusuf:55)

13.The necessityof accurateplans and turangements o

achieve he desiredand right objectives.

"And (Joseph) told his seraants o put their stock-in-trade (with which they

had bart€red) into their saddle-bags,so they should know it only when they

rehmed to tbeir people, in order that they might come back'u

(Yusuf:62)

So Joseph laced heir stock n their saddle-bagsosecurcheir return

14. It is important not to be carelessn dealingwithmattersbut to bepreparedand to takethenecessary

precautiens.t is dppiopriateo fulfillthemeaniqgof

iheold Siying:"Tieyoirrcameland rust n Allah."

Furtherhesaid:nOmy sons!Enteraot all by onegate:enteryeby different

gates.Not thx I canprolit youaugbtagainstAllah (with my advice):None-can

commandexceptAllah: onHim do I put my tnrst and et all tbattrust

put their tnrstm Him.n(Yusuf:67)

15.The recognizingwith humbleness nd confession hat

the knoilledse of a man is predestined by Allah'

And that all the kowledgeof a Persons nothing in

comparison o theknowledgeof Allah.

"Wben Joseph anained his full nanhood, We gave him power and

6



knowledge: hus do We reward hosewhodo right.n(Yusuf:22)

"...Weraise o degreesof wisdom)whomWeplease: ut over all enduedwith knowledges One, heAll-Knowing.'

(Yusuf:76)

16. The ideal kindness toward parents.

'Go with fis my shirt, andcast t over the aceof ny father:hewill come

to see clearly).Thencomeye (bere) o me togetherwith all yourfamily.n(Yusnf:93)

In Joseph'sosition owards is family, Allah says:

Thenwhen hey entercd hepnesencef Jos€ph,Hepovided ahme fq hisprents wift himsslf,and said:nEnteryeE$rpt (aU)h safety f it please

Allab.n(Yrunf. 99)

nADdhe raisodhis Fretrts bigh on the tbrme md tbey ell down n

Prostratiorl,all) befqe him.'

(Ynsttf: l0)

17. Acknowledging of the bounties of Allah and being

very gratefulevenduring preoccupationwith themandbeingpleasedwith Allah's decrees.

He said: O my father! tbis is Thc frtrlllmcnt o[ my vldon o[ oH! Allahhaft msde t cme Euc! Hewas nd€€dgood o mc wbenHetookmcout of

prisonod broughtyou (dl here)out of the&s€rt, (even)afler Sato h8dsownenmitybetweenne andmy brothers.Verily my Lcd is graciors

47



Allatt

towhm Hewillsfm verilyHe s full of knowledgendwisdom'(Yusuf:100)

18. The confessionof sin and seeking rePentance rom

Allah with the realization that infallibility is for

alone.

Said he 'Aljtz,swife: nNowis thetuth manifest to all); it was whosought

16s€duc€ im he s indeedof thosewho are(ever) nre(andvirnrous).

(Yusuf:5l)

Moreover, heconfession f Joseph's rothersafterhedivulged hesecretof histrue self to them.

They said:"By Allahl Ind€edhasAllah preferred heeaboveus, md we

c€rtainlyhavebeenguilty of sin!(Yusttr:91)

Peacebeupon he Muslim youthswhoabidegy--m"njunctionsand commindsof Allatr evCrywherendwho follow the IslamicLaw by applying ts teachings ndprinciplesat all times.

Finally, thishasbeena cunpry glq1ro nto SuraYusufas t hasbeen eiatedn the Holy Qut'an.

-Idon't claimthat t hascovered

all aspects f the story.It is impossibleor meor anyoneelse o

do s<i.For the Qur'a; is an is an inexhaustible pring.Hencesomescholarshave said: "The knowledgeof the scienceofTafsir or Commentarys sdll a deepsean which one needsodelve o hing out it irivaluableheasures nddeducets wondersand secrets.'

4t



The scholarsare still standingat its coastsipping from its-pure

sorins and never get satiatedlWho is able with his knowledge

i6"n!"'''p*s

the ilords of the All Mighty, our l-ord, the Exaltedin power? Who canperceive ts secreits, ts nuances,t miracles

or allegethat he has-reached erfection?

Successs from Allah. In Him alone I trust and to Him I turn in

repentance.

THEEND

49



R,EFERENCES

l. THE HOLY QIUR'AN:Text, EnglishTranslationof theMeaningsand Commentary,Revised& Edited by THEPRESIDENCYOF ISLAMIC RESEARCHES,FTA,CALLAND GUIDANCE.

2. Al-Moljam Al-Mufahras Li'Alfath Al-Qur'an(The indexeddictionary for Al-Qur'an expressions) y Moh'd FouaAMul-Bagi.

3. SafwatAl-Tafseerby Moh'dAli Al-Sabooni.

4. TayseerAl-Ali Al-GadeerLiTkhtisar Tafseer bn Katheerby Moh'd NaseebAl-Refa'i.

5. Al-Qassas l-Qur'aniby Adbul-KarimAl-Kateeb6. Al-ShababFi Sanatuhum l-Duwaliyyah Youth in their

InternationalYear)- An Article by MosaAl-Samadi n theJordanianOpinion Newspaer.

7. Al-ShababFi Al-Turath Al-Islami (YouthIn The IslamicCulture) yAl-GhazaliHarbAn(ArticlenAl-DarahMagazine-No.3, Year 0).

50



APOLOGY

I apologize for not mentioning the referenceswithin thisdoiumeit. This is due to the fact that my work here was

intended to be given as a lecture (and not as ^apublished

document).Howev?r, I have ndicatedabovethe references've

used.These referencesshare he credit for the work I've done

here.

Dr. MahmoodShakirSaeed

51



f'Ul gLdJ$CJg"i

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g.r*Joll il.ft! .tJti

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.t|l.nffg 6gs.rlJ Li_ b.3Jf1,rlts'alfJIJdF s.3

t*o+lf ar3r'.. rfJ4J.J.Jth

a model for muslim youth in the story of joseph (yusuf)

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