Hajj. Hassanain Rajabali: Lessons from the life of Prophet Yusuf (as)

"In the name of Allah (swt), the All-Merciful, the Compassionate"

Introduction:

إِنَّ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ يَهْدِي لِلَّتِي هِيَ أَقْوَمُ وَيُبَشِّرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ الَّذِينَ يَعْمَلُونَ الصَّالِحَاتِ أَنَّ لَهُمْ أَجْرًا كَبِيرًا

“Surely this Quran guides to that which is most upright and gives good news to the believers who do good that they shall have a great reward” (17:9)

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً

“And when your Lord said to the angels, I am going to place in the earth a Caliph (vicegerent, representative etc)...” (2:30)

 - I.e. Prophet Adam (as) (word جَاعِلٌ implies he is a chosen representative)

• As well as Prophet Adam (as) being the representative of Allah (swt), other verses in theQur’an label us all as His (swt) representatives. Our roles as His (swt) ambassadors are fundamentally to Promote Good, forbid Evil and Believe in Allah (swt): 

كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ

“You are the best of the nations raised up for (the benefit of) men; you enjoin what is right and forbid the wrong and believe in Allah...” (3:110)

• The significance of Believing in Allah (swt) is that we will know the true quality of good.Without that solid belief, we may be capable of promoting good, but that good would be incomplete, and we may not take it to its intended goal. (I.e. to Believe in God is to take good to its intended goal).
• In order to effectively forbid evil, we need to be capable of recognising evil. Belief inAllah (swt) is essential so that we are guided to recognise it, and thus forbid it.

• Morality cannot be learnt from science, as empirical observations are incapable of guiding us at the moral level (as they are only capable of guiding me at mechanical levels) - No such thing as good or evil in science.

أَفَمَنْ يَمْشِي مُكِبًّا عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِ أَهْدَىٰ أَمَّنْ يَمْشِي سَوِيًّا عَلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ

“Is the one who walks headlong, with his face grovelling, better guided, - or one who walks evenly on a Straight Way?” (67:22)

• The first part is metaphorical for those deeply attached and in love with this world (typically ignoring good morals and principle), and the latter defines a moral person who outshines the first in this comparison. 
• Refer back to introductory verse (17:9), for how the Qur’an guides to develop such a moral being.  
• Emphasis  on the ‘great reward’ (17:9),  applying to those who are practical, not those who preach but do not implement what they preach into their own lives- Islam is a religion ofpractice:

كَبُرَ مَقْتًا عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَنْ تَقُولُوا مَا لَا تَفْعَلُونَ

“It is most hateful to Allah that you should say that which you do not do.” (61:3)

• Once again, emphasis on Islam being a religion of practice. Hypocrisy undermines one’s status as a Muslim (Rajabali describes such people as ‘lousy Muslims’ or ‘Trouble-makers’ in Islam).

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Story of Prophet Yusuf (as) in the Qur’an (12th chapter):

نَحْنُ نَقُصُّ عَلَيْكَ أَحْسَنَ الْقَصَصِ بِمَا أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ هَٰذَا الْقُرْآنَ وَإِنْ كُنْتَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِ لَمِنَ الْغَافِلِينَ

“We narrate to you (Oh Muhammed) the best of narratives, by Our revealing to you this Quran, though before this you were certainly one of those who did not know.”  (12:3)

• The Qur’an is not a book of stories (it is a book of principles), so when is mentioned, it is only mentioned because of its moral message (from which we can extract a lesson to apply).

• Surat Yusuf is the only chapter in the Qur’an that is complete in its story- meaning it starts with a significant event and then moves on to examine this Prophet’s life.
• Comparison to other stories in the Qur’an:  e.g that of Musa (as) and the Mountain in surat al-Qasas (chapter 28), surat Taha (chapter 20) etc, where the stories are presented infragments and are incomplete (constant strategic shifting between topics and Prophets)

• We typically associate Prophet Yusuf (as) which immense beauty (he was seriously good looking/handsome, even for a Prophet).

• Yusuf (as) is exemplified so we can follow him and make our morals the best:  referring to the verse above, it is Yusuf’s (as) qualities which constitute to the story being among the ‘best’. He is a character endowed with incredible wisdom, patience, as well as beauty.

إِذْ قَالَ يُوسُفُ لِأَبِيهِ يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِي سَاجِدِينَ

“When Joseph said unto his father: O my father! Lo! I saw in a dream eleven planets and the sun and the moon, I saw them prostrating themselves unto me.” (12:4)

• The above verse is Yusuf (as) as a child. His father (Yaqub/Jacob) loved him, not because he was handsome, but rather because he was a Prophet of Allah (swt) - Prophet’s love each other!  Why? Because Prophets acknowledge that Prophets are chosen and loved by Allah(swt). This sets itself as an example to why we too should love the Prophets (as).
• A true servant of Allah (swt) is he who loves that which Allah (swt) loves, hence His (swt) true representative on this Earth.

قَالَ يَا بُنَيَّ لَا تَقْصُصْ رُؤْيَاكَ عَلَىٰ إِخْوَتِكَ فَيَكِيدُوا لَكَ كَيْدًا ۖ إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لِلْإِنْسَانِ عَدُوٌّ مُبِينٌ

“He (Yaqub) said: O my son! Do not relate your vision to your brothers, lest they devise a plan against you; surely the Shaitan (Satan) is an open enemy to man.” (12:5)

• Yaqub (as) had 10 other sons (the 12th son, Bin Yameen, was not born yet), who were jealous of Yusuf (as) and the attention that he got from their father (because he was so good and so pure). He advises Yusuf (as) not to share this dream with his brothers.

• Children are loves in society; they are associated with innocence and purity (i.e. even when they do something wrong, they are sympathised with because it is felt that there is an element of innocence behind that act).
• Shaitan works indirectly by targeting others to effectively bring you down: If you’re the only person who has done a bad thing, then it feels uncomfortable (in contrast to if you’re the only person who has done the right/good thing where it doesn’t).
•  Shaitan capitalises on this ‘bring them down into the ditch with me’ mentality, so it feels psychologically better   (example of a single person being arrested compared to a group is given- sharing the pain/shame).
• This all links back to jealousy and bringing those we see as ‘purer’ (or more innocent, refer back to example of children) down with us.

• Yusuf (as), because of his qualities, has become a target of his brothers’ jealousy.

• Being a good person often means being targeted and attacked by others, even though you haven’t done anything wrong. 
• Rajabali describes it as a ‘price we have to pay’, and claims that in our societies and communities, people have abandoned the true beauty and purity of Islam because they fearbeing targeted/attacked.
• A balance needs to be struck when protecting ourselves, so that our identity as Muslims is not compromised.
• Rajabali: “There comes a point when you and I have to put our foot down and say ‘I’m a Muslim’!”- People would respect that.

• The original plot (by the brothers) was to kill Yusuf (as), but it was agreed that as long as he was taken away from the father, that would be sufficient (to be thrown in a well to be killed/found by others).

• Lessons:   

(i) When someone is jealous of you, you will be targeted/get attacked. But if you hold onto Allah (swt), He will raise you to such a level, that the one who was jealous of you will (eventually) bow down to you.

(ii) If you’re seriously good-looking, prepare to be a prisoner:  The whole world will want you, and that will come at a price (they want to adulterate that beauty).

• The young Yusuf (as) was thrown into a well by his brothers, only to be taken as a prisoner and sold as a slave. Rajabali asks us to imagine being objectified, standing there at the slave market, and sold for a price.
• Allah (swt) is bringing to our attention the strong faith Yusuf (as) demonstrated in the face of such hardships. Had we been such devout believers in God, would we be able to endure such difficulties without compromising our belief? (I.e. What kind of a God would punish me like this after I’ve worshipped Him sincerely my whole life?).

• The highest forms of Allah’s (swt) trials were subjected to His Prophets (as), and that’s why He loves them the most. We should look at them as role models, in that our struggles will also be rewarded in the end- emphasis on patience.

• As humans, we lack long-term vision. Example of “A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush” is used to highlight how satisfied we are with short-term rewards, instead of striving to achieve a greater, long-term one.

• Making choices is what makes us human, we should be selective in what we take and we don’t (as opposed to taking both the good and the bad and claiming to be true believers).

• Back to the story: Yusuf (as) is sold as a slave, serving at the house of the governor of Egypt(described as the Metropolis of the region- significant economic, political, cultural etc centre for a region, and the ‘heart of civilisation’). E.g. Egyptian dynasty associated with great power.
• Consider how Yusuf (as) lived in a small village (in an area called Kanaan) to a gigantic metropolis, serving the governor of the time.
• Whilst there, Yusuf (as) is loved and able to affect those around him. This is of the sign of theprophets (as), that through their good nature they are able to put the truth across to you through subtleties (i.e. not forcefully!).

• As Yusuf (as) grows older, his good-looks (i.e. his physical beauty, handsomeness etc) also develop, to the extent that his effective ‘slave-owner’ (i.e. the same woman who nurtured him) is immensely infatuated by him (Zuleikha, wife of the Aziz/Governor).
• Moral: if you’re that handsome, you become trapped- Be grateful for the way you look!
•  Look at what happens to Yusuf (as): those around him are jealous of him à he’s thrown away to be killed à then he’s taken as a prisoner and sold as a slave à and when he matures, he is locked inside the room with a woman who is pressuring him to submit himself to her (i.e. to commit an unlawful act).
• It is important to consider that although today, we have some humanity in pretending to care about human rights etc and masking the reality, back then it was no secret that slaves were no more than objects with little to no rights at all. 
• Taking the above point into account, consider the difficulty of Yusuf’s (as) situation: he isn’t approached by an ordinary woman- not only is she a woman of significant power/authority, but also of extreme beauty as well (one may argue it would be easier to turn down an ugly woman!).

وَغَلَّقَتِ الْأَبْوَابَ وَقَالَتْ هَيْتَ لَكَ ۚ قَالَ مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ

“…She bolted the doors and said: Come! He said: I seek refuge in Allah...” (12:23)

• Pretty woman + Governor’s wife + doors are locked: Would we give in? In that situation, the odds are against are Yusuf (as) - would we claim that there’s nothing we could have done about it?
• Prophets set the standards for us as humans, their examples can be followed practically, and otherwise it wouldn’t make sense for Allah (swt) to send them as role models for us if their examples cannot be emulated.
• The purity of Yusuf’s (as) character makes him a target for Shaitan.
• Moral: Emphasis on seeking refuge in Allah (swt) under the most difficult of situations, even where it appears options are limited. We too should always turn to Allah (swt) for help, so that he can respond to our calls.

• Yusuf (as) attempts to escape, unlocking the door, only to find the governor (Zuleikha’s husband) at the door.
• Zuleikha falsely accuses Yusuf (as) of approaching her.
• Whilst attempting to escape, Yusuf’s (as) shirt was ripped by Zuleikha as she tried to stop him. It was suggested that if her accusations are to hold true, the shirt would have been torn from the front and not from the back.
• Re-emphasising the moral of seeking refuge so we can be saved from our daily ‘traps’ just like He (as) was.

• Zuleikha is mocked by the other women for falling for a slave. They hadn’t yet been exposed toYusuf (as), so through her vindictive nature, she invites them to her house.

فَلَمَّا سَمِعَتْ بِمَكْرِهِنَّ أَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَعْتَدَتْ لَهُنَّ مُتَّكَأً وَآتَتْ كُلَّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِنْهُنَّ سِكِّينًا وَقَالَتِ اخْرُجْ عَلَيْهِنَّ ۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْنَهُ أَكْبَرْنَهُ وَقَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ وَقُلْنَ حَاشَ لِلَّهِ مَا هَٰذَا بَشَرًا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا مَلَكٌ كَرِيمٌ

“So when she heard of their sly talk she sent for them and prepared for them a repast, and gave each of them a knife, and said (to Yusuf): Come forth to them. So when they saw him, they deemed him great, and cut their hands (in amazement), and said: Remote is Allah (from imperfection); this is not a mortal; this is but a noble angel.” (12:31)

• When the women saw Yusuf (as), they were so mesmerised by his beauty that they ended up cutting their own hands. 
• Yusuf (as) now realises that he is in even more trouble now that more wealthy woman want him, and supplicates the following:

قَالَ رَبِّ السِّجْنُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا يَدْعُونَنِي إِلَيْهِ

“He said: My Lord! The prison house is dearer to me than that to which they invite me” (12:33)

• Moral: If you truly seek the company of Allah (swt), once again, be prepared to be a prisoner in this world.
• Yusuf (as) ends up in a prison (false accusations made against him by the governor’s wife, in an attempt to restore her dignity), for more than a decade.
• During his time in prison, he was able to affect those around him and had the ability tointerpret their dreams.

• We find that those who mourn Imam Hussain (as) are often criticised for crying. Yet theQur’an speaks of how Yusuf’s (as) father (Yaqub (as)- a prophet) cried over his son (who was still alive) to such an extent, that he lost his eyesight only for it to be restored later on through the blessings of the shirt Yusuf (as) later gave to him (the shirt was first given to Yusufby his father).

• Yusuf (as) later leaves prison and becomes an advisor to the king, succeeding the same governor who raised him. The treasury of Egypt is now in his hands.
• Consider the whole story: from being thrown into the well, to being taken as a slave,abused, accused, imprisoned etc up to where he stands now and the power granted to him.
• Moral: If we hold onto the path of Allah (swt) and are patient, then he promises toelevate us to great levels.

• Neighbouring areas struck by drought and famine. Only Egypt had sufficient food, and was able to supply to others, as Yusuf (as) was able to interpret a dream forecasting 7 years ofgood harvest, and 7 years of drought (hence were able to prepare).
• This was strategic by Allah (swt), as it ensured that Yusuf (as) (and his message) hadmaximum exposure (people had to travel to Egypt).

• Yusuf’s (as) brothers approach him, but do not recognise this is the same brother of theirs they tried to kill (they would never imagine that someone with Yusuf’s (as) background could become such a powerful figure).
• Yusuf (as) addresses his brothers, revealing his identity. He forgives them for what they did to him, raising the question, would we be able to forgive those who have wronged us in such a way? Around 30 years he was separated from his beloved father.
• Moral: For us to work towards being more forgiving, and less vindictive individuals.

الَّذِينَ يُنْفِقُونَ فِي السَّرَّاءِ وَالضَّرَّاءِ وَالْكَاظِمِينَ الْغَيْظَ وَالْعَافِينَ عَنِ النَّاسِ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يُحِبُّ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

“Those who spend (freely), whether in prosperity, or in adversity; who restrain anger, and pardon (all) men; - for Allah loves those who do good.” (3:134)

• Yusuf (as) is bowed to by his brothers and his father, and is reminded of his dream as a child(12:4)
• He also bows to his father (Yaqub), out of respect and emphasises his allegiance to Allah (swt) and his role as his representative.

رَبِّ قَدْ آتَيْتَنِي مِنَ الْمُلْكِ وَعَلَّمْتَنِي مِنْ تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ ۚ فَاطِرَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ أَنْتَ وَلِيِّي فِي الدُّنْيَا وَالْآخِرَةِ ۖ تَوَفَّنِي مُسْلِمًا وَأَلْحِقْنِي بِالصَّالِحِينَ

“O my Lord! Thou hast indeed bestowed on me some power, and taught me something of the interpretation of dreams and events, - O 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 Thy will (as a Muslim), and unite me with the righteous." (12:101)

• The above is a prayer by Yusuf (as), highlighting his humble attitude despite his elevated rank as the King’s advisor.
• Moral: We should learn from Yusuf (as) to be humble, even when granted great power and blessed with great beauty/handsomeness.  Also, that we shouldn’t dare assume our identities as Muslims will guarantee us paradise, but rather we should continue to strive inAllah’s (swt) way, and pray that even our last breath is as his true believers.

Further reading: http://www.madressa.net/tareekh/class-11/451-07-prophet-yusuf-a-parts-1-to-5