The 25 Prophets: (11) Yusuf (AS) (Joseph)

YUSUF (JOSEPH)

God Almighty says verse 3 of Surat Yusuf (xii):

We do relate unto you the most beautiful of the stories, in that we reveal unto thee this (portion of the) Quran. Before this, thou too were among those who knew it not.

The Almighty calls it the most beautiful of the stories, since it combines Eminence, Righteousness and Kindness all in one story as narrated in this Sura.

He is Yusuf bin Yaakub bin Ishaaq bin Ibrahim (AS), coming from a chain of Prophets. He is the second youngest son of Yaakub (AS), and as we have seen in the story of Yaakub (AS), he had eleven brothers, the youngest of whom is his full brother, Benyamin. the two were the most loved ones by their father. Yusuf (AS) was a very handsome young boy and well mannered. The ten other brothers seeing that their father liked Yusuf (AS) more, they became very jealous of him and did not like him at all.

One morning Yusuf (AS) woke up very scared and rushed to his father to tell him what he saw in his dream. He said to him: "0 my father! I did see eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw them prostrate themselves to me!"

His father said to him: "My (dear) little son! Do not relate your vision to your brothers, lest they cook up a plot against you, for Satan is to man an avowed enemy!"

Yaakub (AS) did not know exactly the meaning of this vision, but felt that there was something in it.

He said to him: "Thus will your Lord choose you and teach you the interpretation of stones (and events) and perfect His favour to you and to the posterity of Yaakub — even as He perfected to your fathers Ibrahim and Ishaaq before! For God is full of knowledge and wisdom."

Yaakub (AS) used to love his two youngest children most without hiding his feelings and the ten brothers grew more jealous of them. They therefore planned to get rid of Yusuf (AS) and take him away from the eyes of their father. At first they wanted to kill him, but Yahudha the eldest one told his brothers that, that would mean murder which was a great sin. They instead decided to throw him in a deep well as in this way he could be picked up by some caravan of travellers passing by.

The plan was therefore to take Yusuf (AS) with them in the morning when they went out to tend the sheep and do away with him. They approached their father that evening and said to him: "0 our father! Why you do not trust us with Yusuf seeing we are indeed his sincere well — wishers? Send him with us tomorrow to enjoy himself and play, and we shall take every care of him." The father said to them: "Really it will sadden me that you take him away, and I fear lest the wolf should eat him up while you are not aware."

They replied: "If the wolf were to attack him while we are (so large) a party, then we should be ourselves the first to perish."

Yaakub (AS) did not know the precise plot, but he had strong doubts. How could he put them off? So he had to deal with them wisely and cautiously. He pleaded to them that he was an old man, and would miss Yusuf and would be sad without him.

After all Yusuf (AS) was not of an age to play with them, it is said he was hardly twelve years old.

They left the next morning taking Yusuf (AS) with them with the intention of carrying out their plot. When they arrived at the place where Yusuf (AS) was to be thrown they took him, removed his shirt and threw him in a well as they had planned. As they were throwing him, God put into his heart (This Message): "Surely you shall (one day) tell them the truth of this affair without them knowing."

His brothers betrayed the poor lad. He was left, perhaps to die or to be sold into slavery. But his heart was undaunted; his courage never failed him. On the contrary he had an inkling, a presentment, of things that were to be - that his own morality and beauty of soul would land him on his feet, and perhaps some day, his brothers would stand in need of him. That he would be in a position to fulfill that need, and would do it gladly, putting them into shame for their present plotting and betrayal of him.

They stained his shirt with false blood and returned to their father that evening weeping, said: "0 our father! We went racing with one another, and left Yusuf with our things; and the wolf ate him up. You will not believe us even though we tell the truth."

Yaakub's fear about the wolf made them imagine that he would swallow the wolf story readily. Yaakub (AS) saw that there had been some foul play, and that he did not hesitate to say so. He said to himself: "How merciful the wolf was, it managed to eat up my son without even tearing his shirt a bit." Then said to them: "The tale you are telling may be good enough for you who made it! But what about me, your aged father? What is there left for me with him gone except patience? I ask for God's assistance for I know that all that He does is for the best!"

Yusuf (AS) remained in the darkness of the chasm, deep in the well. Luckily when they dropped him, he did not reach the bottom of the well, but fell on a ledge on which he sat on. Luckily a caravan of merchants travelling to Egypt with merchandise passed by, and as they needed water, let down their bucket. To their surprise, the bucket came out with a handsome youth instead of water. The men were surprised and taken aback to see this innocent youth, like an angel with a face as bright as the sun, come out of the well. They shouted to others: "Good news. Here is a fine young man!"

So they concealed him as a treasure to be sold in the markets of Egypt. These were merchants, so they thought of everything in terms of the money to be made out of it! Here was an unknown, unclaimed youth, of surpassing beauty, with apparently a mind as refined as was his external beauty. Afraid that he might have been someone's slave, who had run away they quickly got rid of him and sold him for a miserable price, a few Dirhams, the coinage used at the time.

The man in Egypt who bought him took him home and said to his wife: "Make his stay (among us) honorable. May be he will bring us much good, or we shall adopt him as a son." The man was a high-ranking minister and perhaps also could not bear any children. He therefore thought that such a handsome, attractive intelligent son would get him more honour, dignity, power and wealth. But Zulaikha, his wife had other feelings; Yusuf (AS) was the man of her dreams! She wanted a man to give her love since her husband was not in a position to satisfy her lust for love.

Yusuf (AS) stayed in his master's house with great dignity and lived like one of the family not as a slave. He was clean hearted; well mannered and matured in his thinking so his master let him run the affairs of the house. When he attained his full manhood, God gave him power and knowledge. He was devout to his God and none of the worldly affairs bothered him, so he was going around the house not noticing anybody that would attract his mind. Zulaikha, however was always behind him looking at him with affection and lust, but Yusuf (AS) was avoiding her. He was purified and thus protected himself from any sin. At the same time he did not want to betray his master for the trust he has put on him.

One day when the lady of the house found herself and Yusuf (AS) alone in a room, she locked all the doors and said to him: "Come dear one!"

Yusuf (AS) said: "God forbid! Truly your husband is my lord! He made my residence here agreeable!"

Zulaikha was blinded with passion, and his plea had no effect on her. Yusuf (AS) was human after all, and her passionate love and her beauty placed a great temptation in his path. But he had a sure refuge, — his faith in God. His spiritual eyes saw something that her eyes, blinded by passion, did not see. She thought no one saw them when the doors were closed. But he knew that there was God, and He is every where. That made him strong, and had full protection against temptation.

The situation became intolerable, Yusuf (AS) ran towards the door to get away from her, and she went after him. She tugged at his garment to detain him and got hold of the back of his shirt, and in the struggle she tore it. As he opened the door, they both came face to face with the master of the house. Here Zulaikha became defensive and was the first to complain to her husband and at the same time set the judgment for Yusuf (AS), she said: "What is the suitable punishment for the one who wants to do evil to your wife, but prison or grievous reprimand." She had turned the story against Yusuf as being the culprit.

Yusuf (AS) said: "It was she who wanted to seduce me."

There was no eyewitness to what had happened between the two since they were in a closed room. But as there was a scene, the whole household collected. Wisdom came through one who was not immediately concerned, they say it was a child (a toddler) from Zulaiklia.'s own people. The child said: "Look at his shirt, if it is torn from the front then her tale is true and he is telling lies. But if the shirt is torn from the back, then she is a liar, and he is telling the truth."

So when he saw his shirt was torn at the back, the husband had to decide what to do. His position was difficult, and it was made ridiculous, he had to blame his wife and also do justice. He said: "Behold! It is a snare of you women! Truly, mighty is your snare!"

He then turned to Yusuf (AS) and said to him: Yusuf, pass this over! And do not go round telling everyone about this." Then said to his wife: As for you ask for forgiveness from your Lord for your sin, for truly you had been at fault!"

After this incidence, ladies in the city started gossiping and said: "The wife of the great Aziz (Nobleman) is seeking to seduce her slave without him wanting her. She is evidently going astray." When Zulaikha heard of their malicious talk, she sent for them and prepared a banquet for them. She then gave each one of them a knife, perhaps for cutting some fruits served after the meal. When they were reclined at ease and the dessert was served and the talk flowed freely about the gossip and scandal that made their hostess interesting. They were just about to cut the fruit with their knives, when Zulaikha said to Yusuf (AS): "Come out before them and pass in front of them."

When they saw him, they glorified him, and (in their amazement) cut their hands. They said: "God preserve us! This is no human! This is none other than a noble Angel!"

So Zulaikha said: "There before you is the man about whom you did blame me! I did seek to seduce him from his (true) self but he firmly saved himself guiltless! And now if he does not do as I tell him, he shall certainly be cast into prison, and (what more) be of the company of the evils!"

From here it was now not only Zulaikha who was after Yusuf (AS) but also all the ladies who saw his beauty joined in and used to send messages of their affection to him. Therefore where there was the snare of one woman before, it is now the collective snare of many women. Thus Yusuf (AS) preferred going to. He said: "0 my Lord! The prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me, unless You turn away their snare from me, I should feel inclined towards them and join the ranks of the ignorant."

So his Lord heard his prayers. His master seeing the signs of Yusuf’s purity and innocence decided that it would be better to prison him for a while and avoid the gossip and slander. Therefore Yusuf (AS) was sent to prison and was saved from the wiles of women, which would have degraded him.

Yusuf (AS) in Prison

Here a new chapter in the life of Yusuf (AS) opens. God's plan was for him to be sent to prison so as to teach the truth to men of all sorts who were imprisoned, and that was when he was entrusted with Prophecy. He was to teach faith to these people in the prison. Yusuf (AS) also had the ability of foretelling events and interpreting dreams.

There were two men who came to prison about the same time as Yusuf (AS). These were both apparently officers of the king (the Pharaoh), who had incurred his wrath. One was a butler whose duty was to prepare the king's wines and drinks. The other was the king's baker, whose duty was to prepare the king's bread. One morning they both came to Yusuf (AS) asking him to interpret their dreams, as they saw the Signs of God about him. They felt not only that he had wisdom, but that he was kind and generous, and would give of his wisdom even to the strangers like themselves.

One of them said: "I see myself (in a dream) pressing wine." The other said: "I see myself (in a dream) carrying bread on my head, and birds are eating thereof"

They said: "Tell us the truth and meaning thereof, for we see that you are one that do good to all."

Yusuf (AS) at first preached to them about the faith of believing in the one God. And after having fulfilled his great duty, he then moved to the point the two were interested in. He said: "As to one of you, he will pour out the wine for his lord to drink. As for the other, he will hang from the cross, and the birds will eat from his head."

He then turned to the one whom he considered about to be saved and said: "Mention me to your lord."

After a while the two prisoners came out and one of them was hanged on the cross as predicted, while the other one was reinstated in his job of serving wine to his lord. But Satan made him forget to mention him to his lord, and Yusuf (AS) remained in prison for a few more years.

One day the king (of Egypt) said: "I do see (in a vision) seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean ones, and seven green ears of corn, and seven others dry. 0 you chiefs! Explain to me my vision if you can interpret visions."

They said: "That is a confused jumbled dream, and we are not skilled in the interpretation of dreams."

But the man who was released from prison, one of the two who survived, remembered and came forward and said "I will tell you the truth of its interpretation. Send me to the prison for I know someone there who can interpret dreams."

He went to the jail and said to Yusuf (AS): "0 Yusuf! 0 man of truth! Explain to us (the dream) of seven fat cows that seven lean ones eat up, and of seven green ears of corn and seven others dry. That I may return to the people, and that they may understand."

Yusuf (AS) said: "For seven years you shall diligently sow, and the harvest that you reap, you shall leave them in the ears, except a little, of which you shall eat. Then will come after that (period) seven dreadful years, which you will eat what you have laid by in advance for them all, except a little which you shall have (specifically), guarded. 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)."

The messenger went and reported Yusuf’s interpretation of the dream back to the king. The king naturally wanted to see Yusuf (AS) himself, he sent the messenger back to fetch him, but when the messenger came to him he said: "Go back to your lord, and ask him, 'What is the state of mind of the ladies who cut their hands?' For my Lord is certainly well aware of their snare."

The king sent for the ladies concerned, including Zulaikha, and said to them: "What was the affair? Tell me the whole truth." Zulaikha stood by while the ladies answered, they said: "God preserve us! No evil we know against him!"

Zulaikha then said: "Now the truth is obvious to all. It was I who sought to seduce him from his (true) self; he is indeed of those who are (ever) true and noble. I say this in order that he may know that I have never been false to him in his absence, and that God will never guide the snare of the false ones. Nor do I absolve my own self (of blame) the (human) soul is certainly prone to evil, unless my Lord do bestow His mercy, but surely my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Yusuf (AS) is Made Chief Minister

So the king said "Bring him to me, I will take him specially to serve me personally." Thus Yusuf (AS) was taken out of prison and sent to the king to be dealt with by him; the king said: “Be assured this day, you are, before our own presence with rank firmly established, and loyalty fully proved!”.

Yusuf (AS) said: "Set me over the store-houses of the land; I will indeed guard them as one that knows (their importance.)"

Thus Yusuf (AS) became the most trusted dignitary as chief minister in one of the greatest empire of that day. He was given the powers to take possession of the storehouses of the land, when, or where he pleased. His age at that time was barely thirty years. The powers were in his hand to do what he wished, but for his loyalty these powers were for service rather than for self.

So Yusuf (AS) started gathering the crops during the times of plenty and storing in the warehouses to build up the reserves for the lean years to come. And as predicted, after seven years of plenty came famine which extended to the neighboring countries. But Yusuf’s (AS) preparations were complete; there was enough reserve to meet the hardship.

As the hardship hit the neighboring countries, they sent people to Egypt to buy corn. These people were received with hospitality, and corn sold to them in a rational measure. Each person would get a camel load of grain as his share. Yaakub (AS) sent his ten children to Egypt to buy food, leaving the youngest one Benyamin behind. Yusuf’s ten brothers came to Egypt to his presence, he immediately recognized them but they did not know him, for in their thoughts Yusuf (AS) was probably some menial slave in a remote household, perhaps already starved to death in these hard times. He entertained them, as a guest would be entertained, giving them a place to put up during their stay. During the conversation with them he managed to get the full story of their family without hinting to them his identity.

He treated his brothers liberally and ordered his workers to furnish them with provisions. He then said to them: “Next time you come you bring with you your younger brother as you can see I pay full measure and that I do provide the best hospitality. If you do not bring him to me next time you shall not have any ration from me and do not even come near."

They said: "We shall certainly seek to get our wish about him from his father, indeed we shall do it."

Yusuf (AS) then told his servants to put back into their saddlebags the goods that they had brought to trade-in for corn, so as to make them come back. Yusuf (AS) wanted them to come back but not without his full brother Benyamin.

When they returned to their father they related to him about their trip and the generous minister they met in Egypt, and the conditions laid down to them to bring Benyamin the next time they went back. To beg their father to release Benyamin to them was not an easy matter, as he did not trust them after what they had done to Yusuf (AS) before.

Yaakub (AS) said: "How can I trust you with him as I have trusted you with his brother before; and you lost him?"

As they came to open their baggage they found that the goods they had paid for the food had been returned to them, which meant that they got the grain free.

They said: "0 our father! What more can we desire? Here are our goods returned to us, and we can get more food for our family. We shall take care of our brother, and in this way we can get a full camel load of grain."

Yaakub (AS) said: "I will never send him with you until you swear a solemn oath to me in God's name that you will be sure to bring him back to me unless you yourselves are hemmed in and made powerless."

When they had sworn their solemn oath, Yaakub (AS) said: "Over all that we say, let God be the Witness and Guardian! 0 my sons! Do not enter all by one gate but enter by different gates." They therefore entered in the manner their father had commanded them.

The ten brothers, with Benyamin arrived in Egypt and were received by Yusuf (AS) hospitably, only this time even more so than before, as they complied with his request to bring Benyamin. The guests were seated in twos and Benyamin was an odd one out, so Yusuf (AS) took him to his own table. After the feast they were lodged, and accommodated in twos; so Benyamin was the odd one out. It was natural for the minister to take him himself. Yusuf (AS) thus got a chance of privacy with him. He disclosed his identity to his younger brother, asking him to keep it a secret, and to take no notice of any strange things that might happen.

Yusuf (AS) had a plan to retain his brother, and eventually to get all his family over to Egypt. After he had furnished them with provisions he put the king's (golden) drinking cup into his brother's saddlebag. The caravan left and before long, there came a caller shouting: "0 you in the caravan! Behold! You are thieves, without doubt!"

They said turning towards them: "What is it that you are missing?"

They said: "We miss the great beaker of the king; and the one who will bring it will be rewarded a camel load. 'And I will be bound by it.' (Yusuf said)."

The brothers said: "By God! You know well that we did not come to make mischief in the land, and we are not thieves!"

The Egyptians said: "What then shall be the penalty of this, if you are proved to have lied?"

They said. "The penalty should be that he in whose saddlebag it is found, should be held as prisoner to compensate for the crime. That is how we punish the wrong-doers!"

So he (Yusuf) began the search with their baggage, before he came to the baggage of his brother. At last he brought it out of his brothels baggage. That was the plan, he could not have taken his brother by the law of the king except by him doing something; and here was the proof, he was a thief and had to be held behind as bondsman for what he had done.

Immediately the ten brothers came to a defensive and said:

"If he steals, there was a brother of his who did steal before (him)." (Yusuf (xii) 77)

They were referring to Yusuf (AS), not knowing that he was the one in front of their eyes. Yusuf (AS), however, kept this in his heart not uttering a word to reveal the secret to them. He simply said (to himself): "You are in a worse case, and God knows best (the truth of) that you say."

They said: "0 exalted one! Behold! He has a father, aged and noble, (who will grieve for him); so take one of us in his place; for we see that you are polite in doing good."

He said: "God forbid that we take other than him with whom we found our property. Indeed if we Co so, we shall be acting wrongfully."

When they saw no hope of his yielding, they got together in private to discuss the affair. Their leader, presumably the eldest, said: "Have you forgotten that your father had taken an oath from you in God's name, and how before you failed in your duty with Yusuf? Therefore I will not leave this land until my father permits me, or God commands me; and He is the best to command. Go back to your father and say: '0 our father! Behold! Your son committed theft! We bear witness only to what we know, and we could not well guard against the unseen!

Ask at the town where we have been and the caravan in which we returned, and (you will find) indeed we are telling the truth."

The nine brothers therefore returned home to convey the sad news to their father as instructed. Yaakub (AS) was stunned by the story, for he knew Benyamin too well to believe that he had committed theft. He said: "No but you have yourselves made a story (good enough) for you. There is nothing for me left except patience; may be God will bring them back all to me for He is indeed full of knowledge and wisdom."

He turned away from them, and said: "How great is my grief for Yusuf!" And his eyes became white (blind) with sorrow, for weeping too much, and he fell into silence and depression.

They said: "By God! You will never stop remembering Yusuf until you reach the last extremity of illness or until you die." He said: "I only complain of my distraction and grief to God, and I know from God that which you do not know. 0 my sons! Go and inquire about Yusuf and his brother, and never give up hope of God's soothing Mercy. Truly no one despairs of God's soothing Mercy, except those who have no faith."

The nine brothers went back to Egypt according to their father's wishes. This time they came begging since they had hardly anything to offer in exchange for food, furthermore they had left behind an old man in deep grief of missing his son. They had to see the chief minister and tell him of their father's distress, and beg him to release Benyamin.

When they got to see him, they said: "0 exalted one! Grief has seized our family and us; we have now brought these scanty goods so pay us full measure. We beg you to treat it as charity to us, for God do reward the charitable."

Yusuf (AS) said: “Do you know how you dealt with Yusuf and his brother? How ignorant you are!"

They said: "Are you indeed Yusuf?"

He said: "Yes, I am Yusuf and here is my brother; and if you have still any doubt of my identity here is Benyamin, ask him. We have suffered much, but patience and right conduct are at last rewarded by God"

They said: "By God! Indeed has God preferred you above us, and we certainly have been guilty of sin!

He said: "This day let no blame be put on you. God will forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy! Go with this shirt of mine, and throw it over the face of my father, he will come to see (clearly). Then come to me together with all your family."

When the caravan left Egypt, their father said: "I do indeed scent the presence of Yusuf, although you think I am crazy." Yaakub (AS) had always had faith that Yusuf (AS) was living and that his dream would be realized. Moreover God had given him the gift of smelling the scent of his son even before his children had arrived with the shirt; he knew it already before the news was actually brought to him.

Then when the bearer of the good news came, he threw the shirt over his face, and forthwith he regained his sight.

He said: "Did I not say to you that I know from God that which you do not know?"

His sons said: "0 our father! Ask for forgiveness for our sins, for we were truly at fault."

He said: "Soon will I ask my Lord for forgiveness for you, for He is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."

Yaakub (AS) fully intended to do this, but the one hurt most was Yusuf (AS), and it was only fair that he should be consulted.

The whole family thus left for Egypt, and when they arrived, Yusuf (AS) provided a home for his parents with himself, and said: "Enter Egypt (all) in safety if it pleases God."

He then raised his parents on the throne (of dignity). To show his high respect for his parents, Yusuf (AS) made them sit on a throne of dignity. This is a place of honour where usually a seat or a dais is set for dignitaries to sit on.

His parents and his eleven brothers all performed the ceremony of prostration before Yusuf (AS) in recognition of his supreme rank in Egypt under the Pharaoh. And thus was fulfilled the dream or vision of his youth. It was customary during that time for people to prostrate before a dignitary of high rank as a sign of respect. This, however, is not allowed except to prostrate to God.

Yusuf (AS) then said:

“0 my father! This is the fulfillment of my vision of old! God hath made it come true! He was indeed good to me He took me out of prison and brought you (all here) out of the desert, (even) after Satan had sown enmity between me and my brothers. Verily my Lord understandeth best the mysteries of all that he planeth to do. For verily He is full of knowledge and wisdom."(Yusuf (xii) 100)

He went on to pray and said:

“O my Lord! Thou hast indeed bestowed on me some power, and taught me something of the interpretation of dreams and events, --0 Thou Creator of the heavens and the earth! Thou art my protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Take Thou my soul (at death) as one submitting to Thou Will (as a Muslim), and unite me with the righteous."(Yusuf (xii) 101)

Such is one of the stories of what happened unseen. Is it a story? It is rather a recital of forces and motives, thoughts and feelings, complications and results ordinarily seen by men. With every character in the story there are problems, and the whole is a beautifully balanced picture of the working of God's providence in man's checkered destiny. 

Reference: The Twenty five Prophets (The Parable of the Apostles Mentioned in the Holy Quraan)", by Nassir ibn Issa ibn Said Al-Kindy. (p 68-85)