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Beautiful Patience: Tafseer of Surah Yusuf

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IntroductionDefinitions and History

Tafsr

Linguistic Meaning:

Tafsrcomes fromfas-sa-ra, yu-fas-si-ru, which means to make something clear, or to open

or to explain, interpret or comment. E.g. the Prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallam said, Asfiru

bil fajr which could mean Dont pray until its clear outside, (darkness has gone) or pray

until its clear (i.e. dont pray a short fajr so that when youre done, the sky is still dark).

Technical (ShariMeaning; the usage in technical or Islamic terms):

Technically, the science of Tafsr is a branch of knowledge in which the meanings of the Qurnare explained and its injunctions and wisdoms are described openly and clearly. This is why

tafsr is such a prestigious branch of study, because we are explaining and studying the word of

Allh. [We sent them] with clear proofs and written ordinances. And We revealed to you the message that you

may make clear to the people what was sent down to them and that they might give thought.

(An-Nahl, 44)

Therefore the purpose of the Prophets is to convey tawhd, to recite to us, and to teach and

clarify the Qurn and not to leave it to us to decide how to apply it according to our own

whims and desires. This is why Prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallamsSunnah is called Al

ikmah.The ikmah refers to putting the verses in their rightful places by seeing howProphet allallhu alayhi wa sallam applied them. Theres a huge difference between learning

theory and seeing it in practice. He would not only teach them but stay with them and interact

with, and thats how they learned from him. This is why when Aishawas asked about

Prophets demeanor, she said he was a walking Qurn.

Certainly did Allah confer [great] favor upon the believers when He sent among them a Messenger

from themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them and teaching them the Book and


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wisdom, although they had been before in manifest error.

(AlImran,164)

Allh says the job of the Prophets is to recite the verses. This is what some people nowadays

believe in: they reject ahadth and the authority of the Sunnah because they dont want to

follow Islm the way it should be followed. They want to change it and will twistinterpretation of the Qurn to conform to their desires.

Sure enough, the Prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallam said, Let me not see you sitting

around [with a full stomach], comfortably on his couch, and making haram what Allh made

halal and make halal what Allh made haram

Why this description? To show that these will be people of the dunya. They want to follow

their whims and desires, and so they will interpret the Qurnaccording to their own

understandings. This is why the job of the prophets is not just to recite the revelations. Our

job is to learn the Qurn and put it into practice in our daily lives by following Prophetsexample.

There are different types of verses in the Qurn:

- There are verses which people know and are very clear.- There are verses who the Arabs, or those eloquent in the Arabic language, will

understand.

- There are verses which those of knowledge will understand.- There are verses which some people will understand and some will not, according to

level of knowledge.

- And there are some verses only Allh knows

It is He who has sent down to you, [O Muhammad], the Book; in it are verses [that are] precise -

they are the foundation of the Book - and others unspecific. As for those in whose hearts is


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Development of Tafsr:

Early generations of the ummah gave the science of tafsr a great deal of importance. In fact

it was the companions who initiated this science.Abdullah ibn Masud said: One of us would

learn 10 ayat and he would not pass them until he knew their tafsrand acted upon them.

Therefore, the best way to learn the Qurnis to take on a couple verses at the time to learn

them well and implement them before moving on to other verses. Why? Because it will be

either against you or for you. If you read it and follow it, it will help you and advocate for

you on the Day of Judgment. If you dont read it and/or fail to apply it, it will be against you

on the Day of Judgment. The companions not only studied the Qurnthis way but learned

from each other as well. They used to recite to each other, teach each other, ask each other,

etc. We should be doing the same. After Uhud, there were many martyrs, and the Prophet

allallhu alayhi wa sallam commanded the companions to dig graves large enough to bury

3 together, since it would have been too difficult to dig so many graves. They were buried

first according to how much Qurn they knew. This shows that the companions knew how much

each person had memorized,because they learned from each other and reminded each other toapply what they learned. We cant say the same for ourselves, because we dont learn

together. Abu Hurayrah was really hungry one day and asked Umar ibnl Khattab about a

verse, even though he knew the meaning. He asked, hoping Umar would notice his hunger

and invite him for dinner. But Umr didnt notice. The same happened with Abu Bakr until

Prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallam came and the Prophet knew he wanted food and took

him to the masjid. There, they all shared milk. Studying the Qurntogether brings our

hearts together.

Early works of Tafsr

- Tafsr of Abdullah ibn Masud: Theres not a single verse except that when it wasrevealed and under which circumstance it was revealed. If there were someone who

knew something I didn't, and I could ride to meet them, I would do so.This showshow serious he was about tafsr.

- Tafsr of Abdullah ibn Abbas (d. 68H)o One of the first of the mufassireen.o Had many students who collected his sayingso Was one of the most knowledgeable because of his closeness to the Prophet

) ) and the Prophet ( ) made dua for him.- Jami al Bayan fi Taweel al Qurnby Abi Jafar Muhammad ibn Jarir al Tabari (d. 310H)

o Considered Tafsr bil Mathur, i.e. it contained others opinions withappropriate chains.

o He really knew tafsr and history. His tafsr is about 36 volumes. But when hefinished, he said, I wanted to make 100 volumes but I have seen the

eagerness to learn has decreased.- Gharib al Qurnby Abu Bakr Muhammad ibn Aziz al Sijistani (d. 330H)


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o Gharib, means terminologies in the Qurn that werent well-knowno It clarifies and defines some words

- Bahr al Uloomby Abdul Layth Nasr ibn Muhammad al Samarqandi (d. 372H)o This is related to linguistic aspect of Qurn

- Mufarrad al Faadh al Qurnby Abi Qaasim Husayn al Maruf Bir Raagib al-Asbahaani(d. 560H)

Types of Tafsr

- Tafsr bil Mathur: this type of tafsir goes back to the source; it is tradition-based- Tafsr bil Ray: this type of tafsir is opinion-based.

o Guidelines for this type of tafsir: Must be based on principles of Islm The one performing it needs proper knowledge, because youre

technically signing on behalf of Allh; they still need to have proof for

their opinions Can only be relied upon if theres little else to rely on If there are discrepancies, tafsr bil mathur takes precedence.

- Sources for Tradition-based Tafsro Qurn: i.e.it clarifies itselfe.g. Surah Qadro Hadth: it is very common for the hadith to explain the Qurano Companions of the Prophet

We take from their understanding of the Quran because thecompanions were those who were living with Prophet allallhu

alayhi wa sallam when these verses were revealed so they knew when

and why it was revealed. And even if they misinterpreted a verse, the

Prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallam was thereto correct there

understanding.

o Tabioon They came after the generation of companions and learned from

them. Many learned from Abdullah ibn Abbas, Abdullah ibn Masud

and others well-versed in tafsrso they as good as learned from the

source.

o The Arabic language There were verses which some companions didnt know thevocabulary of, but when they heard Bedouins, speaking pure Arabic,

use the words, they would understand the proper usage. e.g. the word

fatara. One of the companions did not understand what it really

meant in the verse but later he saw two Bedouins use the word in a

dispute over a well, and then he realized it meant to originate.


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The last person whose Arabic we can take as a proof for understandingthe Quran is Imam Shafiee; after him, the scholars closed the door to

using Arabic later than his time because the language was changing.

Many words used before may have different connotations now so we

need to know Arabic language according to fus-ha Arabic.

- Opinion-based tafsr: this type of tafsr is based on reasoning and it includes allgroups of tafsr such as mystics, the mutazalites, the philosophers, the Shias, the

esoteric approach, the spiritual approach, the Sufi approach and others. There is

actually no basis that the Quran may beinterpreted this way and it is potentially

dangerous because when we say something, we have to have a basis for it. If its the

word of Allh, then we have to be extra cautious because its about His deen and

words.Someone before had to have mentioned what youve interpreted lest youimply that youve come up with a novel interpretation. The exception to this would

be in regards to details we understand more clearly in modern times due to advances

in technology, etc; e.g. the stages in the womb: the scholars before knew these verseswere about the womb but we know more about the actual stages scientifically.

o Some drawbacks or weaknesses. Interpreters using reason or opinion-basedtafsr were thought to risk grave error because: They ignored the background knowledge of linguistic facts, legal

principles, the facts of abrogation of certain Qurnic passages and the

accounts of the circumstances and reasons of revelation.

They ignored the context of the verses They considered only part of the evidence furnished by the context

and overlooked the rest. They interpreted the Qurnto support a particular doctrine, school of

thought, political party, or ideology.

They took into account only the lexicographical sense of obscurewords, ignoring the explanations of their meaning given by the

authorities who lived closer to the time of revelations. They isolated one meaning of several possible interpretations in order

to give undue emphasis either knowingly or unknowingly. They misapplied verses, even they knew better, simply because they

desired Qurnic justification for a warning or a teaching they wished

to emphasize. Ibn Taymiyyah critiques ideologically-oriented tafsrs sharply. He said

that this approach is used by people who believed in certain meanings

and wanted to identify them with those themes found in the Qurn.o Standards which the interpretations should follow:

Qurn is a text and therefore linguistic rules should apply to it as wellas all known language formula used.


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When we speak about the Arabic language present-day, thecompanions didnt have these rules formally butthey understood

them i.e. you dont need to know grammar to speak the language

perfectly. One of the last people whose speech can be used as evidence is Imam

As-Shafiee; after him, theres no one else who could meet the

standards of fus-ha The methodology of the Qurn itself, i.e. certain moods of

presentation of certain concepts, need to be taken into consideration The influence of the mufassir should be very limited; i.e: they should

use as many sources as possible, and someone trustworthy will

attribute what is said to those who said them.

Global literary advances should be considered in the interpretation. External factors and dubious sources like Israiliyyat should be filtered

out as that would render the tafsr subjective General concepts should be kept general, while details should be kept

detailed.

Knowing that every language has its limitations and like with anyother text, the author is on one side and the reader on the other side,

still the own opinions of the mufassireen should never be enforced on

a text.

Objective of the text is to be kept in mind throughout (focal points emphasis).

The starting point of the interpretation should always be on the textitself.

Famous Works of Tafsr

- Jami al Bayan fi Taweel al-Qurnby Abi Jafar Muammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d. 310H)

o Tafsir ibn Kathir is an abridged version of Tabaris- Tafsr al Qurn al Adheem by Abul FIdaa Ismaeel ibn Kathir ad-Dimishqi (d. 774 H)

o English version of this is one of the best books of tafsr available.- Jami Ahkam al Qurnwal Mubayyin limaa Tadammana min as-Sunnah wa Aay al-

Fruqaan by Muammad ibn Ahmad al Qurtubi (d. 671 H)- Al Durr al Manthur fi at-Tafsr bil Mathur by Jalaaluddeen AbduRahman ibn

Muammad as-Suyooti (d. 910 H)- Rooh al Maaani fi Tafsr al Qurnal Adheem was as-Sab al-Mathaani by As-Sayyid

Mahmood Afandi al Aloosi (d. 1269 H)

Qualificaitons of a Mufassir


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- Must have sincere intentions- Must have the correct aqdah- A pious heart- Knowledge of the religious sciences- Strong command of the language- Knowledge of history- Divine endowment from Allh

o Allh gives knowledge to those whom He wills


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Chapter : Stories in the uranTypes of Stories in the Qurn

About the prophets and messengers and what happened to their people

- These stories serve to help us relate and persevere, knowing that the prophets wentthrough harder tribulations. So it can also console us.

- About individuals or certain groups and what happened to them, e.g. Luqman, Maryam,Dhul Qurnayn, and the People of the Elephant

About the events at the time of the Prophet Muammad allallhu alayhi wa sallam

- Most of the stories in the Qurnare from the life of the Prophet allallhu alayhi wasallam.

- The most authentic source of the Seerah is the Qurn.- Studying the verses of the Qurn, studying the tafsr, and studying asbaab un-nuzul,

(the reasons and circumstances for a verses revelation) provides the best

understanding of the Seerah.

Purpose of the Stories

To teach hikmah

- ikmah means putting something in its proper place. Technically, this refers toknowing to say the right thing in the right situation, doing the right thing, etc.

- The Sunnah is ikmah because it is teaching the knowledge of the Qurnthe correctway. Its the application of the teaching of the Qurn. e.g. The stories of Prophets Ysuf

and Ayyb show us what it means to practice patience. And there has already come to them of information that in which there is deterrence - Extensive wisdom

- but warning does not avail [them].

(AlQamar,4-5)

To show the greatness of Allhs Justice

- The believers will always be victorious; Allh will not allow falsehood and injustice toprevail.


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And We did not wrong them, but they wronged themselves. And they were not availed at all by their

gods which they invoked other than Allh when there came the command of your Lord. And they did not

increase them in other than ruin.

(Hud, 101)

To give glad tidings to those who are grateful

- When you are grateful, Allh rewards you with the best in this life and the Hereafter.

Indeed, We sent upon them a storm of stones, except the family of Lot - We saved them before dawn Asfavorfrom us. Thus do We reward he who is grateful.

(AlQamar,34-35)

To entertain the Prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallam

- Meaning, to console him. Surah Ysuf was revealed during the Year of Sorrow, theworst time of the Prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallams life.

- The Prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallam was asked by Aisha radiAllahu anha if thehardest day of his life was the day of Uhud. The Prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallam

sustained multiple injuries, so much so that he couldnt pray standing up, but prayed

sitting. But he said no, the hardest day of his life was being expelled by the Quraysh and

being humiliated at Taif.

- This is why, when he entered Makkah again, he recited a verse from Surah Ysuf.To increase the faith of the believers

- So we should let Surah Ysufstrengthen us in the same manner.- The best way to remind and teach people is through stories.- If you plainly advise, the other person may only be focused on giving their rebuttals.

But with a story, you teach a person without him/her realizing it.


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And We have already sent messengers before you to theirpeoples, and they came to them with clear

evidences; then We took retribution from those who committed crimes, and incumbent upon Us was

support of the believers.

(ArRum,47)

To warn the disbelievers

Have they not traveled through the land and seen how was the end of those before them? Allh

destroyed [everything] over them, and for the disbelievers is something comparable. (Muammad, 10)

- There used to be entire civilizations that were destroyed because of their disobedience,regardless of how advanced they were. So, if current civilizations take the same course,

one can expect the same results.

To strengthen the message of the Prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallam

That is from the news of the unseen which We reveal to you, [O Muhammad]. You knew it not, neither

you nor your people, before this. So be patient; indeed, the [best] outcome is for the righteous.

(Hd, 49)

- Allhpoints out the details in His stories as details the Prophet ( )couldnt possibly know without Allhs help.

The Backdrop: A Background of Surah Yusuf


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According to some scholars, this surah was revealed in the 10th year of Prophethood in

Makkah. This year was also known as Aaml Huzn or the year of grief because the Messenger

of Allh allallhu alayhi wa sallamexperienced the loss of two most beloved individuals: his

uncle, Abu Talib and his wife, Khadija. The Messenger was both psychologically and physically

grieved. With the passing away of his two closest supporters, the corporeal and verbal torture

by his own nation and tribe members accelerated. Hence, this surah came as a relief and glad-

tidings to the Messenger of Allh allallhu alayhi wa sallam.

It is also reported in some narrations that Jews wanted to test the Messenger of Allh allallhu

alayhi wa sallam; hence, they instigated some disbelievers of the Quraysh to enquire about the

Prophet Muammad allallhu alayhi wa sallam about the motive behind the migration of the

family of Yaqub, i.e. the Israelites from Holy Land (Jerusalem) to Egypt. Since the Jews denied

the prophethood of the Messenger of Allh allallhu alayhi wa sallam despite clear signs, this

question was put forth because they knew that Arabs were unaware of this narrative, so the

Messenger of Allh allallhu alayhi wa sallam could not possibly acquire this knowledge fromanywhere. Contrary to their expectations, Allh revealed the whole story of the Prophet

Joseph then and there, and the Messenger of Allh allallhu alayhi wa sallam recited it on the

spot.


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Chapter 2: The Story of YusufThe Exposition: Opening Statements; 1-3

Verse 1 1. Alif, Lm, R. These are the verses of the clear Book.

Allh starts this Surah with the letters Alif, Lam, Ra. What do these letters mean? The scholars

of Islam have differed over what their meanings are.

- Some are of the opinion that these letters have been revealed and we do not knowwhat the meanings are.

- Some have interpreted their meaning.Ibn 'Abbas said, concerning Allah's saying, Exalted is He, (Alif. Lam. Mim): 'Alif stands for Allh, Lam for

the Archangel Gabriel (Jibreel) and Meem for Muhammad.

[Tafsir Al-FayroozAbadi]

oHowever, this is a weak narration, and as such, we do not have anysubstantial proof to tell us what these letters really mean.

- Some scholars have said these letters are a challenge to the Arabs. Alif, Lam, Raa. Intotal there are 14 letters that have been mentioned at the beginning of Suwar. The

Arabic language consists of 28 main letters. Some of the scholars say these are

letters that are familiar to us and that form our speech and languages. This Quran

is also composed of these letters that we use but it is not the same as our speech!

These letters are a challenge in that Allh has used 14 of them and He challenges us

to bring forth a chapter or verse similar to the Quran from the remaining 14.

o The proof for this is that every time Allh speaks about or mentions theseletters, He speaks about the Quranimmediately afterwards.

For example: () ()


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1. Alif-Lm-Mm. 2. This is the Book (the Qur'n),(Surahl-Baqarah, 1-2) : The word for verse, ayaah, means a sign or miracle. Every verse of the Quran is a

miracle. If you know Arabic, then you know that these verses are from Allh. Those who heard

them were shocked and in awe. Even the same verse, heard many times before, can still strike

you if you reflect upon it. Imagine how this must have been for the people for whom this was

a part of their language. How can we understand this? Imagine you have a basket of marbles

and you throw it into the air and they all fall into place to form the perfect image of your

house. What are the chances of that? If this was on YouTube, it would go viral; people would

say you faked it. If it was real theyd call it a miracle. If it happened just once, perhaps it would

be considered a miracle. Say you do it again and this time the marbles form into the shape of

your car. This would be superhuman, impossible. That is what the revelation of the Quran was

like for verse after verse. People would sneak at night to listen to the recitation of the Prophet

allallhu alayhi wa sallameven though they did not believe in the message. Many peopleembraced Islam as soon as they heard the Quran. They knew immediately that this could not

have been created by a human. :Al kitaabis that which is collected and put together. The Quran here is referred to asthe clear Book. : Al kitaab al mubeenclarifies what is halal and haram, tawheed, how to worshipAllh, the stories of the past that the people did not know, as well as information regarding thefuture.

Verse 2 2. Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an that you might understand.

Scholars have used this verse to prove that Allh is above His throne, above the heavens sincethe Quran itself was sent down from above. How then do we reconcile this with the following

Hadith that He descends in the last third part of the night?

Abu Huraira narrates that Allah's Apostle said, When it is the last third of the night, our Lord, the

Blessed, the Superior, descends every night to the heaven of the world and says, 'Is there anyone who

invokes Me (demand anything from Me), that I may respond to his invocation; is there anyone who asks

Me for something that I may give (it to) him; is there anyone who asks My forgiveness that I may forgive


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him?

[Sahihl Bukhari]

We affirm about Allh what He affirms for Himself. If He says He has a Face, He has one that is

appropriate for His Magnificence. Is it like ours? No. If He says He has hands, are they like

ours? Are our hands like those of a clock? They are not the same. Allh can hear us right nowas well as everyone on the other side of the planet. If we are listening to one person and

another begins talking to us, we would get confused. When we say He is above and descends,

He can do so; He can be above and descend at the same time. If Allh uses phrases and words to

describe Himself, we affirm them. Moreover, every creation of Allh knows Allh is above

them whether they attest to it or not. When one says, Oh my God! their naturally raise their

hands/ heads to the sky. : The word kitaabis different from Quran. When the Quran was revealed it was not abook. Quran,itself, means to recite. The collecting or putting together isnt necessarilyphysical. Takattabajaysh: when the army is scattered and the trumpet is blown so troops come

together; all the ideas come together to form a kitaab.

When tafsir is done, first of all one looks at the words of Allh and tries to look for an

explanation from the Quran. Next, the ahadith from the Prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallam

explaining the verse, are explored. Next, one looks to the Companions, for if they applied it

incorrectly during the lifetime of the Prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallam, he would have

corrected them. After that you look at the linguistics, the Arabic language itself, because the

Quran was revealed in Arabic. Hutfor one Prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallam meant whale,

yet for Musa, en route to Khidr, it meant fish. You have to go back to theirlanguage. Thus,

there is value the fact that the Quran is in Arabic. It was sent down in the language of the

people. : Taqiloonmeans to reflect and understand. Language itself is subject to change overtime. This can be due to a variety of reasons including the changes in language from region to

region or due to economic trading. The Quran was revealed to the Prophet allallhu alayhi

wa sallam in Arabic so that the people could understand it. Some scholars say it is makruh to

hang up verses of the Quran as decoration as this is an act of disrespect. The Quran is a book

that is meant to be recited, reflected upon, applied, and appreciated but not as an adornment.

Verse 3


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3. We relate to you, [O Muhammad], the best of stories in what We have revealed to you of this Qur'an

although you were, before it, among the unaware.

Allh calls this the best of stories. : The word qasasmeans to go back and retrace what has occurred.Qisasare stories thatcan be true or false; qasasare stories that are true. Allh relates to us that the story of Yusuf is

true.

In order to understand a verse correctly we need something called asbaab an nuzool, the

context or circumstance of the revelation of particular verses.

"They said, `O, Allah's Messenger! Why not narrate to us stories' Later on, this Ayah wasrevealed, We relate unto you the best of stories...''

[Al-Albani]

Allh says that before this revelation the Prophet Muhammad allallhu alayhi wa sallam was

amongst those who were al ghaafireen, those were unaware. Before this revelation, the story of

Yusuf was not known to them. This story is also in the Bible as the story of Joseph, howevernot in such detail or magnitude.

Reflections

1. The majority opinion of scholars regarding the meaning of the miraculous letters isthat this is known only to Allh.

2. Allh called the Quran the Book though it was not an actual book.3. The Quran is clear guidance from Allh.4. Allh addresses the Arabs and said to them so thatyou may understand.5. Allh favored Arabic over other languages.6. The greatest blessing Allh can give to anyone is Islam. The greatest blessing is to be a

Prophet and Messenger.


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7. Allh only tells the best of stories.8. The Quran is for those who reflect.9. The Prophet of Allh did not know the story of Yusuf before Allh blessed him with

revelation.

The Plot: Yusuf and His Brothers; 4-6

Attention!

Imagine: Prophet Yusuf and his father were in a desert. A young boy approached his father.

This scene immediately captures the readers attention. Remember when Allh said that this is

the best of stories. Those who narrate stories have taken their lessons from the Quran. Some

stories, or movies, may begin with a scene but you dont understand. Perhaps someone guy isrunning and is being gunned down. Who is this? What is going on? Sometimes there is a

violent scene, a murder and a person you do not know with a scar on his face who just

disappears. You do not know what is happening but you are captivated and as you continue to

watch, things begin to make sense.

Verse 4 4. [Of these stories mention] when Joseph said to his father, "O my father, indeed I have seen [in a dream]

eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw them prostrating to me." : Look at how Allh informs us of Prophet Yusufs manners towards his father, hedoesnt say, Ya Baba! Rather, he says Ya abati or O my father!which indicates respect

and politeness.

The description of stars, the sun, and the moon prostrating to a person is something strange

and, thereby, grabs your attention. Notice also that I saw is repeated. Some scholars say

there is an implied meaning in that when Yusuf told his father the dream his father may have

asked of him what he saw next and Yusuf answered him.


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Verse 5

5. He said, "O my son, do not relate your vision to your brothers or they will contrive against you a plan.

Indeed Satan, to man, is a manifest enemy.Someone once asked who is the most noble among the people and the Messenger of Allh replied: The

kareem is ibn Kareem ibn Kareem ibn Kareem, a noble, son of a noble, son of a noble, son of a noble Yusuf

ibn Yaqub ibn Ishaq ibn Ibrahim the friend of the Most Merciful the exalted .

[Tirmidhi]

Prophet Yusuf is the son of Prophet Yaqub, son of Prophet Ishaq, son of Prophet Ibrahim .

Prophet Yaqubs nickname was Israil. It is also known about Yusuf that he was given half the

beauty of mankind; the other half of beauty was distributed amongst the rest of us.: Both father and son had such endearing manners. Yaqub called his son Ya bunaya orO my little son, which is a form of kindness. It is a form of the word that makes it smaller in

order to make it more endearing. Through this example, we see that we should speak to

children in a kind waya way in which we wish to be addressed.

Prophet Yaqub knew, upon hearing this dream, that it was something good. Dreams are the

first stage of revelation of Prophets. He warned his son against sharing this with his brothers

as they will plot against him. Yaqub had an understanding of dreams as well as the character

of people.

There are different types of dreams. Some are from Allah, some are from Shaytan, and others

are from our nafs, our subconscious. If a dream is from Allh, you will remember it and it will

have an effect on you. If a dream is related to fear of the Hereafter and it pushes you to do

good, then it may be from Allh. If a dream has calamities occurring in this life then this is

from Shaytan; do not let this stop you from going about your daily life because the Shaytan is

trying to scare you. Seek refuge with Allh and do not share it with others. The third type of

dream is a dream from the subconscious, which is simply related to the things on your mind;

most people have these dreams and do not remember them.

Can a person learn about the future through dreams? Not necessarily as one can never be 100%

sure the dream was from Allh, let alone entirely from Him, until it happens. Prophets,


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however, only have true dreams, i.e., dreams that are from Allh. The more truthful you are

the more truthful your dreams will be.

The Prophetallallhu alayhi wa sallam said whoever is more truthful in their speech the more truthful

their dreams will be.

(Abu Dawud)

When it comes to interpreting dreams there are some patterns and symbolism (such as

swimming signifying knowledge or nakedness symbolizing onesdeen). However, real dream

interpretation requires someone with the talent, the gift; it is not something that can be

taught, picked up, or learned. Dreams should only be shared with those one really trusts as

they may spur jealousy. Jealousy is when one desires something another has in such a way

they wish the person did not have that blessing.

: Some scholars say that the last part of this ayah, IndeedSatan, to man, is a manifest enemy, is a continuation of what Prophet Yaqub said to ProphetYusuf. Others say it is Allh speaking to us. Shaytan is any person or jinn that is disobedient to

Allh and/or calls to disobedience to Allh. Shaytan is not a name; it is a description, and the

leader of the Shayateen is Iblis. The jinn are invisible and it is impossible for us to see them in

their natural form; they are made of fire so they can take any form. Shayateen are dangerous,

especially the jinn amongst the shayateen as they have powers and are our enemies. The

lesson in the jinn being invisible is that although they can affect or attack us from where we

cannot see them, we seek help and refuge with Allh who sees all things. Prophet Yaqub

warned his son that if the dream is shared, Shaytan will whisper to his brothers, arousing their

jealousy, and they will plot against him.

Verse 6

6.And thus will your Lord choose you and teach you the interpretation of narratives and complete His

favor upon you and upon the family of Jacob, as He completed it upon your fathers before, Abraham and

Isaac. Indeed, your Lord is Knowing and Wise."


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Allh gave Prophet Yusuf the knowledge of interpretation of dreams and completed His favors

upon him through giving him prophethood as well.

Indeed Allh is All-Knowing and Wise with the blessings He has bestowed upon people. There

should be no jealousy because this is what Allh had decreed.

Reflections

Allh says that Surah Yusuf is the best of stories. Scholars say this is so because it encompasses

a variety of essential topics including aqeedah, societal problems, travelers, the home, family,

plots, lust, passion, women gossiping, father and child relationships, jealousy in households,

kings, slaves, droughts, hunger, and so on i.e. all the elements that make a story good and

intriguing.

The Plot: Yusuf and His Brothers (Continued); 7-10

Verse 7 7. Certainly were there in Joseph and his brothers signs for those who ask

Allh does not say that there are ayaatfor those who reflect. He says there are ayaatfor those

who ask. If we want to know the story, its very clear.This is proof of the Messengersprophethood because, being unlettered, he could not have read any previous scriptures, nor

are such details found in other stories.

Verse 8

8. When they said, "Joseph and his brother are more beloved to our father than we, while we are a clan.

Indeed, our father is in clear error.

In these ayaat, Yusufsbrothers are talking about him and his brother, Bin Yamin. Bin Yamin

may also be referred to as Benjamin in the book of the Israeeliyaat; however, we do not know


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for sure. Prophet Yaqub had more than one wife; Yusuf and Benyamin were born from the

same mother.

It is not wrong to love one child more than others, since this is an emotion, but it is wrong to

be unjust to them. If you give something to one child, you must give something of similar value

to the others as well.

Nu'man b. Bashir reported that his mother bint Rawaha asked his (Nu'man's) father about donating some

gifts from his property to his son. He deferred the matter by one year, and then set forth to do that. She

(Nu'man's mother) said: I shall not be pleased unless you call Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)

as witness to what you confer as a gift on your son. (Nu'man said): So father took hold of my hand and I

was at that time a boy, and came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). And said: Allah's

Messenger, the mother of this son (of mine), daughter of Rawaha wishes that I should call you witness to

what I confer as gift to her son. Allah's Messenger (may pease be upon him) said: Bashir, have you any

other son besides this (son of yours)? He said: Yes. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Have you given gifts to all

of them like this? He said: No. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Then call me not as witness, for Icannot be witness to an injustice.

(Muslim)

It is clear to the brothers that Yusuf and Bin Yamin are the most beloved to their father; they

thought they as a group could benefit their father more. They felt their father was not being

just to them due to his love of Yusuf and Bin Yamin. When your kids feel you are being unjust,

they are more likely to be disobedient. Prophet Yaqub did not treat his children unfairly;

however, you cannot control your heart.

Verse 9

9. Kill Joseph or cast him out to [another] land; the countenance of your father will [then] be onlyfor you, and you will be after that a righteous people."

Jealousy can make a person think irrationally. In this case, one of the brothers said that they

should kill Yusuf in order to cause their father to turn his attention towards them. They did

not focus their efforts on Bin Yamin because he was very young, probably still a toddler, so the

enmity against him was not as great. The actions of the brothers show that just because a

person is pious, this does not necessitate that their children will be pious as well; Allh can test

us. We can ask Allh to put blessings in our children if not, they could be the cause of our


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grief. Allh blesses this way, then children can be of help and put joy into the hearts of their

parents. It is important to ask Allh to place barakah, or blessings, upon our families and

children.

This plotting is from the tricks of shaytan. Shaytan will make you feel better about doing

something, convincing you that it is okay, and that you would never do such a thing again. Ifyou have not yet committed the sin, then dont do it with the intention to change after. Simply

just do not commit the sin.

The brothers do not achieve their goal because Yaqub never stops thinking about Yusuf

even after the passing of many years. One cannot please Allh by doing something that is

displeasing to Him, e.g. building a masjid by taking a mortgage that has interest on it. While

the goal of increasing their fathers love is not inherently evil,the ends do not justify the

means. However, there are some exceptions, such as lying to bring together two people who

have a grudge against each other.Umm Kulthum daughter of 'Uqba b. Abu Mu'ait, and she was one amongst the first emigrants who

pledged allegiance to Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him), as saying that she heard Allah's

Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: A liar is not one who tries to bring reconciliation amongst

people and speaks good (in order to avert dispute), or he conveys good. Ibn Shihab said he did not hear

that exemption was granted in anything what the people speak as lie but in three cases: in battle, for

bringing reconciliation amongst persons and the narration of the words of the husband to his wife

(Muslim)

Verse 10

10. Said a speaker among them, "Do not kill Joseph but throw him into the bottom of the well;some travelers will pick him up - if you would do [something]."

Some of the scholars say that the speaker in this verse is the eldest brother. He was the eldestand felt more responsibility towards Yusuf. We know that it was the eldest because later on,

Allh again mentions them speaking to each other, but this time, He mentions what the eldest

says because, in that context, he was suggesting something good. Here, Allh does not mention

who makes the suggestion, and that is an etiquette we should learn from: when we mention

someonesevil, do not attribute it to them. The Prophet would never criticize people by name,

rather, he would say: What is wrong with those who say such and such.


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The eldest brother was aware of the conviction that his brothers had in their willingness to kill

their own brother, Yusuf. He tried to convince them otherwise but since they wouldnt listen,

he recommended an alternative to murder: leaving him in a well. In our shariah,if a sin

cannot be avoided altogether, pick between the lesser of the two evils. He was thinking about

Yusufs well-being when he suggested the well.

: In this ayah, al jubbis a well whose hole gets bigger towards the bottom. Someof the scholars have said that this particular well was just a hole in the ground; not the type of

well with the pulley that brings the bucket up and down. And it was a well outside of the town

meant for travelers; leaving him in a well inside the town wouldnt make sense because

someone would find him and bring him home. A well would also offer protection to Yusuf that

leaving him in the desert wouldnt. He would have water and be protected from the elements,

as well as from any wild beasts. :Al Sayyaarahmeans traveling back and forth on a regular basis; usually done bymerchants going back and forth between the routes due to their trade.


Verse 11

11. They said, "O our father, why do you not entrust us with Joseph while indeed, we are to him

sincere counselors?

Yaqub loved Yusuf so much that they were always together; he never let him out of his sight.

The very thought of separating was painful.

: In this verse, the brothers say inna- indeed, they are sincere counselors to him. In theArabic language there are no punctuation marks for emphasis; instead, this is incorporatedinto the language itself. Emotions are inherently included in the Arabic language. For

example, in this verse, the grammar makes it as though there are at least three exclamation

points at the end of it.


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:This word is read with AlIshmam, which is indicated by the little diamond on top presentin most mus-haf. AlIshmam is that we make the circle of the nun with our lips it isnt heard

in the recitation but we make the circle because Rasulullah did it. This is how careful the

companions were in conveying the words and actions of Rasulullah. It is as if they brothers areuckering up lips to convey the extent of their sincerity and love for Yusuf.

In this verse, the word naseehahmeans sincerity. Although they had evil inclinations, they

claimed they only have good intentions for Yusuf.

Verse 12 12. Send him with us tomorrow that he may eat well and play. And indeed, we will be his

guardians.

What is it that the brothers wanted from Yaqub? : Yarta means to go out or to go out and eat, andlaibis to play. They want theirfather to send Yusuf to eat and play with them, i.e. they want to have a picnic. Again the

indeed here is used with emphasis; they also say we consistently to show they can be

trusted; that they will definitely take good care of him.

Verse 13

13. [Jacob] said, "Indeed, it saddens me that you should take him, and I fear that a wolf would eathim while you are of him unaware."

The probability of Yusuf being eaten by a wolf is very slim so it may not have been the case

that Prophet Yaqub was really concerned about wolves it is a flimsy excuse but he mentions

it to give himself an excuse why he shouldnt let Yusuf go. Some scholars have interpreted this

as fear of the brothers harming him. Islamically, accusations should not be based on the

intentions of others. It is not our job to look at the intentions of people. Yaqub did not want to


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hurt his sons or make them feel uncomfortable by saying that he did not trust them, nor did he

lie as the possibility of being eaten by a wolf did exist, however minimal.

Verse 14 14. They said, "If a wolf should eat him while we are a [strong] clan, indeed, we would then be

losers."

They tried to address and ease their fathers concerns. How could a wolf eat him while he

would be protected by being in a large group with them? They were trying to reassure him

that they would bring Yusuf back safely.

The brothers were not aware of Yusufs dream; the plots they made were motivated by hasad,or jealousy. Jealousy occurs when you see someone else blessed with something and you want

them to no longer have that blessing; sometimes you want that blessing for yourself. It is

something that destroys good deeds. A Muslim should not be jealous of another; if Allh

wanted you to have something, you would have been given it. When you see someone has

something good make du'aa that Allh blesses him. Say mashaAllaah, la howla wala quwata illa

billah; meaning: it is the will of Allh (the blessing is from Him), there is no power except that it

is from Allh. We are taught to always seek the blessings of Allh, which is part of the beauty of

Islam because while shaytan and our nafs steer us towards sin, Islam steers us away from it.

Envy can have very serious repercussions:

''Amir ibn Rabia saw Sahl ibn Hunayf doing a ghusl and said, 'I have not seen the like of what I see today,

not even the skin of a maiden who has never been out of doors.' Sahl fell to the ground. The Messenger of

Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was approached and it was said, 'Messenger of Allah,

can you do anything about Sahl ibn Hunayf? By Allah, he can not raise his head.' He said, 'Do you suspect

anyone of it?' They said, 'We suspect Amir ibn Rabia.' " He continued, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah

bless him and grant him peace, summoned Amir and was furious with him and said, 'Why does one of you

kill his brother? Why did you not say, "May Allah bless you?" Do ghusl for it.' Amir washed his face,

hands, elbows, knees, the end of his feet, and inside his lower garment in a vessel. Then he poured it over

him, and Sahl went off with the people, and there was nothing wrong with him."(Malik)

You may have a beautiful car yet be envious of a luxury car though there are people who do

not even have means of transportation. They can't even dream of carsthey have a dream

bicycle! Think of the people who have less than you. This will help you to be grateful and

appreciative of Allhs blessings.


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It is permissible to be jealous of two types of people provided we are jealous without wishing

for the blessing to be detracted from them:

1. One who knows the Quran and recites it day and night,2.

Someone who Allh blesses with wealth who spends it in the way of Allh.

Verse 15

15. So when they took him [out] and agreed to put him into the bottom of the well... But Weinspired to him, "You will surely inform them [someday] about this affair of theirs while theydo not perceive [your identity]." : Ajmaoocomes from ijmaa, consensus, which means to agree on something. Allh does

not give details of the event occurring here but some books of tafseer say that Yusuf

approached them individually reminding them. The brothers had to find a particular remote

well in which to put Yusuf. This would allow him to survive in the desert since he would have

access to a supply of water. It was a well that was large enough so that he would not drown in

it nor would he be able to escape on his own. In the case that he was found or seen, it would

not be by their townspeople. Lastly, the brothers did not want him dead, rather they wanted

him far removed from their father in the hopes that Yusuf would eventually be forgotten. : While Yusuf was alone and scared in the well, Allh sent him wahy, or revelation, tocomfort him. This does not necessitate prophethood (e.g. the mother of Prophet Musa was

inspired, too, yet she is not a Prophetess). There are a few promises embedded in this message.

Since Allh tells Yusuf that he will later tell his brothers about what they did, this shows that

he will not die from this ordeal. His brothers will not realize or recognize him shows that hisstatus will be elevated well beyond theirs. Despite having committed such a crime against him,

Yusuf will still wish to speak with them and bring their family back together.



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Verse 16 16.And they came to their father at night, weeping.

The brothers returned to their father at night when the horizon was no longer red, at Isha time. They

were well aware of their fathers acute sense of perception. They knew that, had they come sooner,

their father would be able to detect their lies just from their faces. So they came all together when it

was dark crying their crocodile tears in an effort to show sincerity in what they were about to explain. .

A person cries when he knows that whatever happens or what he wants is out of his control,

and this is the last resort. They break down and cry because this is the last weapon they have.

That is why crying does not nullify beautiful patience. It does not mean that you dont have

patience. In fact, the opposite is true. When youre crying and supplicating to Allh, it is as if

you are saying you have no one else but Allah. It is an indication of your ikhlas and tawhid

you are not asking anyone else but Allh.

Prophet Yaqub cries and cries until he loses his sight. He is not just patient, he is beautifully

patient and his patient is beautiful. It is a complete patience in that he turned to Allh alone in

his calamity.

Verse 17

17. They said, "O our father, indeed we went racing each other and left Joseph with ourpossessions, and a wolf ate him. But you would not believe us, even if we were truthful."

The brothers used Yaqubsfear of wolves as they narrate their story. They said they went

racing, which tells us that it is permissible to race, even with your wife as the Prophet did so

with Aaisha.

Aisha: "I went out with the Prophet on a journey. At that time I was a young girl and was quite slender.The Prophet told the people 'Go on ahead,' so they went ahead, then he said to me, 'Come, let us have a

race.' So I raced with him, and I won. He let the matter rest until I had gained weight. Later, Iaccompanied him on another journey. He told the people, 'Go on ahead,' so they went ahead. He said to

me, 'Come, and let us have a race.' So I raced with him, and he won. He began to laugh, and said, 'This is


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for that."'(Ahmad)

Competition is good except when it incites negativity. It is good when no reward is being given

for the rewards may cause people to have negative thoughts about one another.

The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: There should be no (money) prizes for

competitions except in archery, camel-racing and horse-racing.

(At-Tirmidhi, al-Nasaai, Abu Dawood and Ibn Majaah)

Some of the scholars have said rewards are permissible if it is to advance knowledge because

that is also a type of jihad. However, there should not be any reward when people are

competing to recite the Quran. When people compete in Quran competitions they might be

happy when someone makes a mistake; that is not acceptable in Islam. Another issue that

arises with Quran competitions is that sometimes when a person loses he/she may get so

disheartened that he/she does not want to read the Quran anymore.

The brothers planned to kill Yusuf, but they were not smart enough to plan their answer for

Yaqub so they used the same answer he gave previously about a wolf eating Yusuf. What they

said indicates that they were not professional liars and they were generally good people, and

not used to lying or they would be better at it. So they say that they are lying but if they were

telling the truth, Yaqub would not believe them. They were the children of prophets but they

fell into the trap of Shaytan. This jealousy made them do this heinous crime. And this is one of

the proofs for the opinion that they were not prophets, i.e. because of their actions, and this is

the stronger opinion.

Verse 18

18.And they brought upon his shirt false blood. [Jacob] said, "Rather, your souls have enticed youto something, so patience is most fitting. And Allah is the one sought for help against that

which you describe."

The brothers committed a crime. No one commits a perfect crime; people will always forget

something and there are always clues left behind because there are so many variables. Usually

if a person lies, he/she will have to lie even more to cover it up. In Islam you are allowed to ask

questions to get the truth out but no torture is allowed.


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The Prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallamsent three emigrant leaders, Ali Ibn Abi Talib, az-Zubari Ibn al-

Awam and Sa'd Ibn Abi Waqqas to inquire about the location of the enemies. Two men were seen drawing

water from the wells of Badr. Upon question, they admitted that they were carrying water for the Makkan

army. But some Companions were not pleased with this answer, since they thought that the boys

belonged to Abu Sufyan. So they beat the two boys, who finally said that they belonged to Abu Sufyan.

When Allah's Messenger was informed, he said angrily, "on telling the truth, you beat them, and on lyingyou released them!" Then he himself spoke to the two boys, who informed him about the army's location,

leaders and that they were so huge that they slaughter ten camels every day to feed their men. The

Prophet then turned towards the Muslims and said: "The Quraysh has sent you their most precious lives."

(The Sealed Nectar)

The brothers brought a shirt to their father. Some scholars say they slaughtered a lamb and

drenched Yusufsshirt with its blood. Immediately when Yaqub saw the shirt he knew they

were lying as it was still intact. Allh says: , not: bi-dammin maklooban whichmeans fake blood. Allah calls the blood lyingblood. The blood itself is a lie and is giving

evidence that they are lying. Yaqub sees the shirt and realizes that it is intact. In the Shariah

you can use clues to help you uncover the truth (e.g. modern technology like the use DNA

testing is permissible).

When Rasulullah allallhu alayhi wa sallamwas narrating this story to his companions, he

told them that Yaqub said to his sons, My, what a merciful wolfthis is to take off his shirt and

then devour him, then put the shirt back on!

The shirt does not have a single tear so Yaqub knew they were lying, and he tells them so. He

doesnt scold them but he tells them he will have beautiful patience. Beautiful patience is whenyou are patient from the very beginning of a difficult situation. :he will be beautifully patient; it also means: patience is beautiful, as well as thatthe reward for patience is beautiful.

What is beautiful patience? Yaqub describes it to us. He says Allh is the One from whom I

seek help concerning what you are describing! Allah is the one whose help should be sought.

Beautiful patience involves:

1. Being patient from the very beginning. Patience starts from when the calamity strikes.Narrated Thabit Al-Bunani: Anas bin Malik said to a woman of his family, "Do you know such-and-such a

woman?" She replied, "Yes." He said, "The Prophet passed by her while she was weeping over a grave,

and he said to her, 'Be afraid of Allah and be patient.' The woman said (to the Prophet). 'Go away from

me, for you do not know my calamity.'" Anas added, "The Prophet left her and proceeded. A man passed


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by her and asked her, 'What has Allah's Apostle said to you?' She replied, 'I did not recognize him.' The

man said, 'He was Allah's Apostle."' Anas added, "So that woman came to the gate of the Prophet and she

did not find a gate-keeper there, and she said, 'O Allah's Apostle! By Allah. I did not recognize you!' The

Prophet said, 'No doubt, patience is at the first stroke of a calamity.'"

(Bukhari)

- Side tangent: this woman was at a grave but Rasulullah allallhu alayhi wa sallamdid not warn her so some scholars say its allowed for women to visit graves as longas they do not frequent it and as long as they observe the proper etiquette.

2. It should bring you closer to Allh. Use that calamity to return to Allh. We have to bethankful to Allh in all times so that He will help us in times of hardship.

Ibn Abbas narrated that when he was a small boy, the Prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallam

advised him by saying, Know Allh in times of ease and He will know you in times of hardship.

(Ahmad)

The time to prepare for calamities is right now by doing good deeds so you can use

those good deeds to supplicate to Allah like the people of the cave did when they werestuck in it.

3. Allah is the one you seek help from i.e. dont look for sympathy from others.Allh tell us: so address your concerns to Allah but youcan tell people if you need them to help you. This does not nullify beautiful patience.

So towards the end of the surah when Yaqub lost Yusuf, Bin Yamin, plus his eldest son,

the 3 most beloved people in his life, he turns away from his children and

grandchildren and he does not complain to them. He isnt looking for their sympathy,and he addresses his concerns only to Allh.

So a part of beautiful patience is that it makes you stronger, you turn to Allh and you

dont need the sympathy of others.

3 types of Patience:

1. Patience in obedience of Allah: believe in Allh and be steadfast2. Patience in times of calamity: this is the type of patience here he is in the depths of

the well while his own brothers are trying to harm him. Also the same type that

Rasulullah suffered when his own people kicked him out as well as Taif. But they turnedto Allh, and He helped them because in the remembrance of Allh hearts and wounds

are healed.

3. Patience in staying away from haram: consistently stay away from the haramIf someone is jealous about another person having a Lamborghini, this may seem like a big dealto the person at the moment. However, take the example of a child not having the


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opportunity to play with something and the way he overreacts might be worse than whensomeone passes away! As adults, we may think this is a minor issue but to the child it is a hugedeal! Allh may be looking at us the way we look at this child making such a fuss aboutsomething so small.

Take the example of a man who enters the masjid with his two children. The children beginrunning around playing tag while you try to pray. The father sits there allowing his children torun around and you allow this circumstance ruin your khushu. Eventually you try to speak tothe brother about the childrens behavior. He apologizes saying that his wife, their mother, hasjust passed away and he does not know how to break it to them. Just a moment ago you wereangry, infuriated, and at the mention of this you became soft and full of pity for those childrenwho no longer have their mother. Perspective changes your attitude about the situation.

Beautiful patience comes from Allh. To increase in this beautiful quality, think of the

Hereafter, look at the bigger picture, and it will help you to be patient.

Yaqubknows his children are lying, but he doesnt scold them; hejust says that he will bepatient, and then Allh returns the story to Yusuf.

The Conflict: Yusuf, AlAziz, and His Wife; 19-20

Verse 19

19.And there came a company of travelers; then they sent their water drawer, and he let down his

bucket. He said, "Good news! Here is a boy." And they concealed him, [taking him] as

merchandise; and Allah was knowing of what they did.:They would have a water-bearer (waarid) because to divert the entire caravan would taketoo long because wells are usually off the path. The warid brought his bucket so it was a well

not used by the people. How did the brothers know that they wouldnt bring him back to the

city? Because slaves are the most expensive commodity and the most expensive of them were

young slaves who can be trained in service.


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: Ghulam is used here and this means older than a toddler and younger than anadolescent, so the age of Prophet Yusuf is shown here.

Ysuf was thensmuggled: What does it mean that they hid him as merchandise? The water-

bearers hid Ysuf from thepeople of the caravan so the leader didntknow. They want to sellhim quickly and get the full profit for themselves. If the leader of the caravan knew, hewouldve taken him and the profit.

Some scholars (who have taken from the people of the book) say that the brothers came back

the next day and lied to them that Yusuf was a slave, and so they sold him to the caravan. But

the stronger opinion is that of the people of the caravan like the water-bearer hid Yusuf from

the rest of the caravan and the lead merchant so that they could quickly sell Yusuf and not

share the profit with anyone. The warid pulls him out of the well so how could the brothers

have sold him to them?

Allh knows what Ysuf is going through, and allows it to happen because Ysuf can handle it.Allah does not burden one with that which he can't handle because Allah knows one's fullcapability. So when you are struck with calamity, know that Allh is aware of your ordeal andhas a plan.

It is difficult to be patient, but to waste the reward for patience is worse.(AbuBakr radiAllahu anhu)

Verse 20

20. And they sold him for a reduced price - a few dirhams - and they were, concerning him, of thosecontent with little. : Shara is a word that means both to buy and to sell. They sold him for a measly price.

"just a few darahim.": Dinar are gold coins while dirham are silver coins. So they sold him for a few silvercoins. Why? They wanted to sell him off quickly, and they thought him to be insignificant so

the price they sold him for was very low; it was insignificant in value to them as well. They didnot need what he was sold for.

They sold Ysuf as a slave. This considered a major sin inIslam. You are not allowed to sell

someone as a slave who is not a slave. The only way to acquire slaves is through jihaad fee

sabeelillah and even then, those slaves have rights. Rasulullah allallhu alayhi wa sallam said:

they are your brothers and if you are given a position above them, then feed them from what

you eat, clothe them from what you wear, and if you give them a task, help them out. The


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purpose of slavery in Islam is dawah, so once you have fulfilled your duty to them and

brought them to Islam, then you set them free. That is why many scholars and great men in

Islam were slaves because they learned from their masters.

He is not a slave but being sold as one, so imagine the humilation he must have felt. Prophet

Ysuf thuswas separated from his family for over 30 years.

The caravan was actually a mercy from Allh because Allah has a better plan for him. Whatmay seem bad to you may actually be Allahs way of opening a door to good for you.

Reflections

1. The caravan was a mercy from Allho They were thieves but it was a mercy from Allh because Allh has a better plan

for Yusuf.

2. The permissibility of announcing good news3. Thieves always want to get rid of stolen goods as quickly as possible

The Conflict: Yusuf, AlAziz, and His Wife (Continued); 21-29

Verse 21

21.And the one from Egypt who bought him said to his wife, "Make his residence comfortable.Perhaps he will benefit us, or we will adopt him as a son." And thus, We established Joseph in the

land that We might teach him the interpretation of events. And Allah is predominant over His

affair, but most of the people do not know.

Scholars say that the beginning of this verse is perhaps an indication that the wife of Al-Azizdidnt have children of her own.

This is how Allh established Ysuf on the earth, i.e. Allh could have let anyone in Egypt buyYsuf. But Allh willed that a minister would buy him, instead of a shopkeeper or some other


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regular person. Allh had a position and status in mind for him and was preparing Ysufforsomething greater.

Allh also mentions His favor on Ysuf: And this was also to teach him interpretation ofdreams and the knowledge of advising with hikmah based on those interpretations. This isextra knowledge that others dont have. :Allh is Ghalib; He controls all affairs, although most people are unaware.Therefore,when youre afflicted do not allow yourself to fall apart, contemplate suicide, etc. Allh followsevery hardship with ease as mentioned in Surah Sharh, verse 5-6:

"Indeed with hardship is ease, Indeed, with (the same) hardship is ease."

So with every hardship there is double the ease, but we forget about the eases and focus on thehardship. Blessings will always outnumber hardships. Allh knowsyour ordeal better than youdo, so trust in Him.

Verse 22 22.And when Joseph reached maturity, We gave him judgment and knowledge. And thus We reward

the doers of good.

When Ysuf reaches the age of maturity, Allh gives him wisdom and knowledge. Wisdomversus knowledge: you can have knowledge, but if you dont have wisdom, then its like havinga Ferrari without brakes, i.e. youre going to use knowledge to cause more problems thansolutions, because of how you convey it. Some are given knowledge, but they don't havehikmah. How do you attain wisdom? Allh rewards the muhsineen with wisdom. : Those who do ihsan. Ihsaan has two parts:

i. Worshiping Allah as if you can see him or vice versa. The relationship between you andAllah.

ii. The relationship between you and the creation of Allah. Perfect the relationship between you and Allah, and between you and the creation of

Allh, and Allh will grant you knowledge and wisdom.

The other definition of ihsan is to do whatever youre doing to the best of your ability, and do

it sincerely for the sake of Allh. If you do this, then you have nothing to worry about, and it

gives you strength. Praise and criticism are all the same to you because you are seeking the

praise of Allh, and youve done your best.


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A minority opinion is that AlHikmah refers to the book that Yusuf was given, but this is a

weak opinion.

Verse 23

23.And she, in whose house he was, sought to seduce him. She closed the doors and said, "Come,you." He said, "[I seek] the refuge of Allah . Indeed, he is my master, who has made good my

residence. Indeed, wrongdoers will not succeed."

So, Ysuf is put to another test which is greater than ever. Hehas grown up in the palace, andhe is very handsome. AlAzizs wife has fallen in love with him and tries to seduce Ysuf. She

closes and locks all the doors. Depending the qiraat(dialect of recitation), shes either telling

him to come, or that shes ready for him (i.e. adornedherself, etc.). This is probably a time that

her husband is out or busy (However Allh decrees that AlAziz does come home.)

Shes also beautiful. An Aziz (minister in the court of the king) would only marry a beautiful

person so it would've made sense if Yusuf was a attracted to her, but that was not the case. She

was trying to seduce him. Normally, a man would pursue the woman and since hes a stranger

in strange land, its easier to commit a sin because no one who knows him can call him out. The

people here arent Muslim so dont have the same values as he does. We are in a non-Muslimcountry as a minority group. Imagine Ysuf, the only Muslim in Egypt, and he can hold on to

the religion of Allh from a young age.

When a person is confronted with sin, we learn from Prophet Ysuf what to do.

1. Ysuf says, I seek refuge in Allh: Remember Allh and seek refuge in Him. No onecan help you but Allh. Do not overestimate your piety. This is the first thing you have

to do, because only He can keep you away from sins.

2. Ysuf says, My Lord has blessed me and made my stay comfortable... Ysuf could bereferring to:

a. Al Aziz: He will not betray the man who cared for him all these years.b. Allh(stronger opinion): He sought refuge in Allh and would not betray his

Lord and remember His blessings. How can you disobey Allh, Who has been so

kind to you and given you so much? This is the second mindset we should be in;

remembering the blessings of Allah.


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3. Ysuf says, Wrongdoers will not be successful. So, think about the consequences. Isexchanging a temporary pleasure for eternal pleasure worth it? This is the third thing

we should remember when confronted by sin. Do you really realize what forever

means?

This is the second type of patience that we should have: patience in staying away from theharam. The first type is patience in consistently obeying Allh, even if its small, because it

shows sincerity. The prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallam said:

The best deeds are those we are consistent with, even if they are small deeds.

(Bukhari)

There will be 7 people under the shade of Allh; oneof these people is a man/woman who was

invited to commit zina by someone with beauty and status, but feared Allh and refrained. The

greater the sin and the harder it is to resist committing it, the greater the reward for

refraining.

Verse 24

24.And she certainly determined [to seduce] him, and he would have inclined to her had he not seenthe proof of his Lord. And thus [it was] that We should avert from him evil and immorality.Indeed, he was of Our chosen servants.: is the beginning part of desiring. It has not reached the status of conviction as yet. He

would havedesired her had he not seen the evidence of his Lord this implies that no one issaved from a sin without the help of Allh, as even Prophet Yusuf would have succumbed ifAllh had not saved him. What is this evidence that he saw?

i. Some scholars say Jibreel came and reminded him but there is no firm/authenticevidence for this

ii. Others say he saw a vision of his father reminding him of status as a Prophet but again,there is no firm/authentic evidence for this

iii. The strongest opinion is that he realized Allahs blessings on him: knowledge, status,Prophethood, Islm, dream interpretation etc. and as a result, he did not have these


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desires for her. Anyone in this situation would have had desire, unless they are

given strength from Allh, and he was given strength from Allh.

Allh diverted him from , anything evil, and ,, indecency (relatedto hayaashyness, zina, etc.) because he was among ,, a chosen servant, versusa mukhliswhich is someone sincere. Allh protects Ysufs reputation because He has a plan for him, andhe is a prophet so if he had a bad reputation, no one would want to listen to him.

The wife of AlAzizsname is reported by the Israeeliyat to beZuleikha. There is no evidenceto confirm or deny this however, there is absolutely no evidence that Yusuf later married heras is often told. This story came from the storytellers who would invent stories to spice uptheir narrations so that people would listen to them. It is not even appropriate for a Prophet tomarry a woman like her. No prophet has ever married a woman who has even come close tothis type of indecency; it is not befitting of their status as prophets that they would have suchwives.

Verse 25

25.And they both raced to the door, and she tore his shirt from the back, and they found herhusband at the door. She said, "What is the recompense of one who intended evil for your wife

but that he be imprisoned or a painful punishment?"

They both raced to the same door, but each is racing for a different reason and to a differentoutcome. Hes trying to escape sin, while shes trying to force him into sin; one is racing to thedoor of paradise, while the other is racing to the door of Jahannam.

She grabs his shirt from behind, and the door opens with her husband at the door.

From this verse, we can see that shes a quick thinker and very sly. Before anyone can askwhos guilty or even ask whats happening, she comments. And she doesnt even say that shedidnt do anything, she went past the situation, past the verdict, and jumped all the way to the

punishment, thus robbing her husband of the time to think rationally about the situation.Yusuf has to speak up otherwise his guilt will be assumed, so he responds in the followingayah.

Verse 26


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26. [Joseph] said, "It was she who sought to seduce me." And a witness from her family testified. "Ifhis shirt is torn from the front, then she has told the truth, and he is of the liars.

If youre wrongly accused, you should defend yourself in the proper way so, Prophet Ysuf

says she tried to seduce him. However, when a person is pious, Allh helps them and from a

way never imagined, as is mentioned in Surah Talaq 2. And whoever fears Allah - He will make for him a way out

Allh bring a witness is from her own family. The books of tafseer mention that it was a baby

that was there that spoke, so that opinion states that the following words are from a baby

speaking but this narration mentioning the baby speaking is weak. Only 4 babies spoke as

infants: Isa, the baby from the people of the, the baby from the story of Jurayj, and the baby

from the hairdresser of Firawn. Sothe stronger opinion is that someone testified from her

own family who knew what was going on. This indicates that this was not the first time she

tried to seduce him; there was some flirtation from her part that the witness had noticed

already. The evidence must have been very clear for them to witness against her because,

being from her family, their reputation is at stake too.The witness, however, does not give the verdict, just tells the husband to consider the

evidences. Thus, it is allowed in Islam to accept evidences to convict someone.

There is a lot of danger in being a lone with a strange woman dont ever put yourself in that

position. Protect your private parts, and your tongue, and you will be guaranteed paradise.

One of the seven shaded by Allh on the Day of Judgment when the sun is either a hand-span

or a mile above our heads, is the one who is called to sin by a woman of beauty and rank and

resists that call. When a person is young, the desires are stronger so even harder to resist.

There are three types of people that Allh will not even look at on the Day of Judgment: A lyingking (people lie out of fear of authority the king is the authority so he has no reason to lie),

an old man who commits zina, and an arrogant poor person. These three people have no

reason to commit the sin they commit.


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We see here that Yusuf alayhis salaam had all these things against him: he was a slave, in a

foreign land, in her house but even with all of that, with the help of Allh, he was able to

abstain from the sin, so we should have no excuse for ourselves as well.

Verse 27 27. But if his shirt is torn from the back, then she has lied, and he is of the truthful."

The witness gives strong evidence regarding where the shirt is torn. If it from the front, thenhe tried to harm her and she is telling the truth. But if it is torn from the back, then she is aliar, and he is truthful

Notice the repetition of the shirt: the shirt was what, in the beginning, made prophet Yaqub

sad; here, a shirt exonerates Yusuf and proves his innocence, and later, a shirt will bringhappiness to Yaqub again.

Verse 28 28. So when her husband saw his shirt torn from the back, he said, "Indeed, it is of the women's plan.

Indeed, your plan is great.

Al-Aziz finds out his wife was about to cheat on him and he doesnt even react. He does not

seem to have any gheerah (protective jealousy), otherwise he would have taken measures to

prevent it from happening again. He doesnt do anything because of politics: if he kicked her

out, everyone would know the whole story. He was worried about his reputation so he turned

away and ignored the situation. Gheerah is actually part of Islam: you are supposed to feel this

towards the women of your family.

AlAziz tells her that this is her plot and surely the plots of women are ,great. We should notice that Allh calls the plots of women adheem, while He calls the plotsof shaytan daeef, or weak.This is a society without eman; they do not believe in Allh, and the

plots of these women without eman are great.

Rasulullah said, Indeed the dunya is green and luscious and Allh has put you as a vicegerent in it to see

what you will do, so fear the dunya, and be careful of women.


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This is not a negative comment towards women but pointing out the weakness of men.

Rasulullah said that the downfall of Bani Israil was women. If you dont properly provide them

with the resources, means and education and give them their rights, then you will see that the

corruption will start from them. Women are half the community and give birth to the other

half. Rasulullah said the most harmful of the trials and tribulations to men are women, so this

is what happens when you dont take care of the women properly: all of society falls. Women

get tested with this also but it is a little less than for men. For the women, the tongue is a little

bit harder.

There was a story mentioned by Khateeb al Baghdadi about a muezzin named Salih.

Neighboring the masjid lived a Christian woman and every time Salih would go up to make

athaan, he would look for her. He finally went to her house and told her that he must marry

her. She told him her father would never agree because he was Muslim. He told her he would

convert, and so she tested him and gave him pork and wine to prove himself. Right after this,

he falls to his death as he was going up the stairs and was thrown on the street by her father.

The father told the Muslims what happened and the Muslims took him and buried him in the

desert. That is why we should always ask Allah to make our heart steadfast on the deen.

The Prophet said If you protect two things, your private parts and your tongue, then I can guarantee

you Jannah.

For the woman, the tongue is harder. A lot of times, we say we dont have time, and this is

often because we dont apply the hadith: whoever believes in Allh and the Day of Judgment,

let him speak good, or be silent. And: From the excellent qualities of the Muslim is that he

leaves that which doesnt concern him.

Verse 29

29.Joseph, ignore this. And, [my wife], ask forgiveness for your sin. Indeed, you were of thesinful."

Al-Aziz says this to Yusuf after he realizes the fault is hers. And he tells her to seek forgiveness

for her sin even though they were not Muslims. Most people in world history believe in Allh,


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the problem is that they associate in worship with Allh. The default is to believe in Allh; the

atheists were always of the minority.

The Conflict: Yusuf, AlAziz,and His Wife (Continued); 30-35

Verse 30

30.And women in the city said, "The wife of al-'Azeez is seeking to seduce her slave boy; he hasimpassioned her with love. Indeed, we see her [to be] in clear error."

The rumors of this scandal reached the city and the women, as well as the men, were talking

about the wife of Al-Aziz.:this is thetaqdir majmu, i.e the masculine is used to show that a group of women aresaying it. These are the high people of society; the men talk as well but mostly its the women

involved in this, and the way they say it is specifically meant to inflict pain on the wife of Al-

Aziz.

They say: , the wife of Al-Aziz, rather than her name; they mention her status andposition to make it more painful for her; so that when she hears it, it will hurt her. The women

mean it to hurt because they want something from her. : they use the mudaariform of the verb to show it is still happening; she is still trying toseduce her slave. And the say rather than his name as well to compare the status. Theyare comparing her status to his: shes the wife of Al-Aziz, and hes theslave! She must bepassionately in love to do such a thing, and surely, shes in the wrong. They say all of this in

order to elicit a specific response from her.

Verse 31


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31. So when she heard of their scheming, she sent for them and prepared for them a banquet and

gave each one of them a knife and said [to Joseph], "Come out before them." And when they saw

him, they greatly admired him and cut their hands and said, "Perfect is Allah ! This is not a man;

this is none but a noble angel."

Allh says theirplots. They are plotting something, and the wife of AlAziz understands whatthey want: they want to see Yusuf. When women speak, you must learn to read between the

lines. When the Prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallam was really sick, he told Aisha to order her

father (Abu Bakr) to lead the people in the prayer. Aisha told him that her father has a very

soft heart and he will cry. Again the Prophet ordered Aisha to tell her father to lead the

prayer, she responded with the same answer. The Prophet allallhu alayhi wa sallam told her:

you are surely like the women of Prophet Yusuf. He understood her, and he read between the

lines. He realized why she said to order someone else in prayer: she loved her father, and she

didnt want to add any burden on her father, and she knew that this was an indication that her

father was in line for leadership in the event of the Prophets death. However, the Prophet

allallhualayhi wa sallamknew that he was the best fit for the position so he ordered her toorder her father to lead the people in prayer.

The women here have heard of Yusuffbeauty and they want to see him, so they use these

harmful words to force the wife of Al-Aziz to show them why shes so attracted to Yusuf. She

hears of their plots, and gives them what they want, but she has her own plot as well. She

invites them to a feast, and prepares a place for them to lounge and relax. After eating, she

gives them fruits, and gives each of them a knife to cut their fruits. When they have the knives

in their hands, she think

dur bah beautiful patience complete

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