Lessons from Surah Al- Yusuf
LESSON1 : SOMETHING MISERABLE IS BETTER THAN DISOBEYING ALLAH
Prophet Yusuf alayhi salaam had already suffered a series of tests and trials, yet he remained obedient to Allah. His brothers had abandoned him in the well, then he was found and sold as a slave at the market. Despite being a loyal servant to the king, Yusuf alayhi salaam was defamed and imprisoned. At the zenith of this crisis when everything seemed bleak, the wife of the King threatened to imprison Yusuf alayhi salaam unless he would give in to her attempts at seduction. Yusuf alayhi salaam’s response was recorded in the Qur’aan, My lord, prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me. And if you do not avert me from my plan, I might incline toward them and [thus] be of the ignorant. (Al Yusuf 12 : 33)
Yusuf alayhi salam chose to live in the dark, dreary dungeon in a life of shackles over disobedience to Allah. Clearly, even if you encounter dismal surroundings and misery, Allah’s pleasure is greater and longer lasting. You will triumph if you obey Allah!
LESSON 2: DON’T BE JEALOUS
Jealousy divides communities, breaks up families, and splits up friendships. Prophet Yaqoob alayhi salam said, O my son, do not relate your vision to your brothers or they will contrive against you a plan. Indeed Satan, to man, is a manifest enemy. (Surah Al Yusuf 12 : 5)
They were brothers by blood, but Yusuf’s brothers would not have been pleased by his vision of prophethood. Even those close to you – friends and family – might not be thrilled about blessings you have received or steps you take to live a life that is pleasing to Allah. It is best to keep your dreams quiet and only share them with trustworthy supporters until these aspirations are a flourishing reality.
Yusuf’s brothers believed Yaqoob alayhi salaam loved Yusuf alayhi salaam more than them. Their jealousy boiled up out of control. These brothers became an irrational gang, and they plotted to get rid of Yusuf alayhi salaam by abandoning him in the well. One lie was woven into a web of lies, and the brothers informed their father that Yusuf alayhi salam had been devoured by a wolf (Mubarakburi, 2003; Sahih International, 1997)! Jealousy even touched the prophets, so we need to be sure to stamp out jealousy in our communities. As Muslims we should be sincerely happy when we see others being blessed by Allah. When we see people excelling in religion or gaining success we should say Masha’Allah or Tabarak Allah.
LESSON 3: NEVER GIVE UP HOPE IN ALLAH
Prophet Yaqoob alayhi salam never gave up the hope of finding his son. When Yusuf alayhi salam’s brothers came back to tell him that their brother was stolen and remained behind, Yaqoob alayhi salaam was still sad about his loss of Yusuf alayhi salaam. He went blind over suppression of his grief, and complained only to Allah. Despite the intense grief he felt and the previous reports of Yusuf alayhi salaam being consumed by a wolf, Yaqoob alayhi salaam did not give up hope (Mubarakpuri, 2003: Sahih International, 1997). He instructed his sons to continue to search for Yusuf alayhi salaam and his brother saying,
Imagine, Prophet Yaqoob alayhi salaam had not seen his son since childhood, so many years had passed that Prophet Yusuf alayhi salaam was now a king of Egypt. Despite the passing of all these years, Prophet Yaqoob alayhi salaam still firmly held onto the hope that Allah would answer his prayers and reunite him with his son. Many of us have trouble being patient for a few hours or a couple of days, let alone years or decades! Alhamdulillah, Yaqoob alayhi salaam never gave up, and Allah answered his dua, relieving him of the sorrow he felt.
LESSON 4: PATIENCE IS BEAUTIFUL, SO BE PATIENT ALL THE TIME
O my sons, go and find out about Josepha and his brother and despair not of relief from Allah. Indeed no one despairs of relief from Allah except the disbelieving people. (Al Yusuf 2:87)
Imagine, Prophet Yaqoob alayhi salaam had not seen his son since childhood, so many years had passed that Prophet Yusuf alayhi salaam was now a king of Egypt. Despite the passing of all these years, Prophet Yaqoob alayhi salaam still firmly held onto the hope that Allah would answer his prayers and reunite him with his son. Many of us have trouble being patient for a few hours or a couple of days, let alone years or decades! Alhamdulillah, Yaqoob alayhi salaam never gave up, and Allah answered his dua, relieving him of the sorrow he felt.
LESSON 4: PATIENCE IS BEAUTIFUL, SO BE PATIENT ALL THE TIME
We should always be patient. If we have patience in hardship, continuously counting our blessings, we will truly be victorious in both hardship and ease. Can you count how many times Yusuf alayhi salaam was patient? He was patient while awaiting the fulfillment of his dream. He was patient when his brothers abandoned him in the well. He was patient when he was sold as a slave. He was patient when the king’s wife accused him of seduction. Yusuf alayhi salam continued to be patient when he was put in jail. Even when his fellow inmate was released and forgot about him, Yusuf alayhi salaam continued to be patient! As the king of Egypt, Yusuf alayhi salaam continued to be patient with his brothers’ slander. He kept his cool when they tried to say that his brother Binyamin was stealing just as his brother (Yusuf) had done the same before him (Mubarakpuri, 2003; Sahih International, 1997)! Regardless of the time, situation, place, or scenario, Yusuf alayhi salaam remained patient.
LESSON 5: FORGIVE
When Yusuf alayhi salaam finally confronts his brothers later in life, it is a beautiful lesson of forgiveness. After his brothers return with their father and Binyamin is accused of theft, they return to Yusuf alayhi salaam in a great predicament. His brothers are enduring hard times in which they have poor harvest and are in need. On the other hand Yusuf alayhi salaam has not only become the king of Egypt, but he has astutely saved provisions and prepared his community to survive the famine. Although Yusuf alayhi salaam has suffered many hardships on account of his brother’s jealous plotting, Yusuf alayhi salaam is strong and holds the upper hand. Instead of treating them with harshness or rebuking them to endure starvation, Yusuf alayhi saaam utters very lovely words,
No blame will there be upon you today. Allah will forgive you; and He is the most merciful of the merciful. (Al Yusuf 12:92)
Instead of being bitter and angry or taking vengeance, Yusuf alayhi salaam was strong enough to choose forgiveness! With all his power as a leader, Yusuf alayhi salaam preferred the sweetness of forgiveness.
Although this brief reflection touches upon a few lessons of Surat ul Yusuf, take a few minutes to reflect a bit more. Stop and read over this chapter of the Qur’aan. Take a few moments to close your eyes and imagine implementing the lessons above. How can you bravely continue to be obedient to Allah? Is there a way you can support someone and help stamp out jealousy among friends or family? What steps would help you augment your hope that Allah will answer your prayers? In hard times, what reminders will prompt you to persevere in patience? Can you find it in your heart to forgive someone who has wronged you? What other lessons can you learn from Surat Al Yusuf?
Following the footsteps of the brothers of Yusuf عليه السلام in raising the children?!
بسم الله والحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله ، وبعد
Earlier, the whole society would look out for the welfare of the children in the neighborhood. If a child was found outside doing something bad, the uncles in the society would discipline the child even before informing the parents; later they would inform the parents, who would discipline the child even further.
And then times changed and the mentality of the parents changed. They would now fight the uncles in the society for such a thing as even raising an eyebrow at the child. Further down the line, now in some countries the parents can be disciplined for disciplining the children.
Then our condition deteriorated even further. Now, some of the parents join the children in doing lewd and immoral things. The whole meaning of parenthood / parenting / parentage has changed.
Worse still, is the mentality of introducing evil to the children – either by the parents or through school syllabus, all in the pretext of creating awareness in the children.
It is like asking the children to do the sin and then making them to repent! This is like following the footsteps of the brothers of Yusuf عليه السلام; who were determined to commit the sin and had already intended to repent even before committing it.
﴿اقْتُلُوا يُوسُفَ أَوِ اطْرَحُوهُ أَرْضًا يَخْلُ لَكُمْ وَجْهُ أَبِيكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا مِن بَعْدِهِ قَوْمًا صَالِحِينَ﴾
{(They said): “Kill Yusuf or cast him out to some (other) land, so that the favor of your father may be given to you alone, and after that you will be righteous folk (by repenting).”} [Surah Yusuf (12): 9]
Moreover, this is not the way of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, or his Companions or the pious predecessors. They never introduced their children to evil; rather, they would protect them from evil like how one would protect a child from the scorching heat.
Introducing children to evil is like throwing them into destruction:
﴿وَلَا تُلْقُوا بِأَيْدِيكُمْ إِلَى التَّهْلُكَةِ﴾
{…and do not throw yourselves into destruction} [Surah al-Baqarah (2): 195]
One will not directly say: “let the children do drugs so that they know the evils of drugs”; or “let them consume wine so that they know the evils of intoxication”; or “let them fornicate so that they know its evil impact on the society.” But they will open the backdoors for the children in the form of music, movies and the likes, allowing them to watch scantily dressed people, doing immodest things – considering that earlier even kissing in public or watching people kissing in the movies was considered as something immoral.
﴿وَلَا تَقْرَبُوا الزِّنَىٰ ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا﴾
{And come not near to unlawful sexual intercourse; for it is a Faahishah (shameful deed) and an evil way (opening the road to other evils).} [Surah al-Israa’ (17): 32]
Allaah تعالى not only prohibited unlawful sex, but He تعالى also instructed to avoid all the paths leading towards it. As the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“The adultery of the eye is the lustful look and the adultery of the ears is listening to voluptuous (song or talk) and the adultery of the tongue is licentious speech and the adultery of the hand is the lustful grip (embrace) and the adultery of the feet is to walk (to the place) where he intends to commit adultery and the heart yearns and desires which he may or may not put into effect.” [Saheeh al-Bukhaaree and Saheeh Muslim and the wordings are his]
In order to close the paths for adultery, Allaah تعالى also instructed that both men and women should lower their gaze and dress up appropriately, as mentioned in Surah al-Noor. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم also instructed the people who had the desire but could not marry to observe optional Fasts, which would help them in controlling their desire.
How can we be sure that we will get a chance to seek forgiveness?
The brothers of Yusuf عليه السلام had received the opportunity to repent for their sins, and they repented and were forgiven. But what guarantee do we have that we would be receiving the same opportunity to repent after committing the sin? What assurance do we have that we would not die while we are still engaged in that act of sin? Have we not read the news that many people perished because the disco club caught fire or the movie theatre caught fire or that the walls caved in while people were committing sins?
﴿أَفَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَىٰ أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا بَيَاتًا وَهُمْ نَائِمُونَ * أَوَأَمِنَ أَهْلُ الْقُرَىٰ أَن يَأْتِيَهُم بَأْسُنَا ضُحًى وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ * أَفَأَمِنُوا مَكْرَ اللَّـهِ ۚ فَلَا يَأْمَنُ مَكْرَ اللَّـهِ إِلَّا الْقَوْمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ﴾
{Did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our Punishment by night while they are asleep? Or, did the people of the towns then feel secure against the coming of Our Punishment in the forenoon while they are at play? Did they then feel secure against the Plan of Allaah? None feels secure from the Plan of Allaah except the people who are the losers.} [Surah alA`raaf (7): 97-99]
It is a sign of great destruction when we feel secured from the punishment of Allaah.
My mother-in-law would not allow her son to watch “He-Man” because of the blasphemy it contained (he claims to be “master of the universe”), and she is a Christian lady. We, being Muslim, should take even more care in preventing our children from being exposed to such evil.
Then there is “superman”, who is given “god” like powers only to have a silly weakness. Then there is the concept of “Time Traveling”, all these things are aiming to harm the `Aqeedah (Creed) of the children from their childhood.
Then there are immoral cartoons such as “Snow White” who shown to be living in seclusion with seven men; “Little Mermaid”, glamorizing partial nudity; and the list goes on.
Indeed it is a great struggle for the parents in this age to protect their children when evil is so widespread. Muslims parents are supposed to standout and prevent their children from watching these things. But when the parents give in to this evil, it will only send wrong signals to the children - making them believe that watching such things are socially and religiously acceptable.
We seek Allaah’s protection for ourselves and our children.
