Stories of the Prophets... Stories of the Prophets, peace be upon them.
May Allah's prayers followed by peace
Be upon the best of all creation,
Possessors of resolve, of exalted station.
The story of Joseph (Yusuf), peace be upon him.
In the Name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds,
And peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad,
And upon his family and all his Companions.
To proceed:
Joseph, peace be upon him, entered prison
While being wronged and overpowered,
In a foreign land where he had no one to support him.
Such was the life of Joseph, peace be upon him, before prophethood:
He moved from his father's embrace to the depths of the pit,
Then to the palace of the chief minister (al-Aziz),
And from there into the darkness of the prison.
One trial followed another,
Yet relief inevitably follows hardship,
And perhaps these were the preludes to being established in the land.
Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, said:
"If you reflect upon His wisdom, Glorified is He,
In how He tests His servants and His chosen ones,
You will find that He drove them thereby
Toward the most sublime objectives and the most perfect outcomes,
Which they could never have reached
Except by crossing the bridge of trials and tribulations.
And that bridge, in its perfection,
Was like the path without crossing which
There is no way for them to enter Paradise.
Those trials and tribulations were
The very essence of divine guidance and honour for them;
Outwardly they appeared as affliction and testing,
While inwardly they bore mercy and blessing."
Imam al-Shafi'i, may Allah have mercy on him, was asked:
"O Abu 'Abdullah,
Which is better for a man:
To be established in authority or to be tested?"
He replied, "He will not be established until he is tested.
For indeed, Allah the Exalted
Tested Noah, Abraham,
Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad,
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon them all;
And when they bore the trials with patience,
He established them."
The signs of being established in authority became evident
In the life of Joseph, peace be upon him,
When Allah chose him
And revealed revelation to him while he was in prison.
Thus, he became a prophet among the prophets,
Receiving divine revelation while inside the prison.
Despite all the harsh circumstances
In which Joseph, peace be upon him, lived
While incarcerated,
That did not prevent him
From fulfilling the message of his Lord
And calling his fellow inmates around him to Allah.
Furthermore, the noble status
Attained by Joseph, peace be upon him,
Through prophethood,
Did not keep him from fulfilling
His humanitarian role within the prison.
For he, peace be upon him,
Would comfort the sorrowful,
Visit the sick,
And tend to the wounded.
He would spend his nights in worship,
Standing before his Lord and Master,
So the inmates found comfort in him and loved him
For his noble character
And his immense benevolence toward them.
One day,
Two men entered upon Joseph, peace be upon him,
In the prison.
One of these two men was
The king's cupbearer,
And the other was the king's cook (baker).
The reason for their imprisonment was
That certain people wanted to assassinate the king.
They approached the cupbearer
And said to him,
"Put poison in the king's drink,
And we will give you such-and-such an amount of money."
But the cupbearer refused.
So they went to the cook
And said to him,
"We will give you such-and-such
If you put poison in the king's food."
He agreed to that
And placed the poison in his food.
When the meal was served before the king,
The cupbearer said to the king,
"Do not eat of the food,
For it is poisoned."
The cook grew frightened
And said, "No,
Rather, the poison is in the drink!"
Thus, it was established in the king's mind
That poison was indeed present,
But the question remained:
Was it in the food or in the drink?
So he ordered animals to be brought,
And two animals were brought before him.
He separated them from one another,
Offering the food to one of them
And the drink to the other,
And they waited for the outcome:
If this one died from the food,
Then the poison was in the food;
And if that one died from the drink,
Then the poison was in the drink.
And until the time the results would become manifest,
The king issued a command concerning both of them,
And they were cast into prison.
There they met Joseph, peace be upon him,
And found solace in his company.
Then Allah the Exalted decreed
That each of these two men
Saw a dream in his sleep.
When morning came,
They went to Joseph, peace be upon him,
And each of them recounted to him
What he had seen.
The first said,
"I saw in a dream that I
Was pressing wine."
And the other said,
"I saw that I was carrying on my head [bread from which birds were eating]."
“And two young men went to prison with him. One of them said: I dreamed that I was pressing wine. The other said: I dreamed that I was carrying upon my head bread whereof the birds were eating. Announce unto us the interpretation, for we see thee of those good (at interpretation).” (12:36)
And they asked him to interpret
Their dreams for them.
Joseph, peace be upon him, seized
This opportunity to call them to Allah,
Especially since these two prisoners
Were with him in prison
And were in need of the interpretation of their dreams.
So he began by informing them
Of his knowledge of the unseen,
Which was a miracle granted to him by Allah,
So that they would feel reassured and trust
Whatever he would tell them.
Then he said,
"No food will come to you
Except that I will inform you
Of its true nature,
Its essence, and its description
Before it reaches you."
And so that it would not cross
Their minds
That this was the practice of soothsayers
Or astrologers,
He clarified the matter to them,
Saying:
"This is part of what my Lord has taught me;
For I have abandoned the religion of a people [who do not believe in Allah]
“He said: The food which ye are given (daily) shall not come unto you but I shall tell you the interpretation ere it cometh unto you. This is of that which my Lord hath taught me. Lo! I have forsaken the religion of folk who believe not in Allah and are disbelievers in the Hereafter.” (12:37)
And who resorted to the worship of
Other deities that can neither benefit
Nor harm,
And I have followed the faith of my fathers upon pure monotheism (Tawhid),
Which is of the grace
That Allah has bestowed upon us."
Allah the Exalted said:
"And there entered with him
The prison two young men.
One of them said,
'Indeed, I saw
Myself pressing wine.'
And said
The other,
'Indeed, I saw myself carrying
Upon my head bread,
From which the birds were eating.
Inform us
Of its interpretation;
Indeed, we see you
To be of the doers of good.'
He said, 'There will not come
To you any food
With which you are provided
Except that I will inform you
Of its interpretation
Except that I will inform you
Of its interpretation before
It comes to you.
That is
From what has taught me
My Lord.
“He said: The food which ye are given (daily) shall not come unto you but I shall tell you the interpretation ere it cometh unto you. This is of that which my Lord hath taught me. Lo! I have forsaken the religion of folk who believe not in Allah and are disbelievers in the Hereafter.” (12:37)
Who do not believe in Allah,
And they, in the Hereafter,
Are disbelievers.
And I have followed
The religion of my fathers,
Abraham,
Isaac,
And Jacob.
It was not for us
To associate
With Allah
Anything.
"That is part of the grace
of Allah upon us
and upon all people,
but most
people are not grateful."
And from the wisdom of Yusuf (peace be upon him)
in calling others to Allah
was that he deemed it appropriate
to invite them to Allah Almighty
before interpreting
the dream for them.
For had he interpreted it for them first,
each one of them would have been preoccupied
with what was interpreted for him.
So it was as if he told them:
"I have words that I wish
to present before
I interpret the dream for you:
O my fellow prisoners!
Are diverse deities,
are these earthly idols you worship,
better, or the worship of Allah,
the One, the Supreme?"
Then he explained to them
the falsehood of their worship of these gods,
and that they are merely names
which they have invented
of their own accord, for which
Allah has sent down no authority.
Then, after he had called them
to Allah Almighty,
he interpreted their dreams for them,
saying:
"O my fellow prisoners!
As for one of you,
he will serve his master
wine;
and as for the other,
he will be crucified, and
the birds will eat from his head.
The matter has been decreed
concerning which you both inquire."
Then Yusuf (peace be upon him)
turned
to the cupbearer and said to him:
"Mention me to the king,
and tell him
that there is a man who entered prison
unjustly and wrongfully."
And indeed,
after a short period of time,
the cupbearer was released
and returned to his work
in the king's palace.
But Satan made him forget
to mention Yusuf's case to the king,
so Yusuf remained in prison
for seven years.
Then Allah Almighty decreed
that the King of Egypt should see
a vision in his sleep,
from which he awoke in dread.
So he gathered the wise men, the scholars,
the sorcerers, and the priests
of that time.
Then he said to them:
"I saw in my sleep
seven fat cows,
and seven lean, frail cows;
and these emaciated
cows turned upon the fat
cows and began
to devour them.
Then I awoke from my sleep, terrified
by the dream.
Then I went back to sleep once more,
and I saw seven ears of grain,
green,
and another seven dry.
And these dry ears
of grain came
and wrapped themselves around the green ears
until they had consumed them completely.
Then I awoke from my sleep
terrified a second time.
O eminent ones!
Advise me concerning
this dream of mine,
if you are able to interpret it."
But they had no answer
except to say:
"These are muddled dreams—
that is, a mere mixture of confused dreams—
and not a true vision;
so there is no need to waste
time on them."
A man was listening to their conversation
who was present in their gathering
to serve them—
namely, the cupbearer.
And he remembered Yusuf after a long
time,
and said to those with him:
"If you are unable
to interpret this dream,
then I can inform you
of its interpretation. Only
send me to Yusuf
in prison,
for he has the certain knowledge of it."
The king permitted him to go
to Yusuf (peace be upon him)
in prison
to ask him about this dream.
So when he met Yusuf (peace be upon him)
in prison once again,
Yusuf treated him
with the utmost nobility:
he did not reproach him for forgetting
him throughout all those years;
rather, he welcomed him
and listened to the king's dream.
Then he interpreted it
for them, saying:
"You shall cultivate, O people,
for seven years as usual—
that is, continuously and with diligence;
and whatever you harvest,
leave it in its ear,
so that it will not dry out,
nor spoil,
nor be affected by being stockpiled.
“He said: Ye shall sow seven years as usual, but that which ye reap, leave it in the ear, all save a little which ye eat.” (12:47)
For
there will come after that
seven severe years
in which the rain will cease
and the land will become barren,
so that you will not be able
to eat anything
except what you have preserved
from the first seven years
and stored away.
Then will come after those years
a year in which the people
will be given abundant rain, and blessings
will spread throughout the land."
And this year
had not been mentioned at all
in the dream,
but it was among that which
Allah had taught him.
Allah Almighty said:
"And the king said,
“And the king said: Lo! I saw in a dream seven fat kine which seven lean were eating, and seven green ears of corn and other (seven) dry. O notables! Expound for me my vision, if ye can interpret dreams.” (12:43)
'...fat [cows]
being eaten by
seven lean ones,
being eaten by
seven lean ones,
and seven ears of grain
that are green
and others dry.
O eminent
ones, advise me
concerning my dream,
if a dream
you can interpret.'
They said, 'Muddled
dreams,
and we are not,
in the interpretation of dreams,
learned.'
And the one who had been saved
of the two said, remembering
after a time:
'I will inform you
I will inform you
of its interpretation,
so send me forth.'
'Yusuf,
O man of truth,
“(And when he came to Joseph in the prison, he exclaimed): Joseph! O thou truthful one! Expound for us the seven fat kine which seven lean were eating and the seven green ears of corn and other (seven) dry, that I may return unto the people, so that they may know.” (12:46)
...fat [cows]
being eaten by seven
lean ones,
being eaten by seven lean ones,
and seven ears of grain
that are green
and others dry—
and others dry—
so that
I may return to the people,
so that
they may know.'
He said, 'You will cultivate
for seven years as usual,
and what you harvest,
leave it—
and what you harvest, leave it—
in its ears,
except for a little
from what you eat.
Then there will come
after that
seven severe years
that will consume what
you have stored
for them,
except for a little
of what
you preserve.
Then there will come
after that
a year in which
people will be granted relief,
a year in which
people will be granted relief
and in which
they will press oil and wine.
The king was deeply impressed by the interpretation
of Yusuf (peace be upon him),
so he ordered that he be brought to him from prison.
When the prison warden
came to Yusuf (peace be upon him)
and informed him
of the king's invitation,
Yusuf (peace be upon him) refused
and said to the warden:
"Return to the king
and ask him about the affair of the women
who cut
their hands.
For they are noble women of this
city,
and their story is no secret to anyone."
So the messenger returned
to the king
and informed him of Yusuf's response.
Thereupon, the king summoned
the women
and questioned them about what had happened with
Yusuf.
They all said in one voice:
"Allah forbid!
We know of no evil concerning Yusuf,
and we have seen from him
nothing but virtue and goodness."
At this point,
the wife of al-Aziz said:
"Now the truth has come to light
and become manifest:
it was I who sought to seduce Yusuf,
and he is indeed among the truthful.
I have confessed this
against myself
so that my husband knows that I did not betray him in his absence
and that the ultimate transgression
never occurred;
rather, I merely tried to seduce Yusuf,
but he resolutely refrained.
Yet I do not
claim to be free of blame,
for the soul inclines and desires,
and the soul
is ever persistent in commanding evil."
“I do not exculpate myself. Lo! the (human) soul enjoineth unto evil, save that whereon my Lord hath mercy. Lo! my Lord is Forgiving, Merciful.” (12:53)
Thus, Yusuf's standing grew immense
in the eyes of the king,
and he was appalled by the grave injustice
that had befallen him.
So he said to the prison warden:
"Bring Yusuf to me
immediately,
so that I may appoint him among my closest
companions and confidants,
making him one of my inner circle."
When Yusuf (peace be upon him) came before him
and conversed with him,
the king was astonished by his brilliant intellect,
the vastness of his knowledge,
and his sound judgment of affairs.
So he said to him:
"Indeed, you hold high standing with us,
trusted and fully relied upon
in our presence."
Yusuf (peace be upon him) seized
this opportunity—
for during his days in the palace, he had observed
the poor economic management
in the country—
and said to the king:
"Place me in charge of the storehouses of
the land; indeed, I am a vigilant guardian
over wealth and knowledgeable
in its management,
especially during the years of plenty
and hardship."
The king granted him what he requested,
and Yusuf (peace be upon him) became,
through Allah's empowerment,
able to move freely throughout the land,
going about wherever
he wished and residing
wherever he pleased,
after having been confined
within the prison walls.
Allah Almighty said:
"And the king said, 'Bring him to me.'
But when
the messenger came
to him,
“And the king said: Bring him unto me. And when the messenger came unto him, he (Joseph) said: Return unto thy lord and ask him what was the case of the women who cut their hands. Lo! my Lord knoweth their guile.” (12:50)
he said, 'Return to your lord and ask him:
What was the affair of the women
who
cut their hands?
Indeed,
my Lord knows full well their snare.'
He knows it well.
The king said,
'What was your affair
when you sought to seduce
Yusuf?'
They said, 'Allah forbid!
We know of no evil
concerning him.'
The wife of
al-Aziz said,
'Now the truth has come
to light: it was I who sought to seduce him,
it was I who sought to seduce him,
and he
is indeed
of the truthful.
That is
so he may know that I
did not betray him in secret,
did not betray him in secret,
and that
Allah does not guide
the plan of the betrayers.
And I do not absolve
myself. Indeed,
the soul is ever persistent in commanding
evil,
except for those upon whom
my Lord bestows mercy.
Indeed, my Lord is
Forgiving and Merciful.'
And
the king said, 'Bring him to me;
I will appoint him exclusively for myself.'
Then when
he spoke to him, he said,
'Indeed, today you are
before us firmly established
and trusted.'
Yusuf said, 'Appoint me
over the storehouses of
the land; indeed, I am
a knowledgeable guardian.'
And thus
We established
Yusuf in the land,
to settle therein
wherever he willed.
We touch with Our mercy
whom We will,
and We do not let go to waste
the reward of the doers of good.
And the reward
of the Hereafter is better
for those who believed
and were mindful of Allah."
O
noble brothers,
this stage in the life of
Yusuf (peace be upon him),
while he was in prison,
contains numerous lessons and insights.
Among them:
First,
the caller to Allah must offer goodness to others,
comfort people,
and mend their hearts,
so that souls may love him
and accept his message.
Second,
calling to pure monotheism (Tawhid)
and dedicating worship sincerely to Allah
alone
is the mission of all the prophets,
under all circumstances.
Third,
imprisonment does not diminish a person's worth,
especially
when one is imprisoned for the sake of faith;
rather, it is a badge of honor
that one wears with pride in this worldly life
and on the Day of Judgment.
Joseph, peace be upon him,
the noble Prophet,
son of noble Prophets,
entered prison
and remained in it for a few years.
Fourthly,
sound planning is required
in work,
just as Joseph, peace be upon him, managed,
so blessings and abundance multiplied during his reign.
And likewise,
whoever is entrusted with any affair of the Muslims,
no matter how small,
whether that authority is minor
or major,
must treat them gently,
give them sincere counsel,
and act in their best interest.
Fifthly,
dream interpretation is an important science,
granted by Allah
to whomever He wills among His servants;
it falls under the realm of issuing formal legal opinions (fatwas).
Therefore, anyone who lacks expertise
to navigate its depths
should not venture into it.
Sixthly,
the patience of Joseph, peace be upon him,
and his steadfastness:
after remaining in prison for a few years
and receiving the opportunity to leave,
he did not rush
to exit the prison.
Rather, he showed patience and paused,
demanding first the establishment
of his innocence from all charges,
so that his release would not be
a mere pardon granted to him
because of his dream interpretation,
but rather a release
based on complete exoneration and a clear record.
Seventhly,
the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"If I had remained in
prison as long as Joseph did,
I would have accepted the summoner's call."
Scholars have stated
that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
said this only
out of humility,
not because Joseph, peace be upon him,
possessed greater patience than him;
or he said it
to elevate the stature of Joseph,
peace be upon him;
or because Joseph, peace be upon him,
chose the path of strict resolve,
whereas the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
had he been in his place,
would have taken the available concession.
It is narrated that Joseph, peace be upon him,
wrote on the door of the prison
as he was leaving:
"These are the dwellings of affliction,
the graves of the living,
the gloating of enemies,
and the test of true friends."
This talk will be
continued, Allah willing.
And Allah knows best.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds.
May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon
our Prophet Muhammad,
and upon his family
and all his Companions.
You were listening to
Stories of the Prophets.