4. WORLD ASSEMBLYT OF MUSLIM YOUTH
PUBLICATION
IN THB NAME OF ALLAH, MOST GRACIOUS' MOST
MEITCIFI.JL.
nWe do relate unto thee tbe most bautiful of stories, in that We reveal to
thee this (portion of the) Qur'an: Before this, thou too was amqrg those who
knew it not."
(Yusuf:3)
nsaythou:"ThisismyWay;I doinviteuotoAllah,-withacertain
knowlJge I andwhoeverfollows me,Glory to Allah! andneverwill I join
godswithAllah!"
(Yusuf:l0B)
"Thereis in dheirstories,instructionfor menenduedwith understanding.It
is nota taleinvented,butaconfirmationof whatwentbeforeit,- adetailed
expositionof all things,andaGuideandaMercyto anysuchasbelieve."
(Yusuf:1I l)
haise be to Allah who has put in the prophet's story a lesson as
an exampleto thosewith uridersq4ing.YoV t.l.r.blessingsand
p"u"" beupontheidealexampleof life andmorality,Muhammad'
The world Assembly of Muslim Youth is pleased_topr_esentto
vou this brief treatis-e,uA Model for a Muslim Youth in the
Sto.y of Joseph't, peacebe upon him by Mahmood Shakir
Saeed.
5. The story of Joseph,peacebe upon him, representsthe peakof
all.the Qur'anicstorieswith regardto its tbpical unity'and is
artistic appeal, and also with regard to tha lessons-offaith
which the story contains.
Joseph,the rig_hteous.,may blessingsand peacebe upon him, is
an example of a patient youth who hasiaised hiniself above
carnal desiresand temptationsof Satan.He was an exampleof
a da'eeyouth who worked day and night in all circumstances
and conditions to raise the woids of A[ah. He took advantage
of all occasionsto introduce people to the religion of Truth. Fe
also took advantage of whatAllatr traOendowedhim with the
knowledge and skills for the interpretation of dreamsand the
knowledgeof management.
He usedtheseskills to establishthereligion of Ailah andattract
the heartsof men to it. This undoubtlyis the model of a young
Muslim that we need in our worid todav. He combinei
perseverancgandfirmness,insight andundersianaingwith faith
and knowledgein the dealingsof life. He did this iniuch away
that people could seein Ishm the ideal code. This code i3
sufficient to solveproblemsin all spheresof life.
The story of Jeseph,Wacebe upon him, is consideredto be a
beacon for youth in particular. It contains crucial situations
showing truthfulness and chastity in the face of instinctive
motives and natural desires.Joseph,peaceand blessingsbe
upon him, was able to standin thi faie of temptations,-even
though all the enticing elementswere present.Hb was a young
person,in a strangeland, unmarried,
-anO
he was comminded
by a beautiful woman with high position calling him to herself
in total secrecy,threateninghim with prison anEhumiliation if
he did not do what she wanted. Wittr att thesetempting
circumstances,he chose
6. to bepatientandpreferredthewayof Allah.
one of thempstimportantlessonsthatonecan_getjroql this
storv is thecontinuityof conflict beweengoodand.eviland
tt
"
'ni"tory
of gooctandvirtue.This victory over evil for the
faithful foilowe-rsalwayshappensattheendof apredicament.
Anotherlessonfrom this storyis that whaleverafflicts man,
irotn intol"rableordealsor criies in life will alwaysbesolved
andovercome.
"So,verily,with everydifficulty,thereisrelieftVerily , with every
difficulty thereis relief."
(Inshirah:5&6)
As one of the poets said: "The situation was difficult and worsened
d;tby duy,i"li"f cameatthemomentwhenI thoughtit.would
neirer'anii,e.nAtaabin Rabahspokeanessentialtruthwhenhe
,uid thut, n Any who is gnel6dand sadwho listensto the
chapterofYusuf(Joseph)will feelrelieved."
we havetried by printing this story to showthe nobility of
Joseph,slife so i6it it wi-llbe a ledsonto youthandothers.
Allafi, theGreathasspokenthetnrthwhenHesays:
'All thar we relate to the.eof the stories of thc messeirgers,- with it we
malcefirm thy heart in them there cometh to thee the Truth, aswell asan
exhortation and a messageof re,membranceto thosewho believe,"
(Hud:120)
7. We extendour gratitudeandthanksto our brotherDr. Mahmood
Shakir Saeedfor his invaluable contribution. We ask Allah,
Exalted is He, to reward him for what he hasoffered us,and to
make this work beneficial to the readerswho are the youth of
the Islamic nation andeverywhere.
May Allah make them successfulfollowing in the footstepsof
Joseph,the righteous,and in applying the way of our Prophet
Muhammad, peaceand blessingsof Allah be upon him. We
always seek help from Allah, He is our only Patron and
Supporter.
The SecretaryGeneral
of WAMY
Dr. ManehBin HammadAl-Johani
8. INTR,ODUCTION
In theNameof Allah, maytheblessingsand.peaceof Allah be
uponhis Messenger,his family,hiscomparuons,anclall tnose
whofollow him.
The vouth arethe spirit of a nation,theresourceof thefuture,
;J if;"Gp" f- t"i"orrow. They arethenerveof life andthe
;i""d'th;i"un. in thearteryofihe society.The societywill
neverProgressexcept-byth9tt.e..ff"Its'In the contextot my
ip";;tft;itr"
yootti, I would like to presentthe following
lsSUeS:
l. Who are the Youth?
Many think thattheyouth-ar-elseg:rnentof a societywho are
U"t*t"n theagesof l8 and40.Buti-hefactof thematteris that
;;ilildt;idrial ableto pl?yarolein.thesgcletv,be.ita:hild'
a srown-up,youngor dldis a membero!.th9youth'Hence'
tftliiputniJipiti"r is notconfined19aspecifiedageor acertain
perioi of time. A humanbeingstaysyoungso longas ne ls
;bift;il; hissociety,hiscduntry,andhisnation'Thushe
.t n. Vouneaslongashe offerssomeof hisexpertiseandhis
"k;6;i,tdg;*n"tttJt
is a worker,Peasant,employee,or and
employer.
2. What isthe dutYof theYouth?
A sreatduty is laid upontheshouldersof theYouth to serve
il"i;;;ti-*a tn"i, society.They aresupposed.tofulfill
their greatdutywithoutanylizinesi or tardiness.TheYouth
*ilf ti"t fulfill rhisduty fully unlesstheybelievein^it, are
awareof it, andaredirectLdtoii withconvictionandsatisfaction'
Theremustbenocoercionor force.
9. If he is pushedby his strongfaith, awaking belief, his national
and socral sense,then he will work day-and night. He will
endeavourin every sphereto servehis nition undto servehis
:guntry.Thp.you$ willalways strive to work industriouslyin
the causeof developing his nation and move it up theladdei of
civilization.
A human Filg does not only perform his duty when he is
enucedor fnghtened.But he doesit in the bestmannerwhen
lg n?. undoubting faith. Thus, we can be surethat the fruit of
his duty will be rgape$.The youth in every society are the
causeof progress,de-velopment,andprestige.They ar6also the
:l_u,1"^gf
societyfalling into the abyss.T'hisis becausethey
lorm the essentialwgrking groupof every intellectual,sociai,
political, or moral sphere.
- -
3. What are the rights of the youth?
Due to the significant role the youth play in elevatine the
society as ryg havenoticed, we might wohdired what has-been
offered to thiq segmentof societylwhat must they be offered
tg guar-anleetheir continuousproductivity and steadfastnessin
doing theirduty fully withoutdeviation?
'
since they have beenaskedto fulfill their duty, in return they
have somerights. They shouldnot be blamedif thev requesr
sughrights.The fully grown yourh is like the floweiwtriitr is
full of life, ambition, anddeterminationthatdoesnot settleor
relax. He is.always in needof careand cateringto his needs
and personalconcerns.He is in needof someon-eto hold him
by his handand offer him what is neededin rhis life to
"nuut"him to lead his society and country to progressand the
achievementof
11. THE STORY OF JOSEPH
Now let us look at.th story of Joseph,peacebe upon him, as
hasbeenmentionedin the l2 Chaptbroi the Holy Qur'an.This
chapteris entitled Joseph(Yusuf1n Arabic) and ititars with
the Arabic syllabic lettersAlif, [,am, Ra. It is our view and the
view of -?ny commentatorsthat theselettersarejust symbols
and signsthat arenot known exceptby ALLAH aridthoie who
1e {irmly entrenchedin knowledg-e.Otherchaptersof the Holy
Qur'an startswith thesethree Aiabic syllabic letters.These
chapters.areYunus and Hud, and they are the chapters that
come before the chapter of Josephin the eur'anic order. The
chaptersof Ibrahim and Al-Hiji come after yusuf. They are
lep?rateq from Yusuf by the chapterAl-Ra'd. TheseChairters
beginasfollows:
In the nameof Allah, Most Gracious,Most Merciful.
n{lif I qm Ra. Theseare the versesof the perspicuousBook.""We have sent
is down asan Arabic Qur'an, in order that ye may learn wisdom."
(Yunus: l&2)
"Alif I ^m Ra. Clhis is) a Book, with versesfundamental(of established
meaning), further explained in detail,- from One Who is Wise and Well_
acquainted (with all things):
(Hud:l)
tt4lif I qm Ra. A Book which We have revealed unto thee,in order that rhou
mightest lead mankind out of the depthsof darknessinto light-by the leave
of their Lord to the way of (Him) the Exalted in power, worthtv of all
haisel"
(Ibrahim: 1)
12. *Alif RamRa.Thesearetheayatsof Revelation,-bf aqur'm thatmakes
thingsclear.n
(Hijr:1)
The first thing we notice followin-g-each of t!"t"- openings is
rdfi;i.*iiip uetweenthemand-theword BookorKinb in
Arabic.This6ncouragesusto seekknowledgeandlearning
*ft"ift"r it bethroughieadingor writing.Theseis alsoacall to
benefitfromtheknowledgeandmoralitythattheBookcontarns.
W" *" Ato urgedto poniler'to think-,.and1ocontemplatewhat
tur ue"nrevefiedfrdm this.Bookof inexhaustiblewordsand
[;;;i;Jg;. This call is continuousandpermanentandwill
;-d;;l&g asthebook
"*i.t
. TheBookis for all peoplesof
all times.
After theist versein the 12thchaPter,thewordsof ALLAH
state:
"we havesentit downo - *?bl$'an in orderthatyemaylearn
This clearly showsthat the Holy-Book camein a lang-uagethat
,[;1, ilid understandandspeik.ThatlanguagewastheArabic
language.
The rethorical style requiresthe considerationof the situation
-O ttut human beingsire not spokento excePtin the langulge
tttut ttt"v understand]Thosewithout knowledgearenot spoken
;;;;# *ay ttrot a scholar is spoken to, an-dthe opposite is
i^". fn tfrir iegard, ProphetMuhimmad (pbuh) instrucledus to
rp""t to peopie with what thgy 931 understandand leave out
oit ut ttt"y can not understandina ne posedthe question: nDo
you want that
13. ALI-A,H and his messengerbedisbelieved?"
The story of Josephis prefacedwith this saying of Allah, the
Exalted:
"We do relate rmto thee the most beautifirl of stories,in that We reveal to
thee this (portion of the) Qur'an: before this, thou too was among those who
knewitnot."
(Yusuf:3)
From this it becomes clear that whatever is narrated in this
story is from ALLAH. There is a great diffefence between
what is from Allah andwhat is from anyoneelse.
The most beautiful of stories is the one that is most truthful,
hasthe bestspeech,and honourableaim, hasthe most respected
goal and the straightestpath to follow.The storiesof the Holy
Qur'an that are used are historical events or incidents which
haveno elementof fantasyor imagination. They arereal! Never-
thelessthey are unique in their excitementand suspensewith
absolutefacts.
6
14. THE EVENTS OF THE STORY AND ITS LESSONS
The story startslvith Joseph,Peacebg up-".,nhim, tellin-ghis
father about the strangevision he had while asleep.He was
waiting lbr its interPretation'
A notedcompanionof theProphet,tbn.Abbas,saidthat:"visions
of theproph6tsarc revelationslrom Allah'"
Behold, Josephsaid to his lather: "o my father! I did seeelevcn starsand
the sunand the moon: I saw them prosuatethemselvesto me!
(Yusuf:4)
But his l'ather,ProphetJacob(Yacub in Arabic) could only
ieueatonesideol the visionto his son.That is, thevisionyas a
irue vision and thattherewasmuch go.d awaitinghim in his
lil'e.
JacobimploreclJosephnot to mentionthisvisionto hisbrothers'
1"."U felretl thar tliel' rvoulclenvy him and conspireagainst
i,i. in on unbcarablcivay. Thus,wlehavethe first lessonfrom
i-ti, ,t.rry. Wc are encgu'ragedro tulfil our requirementswith
cliscretionand to to dealr,r'iihothersaccordingto their personal
qualitiesandour knowlcdgeof them'
Joseph,pcaccbc upon him, was the youngestof the twclve
iiil'.nit'Jrcn of Jacirb.Hc wasthc mostprcl'erred,to thefather
itn[ ttt" m1lstbeloveclto him. Jacob would meetJosePh-witha
iriling l'accanda happyhcart.He wouldlistento whathesaid
*itt ,,i"r"..t bc it tor irmplcne^'sor ,lgtgPh':nceds..His brother
Bcnjamincnjoyedthesamestatuswithhisfatheralthoughtoa
r"rrir .r"9r"6.rn" other brothcrs noticedthis prel-erential
treatmcnt-l'romthcirlather.TheysUlrtedholdingsccretmeetings
15. to conspireagainstJosephin a way that increasedtheir motives
of envy and hatred.
Theysaid:"Tnrly Josephandhisbrotherarelovedmoreby ourfatherthan
we:but wearcagoodlybody!Reallyourfatheris obviouslyin error!
(Yusuf:8)
The ten brothers then decided to kill Joseph. They based their
3cti9n upon the belief that their father pieferred the younger
brothers Joseph and Benjamin over them. They thoughi that-by
getting rid of Joseph they would reconcile ihemselves with
their father. Thus, they thought their father's heart would turn
to them and their hearts would be cured from remorse and oain
caused by Joseph's preferred status over them.
Thereis animportantlessonin thisfor everyMuslim. He should
not let his children l-eelhis preferencefoi someof them over
the others.He should not havemore concernand careto some
of them over the others,especiallyif they areof different sex,
male and female, or from different mothers.In my opinion
equality betweenchildren is a basicconditionofjustic-ebetween
wives. This is a matter that one hasto make sureor be certain
of beforethinking aboutmarryingagainfor the second,third,
or fourth time.
When the time of thinking andplanninghadendedthetime for
action came.The sonsurged their father to sendJosephwith
them while they grazedtheir sheep.They gavehim their word
that they would takecareof Joseph.
16. They said: nO,ottr father! Why dost thou not trust us with Josef,'- seeing
we iue indeedhis sincerewell wishers'"
(Yusuf: 11)
nsend him with us tomorrow to enjoy himself and play, and we shall take
everycareof him.'
(Yusuf: 12)
As aresultof theirinsistencetheirfatheragreedreluctantly.
(Jacob) said: "Really it saddensme that ye should talcehim away: I fear lest
the wolf should dcvou him while ye attend not to him'n
Susuf: 13)
But the brothersaflirmed that they would take careof Joseph.
f["ii]"ttt"iwas pleasedwhen lhey lolfl him thatJosephwould
havea chanceto enjoy himself anOptay' Thus they deceived
theirfather.
Josephran with his brothers to the Pasture.The brotherstook
i-"iift" fearful words of their father,an excuseto implement
iit;i; ;i"" againstJoseph.A consensuswas reachedthat they
-i,"iifditri"":loreptr dolwna well and leavehim to his fate and
destinY.
'Then they came to their father in the early part of the night weeping."
(Yusuf: 16)
They said: ,'o our father! we went racing with oneanother,andleftJoseph
with our thrngs;and the wolf devouredhim. But thou wilt neverbelieveus
eventhough we tell the truth."
(Yusuf: 17)
9
17. Hence falsehoodrevealsitself as if the guilty one is saying
"come and take me". In the poet'swords,-"bufthe eyesoi thE
listener knows from the eyei of the speaker,whethbr he is a
friend or a foe."
l-ater the sons of Jacob returned at night so that the eyes of
their father would not seethem and the darknessof the night
would cover them. The evidenceexposedthem and revealed
their conspiracy.Their deceitcould not havebeenhidden from
their father.
Theystainedhisshirtwithfatseblood.Hesaid:"Nay,butyourmindshave
nadeupatale(thatmaypass)withyou,(forme)patienceis mostfitting:
againstthatwhichyeassert,it isAllah(alone)whosehelp canbe
sought..."
(Yusuf:18)
In this there is a call or a lessonnot to be hasty in making
judgments,but to bedeliberateandpatientin undeistandingthE
situations;to tackle the situation froh all anglesto find oui the
truth. There is also a call anda lessonto seekthe help of Allah
during trials, adversityor problems.
It has beenstatedin this context that therewas oncea woman
who soughta courtjudgment from Shuraih.Shecameto Shuraih
weeping and.Shabeesaid: "Oh, the father of Omaya,don't you
seeher weeping."Shuraihresponed:
"The brothers of Joseph came weeping though they were
oppressorsand liars. It is not proper for a human being to be
judged exceptby the truth."
l0
18. Then help came to Josephfrom Heaven.A calavan passedby
the well dnOtrewastakenout of the well.
'Tben tbere ciamea caravan of travellers: they senttheir water carier (for
water).And he let down his bucket (into the well) . . . He said: "Ah there!
Good news! Here is a (fine) young man!" So they ssaeslsd him asa
treasure!But Allah knoweth well all that they do!'
O-usul:19)
The (brethren) sold him for a miserable price,- for a few diftans count€d
out In suchlow estimationdid they hold him!
( usuf: 20)
Allah doesnot neglecthissen'ants.Be with Allah andbewithout
fear.
u...And for thosewho fear Allatr, He (ever)Preparesa way out " "And He
provides for him from (sources)he nevercould expect"'"
(Ialaq 2&3)
That is what is confirmedby theincidentthatJoseph,peacebe
upon him, facedin this story.
Josephwas later sold in Egypt. He was transferredfrom one
couritry to another and from one hand to anther until he was
settledin the houseof El-Aziz. El-Aziz was the Minister of
it;;r;;t in Egypt at that time and he saw in Joseph
resourcefulnessand righteousness.
"The man in Egypt who bought him, saidto his wife: 'Make his stay(among
us) honourable: May be he will bring us much good, or we shall adopt him
asa son.'Thus did We establishJosephin the land, thatWe
l l
19. niglh teachtr;- the interprretationof stodes (md events). Ard Allah hath
firll power and cmtol over His affairs; but nost among mankind fta65, ig
noLu
(Yusuf:21)
Tlere ry1sg greatdifferencebtween thepeopleof theqilavan
y.ttg q"ta Josephfor a miserableprice, a f6w Dirhams,and
F)-Anz.
"The (Brethren) sold him for a miserable price,- for a few dirhams cormted
out in such low estimation did they hold him!"
(Yusuf:21)
But El-Aziz consideredhim to be a pricelessjewel. Even
paymentswith heapsof gold and silver would be-insufficienr.
But Joseph'strials were !o continuein pursuitof him.
tsut shein whosehouseHewas,soughtto seducehim andshefastenedthe
doors,andsaid:nNowcome,"Hesaid:"Allah forbidrrnrly (thyhusband)
is my lord! Hemademy sojnurnagreeablelrruly tonogoodc-omethose
whodowrong!
(Yusuf:23)
In the Arabic text of the Qur'an there is a word "Er-murawadah",
which means seeking to seduce. It really means trickery and
deception. That is conspiring and plotting against someorie in a
very nice way and using clever deieit.
Joseph with his stronglqith, morality and piety, did not want to
b"Tuy or deceivethe El-Aziz. The-onerirtro'traOput him up
and was so generousto him. The one who put hirir up in hii
houseand consideredhim a son.He did not want to me'*etgooo
with
t2
20. evil and generositywith betrayaland deception.This was a
great wro'ng doingand the wrong {9ers are never successful.
This is the moraliry of a Muslim in all conditions.
In a firm and dignified mannerwith honor, strengthand faith,
Josephsaid:
'Allah forbid! Truly thy husband is my lord! He made my sojoum
agreeable!Tnrly to no good come those who do wrong!"
(Yusuf:23)
But the woman was insistent and had preparedlor every
eventuality.The wife of El'Aziz had madeher decision.She
desiredhim and he would havedesiredher, if it weren'tfor the
fact that he had seenthe evidenceof his l-ord again.
.And (with passion)did shedesirehim, andhe would bavedesiredher,but
that he saw the evidence of his l-ord: thus (did We order) that We might
tum away from him (all) evil and indecent deeds:for he was one of Our
seryants chosen."
(Yusuf:24)
Facedwith theuncontrolleddesireof this woman,Josephcould
not do anything except try to escapeto the door. She chased
him and tr-et0trim and in trying to free himself of her, his shirt
was ripped in the back.Josephisshirt later becamethe evidence
of hisinnocenceasit rvastheevidenceagainstJoseph'sbrothers
before.
Then camehelp ashis lord, F;l-Aziz appearedat the door which
brought the sceneto an end for Joseph'sbenefit,peacebe upon
him.
t3
21. All happeningarefromthemercyandgraceof Allah.Someare
signsof mercy which Allah showerJuponhis servantsand
support€rsto facilitate$e-ir-r!fy: Othersareslipsandtripsin
whichtheenemiesof Allah fall-similarto thewiv a moth'falls
intothefire.
nSohewhogives(in charity)andfears(Allah),and(in all sincerity)
testifiesto theBest,- we will indeodmskesmoothfor him thepathto
Ease.Butbewhois a greedymis€,rand rhinks himself self-sufficient,
andgivesthelie to theBest,- Wewill indeedmalresnoothfel him the
Parthof Misery."
(AI-Lail, TheNighr $ 10)
Hence, the coming of El-Aziz at that crucial moment was
undoubtedlyoneof the signsof Allah. It manifestedAllah's
mercyand graceasit revealeda constantprotectionfor that
seryantwho wasbeingpreparedfor theoffiie of prophethood.
A Muslim doesnot betrayhistrustor deceiveottreriandif a
calamitybefallshim, heis eversteadfast.Also,a Muslimdoes
notsuccumbor weakenin thepresenceof temptations.
"so they both raced eachother to the door, and ghetore his shirt from tte
back They both formd her lord near the door. Shesaid: rWbat is the
(fiaing) prmishent for one who formed md evil design sgainnl thy wifs,
but prism or a grievous chastisern66l!"
(Yusuf:25)
"He sai& "It was shetbat sought to seduccme - from my (tnre) self., And
one of her household saw (this) and borc witness, (thus): - "If it be that his
shirt is rent from the frmt, then is her tale tnre, md he is a liax!
(Yususf:26)
t4
22. "But if it bethathis shirtis tornfrom iheback,thenis shetheliar, andheis
tellingthetnrth!
(Yusuf:2?
nSowhpnhesawhis shirt,- thatit wastom attheback,-(herhusband)said:
"Behold!it is asnaleof youwomeir!Truly' nighty is yoursnale!"
(Yusuf:28)
"O Joseph,passthisover! (Owife), askforgivenessfor thy sin,for tnrly
thouhastbeenatfault!"
(Yusuf:29)
El-Aziz who was the Minister of Treasury of Egypt with his
insight, knowledge,and exPertisesawthe generosityand good
'''ofitiiy of Joseltr. This lid him to bear witness that Joseph
was speaking the truth. Some other commentators have
mentidned th-atan infant was in the house and that infant
supporteaJoseph'stestimony.This wasrelatedby Abu Hurayratt
and Ibn Abbas,May Allah be pleasedwith them.
The woman exaggeratedin the defenseof her chastity and
purity by asking-ior the imprisonmentof Josephor a-tough
buniJtrmLnt.Jos-eph,who was true with his Lord, strongly and
ionfidently defendedhimselfsaying.
"It was shewho sought !o seduceme from my true self'"
(Yusuf:26)
He saidthis without theneedto confirm thetruth with emphasis,
evasion,or by swearingan oath. He left the truth flowing-
according to its nature,iithout th9 negdto follow theways of
thosewh-ocommit falsehoodand lies by swearingand talking
t5
23. toomuchto hidethetruthwith falsehood.This is thewayfor a
Muslim in his life. His way mustbetheway of truthandhis
saylngmustbethetruthandheshouldnotfearabidingby the
truthor reporach.
Thuswe c:tnseethat theinnocenceof Josephwasproven.He
wasacquittedfrom the falsehoodandaccusationswhich the
wife of El,-Anzhadstated.
The wisdom,expertise,and experienceof El-Aziz in many
matterswasmanifestedwhenhecameto hiswife notto accuse
heralone,butto showtheuniversalityof thistraitin thefemale
sex.
Herhusbmdsaid:nBehold!It isasnarcofyouwomen!Truly,nigbtyis
yoursnareln
(Ynsuf.28)
Then El-Aziz combining advice,guidance,andreproachfor his
wife turnedto Josephandsaid:
"OJosephpassthisover!
This meant that Josephshould avoid talking about this matter.
Then turning to his wife, he said:
'(O wife) ask forgiveness for thy sins, for truly thou hast beenat fault!'
(Yusuf:29)
In Arabic textof theQur'antheword Al-Khateenmeans,exactly,
thou has been from those men and women who are at fault.
This is usedinstead of Al-Khteaat which meansexactly, that
thou has
I6
24. been from those women who are at fault. This is done as a
mitieation or lesseningof the accusationdirectedat herto make
this"sin applicableto both the male sex and female sex, as
eiery chifh'of Adam is liable to lall into sin. Shemustconf-ess
tttir iin, ot leastto herself,andaskherL,ordfor forgivenessand
repentance.
This incident was soonspreadin the form of a rumour on the
tips .rf peoplethroughouithe city. This o,ccurredeventhouglt
ifi" tn"iO"tit was kriown only t6 a very closedcircle rvhich
includetlEl-Aziz, his wife, andJoseph.Among the people,the
*or"n were the majority of thoses'earching.fbrthe secretsof
the housesandthey werethe mostcapableol uncovenngmese
secretsanddivulgingthem.
The incidentof El-Aziz soonbecameknown amongthewomen
andbecamethesubjectol'gossiP.
I-adiessaidin thc City: ''fhe wilb of the (great)'Azjz.is seekingto scduce
hcr slave.Truly hath he inspired her with violent love: we seesheis
evidently going astraY."
(Yusul:30)
when thisgossipreachedEl-Azizand hiswil-e,thcwife thought
longandhird od how to entrapthesewomenwho weregossiping
oUo-uther. Sheprepareclfood-andcomlortableseating-for.them
andshegaveeveryoneol'thcm a knifc to useon their l-ood.she
ttren artilO Josep-hto appearamongstthem while they were
inattcntive.
whcn Josephcamebelbrethem in his handsomeapPearance
un.1p."."nle, they without thinking.cut their handsas they
*"t"' ltxrking at'him. At'ter havingtittea their eyeswith the
angelic
t7
25. appearanceof Joseph,they realizedthat their woundswere
bleeding.Theythencriedoutfromthedepthsof theirhearrs.
'Allah preserueus! NomortalisthisIThisisnmeotherthananobleangel!
(Yusuf:31)
The women told her that shewasnot to beblamedor reproached
after what they had seen.Joseph,peaceand blessingsbe upon
him, was endowed with a portion of beauty ashasbeenproven
in the narration of El-Isra (the ascensionof the Prophet).The
wife of El-Aziz proved undoubtedly that Josephwas loved for
his _handsomeappearance,mannerism, and morality. She
confessedthat shehad sought to seducehim from his trub self.
Shesaid:'Therebeforeyouis themanaboutwhon yedid blameme!I did
se€kto seduc€him from his(trrrc)selfbuthedid firmly savehimself
guiltless!...And now,if hedothnotmy tidding, heshallcertainlybecast
into prism, and(whatis more)beof thecompanyof thevilest!"
(Yusuf:32)
With this confessionit canbeseenthatthechildrenof Adam
arefallible.Thisconfirmsthateverysoulhearsevil whispers.
ThisobligeseveryMuslimtoreconsiderwhathasspreadin our
societytoday.Suchasusingservants,drivers,babysitters,and
maidsin our homes.A Muslim shouldthink andponderover
theevil andmoraldecaythatthesocietywill reapfrom such
things.
And in thesayingof theladies,
'The wife of the (great) 'Aziz is seeking to seduceher slave..."
(Yusuf:30)
l8
26. The additionof El-Aziz in this verseis to showthe magnitude
of the sinfulnessof theincident.Peopleareinclinedto listento
thenewsof thosein Power.
we deducel-romthis, that anyonewho is in a high positionis
required to caremore abouthi! reputationthan othersandis to
b"'un
"^urple
in evcrymatter.Butihe righteousandGod-fearing
Joseph,who was being prepared-by Allah for his message,
chalfengedthe power oTf*s lady lordty resorting to,Allah to
provide"himwiih his mercy, care,and protectionand to avert
evil frornhim.
He said:
He said: ',O my I-ord!
'I'he
prison is dearerto my liking then that to yhich
they invite me: unlessThou turn away their snarefrom me, I shouldfeel
inclined towards them andjoin theranksof the ignorant'"
(Yusuf:33)
The onewho takerefugein Allah andcomesunderhis protection
andis truthful in his faith must getfrom Allah his request'
So his t-ord hearkened to him (in his prayer) and tumed away from him
their snare:Verily He heareth andknoweth (all things)'
(Yusuf:34)
A Muslim shouldalwaysseekrefugein Allah andpraywith
sincerityto Him. A Mtislimshouldnottakerefug3in human
U"in*r iik" hirr"lf, evenif suchpersonsdomanifestworldly
powErandstrength.They,like himself,arepowerless'
l9
27. If a matterof Allah hasalreadybeendecreedit cannotbe
advancedor delayed,andit cannotberepelledby evil or harm,
exceptby thecommandof Allatr.
Josephchoeeprisonto escapetemptation(fitna).This waswhat
Allah d€creedin order to removehim from the temptationof
thesituation.In two SahihFladith,thePnophet(pbuh)-said:
'Tlure will besevenFrsora slvltered undcrtlu shadeof Nlah
on tlw dayofitrdgrrant andtlure will benootlur shadebut his
shadc.'
Theyare:
* A just ruler.
I A youngman who passeshis youth in worshipand
serviceof Allah, theLord of honorandglory.
* Onewhoseheartis habituallyattachedto theMosque.
* Two suchpersonswho love eachotherfor thesakeof
Allah.
* Theywhojoin togetherfor hissake.
* And partedfor hissake.
I A manwho is invited for sin by a rich andbeautiful
womanbutdeclines,saying,I fearAllatr.
The next ordeal of Joseph was his imprisonment.It was
plottedby thewife of El-Aziz herself,afterof @urse,theWill
of Allah.
20
28. The imprisonmentof fosgPlrcoincidedwith theimprisonment
of two btheryoungmen.It is possiblethat th! nYoyoungmen
;;; i-Fso'ned ilitn roseptr.".n9" samedaybecauseof an
iniiAentitrat happenedin theking'spalace.Soit.was1 gd
opportunttyfor iirsephto beimprisoned.In themidstof those
itiJia"nG,iabricated'accusationsandcalumniescouldeasilybe-
i"y;ifi;L"tnst rhoseconsideredundesirablein orderto getrid
of them.
Truthimposesirselfandtpwledge lifts its holderhigh..JosePh
was
"bt;'t"
gaintheconfidenceoThiscompanionlin g1tso9pV
fri* ftigtt *oiulity, character,thoughtfulj rftgmentand-ilti
g.ttt'
He foind solutionsto their problEmsandwasentrustedwith
their serrets.He took it uporihimselfto advise,g-urdeand.call
iffi t monotheism.He'alsointerpretedtheir dreamswhich
oftencameto Pass.
Thisis thewayof a Muslim,thetrueMuslim.To besublimein
his affairsandto takeadvantageof anyopportunitytoconvey
iii" r"rruge forthecauseof Allah.A Mrislimmusthavesincerity
*fuf"
""n"ueying
themessageandbefully certainthatAllah is
theOnebesidewhomthereis noPartner.
Now with him there cameinto prison two young men' One of them saying:
nI seemyself (in a dream)pressingwine." Said the other: nI seemyself (in a
drean) carrying bread onmy head, and bir& are eating thereof.' "Te!l us"
(they saidi 'the truth and meaning thereof: for we seethou art me that
doth good (to all)"
(Yusuf:36)
2l
29. He said: "Becauseany food comes (in due urursc) to feed either of you I
will surely reveal to you the truth and meaning of this ereit befall you. That
is part of the (Duty) which my I-ord hath taught me I have (I assureyou)
abandonedthe ways of a people that believe not in Allah and that (even)
deny theHereafter."
(Yusuf:37)
"And I follow the ways of my fathers, - Abraham, IsaacandJacob; and
nevercould we attributeany partnerswhateverto Allah: that (comes)of the
graceof Allah to us and to mankind: yet most menarenot gratcful.r'
(Yusuf:38)
"O my two companions.Ot the prison! (I ask you): .ue manylords dill'ering
amongthemselvesbetter,or Allah the One, supremeandirresistible'l"
(Yusuf:39)
"Whatever ye worship apartliom IIim is nothing but nameswhich ye have
named,ye and yow fathers,- for w'hichAllah hathsentdown no authority:
the Commandis lbr nonebut Allah: He hath commandetlthat ye worshrp
nonebut Him: that is the right religion, but most mcn understandnot..."
( r*usuf:40)
"O my two companionsof theprison! As to oneof'you, he will pour out the
wine for his lord to drink; aslbr theother,he will hangtiorn thecross,and
thebirds will eatfrom olThis head.(So) hathbeendecreedlhat rnatter
whereofye fwainclocnquirc"...
(Yusuf:41)
And of the two, to that onewhom he consideredaboutto be saved,he said:
"Mention me to thy lord, but Satanmadehim fbrget to mentionhim fq hi5
lord: and (Joseph)lingeredin prison a few (more) years."
(Yusuf:42)
22
30. Thekingof Egyptsawaslranggvlsionthatconfusedandhonined
fum-tffis led-himto gatheritl ttremagicians,soothsay_ers,and
asiiotoeetstogether.fte told themwhathehadseen.Heasked
ift"tn ti interp:retthevision,but theywereall unableto do so,
asthiswasdecreedbYAllah.
Thenoneof thecompanionsof Joseph,whowasoutof prison
arrhattimetold theliing aboutthekhowledgeof Jgqephin the
intemretationof dreamslHe askedtheking to sendhim to the
;;;dn ro seekrheinterpretationof thedream.With thatcame
id;i;" of Josephl-romprisonandrelieffromhisproblems.
Josephthenexplainedthevisionof the{ng pg^!lte1!r9w up a
olan.Thisplanwasto belollowedin lightof difficultcircums-
i-"er wtriih wouldsoonengulfthecountryandpeople'
Theking(ofEgypt)said:''Idosee(invision)sevenfatkine,whomseven
lean ones devour, - and seve,ngfoen eanlof corn, and seven(others)
withered. O ye chiefs! Expound to me my vision if it be that ye can intcrp'r3t
visions.',They said: "A clnl'used medleyof dreams:andwe arenot skiled
in the interepretation of dreams'"
(Yusuf: 4344)
But tbe man who hal beeirreleased,one of the two (who had beenin
prison) and who now rememberedhim after (so long) a sprce of time, said:
^
'I will tell you the tnrth of its interpretation: Sendye me (therefore).n
(Yusuf: a5)
noh Joseph!,' oe said) noh man of tnilh! ExPorod to uE(the dfeaD) of
sevenfatkine whom sevenleo ooesdevour, md of sevengreeir ers of
csn and (seven) othen withered: That I may return to thc people, md tbat
they maYknow."
(Yusuf:45)
23
31. (Joseph) said: "For seven yearsshall ye diligently sow asis your wonr and
the harvest that ye reap, ye shall leave them in the ear, except a [ttle, of
which ye shalleat."
(Yusuf:47)
"Then will come after that (period) sevendreadful (years), which will
devour what ye sball have laid by in advancefor them, - (All) except a little
which ye shall have (specially) guarded.
(Yusuf:48)
'Then will come after that (period) a year in which the people will have
abundant water, and in which they will press(wine and oil).'
(Yusuf:49)
The king w:rsconvinced of the interpretationof his vision. He
admiredtheknowledgeof theinterpreter,Joseph,andhisopinion
on the effective courseof action to face theforthcoming difficult
circumstances.So the king said:
'Bring yehimrmtonen
But Josephrefused the King's invitation. The joy of freedom
did not preoccupyhis mind from requestinginvestigationof
the reasonfor his imprisonmentto provepublicly his innocence.
He wanted to regain his dignity and clear his name to those
who thought ill of him. Therefore Joseph said ro the King's
messengen
nGothou back to thy lord, and ask him, I/hat was the matter with tbe ladies
who cut lheir hands? For my Lord is certainly well aware of their snare.n
(Yusnf:5O)
u
32. The true believer does not fear reproachin the causeof truth
andthe innocenthanddoesnot feafto becut off. The dedication
to u"-hi"u" a good reputationand to live with honor and dignity
without any iense o'f servility and humiliation is the way of a
Muslim andhis motto.
The requestof the imprisonedJosephstruck the earsof the
I(rn"* a thunderbolt'and causedhim to recall the incidence
ir"ofr ttt" Gginning. He, therefore,orderedan investigation and
the involved ladieswerequeshonagiln.
flhe king) said (to the ladies): "what was your affair when ye did seedto
seduceJosePh?"
The ladies could find only the true answerthat could no longer
behidden.
The ladies said: "Allah preserveus! No evil know we againsthim! said the
'Aziz'swife: "Now is the truth manifest(o all): it wasI who soughtto
seducehim he is indeed of those who are (ever) true (and virtuous)'"
(Yusuf:51)
All testified to the purity, chastity,and good moralityof
i;;";h.Et;n the wif6 of El-Aziz iould not but.joinin the
testimony.shecameoutof herembarrassmentandsobrietyto
il;li #yond any doubt that shewas the one who tried to
seducehiin ashas-beenmentionedin theverse'
A right with a seekeris neverlost.The riglrt !o
justicethat
i"*6tt hadlostwasregainedasa resultof hisinsistenceand
a;ii"6;;mmit it and'o proveit' Thuseveryright regained
if
25
33. its seekeris truthful andsincerein trying to regainit.
Josephgot out of prison after being proven innocentof that
heinousaccusationand stood before the king confidently with
his headheld high. The king was attractedby his speech,the
integrityof his opinion,andhiseloquenceandallowedhim the
opportunityto stayin his palace.
Therelbre when he had spokento him, he said: "Be assuredthis day, thou
art of high standingwith us, investedwith all trust."
(Yusuf:31)
Josephchosethe most suit:lblejob which he wasmostcapable
of handlingandorganiz.ing.
This was possiblebecausehe was fully acquaintedwith his
own abilities.
(Joseph)said:"Setme overthestore-housesof theland:I am a good
kceper,knowledgcable."
(Yusul:55)
BecauseEgypt was to receivedsevenyearsof f-ertilityto be
followed by sevenyearsof famine,therehad to be strictness,
effectivemanagement,andcarefulplanningof resources.Thus
Joseph(in the previous verse)placed his role as a guardian
beforehis knowledge.Guardianshipmay be sulficientwithout
knowledgein the abovecircumstances.Whereasif knowledge
is utilizedwithout guardianship,goodwill not be achievedin
suchcircumstance.
26
34. The solutionof somemattersrequiresknowledge,othersrequlre
experience.Some cannot dispensewith either knowledgeor
"*o"ri"n"e.
In this is a clarificationof therelationshipbetween
a Muslim, his work, andhisposition'A Muslim needsto choose
what suitshis inclinationsahddesiresin so far ashe is ableto
do so. And in doing so, it is permissiblefor him to praise
trimself and revealhis qualificaiionsif peopleare ignorantof
them as our ProphetYuiuf (peaceand blessingsbe upon him)
did.
with every hardshipthereis relief and this is confirmed by the
sayingof Allah the exalted:
"Soverily,witheverydifhcultythereisrelief:Verilywitheverydifficulty
thereis relief."
(Al-Inshirah: 5-6)
One difficulty cannot defeattwo reliefs as the messengerof
aiiutt said.T6 the true believers,the end of fate is to felicity
andgoodness.
I-,ater,after imprisonment,chastisement,mental andphysical
trumiiiation, Josephwas promoted to a position with a high
socialstatus.
Thus did We give establishpower to Josephin theland, to take
possessiontherein as, when, or wherehe pleased'We bestowof Our
-o"y oo whom we please, and we suffer not, to be lost, the reward of
those who dogood." "But verily the reward of the Hereafter isthe
best,for thosewho believe,andareconstantin righteousness'"
(Yusuf:56-5?)
27
35. If therighteous_andGod-fgarir_rgbelievercannotachievefelicity,
goodnessand happinessin this world he will surelv achieve
them in the Hereafter.Hence,a Muslim must increasehis trust
and confidencein his creator and do what is pleasingto his
Lord in all spheresof his life.
Joseph'sinterpretationof the king's vision was fulfilled asthe
sevenfertile.yearsp-asge_dand weie followed by sevenyearsof
famine which engult-edthe whole country.
pgypt, d-ueto the skilled managementand wise guardianof
Joseph,had storedenoughduring the lst sevenfErtile years
and was fully preparedfor the coming event. This altion
guaranteed
Eqypr'. prosperity so much so that Egypt became
theland to which travellerswould comeseekingpr6visionsand
supplies. Among those who came seeking frovisions were
Joseph'sbrothers.
ThencameJoseph'sbrethren:theyenteredhispresence,andheknew
them,buttheyknewhim not.
(Yususf:58)
f.hey did not know him because they neither expected to meet
him again nor did they ever expect ihat he wouid hold such a
lrgitr position as the man who was standing in front of them
held.
Josephworked out a trick to ensurethat they would come back
to Egypt againandagain.He talkedto them-andobtainedsome
newsabout them. He thenconfirmed to them that he would not
give them their measureof corn again until they oroughiiheir
?a
36. brother Benjamin to confirm the authenticity of the information
which they hadtold him.
Berause he trusted their honestyand their father'shonesty,he
l"iil[;i, ;d[ which they broright in exchangefor the goods
thevreceiveintheirsaddlebags.ThiswasdonetomaKetnem
ffik;6f,i ii *as placed there-by mistake. Thus, encouraging
them to return to Egypt to bhng the stock back to him
;;;; if ih;t oia "riot intend
-to
return for additional
provisions.
And when he had fumished them forth with provisions (suitable) for
the,n, he said: "Bring unto me a brother ye have' of the stme father as
yoruselves, lUut a different mother): Seeye not that I pay out full
measrue,and that I do provide the besthospitality?"
(Yusuf:59)
"Now if ye bring him not to me, ye shall have no measure(of corn) from
me, nor shall ye (even) come near me'"
(Yususf:60)
They said: 'TVe shall truy to win him from his father: Indeed we sball do it,',
(Yusuf:61)
And(Joseph)toldhisservantstoputtheirstock-in.trade(withwhichthey
hai brtereol into their saddle-bags, so they should know it only
when they retumed to their people, in oder that they might come back'
(Yusuf:62)
They went back to their father with this ominous news to seek
his igreement in allowing their brotherto accomPanythem'
29
37. They would use this piece of news as a weapon in their
psychologicalwar with their father.
Now when they renrned to their father, they sadi: "O our father! No more
measureof grain shall we get ( 'nle5swe takeour brother): So sendour
brother with us, that we may get our measure;andwe will indeedtake
everyciue of him.'
(Yusuf:63)
TonhgtJryopcouldonlybutyieldto theirrelquest,especially
aftertheyhadsaid:
"O our fatherl What (more can we desire?This our stock-in-fade hasbeen
refirrned to us: so we shall get (more) I'ood for our family; we shall take care
of our brother; and add (at the samefims) a ftrll camel'sload (of grain to our
provisions). This is but a small quantity."
(Yusuf:65)
This shows us that if a Muslim is providedwith proof and
evidence during an argument, he should believe and be
convinced.He is not to dealwith otherswith suspicionandill
feeling. With this view of dependenceand tiust in Allah,
Jacobtook an oath from his sonsto bring back their brother
unless a matter beyond their power or control befell them.
Hence,showinghis belief in destiny,its goodandits evil. With
the kind and merciful heart of an ailing faithful father,
Jacob advised his sons prior to their departure.He advised
them with that which would benefit them and protectthem
from evil. And in theligth of understandingtheruleof adopting
causesand taking precautions,Jacobadvisedthem with the
following:
30
38. Further he said: "O my sons! Enter not all by one gate: enter ye by different
gates.Not that I canprofit you aughtagainstAllah (with my advice): None
Ian cornmaod except Allah: On Him do I put my trusc and let all that trust
put their tntst on llim."
(Yusuf:67)
The sonsimplementedthis adviceandenteredfrom wheretheir
futtt*
"ormancled.
Josephintroducedhimself to his brother
anOaskedhim to hide thi^ssecretuntil thetime cameto divulge
itl ff" tft"n confined his brother from among them to let them
l;; iougt ordeal asthey had given their father a strongoath
to ir"p arid return their brothef The retribution meted out to
them was the samekind metedto Joseph.Oncethey gavetheir
father an oath to take careof Joseph,but they had deliberately
andwillingly betrayedtheir trust with their own hands'
Thev had lost Josephdeliberatelyand hereagain they would
t,or"'ttt"i. brotherBinjamin whom theyhad beenentrustedwith
unO
"u"n
hacltakenai oathto his careand safety.But this time
ii *ur not deliberate.Howeverinnocentthey werethistime, as
iit"u truOno control over the events,with regardto loosing their
Uioln"r, their first previouswrongful action with Josephis now
causinsthemthe punishmentwhlch theyhadthusfar beenable
6;;;p;. ihut,^justice will eventuallysettleits.debts..with
p""pi".f a culpril escapesits grip for a cerlaincrime without
'U"i,ig
p"ni.tt".t. Lrt"r hi may 5e iccused of a crime for which
il;; inno..nt. Then he wiil receive the retribution for the
"iir"
which he had comitted earlier and did not get his due
punishment.
The plan of Joscphwas to placethe greatbeakerof the King
t-.om'irltrictrhe drankinto hfsbrothersrsaddlebags.Whenthey
had traveledsome distance,he chasedthem and called upon
them:
3l
39. "O ye (in) the Caravan!Behold! ye arethieves,without doubt!" They said,
tuming towardsthem: 'Whatis it that ye miss?"
(Yusuf:7O-11)
They said: "We miss the great beaker of the king; for him who produces it.
is (the reward of) a camelload; I will be bound by it."
(Yusuf:72)
(Ihe brothers) said: "By Allah! Well ye know that we camenot to make
mischief in the land, andwe areno thieves!"'
(Ihe Egyptians) said: "What then shall be the penalty of this, if ye are
(proved) to have lied?"
(Yusuf:74)
They said: 'The penalty should be that he in whose saddle-bagit is found,
should be held (as bondman) to atone for rhe (crime). Thus it is we punish
the wrongdoers!"
(Yusuf:75)
"So he began (the search)with their baggage, before (he camc to) the
baggageof his brother: at length he brought it out of his brother's baggage.
Thns did We plan for Joseph.He could not take his brother by the law of
the king except that Allah willed it (so). We raise to degrees(of wisdom)
whom we please; but over all endued with knowledge is One, the All-
Knowing."
(Yusuf:76)
A Muslim should always be readyand preparedfor any matter
and he doesnot hold accountableanyoneeicept the offender.
32
40. "No bearer of burdenscan bear the burden of another'"
(Al-Israa: 15)
He believes that no matter how far he has reachedthrough
knowledge,high status, or Prestigein the sight of PeoPle,
there arE stilf above his knowledgemany stepsand above
thesesteps,other stepsuntil they alf pour into the infinity of
divine knbwledge.Th-ereforea Muslirnshouldnot becomeself-
conceitedby hii knowledgeor boastabouthis understanding,
but ratherh6 shouldhumblehimselftruly believingthe saying
of the Exalted:
"Of knowledge it is only a little thatis communicatedto you, (O men!)"
(Al-Israa: 85)
The sonsof Jacobwere at a loss when the accusationstruck
them and they realizedd that their brother was trapped.They
could not findanything with which to defendthemselvesexcept
separatingthems6lvesfrom thestrongrelationshipbetweenthem
andtheir brother.
They said: "If he steals,there was a b'rotherof his who did steal
before(him)."
The two brothers, Joseph and Benjamin were onl-y their
brothersfrom their father'i side.Their motherswere different.
Joseph heard this accusation leveled at him and his
brother.
But thesethings did Josephkeep locked in his heart, revealing not the
secretsto them.n
(Yusuf:77)
33
41. He was not overpressing or a man of haste as he
gatheredthe proofs and evidence that would eventually end
the matterand find the culprit. The culprit would be presented
with his full record, so clear and precise that he could not
evadefull confession,remorse,pardon,andrepentanceto achieve
reformation.
Joseph'sbrothers pleaded strongly to take one of them in the
place of Benjamin and to havemercy on their father.
But Josephresponded:
Hesaid:'Allah forhid tbatwetakeotherrhanhim with whomwefoundour
prop6ty: indeed(if wedid so),we shouldbeactingwrongfully."
(Yusnf:79)
It is not righteous to capture the innocent in the place of the
guilty. This constitutes an injustice which is not in line at all
with righteousness.
Whenthe sonsof Jacobcouldnot find a way to getJosephto
release their brotherfrom bondage, they got togetherand
discussedtheir plight.Theeldestsonbecamegrieved,worried
and embarrassedto meet his father due to his feelings of
responsibilitywith regardto hisnegligenceof histwo brothers,
JosephandBenjamin,andsaid:
'Thcrcforc will I not leave this land until my father permits me, or Allah
judges for me; and He is the best to judge. "
(Yusnf:8O)
The rest of the brothers returnedto their father and told him
what
34
42. hadhappened.
'Tum ye back to your father, and say, 'O our father! Behold! Thy son
committed theftl We bear witnessonly to what we know, andwe could not
well guardagainstthe unseen!"
(Yusut:81)
"Ask at the town where we havc beenandthe caravanin which we rehuned,
and (you will find) we :ue indeedtelling tbe truth."
(Yusuf:82)
Look at how the truth makesits holder speak.The speechwas
that of one confident in himself; one not requiring proofs or
evidence,nor lots of swearing,blabbing, wrong doing, or
argumentsto cover up his position.
A believeris not stungon the samespottwice. Hencewe find
Jacob receiving this piece of news with doubt of their
truthfulness.
Jacobsaid: "Nay, but ye haveyourselvescontrived a story (good enough)
for you so patience is most fitting (for me).
And he spokein the languageof a true sincerebelieverrvho
fully trustedin his [-ord'sjustice.
"So patienceis most fitting (to me) may be Allah will bring them (back) to
me (in the end).For He is indeedfull of knowledlge andwisdom."
(Yusul:83)
That is how he trustedin his [-ord andhopedfor his bounties
an<lblessings.Jacobturnedawayfrom his sonswith great
35
43. suffering of grief, distressand the pain of separationfrom his
sons.When his sonsnoticedthat they said: "Father,havemercy
on yourself."
They said: "By Allah! (Never) wilt thou ceaseto rememberJosephuntil
thou reachthe last extremity of illness,or until thou die!"
(Yusuf:85)
He answeredthem saying:
He said: "I only complain of my distractionandanguishto Allah, andI
know t'rom Allah that which ye know not."
Ousuf:86)
"O my sons!Go ye andenquireaboutJosephandhis brother,andnevcr
give up hopeof Allah's Soothing N{ercy:truly no onedespairsof Allah's
Soothing Mercy, exceptthosewho haveno laith."
(Yusuf:8?
A true believer resortsonly to Allah. He does not complain
exceptto Him. He standsat his door seekinghis grace.He is a
true believer who trusts in his Lord without any despair.
Despair is a form of suspicionof Allah andthe unbelieveris
the only one who suspectsAllah ashe doesn'ttully know Him
or believein Him.
Joseph'sbrothers returned to Egypt as it was mustfor them
to return for provisions and supplies.There was also the
matter of' their eldestbrotherrvhotook an oathuponhimself
not to return until his fathergavehim permissionor whatever
Allah decreed.Also, there was their brother who was taken
forcefully from them.
36
44. They went to Joseph asking for his provisions and charity.
They explained th6ir conditi-on,the conditions of their family,
and fathbr after the absenceof their brother who was captured
there. The heart of Josephwas full of tenderness,sym-pathy,
compassion,and eagernessfor his brothers and his fam-tlyt
The'time ior divtilging his secretfinally came.He asked
them:
Hesaid:nKnowyehowyedcaltwithJosephandhisbrother,notknowing
(whatyeweredoing)?"
(Yusuf:89)
This question stirred up surpriseand astonishmentin them
for they were the only ones along with Josephwho new the
secret.
Hencethey all called out:
Theysaid:'ArttbouindeedJoseph?'Hesaid,'I amJose'ph,mdthisismy
brother:Allahhasinde€dbeengracioustous(all):behold,hethatis
righteo$, never will Allah srilfer the reward to be lost' of thosewho do
right.n
(Yusuf:90)
The responseof Josephwasa tough lessonto be learnedby his
brotheri in dealing-with others without envy or jealousy.
Everyone is destined for that which he has been created for.
His brotherc were remorseful and heartbrokenat what they had
done.They confessedto their sin saying:
Thcy said' 'By Allah! Indeod hasAllah prefened thee aboveus, and we
c€rtainly bave beenguiltY ofsin!
(Yusuf:91)
37
45. Josephforgavethem saying:
Hesaid:Thisdayletnoreproachbe(cast)onyou:Allahwill forgiveyou,
andHeistheMostMercifulofthosewhoshowmercy!
(Yusuf:92)
This was a day of pardon,forgivenessandrepentance.A day of
reunion, hugging, love, serenity,mercy and repentance.It was
the forgiveness,festival whereblameandreproachwereabsent,
only forgiveness,satisfactionandrepentancewerethere.
Josephthengavean order which wasinstantly followed:
"Gowiththismyshirt,andcastit overthefaceofmyfather:hewill come
tosee(clearly).Thencomeye(herQtometogetherwithallyourfarnily."
(Yusuf:93)
What a shirt! It holdsa greatsignificanceasit wasthe evidence
presentedby his brothers to prove that the wolf had devoured
Joseph.It was their father's proof of their deceit. It presented
also a clear proof to absolveJosephof what he hadbeenaccused
of. Finally, it was the cure to his father'sloss of sight and the
cure to his father's distressand grief.
The family was reunited and the honorable Josephclimbed up
the throne and raised his parentshigh on it. His brothers stood
before him peacefully and they all prostrated in praise and
gratitude to Allah. Hence,Joseph'svision which he saw in his
childhood was fulfilled.
Adhc raiscdhispor€ntshighm thethrmeudthcyfell downin
prostratim,(dl) befq€hirn.Hesaid:"Omyfatbcr!fis isthcfullillnent
38
46. of my vision of old! Allah hath made it come true! He was indced good to
me when He took me out of prison and brought you (all here) out of the
desert, (even) after Satanhad sown enmity betweenme and my brothers."
(Yusnf: 100)
Glory be to Allah the Exalted in power, the Great and always
true areHis words.
"...But it is possiblethat ye dislike n thing which is goodfu you, andthat
ye love a thing which is bad for you, But Allah knoweth, and ye know not.n
(Al-Baqara:216)
Who could ever hliever the eventswhich befell Joseph?The
casting of him into the well, the falling into-the hands-of the
travellers, his selling in Egypt for the miserableprice of a few
dirhams, the plot ofhis ladylord and her Plot with a_groupof
ladies,and his imprisonmeht.Who thoughtor could put into
his mind that theseeventswerethe woven stringsof a throneor
a crown for a new king. A king who was born from the conflicts
and sat on that greatlhrone and was magnificently crow-ned.
All of that could not come into being without the decreeof the
Powerful andthe All Mighty Allah.
Verily,whe,nHeintendsathing,HisCommandis,nBe",andit fu!
(YaSin:82)
Allah holds the causeswith his mercy and decreeseventswith
his commandwhich thenflow with his wisdom.
Status, prestige and abundant bounties did not make Joseph
foeet the Bestowerof bountiesandthe King of kings, in whose
haids are everything. Josephsaw that it was incumbent upon
39
47. himtobegratefultoAllah,theBralted,forwhathehadshowered
him with. Henceheturnedto him in prayer:
nOmy Lord! Thou hast indeed be'stowedon me somelxtwer, md taught me
something of the interpretation of drems, - O thou Creator of the heavens
and the euth! Thou art my Protector in this world and in the Heneafter.
Take Thou my soul (at death) asone submiring to Thy Will (asa Muslim)'
and rmite me with the righteous''
(Yusuf: 101)
A Muslim should realize that the actions of this life are the
provisions for the Hereafter.Toward this he should zealously
irepare himself. Miserableis the onewho doesnot prePare.
I-ooking closely at this story and por-rderingoler it will reveal
that it c6nstitutis a victory for morality and virtue, and a defeat
for whims and carnal dCsires.A victory for forgiveness and
pardon and a defeat forjealousy and envy. It also revealsthe
Itrength andweaknessof humanbeings.The strength,if ahuman
being returnsto thepower of hismind andlistensto_their-rsPiration
of his conscience
-and
if he knows the limits of his humanity
and feels wholeheartedly that heis no more thanAllah's creature
on earth. That he is one who has been created to rule and
governby what Allah hasprescribed.And if in his weakness,if
[e surreridersto his whims and carnal desiresand handsover
his will to his evil whispering soul he is destinefor destruction.
This picture is clearly manifestedto thosewho witnessit.
There is, in tbeir stories, instnrction for men enduedwith rmderstanding.It
is not a Ale invented, but a confirmation of what went before it, - a detailed
exposition of 4[ rhings, and a Guide and a Mercy to any suchasbelieve.n
(Yusttf:111)
4
48. MORAL ASPECTOFTIIE STORY OF YUSI''F
The eventsandthecharactersof !tri! storybackledthepositive
andnegativ"*p""*i iittt"-fif"
"f
a.humanFing with morality
ffi ;uiltr, J'"r,".l,ti.1ne vtustimvouthhastochoosethe
ffiilui"y f* #;lf. eifurrrp"[" ttt6trotttwhenHesaid:
ile shouldhimtheWay:wbetherhebegratdulorungratefirl'n
(InsanorAd-Dahr:3)
ThemoralasPectsof Islamthatthisstoryhasmanifestedare:
1.Seekinghelpfrom thosewhoareknowledgeableand
"*p"rr"nJ5
otffiqaybe moreknowledgeableand
*FUr" thanyouin solvingyourproblems'
Behold, Jce,ph said to his father:
nO my father! I did seeeleven sta$ and
the sun and the moon: I saw tbem prootrate themselvesto Me!
(Yusuf:a)
2. Explaining the dange-r-ofparentsbeing overly
-' -""i"ti""at-*ith
somebftheirchildren'
They said:'Truly Jooephandhisbrorherarelovedmoreby ourfathcrthen
we:but w€re a g-[r-v uoayrReallyon fatberis obviorsly in enc!"
(Yu$tr:8)
'Slay yeJocephor casthim antto some(untnown) lud' thatsotbe
favor
aiiril-rmri -", J o* toyoudw: clb€fewillbetirncenmgb)fc
youo berigbtcottsaftcr<!'
(Yruttr:9)
4l
49. - 3. No to panic during an adversity or calamity and to
kj"p calm and patient with a strong
-Uetief
in
destiny.
Tbey stained his shirt with false blood. He said: nNay,but your minds have
made up a tale (thet 6sy pass) with you, (for me) patience is most fiCing:
against that which ye assert,it is Allah (alone) whosehelp can be sought."
(Yusuf: 18)
4. Peopleevaluat€mattersfrom different points of view
depending upon their different backgrounds and
mentalities.
nTbe(Br€threo)soldhimforamis€rablepnce,-forafewdirhamscormted
out in suchlow estimation did they hold him!'
(Yusuf:20)
This was the view held by the people of the cruavan,
but the ong who bought him in Egypt realized his
value and virtue.
Themmin Egyptwhoborghthim,said!ohiswife:'Makchisstay(amotrg
us)honouraUe:maybehewil b'ringusmrrchgoodorweshalladoptbim
as I son.t
(Yusnf:21)
5. Being chaslewhen thereis a strongcall to respondto
the animalistic sexual instincts in the pres6nceof
enticing and tempting factors.
Butsbein whosehousehcwas,soughttoseducehimandshefast€nedthe
doors.andsaid:'Nowoome,'HesairfnAllahforbid!Tnrly(thyhusband)
l!|
42
50. mylo'd!Hemademysojnurn
ffi::lflv
tonogoodconethosewho
(Yusuf:23)
6. Not to rush into making or issuing judgemental
statementJ,-buiio delibeiatethe matterand turn it
6;iA; a";nGliti t"aching a verdict for a final
decision.
Sowhcnhesawhicshirt'-ftatiswastcnatthebck,-(herhrrsbond)88id:
tsehold!It is asnse of youwomeo!Tnrly' migbtyis you snrcln
(Yusuf:28)
"oJoscph,passthisovcr!(offHj?fJfess fc thvsi!'fq trulv
(Yud:29)
7. ObeyingAllah durlngProsPerity'*j:1rrrrg^ltAllah' '
autihg
-*i
"dt;;itf,
'anc'havihg
assunanceof the
divine positiverygPg$eevenif dElayedarethetraig
of adelievingMuslim'
Hc said 'omy Lord!Thprigmis dcarcrtomyliking$mrtbdtyF h
,t Vi""ir. -i unlcss-Tdt orn aweythcir mar frm mc' I shouldfcd
inclincdtowardsttco andjoin theranksd tbcigrcrant"
(Yttsuf:33)
Heseid."I oaly compleinof my distrrtion aodanguishto Allah' andI
knowirm Allahthat whichyeloow not''
(Yusd: t6)
8. Calling peopleto the path of Allah wheneverthe
43
51. opportunitl presentsitself by acting as a good
exampleandusingstrongandcolnvincinfargument.
"Omy twocompanions,of theprr:T! (I askyou):Are menylads differiag
amongthemselvesbetter,or Allah fte one, s'rpreme andtrrestiHet"
(Ynsuf:39)
wharcveryeworshipapartfrom Him is nothingbutnomeswhichyehave
nmed, yeandyo'fathers, - for whichAlah haths€ntdownno*o-ity,
thecommod is fc nme butAltah: Heharhcmmaded ttat yeworsbip
nonebutHim: tbx is theright religim, butnoot me' rmderstednot "
(Ynsd:40)
9. Tolerance,goodcharacterandgiving fulr adviceto
whoeverhasconsultedyou.
But themanwhohadbeenrcleased,oe of thetwo (whohadb€e,,in
prison)andwhonow renemberredhim dtcr (sotongl asprce?ri_", oia,'I will tell youtbetuth of its interpretatio; ,.oa y". ttt ofor"1,,
(Ynsnf:45)
'o Jccph!' Expoundto us(thedrcan) of sev€nfat tirc whm seveoree
on€s&vour, ud of sev€og€cn carsof cornud (sevco)orhers*it"*a,
rh{ | 6ay p0rrn to thepeople,ad ttat theymayknow.n
Yunf:46)
Josephrespondedto his former companionwithout
harshnessor -reprimanding,even thouch thecompani-on failad to menti6nJosephto tir'rn"rt",
sooner.Joseph designedaplanr- ti.
"Lni-ririi*
t"deatwithth6 comrnseventil;;;;liffl""*lo
not chockhim. MorSovertriswordsto-tirlotir"o
afterfacingthem:
4
52. Hesaid:This daylet noreproachbe(cas$(myou:Allah will forgiveyou,
andHeis theMostMerciful d thosewhoshowmercv!tr
Susuf:9)
10.The practicalchallengeof a Muslim to othersupon
:uisuranceof his truthfulnessandinnocenceandthat
heis theholderof truth.
Sotheking said:nBringyehim rmtome.nBut wh€nthemesseirgercameto
him, (Jose,ph)said:nGothoubackto thy lord, md askhim rwhatwasthe
matterwith theladieswhocut theirhalds? Formy [-ordis certainlywell
awae of theirsnre.n
(Ytuuf:50)
(Ihe ting) said(to theladies):"Whatwasyouraffair whenyedid s€€kto
seduceJoseph?"Theladiessaid:nAllahpnes€rveus!noevil know we
againsthirn!nSaidthe'Aziz'swife: 'Now is theuuthmenifest(toAll): it
wasI who sougbtto seducehim heis inde€dof thce whoare(ever)tnre
md virhrous)."
(Ynsuf:51)
I l. Beautify oneself with the best morals and qualifications.
nSotheking said:"Bri4g him untome;I will takehim speciallyto serve
aboutmy own person.nTbereforewhenhehadspokentohim, hesaid:'Be
assnredthisdaythourt of hgh studing with us,investodwith all trust."
(Yusuf.54)
12. hesent your credentialsand introduceyourselfif
suitationsor circumstancesrequircit.
45
53. (Joseph) said: "Set me over the store-housesof the land: I am a good
keeper,knowledgeable' "
(Yusuf:55)
13.The necessityof accurateplans and turangementsto
achievethe desiredandright objectives.
"And (Joseph) told his seraantsto put their stock-in-trade (with which they
had bart€red) into their saddle-bags,so they should know it only when they
rehmed to tbeir people, in order that they might come back'u
(Yusuf:62)
SoJosephplacedtheir stockin their saddle-bagsto
securctheirreturn
14. It is important not to be carelessin dealingwith
mattersbut to bepreparedandto takethenecessary
precautiens.It is dppiopriate!o fulfill themeaniqgof
iheold Siying:"Tieyoirrcamelandtrustin Allah."
Furtherhesaid:nOmy sons!Enteraot all by onegate:enteryeby different
gates.Not thx I canprolit youaugbtagainstAllah (with my advice):None
-can
commandexceptAllah: onHim doI putmy tnrst andlet all tbattrust
puttheirtnrstm Him.n
(Yusuf:67)
15.The recognizingwith humblenessandconfessionthat
the knoilledse of a man is predestined by Allah'
And that all the kowledgeof a Personis nothing in
comparisonto theknowledgeof Allah.
"Wben Josephanained his full nanhood, We gave him power and
6
54. knowledge:thusdoWe rewardthosewhodoright.n
(Yusuf:22)
"...Weraiseto degrees(of wisdom)whomWeplease:but overall endued
withknowledgeis One,theAll-Knowing.'
(Yusuf:76)
16. The ideal kindness toward parents.
'Go with fis my shirt,andcastit overthefaceof ny father:hewill come
to see(clearly).Thencomeye(bere)tometogetherwith all yourfamily.n
(Yusnf:93)
In Joseph'spositiontowardshisfamily,Allah says:
Thenwhentheyentercdthepnesenceof Jos€ph,Hepovided ahme fq his
prents wift himsslf,andsaid:nEnteryeE$rpt (aU)h safetyif it please
Allab.n
(Yrunf. 99)
nADdheraisodhis Fretrts bigh onthetbrme md tbeyfell downin
Prostratiorl,(all) befqe him.'
(Ynsttf: l0)
17. Acknowledging of the bounties of Allah and being
very gratefulevenduring preoccupationwith them
andbeingpleasedwith Allah'sdecrees.
He said:'O my father!tbisis Thc frtrlllmcnt o[ my vldon o[ oH! Allah
haft msdeit cme Euc!Hewasind€€dgoodto mc wbenHetookmcoutof
prisonod broughtyou (dl here)outof the&s€rt, (even)aflerSato h8d
sownenmitybetweenne andmy brothers.Verily my Lcd is graciors
47
55. Allatt
towhm Hewillsfm verilyHeisfull ofknowledgeandwisdom'
(Yusuf:100)
18. The confession of sin and seeking rePentancefrom
Allah with the realization that infallibility is for
alone.
Saidthe'Aljtz,swife: nNowis thetuth manifest(to all); it wasI whosought
16s€duc€him heis indeedof thosewhoare(ever)tnre(andvirnrous)."
(Yusuf:5l)
Moreover,theconfessionof Joseph'sbrothersafterhe
divulgedthesecretof histrueselfto them.
They said:"By Allahl Ind€edhasAllah preferredtheeaboveus,md we
c€rtainlyhavebeenguilty of sin!
(Yusttr:91)
PeacebeupontheMuslim youthswhoabidegy--m"injunctions
andcommindsof Allatr evCrywhereandwhofollow theIslamic
Law by applyingits teachingsandprinciplesatall times.
Finally, thishasbeenacunpry glq1rointo SuraYusufasit has
beenreiatedin theHoly Qut'an.
-I
don'tclaimthatit hascovered
all aspectsof thestory.It is impossiblefor meor anyoneelseto
do s<i.For the Qur'a; is anis an inexhaustiblespring.Hence
somescholarshave said: "The knowledgeof the scienceof
Tafsir or Commentaryis sdll a deepseain which oneneedsto
delveto hing outit irivaluableheasuresanddeduceits wonders
andsecrets.'
4t
56. The scholarsare still standingat its coastsipping from its-pure
sorins and never get satiatedlWho is able with his knowledge
i6
"n!"'''p*s
the ilords of the All Mighty, our l-ord, the Exalted
in power? Who canperceiveits secreits,its nuances,it miracles
or allegethat he has-reachedperfection?
Successis from Allah. In Him aloneI trust andto Him I turn in
repentance.
THEEND
49
57. R,EFERENCES
l. THE HOLY QIUR'AN:Text, EnglishTranslationof the
Meaningsand Commentary,Revised& Edited by THE
PRESIDENCYOF ISLAMIC RESEARCHES,IFTA,
CALLAND GUIDANCE.
2. Al-Moljam Al-MufahrasLi'Alfath Al-Qur'an(Theindexed
dictionary for Al-Qur'an expressions)by Moh'd Foua
AMul-Bagi.
3. SafwatAl-Tafseerby Moh'dAli Al-Sabooni.
4. TayseerAl-Ali Al-GadeerLiTkhtisar TafseerIbn Katheer
by Moh'dNaseebAl-Refa'i.
5.Al-QassasAl-Qur'anibyAdbul-KarimAl-Kateeb
6. Al-ShababFi SanatuhumAl-Duwaliyyah(Youth in their
InternationalYear)- An Article by MosaAl-Samadiin the
JordanianOpinionNewspaer.
7. Al-ShababFi Al-TurathAl-Islami (YouthIn The Islamic
Culture)byAl-GhazaliHarbAn(ArticleinAl-DarahMagazine
- No.3,Yearl0).
50
58. APOLOGY
I apologize for not mentioning the referenceswithin this
doiumeit. This is due to the fact that my work here was
intended to be given as a lecture (and not as ^apublished
document).Howev?r, I haveindicatedabovethereferencesI've
used.These referencessharethe credit for the work I've done
here.
Dr. MahmoodShakirSaeed
51
