Chapter 14 was short, but Chapter 15, this, is long and why not? Is an examination of the story of Prophet Yusuf Alayhi salam.
The Qur’an is replete with stories of the Prophets. If you want to learn about good manners and how best to treat people, we are inundated with stories of our Prophets. But Prophet Yusuf is the one story that Allah has described as the most beautiful of stories.
Sister Sadaf takes us through Prophet Yusuf’s life – his trials, difficulties, challenges and how he made his way through adversity. She breaks down the story into different phases and makes it easy for us to understand. May Allah reward our sister.
Sibling Rivalry
You got siblings? Show of hands. We know about this. Being a sibling or having birthed siblings, we know the stories here. Fights, disagreements, competition, envy, favouritism… name it.
– One child is envious of another child because they perceive that their parents are treating that child better.-
My brother is more intelligent than me.- People like him more so my parents don’t treat me right.
– My sister is more beautiful and people don’t treat me right because I’m not as beautiful.
Fa audhubillah, I think the extreme ones, of course, would be when your brothers want to kill you, as is the case of Prophet Yusuf Alayhi salam. And what did he do? Nothing. Completely innocent. These 11 brothers were older than Prophet Yusuf and Prophet Benjamin. Their reason? Their father loved these two more.
Prophet Yaqub was astute and probably noticed his brothers’ attitude to him and of course warned him not to share his dream as he was sure this would only cause further enmity between them. When they ask to take him out, he mentions his misgivings of the possibility of his coming to harm. As parents, we know. That child that is just a little more self-centred, empathetic, has a bit of an ego, won’t share and so on so he knew this too. But subhanallah, killing?
We read how Prophet Yaqub accepts his fate when Allah’s Qadr plays out. He trusts them with his son and then turns to Allah when they return without him.
In the same way Prophet Yusuf clings to the walls of a well, maybe broken in his trust for his brothers but also turning to Allah for His decree. The lesson? Even when having been betrayed by the very ones who are your ‘own’, know that your only true family is Allah.
And do not repay them in kind as we learn in the same story. But have a beautiful patience and a forgiving heart.
Trials and Temptations
We can say from here on as far as we see, that Prophet Yusuf’s life travels became bent and crooked on the path to his destiny, alhamdullah.
Sister Sadaf says using the word ‘Ghulam’ Prophet Yusif was between the ages of 12 and 17. So at this teen age, he is far away from his home and those he knows and is sold. Gathered in a caravan with a host of other slaves to become ‘a possession’ to a household. This situation repeats itself when he is sent to prison and his companions are fellow inmates but let’s not digress.
Okay, small digression😊, let us think of these detours in Yusuf’s life as a preparatory ground. Children who have had a tough time growing up, having been thrown around by the vicissitudes of life tend to be stronger and tougher in making their way through trials. This is not to say that children born into affluence do not have the opportunities to grow a strong backbone as they go through life, but the possibilities are limited in comparison.
So, here’s the learning, whatever situation you find yourself in, remember, we all have talents bestowed on us by Al Wahab. Hone yourself in preparation to use them to make your Jannah. At the time that Yusuf was picked up, nobody knew he was going to be a future king. Nobody knew he was going to be an interpreter of dreams. He was just a boy. No one knows what they will be, but we must push ourselves and work to make the best of this life for our akhirah.
The call of the powerful and aggressive older women.
Allah puts love in the hearts of the people of whoever He chooses. He does this for Prophet Musa when he was a baby, Pharoh and Asiyah could not help but adopt him. In this same way, the Azeez in Egypt is taken by Prophet Yusuf, buys him as a slave and even tells his wife, that they may adopt him.
And so, begins a new life for Yusuf, a slave in a comfortable household. Eating well, sleeping well, carrying out his duties and in this state, he grows to adulthood and is blessed with beauty. It is said that Yusuf was given half of the world’s beauty.
It is unfathomable for us now but such was the case and this became a fitnah for him as the wife of the Azeez now sets her eyes on this diamond.
Behind locked doors, commanded by his ‘madam’ to do the unthinkable, what does Yusuf do? Not only does he stand steadfast because of Allah, but because he does not want to offend the one who has been kindest to him, the Azeez, he runs. The Azeez’s wife, angered that he would defy her, she who has given him everything, races after him and tears his shirt from the back. As Allah would have it, the Azeez comes through the door, and she lies, saying, ‘What do you think of the one that tried to betray you in your absence?’. Yusuf speaks up to defend himself and alhamdulillah, there is a witness who rules on the fact that the position of the tear on Yusuf’s shirt will prove who is innocent – from the front, the Madam was defending herself, but from the back, Yusuf was fleeing.
I need you to pay attention to this part. You may have glossed over in your reading of this surah; I know I have. It’s the Azeez’s reaction. Think about this: your wife. It’s exposed that she tried to commit adultery with your slave boy and lied about it too. The Azeez is the epitome of patience.
He scolds the wife and begs the slave boy.
Can we always choose the route of decorum and dignity for all parties involved in messy circumstances like these? Especially if a sin has yet to be committed? Who knows, your patience may bring repentance. Weigh the circumstances, be sure they don’t contravene Allah’s laws and practice justice regardless of who is involved.Despite this handling, however, our lady of the house is still hell-bent on seducing Yusuf. And even the fact that the rumour spread across town, does not deter her instead it emboldens her. To get others to join her on this path to destruction, she throws a banquet, invites the women of the town, places knives in their hands when one of the meals is served, and summons Yusuf, ‘serving up’ his beauty.
Let’s circle back to Yusuf briefly. Young man has just been vindicated by his Lord. Has been found innocent and his madam scolded in his presence. What does he do? Still serve her and keeps his mouth shut. O, young man! Will this be you? O no! All your home boys will hear about how you turned down madam’s advances and you don’t respect her again in the house. How dare she even look at you these days sef? Useless woman. Or worse, you give in to her advances under the same roof and act like a mini Oga living in the home of the man who saved you. O, young man! Which are you?Yusuf, in all of this, says… you know what? Better than for you to put me in trouble with My Lord, let me go to prison. Innocent yet again. No fault of his except for just being a created being of Allah. He is being persecuted for existing. The Azeez was aware, people probably witnessed this but he was a nobody, not a big man’s son, no person to be protected, a slave…who only had Allah. And in that moment, he chose to run to His Lord in prison. And Allah chose this place for him as well.Unfair. It does look like it doesn’t it? When you look at your life and think, I didn’t deserve this. I did nothing wrong. I chose the straight and narrow, didn’t cheat, didn’t commit adultery and ran away than to disobey Allah, why is He not saving me? His ways are not ours as we learn from this story. At that time, Yusuf didn’t understand but obeyed anyway.
May Allah make it easy for us to do the same in all our situations.
Dawah behind bars
So, taking injustice over temptation, Yusuf enters the prison. Being in prison doesn’t change Prophet Yusuf’s innate nature. He continues to live a life of good. A life of learning and dawah. When we are alone, we tend to get depressed instead of trying to immerse ourselves in knowledge and skill acquisition. Solitude is not always a bad thing. Don’t liken your situation to that of a prison. Be a source of goodness to yourself, improve or learn a skill and be a source of light to others. And it is in this state, Yusuf acquires 2 students. They have come to know this brother, trust him and have been enamoured by his skill of dream interpretation. When they do need someone to assist them, they go to this ‘good man’ who gives them dawah and does his best to solve their problems, by Allah’s rahmah. As he interprets, one is killed and the other is released and elevated but, forgets to mention him to his new master, the king.
And he stays, seemingly unfairly yet again, for another couple of years before Allah decrees the right time he should be remembered. And when that time comes, what does Yusuf do? Does he reprimand the young man for forgetting him? No, he finds another way to perform dawah and asks about the women who had placed him in this predicament.
And at this time, the truth emerges. Enough time has passed, the Azeez’s wife is on the path of forgiveness and confesses to Yusuf’s innocence. All the time spent in the prison unjustly is out in the open. Yusuf is truly free in the eyes of man.
But, does he come out, and gloat? La! Instead, he says:
Surat Yūsuf (Joseph) – سورة يوسف
That is so al-‘Azeez will know that I did not betray him in [his] absence and that Allah does not guide the plan of betrayers.
And I do not acquit myself. Indeed, the soul is a persistent enjoiner of evil, except those upon which my Lord has mercy. Indeed, my Lord is Forgiving and Merciful.
“He first wants to make sure that the one who treated him well, knows that he was never unjust. Never a betrayer, as Allah does not guide the plans of the betrayers.
He then does an amazing thing – reminds us that all are capable of sin, and he could have fallen into temptation too as the Nafs is a persistent enjoiner of evil. Do not point fingers at others, forgive the ones who fall for it is Allah Who guides, protects and forgives.
Look at the story of Prophet Yusuf and think to yourself, whatever it is – sibling rivalry, trial and temptation – whatever singular temptation that may come your way, whatever position you find yourself in, stand firm. Your Lord is with you. Have tawakkul and be ready to serve Him all the days of your life. Not expecting anything except goodness from Your Just Lord. At His time, not yours.
May Allah make us steadfast. Ameen.
Told you it was a long one.
