Stories of the Prophets,
Stories of the Prophets,
peace be upon them.
May Allah's blessings,
followed by
His peace,
be upon the best of all
creation:
men of steadfast resolve,
exalted in rank
and full of light.
The story of Yusuf,
peace be upon him.
In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds,
and may peace and blessings
be upon our Prophet Muhammad,
and upon his family and companions,
one and all.
To proceed:
We continue with the best of stories,
the story of the Prophet of Allah, Yusuf,
peace be upon him,
and turn to a new chapter
among the chapters of this
magnificent story.
When Yusuf's brothers
cast him into the well
and walked away,
the water in the well was low,
so Yusuf sat
upon a rock inside it.
Then a caravan arrived
near that place,
and they sent their water-drawer to the well
to fetch them water.
When the man lowered
his bucket into the well,
Yusuf clung to the bucket.
When the man pulled it up,
he was astonished,
for there was no water in the bucket;
rather, it was a boy
clinging to it,
among the most handsome beings Allah ever created.
In his overwhelming delight,
he began crying out and saying:
"O good news! Here is
a boy!"
"O good news! Here is a boy!"
He brought him
to his companions,
and they were amazed by what their water-drawer
had found.
They feared that this boy
had been lost by his family or had wandered off,
and that his people might be searching for him.
So they hid him as merchandise
with them,
placing him among their goods,
hoping to sell him
and profit from his price.
Meanwhile, Yusuf remained silent and did not speak,
either
because their language differed from his,
or out of fear
that they might return him to his brothers,
who would then plot against him
an even greater scheme,
or kill him.
A stranger can sometimes be safer
than one's own kin,
and Allah is the One whose help is sought.
When
the caravan reached Egypt,
they sold him there
for a meager price,
which Allah described as a few dirhams,
and they were,
concerning him, of those who had no desire.
For they had exerted no effort
to acquire him,
and besides, they were anxious
that his family might catch up to them
to take him back;
therefore, they got rid of him
and sold him quickly.
The one who bought him from them
was the 'Aziz of Egypt,
one of the high-ranking figures of Egypt.
He took Yusuf
with him to his house
and said to his wife—
"And the one who bought him
from Egypt said to his wife:
'Make his stay comfortable;
perhaps he will benefit us,
perhaps he will
benefit us,
or we may adopt him as a son.'"
"And thus
We established
Yusuf in the land,
and that We might teach him
some of
the interpretation
of dreams (hadiths).
And Allah is predominant
over His affair,
but
most of the people
do not know."
The 'Aziz of Egypt
had no children,
which is why
he cared for Yusuf,
honored him, and protected him.
Yusuf began to grow up
little by little in his palace,
before the eyes
of the wife of the 'Aziz.
Her heart became attached to Yusuf,
and she loved him with a passion
that exceeded her ability
to restrain it.
She could no longer control herself,
until she sought to seduce him,
soliciting him
to commit immorality.
Allah Almighty said, describing
the scene:
"And she in whose house he was
“And she, in whose house he was, asked of him an evil act. She bolted the doors and said: Come! He said: I seek refuge in Allah! Lo! he is my lord, who hath treated me honourably. Lo! wrong-doers never prosper.” (12:23)
sought to seduce him, and she bolted
the doors
and said,
'Come, you!'
He said, 'Allah forbid!
Indeed,
my master
has made my stay good.
Indeed,
the wrongdoers
will never succeed.'
And she certainly desired
him,
and he would have inclined toward her
had he not seen
the proof of his Lord.
Thus it was, that We might avert
from him evil
and immorality.
Indeed, he was of Our chosen,
sincere servants."
What an immense trial!
Yusuf,
a young, unmarried stranger,
serving his mistress
in her own house,
was subjected to a difficult test
from which none could escape
except one whom Allah grants success
and protects.
The doors were tightly locked,
and the woman had prepared herself for him
in all her adornment,
inviting him to herself
and saying,
meaning, "I have made myself ready for you,
so come to me!"
But Yusuf turned to his Lord
and sought refuge in Him
from this trial.
He said:
"How could I betray the man who took care of me
and treated me honorably?
That would be wrongdoing,
and wrongdoers never succeed."
But Satan had overwhelmed
the woman's mind;
she was determined to have him
and insisted upon it.
A young, unmarried stranger—
had it not been for Allah's protection over him,
he might have inclined toward her
as well;
however, Allah showed him a sign
by which He turned him away from her.
And in such a manner does Allah
protect His sincere servants.
Yusuf fled
toward the door,
seeking to escape the place
of temptation and be saved
from this ordeal.
Meanwhile, the wife of the 'Aziz ran
behind him, pursuing him.
It was a scene of
a race between good
with anxiety filling both their hearts,
while the goal was the door.
The woman overtook Yusuf
before he could reach it,
grabbing him from behind,
which tore his shirt.
Yet he kept running
toward his destination until
he opened the door,
only to find her husband, the Aziz,
standing right at the door.
Facing this suspicious scene,
here came
women's cunning.
The wife of the Aziz quickly took control
of the situation, and with quick
wit, turned the tables
on Yusuf,
accusing him of being the one
who seduced her
and intended evil against her.
She gave her husband no
room to think,
passing judgment on Yusuf immediately
and saying:
"What is the penalty for whoever intended evil against your wife
except that he be imprisoned
or suffer a painful punishment?"
Yusuf defended himself,
saying:
“(Joseph) said: She it was who asked of me an evil act. And a witness of her own folk testified: If his shirt is torn from before, then she speaketh truth and he is of the liars.” (12:26)
"It was not I who committed this
heinous act."
At this point, there spoke
a man from the woman's household—
said to be her maternal cousin—
who was with the Aziz
at the door.
He said:
"Look at the torn shirt:
if it is torn
from the front, then the woman
is truthful in what she says,
and Yusuf is among the liars.
But if the shirt
is torn from behind,
then the woman has lied,
and Yusuf is among the truthful."
This witnessing man
presented the possibility of the woman's
innocence first,
because she was his relative.
When they looked at the shirt,
they found it torn from behind.
Thus, the innocence
of the chaste Yusuf was revealed,
and the Aziz realized the truthfulness of
Yusuf and the deceit of his wife.
He said to her:
"Indeed, this
is of your feminine guile, O women;
surely your guile
is immense."
Then he turned to Yusuf and said to him:
"Yusuf,
overlook this matter;
everything ends here."
And he said to his wife:
"Ask forgiveness for your sin."
“O Joseph! Turn away from this, and thou, (O woman), ask forgiveness for thy sin. Lo! thou art of the faulty.” (12:29)
Just like that,
with utter coldness.
This reaction of the Aziz
showed the weakness
of his character before his wife;
therefore,
his reaction was disproportionate
to the gravity of the event.
Allah Almighty described these events
with the most beautiful description
and the most precise phrasing,
saying:
"And they raced to the door,
and she tore his shirt
from behind,
and they found her master
at the door.
She said, 'What is the recompense
of one who intended evil
for your wife
except that
he be imprisoned
except that he be imprisoned
or a painful
punishment?'
[Yusuf] said, 'It was she
who sought to seduce me.'
And a witness
from her family testified:
'If his shirt
is torn from the front,
'If his shirt
is torn from the front,
then she has told the truth,
and he is of the liars.
But if his shirt
is torn from behind,
then she has lied,
then she has lied,
and he is of the truthful.'
So when
he saw his shirt
torn from behind,
he said, 'Indeed, it is
of your cunning;
indeed,
your cunning
is great.
Yusuf,
disregard this,
and [woman], ask forgiveness
for your sin;
indeed,
you were of
the sinful.'"
The news
of the wife of the Aziz
with Yusuf spread across the city,
and tongues began wagging about it,
making it
the talk of every gathering and the gossip
of the people.
“And women in the city said: The ruler's wife is asking of her slave-boy an ill-deed. Indeed he has smitten her to the heart with love. We behold her in plain aberration.” (12:30)
With cunning and spite, they said:
"The wife of the Aziz is seducing
her young slave;
he has impassioned her heart with love!
Truly, we see her
in plain error."
Their aim behind this
talk was to see this
youth who had captivated
the wife of the Aziz.
The wife of the Aziz understood that
about them, so she met
their verbal cunning with an active,
practical scheme—being someone
renowned for formidable guile.
She sent for them,
inviting them to a banquet
she had prepared for them,
and arranged for each
of them a comfortable couch
to recline upon during the gathering.
She served them the food,
and this food
required the use of a knife,
so she gave each
of them a knife.
When they began
cutting the food and eating,
at that very moment,
she commanded Yusuf to come out
before them.
The women were astonished to see Yusuf
right before their eyes;
they were dazzled by his beauty,
stunned by him, and held him in high esteem
in their eyes.
Amidst this bewilderment,
they cut their own hands with the knives
they were holding
without even realizing it,
and exclaimed, "Far removed is Allah from any imperfection! This cannot be
a mere mortal;
this is none other than a noble angel!"
The wife of the Aziz
said to them:
"This is the one about whom you blamed me!
Your minds were bewildered
and you were stunned by him
at first glance,
whereas I
used to look at him every day
multiple times."
Then she confessed before them,
saying:
"I certainly sought to seduce him,
but he resolutely refused.
And now, I present the matter
to him anew:
if he does not do what I order him,
he will surely be thrown into prison
and will certainly be among the humiliated
and disgraced."
The matter did not stop
at that point;
rather, the other women also began
trying to seduce Yusuf.
Yusuf's response was
a supplication
directed it to his Lord,
saying:
“He said: O my Lord! Prison is more dear than that unto which they urge me, and if Thou fend not off their wiles from me I shall incline unto them and become of the foolish.” (12:33)
"they invite me to,
and I, my Lord, am a servant,
a stranger in this land.
And unless You avert from me
their plot,
I fear that I might yield to them
and become one of the ignorant."
Yusuf passed
the test,
and Allah answered his supplication
and turned away their plot from him
altogether.
For Allah is All-Hearing of whoever calls upon Him,
All-Knowing of his state.
The wife of al-Aziz demanded
that her husband cast Yusuf
into prison
so that people's talk
about her would cease.
So he had no choice but
to fulfill her request
and carry out her command.
He met with the prison officials
in charge,
and they discussed Yusuf's case.
Thus it became apparent to them, and they settled
upon the verdict—
“And it seemed good to them (the men-folk) after they had seen the signs (of his innocence) to imprison him for a time.” (12:35)
despite the signs pointing to his innocence—
that they should imprison him for a time,
meaning until the gossip
of the people about the wife of al-Aziz subsided,
and tongues were silenced
from delving into her affair.
They agreed
to imprison him for an indefinite
period,
and this is among the greatest injustices
inflicted upon a prisoner:
to be left without trial,
not knowing the end of his sentence,
living
between pain and hope each day.
Allah the Exalted said:
◁And women said
in the city,
"The wife of al-Aziz
is seeking to seduce her young slave;
he has impassioned her
with love.
Indeed,
we see her in
clear error."
So when
she heard of their malicious talk,
she sent for them
and prepared for them
a banquet,
and gave each one
and prepared for them
a banquet,
and gave each one
of them
a knife
and gave each one
of them
a knife
and said, "Come out before them."
And when
they saw him,
they greatly admired him and cut
their hands
and cut their hands
and said,
"Allah forbid! This is no
man;
and said, "Allah forbid!
This is no man;
this is none
other than a noble angel."
She said, "That is the one
about whom
you blamed
me.
And I certainly sought to seduce him,
but he firmly resisted.
And if he does not do
what I order him, he will surely be imprisoned
and will surely be
among the disgraced."
He said,
"My Lord, prison
is more dear to me
than that to which they invite me.
And unless You turn away
from me their plot,
I might incline
toward them
and be
among the ignorant."
So his Lord
answered him
and turned away
from him their plot.
Indeed,
He is the All-Hearing,
the All-Knowing.
Then it occurred
to them after
they had seen the signs
that they should surely imprison him
for a time.▷
Such was the life of Yusuf,
peace be upon him, in the palace of
al-Aziz; indeed,
these are events that contain numerous
lessons and morals.
Among them, perhaps:
First, caution
against being in seclusion with women,
especially where temptation
is feared. The Prophet,
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"I have not left after me
any trial more harmful to men
than women."
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
Second,
whoever is tempted toward sin
must seek refuge in Allah
from it, so that Allah may protect him
against it.
Yusuf, peace be upon him, said:
"Allah forbid!"
Third,
the obligation of loyalty to a man
of grace and favor,
and not betraying him regarding his household;
Yusuf, peace be upon him, said:
"Indeed, he is my master who has made good
my stay."
Fourth,
the inclination of the wife of al-Aziz
was a resolved intent to commit
the shameful deed,
whereas the inclination of Yusuf, peace be upon him—
according to the view that he had an inclination
toward her—was
from the impulses of the soul that incites
to evil, which is human nature
in most
people, and it was merely
a passing thought and inner whisper,
without choice or
determination, and Allah averted it
from him.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Whoever intends to do an evil deed
but does not commit it,
Allah writes it down for him
as a complete good deed."
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
And Yusuf abandoned
this passing inclination for the sake of Allah
the Exalted,
giving precedence to the fear of Allah over the promptings
of the soul and desire.
Thus, he was among those who feared the standing before
his Lord and restrained the soul
from vain desire,
and he became one of the seven whom Allah will shade
beneath the shade of His Throne
on the Day when there will be no shade
except His shade.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
"...and a man whom a woman
of status and beauty seduced,
but he said, 'Indeed, I fear Allah.'"
Agreed upon.
Fifth,
hearts turned away from Allah
and devoid of the love of
Allah the Exalted
are afflicted with infatuation with superficial forms;
for whenever the heart is filled
with love and fear of Allah,
it repels from its bearer
the disease of infatuation with forms.
This is why the Exalted said
regarding Yusuf:
◁Thus it was, that We might turn away from him
evil and immorality.
Indeed, he was of Our chosen
servants.▷
Sixth,
it is incumbent upon a person, whenever seeing
a temptation, to turn away
Sixth,
whenever a person comes across
a place filled with temptation
and the means to commit sin,
they ought to flee and run away from it,
rather than surrendering to reprehensible deeds,
fitnah, and forbidden matters.
Allah the Almighty said:
"And they both raced to the door."
Seventh,
the woman defended herself
by slandering Yusuf
and accusing him of seducing her.
She said: "What is the penalty
for someone who intended harm against your family?"
Thus, the guilty party
may feign innocence and accuse
their opponent, cloaking
their crime with lies, deception,
scheming, and false oaths
so that people will believe them.
Meanwhile, the oppressed party may remain silent
out of vulnerability and helplessness,
and perhaps their reply
will be brief and concise,
just as Yusuf said:
"It was she who sought to seduce me
against my will."
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"You bring your disputes
to me,
and perhaps one of you
is more eloquent in presenting his case than another.
So if I award anyone something that belongs to his brother
based on his words,
I am only allocating to him
a piece of the Fire,
so let him not take it."
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
Eighth,
women possess cunning,
stratagems, and plotting when executing their plans
to ensure
that they
manage those around them,
achieving feats beyond the capability of men.
For this reason, the minister said
to his wife:
"Indeed, this is of your cunning;
surely your cunning is immense."
Ninth,
the righteous have enduring
stories and chronicles with prisons.
For Yusuf, peace be upon him,
is the exemplar of prisoners,
constantly supplicating Allah and turning to Him.
Thus, prison, despite its gloom,
was better for him than disobedience;
he entered the depths of prison
as an honorable caller to his Lord.
And after several years,
the storehouses of the land
were placed under his charge.
“And he placed his parents on the dais and they fell down before him prostrate, and he said: O my father! This is the interpretation of my dream of old. My Lord hath made it true, and He hath shown me kindness, since He took me out of the prison and hath brought you from the desert after Satan had made strife between me and my brethren. Lo! my Lord is tender unto whom He will. He is the Knower, the Wise.” (12:100)
Thus prison, as it is said,
is the school of Yusuf,
peace be upon him.
To be continued,
if Allah wills.
And Allah knows best.
May peace and blessings
be upon our Prophet Muhammad,
and upon his family
and all his Companions.
You have been listening to
Stories of the Prophets.