Prophet Yusuf (عليه السلام)
The Truthful One & The Master of Dreams
The life of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph, عليه السلام), is detailed so beautifully in the Quran that Allah Himself refers to it as 'the best of stories'. It is a profound narrative of envy, betrayal, and temptation, but also of patience, nobility, and the ultimate triumph of Allah's divine plan. From the depths of a well to the heights of power in Egypt, his journey is a powerful lesson that for those who are patient and God-conscious, there is always ease after hardship.
Chapter 1: The Sun, The Moon, and Eleven Stars
The story begins with a remarkable dream. As a young boy, Yusuf approached his father, the Prophet Ya'qub (Jacob, عليه السلام), and said: "O my father! Verily, I saw (in a dream) eleven stars and the sun and the moon – I saw them prostrating themselves to me." (Quran 12:4). Prophet Ya'qub, a man of wisdom and a prophet himself, immediately understood the dream's great significance. He knew it was a prophecy that Yusuf would be raised to a high station and that his parents and brothers would one day honor him.
But with this understanding came a sense of caution. He knew that the hearts of his other sons were filled with jealousy towards their younger brothers, Yusuf and Binyamin. He warned his beloved son, "O my son! Relate not your vision to your brothers, lest they arrange a plot against you. Verily! Satan is to man an open enemy." (Quran 12:5). His father's intuition was tragically correct.
Chapter 2: The Conspiracy of Brothers
The envy of Yusuf's ten older brothers festered. They saw the special love their father had for Yusuf and Binyamin and felt they were being overlooked. "They said: 'Truly, Yusuf and his brother are dearer to our father than we, while we are a strong group. Really, our father is in a plain error!'" (Quran 12:8). Consumed by this jealousy, they devised a cruel plan.
At first, they spoke of killing him. But one of them, with a shred of conscience, suggested a different course: "Slay not Yusuf, but if you must do something, throw him down to the bottom of a well; he will be picked up by some caravan of travellers." (Quran 12:10). They tricked their father into letting Yusuf accompany them on the pretense of playing, promising to protect him. Once alone, they stripped him of his shirt and cast him into the dark, empty well.
To cover their crime, they slaughtered a goat and stained Yusuf's shirt with its false blood. That night, they returned to their father, weeping, and told him the lie they had rehearsed: that a wolf had devoured Yusuf. But Prophet Ya'qub, in his wisdom, saw through their deceit. He recognized the flaw in their story and, turning to Allah with a heavy heart, said, "Nay, but your own selves have made up a tale. So (for me) patience is most fitting. And it is Allah (Alone) Whose help can be sought against that which you assert." (Quran 12:18).
Chapter 3: A New Life in Egypt
As Yusuf sat alone in the well, his trust in Allah was unshaken. Allah revealed to him that he would one day confront his brothers with this deed when they would not recognize him. Soon, a caravan of travelers stopped at the well for water. When they lowered their bucket, they were astonished to find a beautiful young boy. Seeing him as a valuable piece of merchandise, they took him to Egypt and sold him for a paltry price.
By Allah's divine plan, the man who purchased him was the 'Aziz' of Egypt, a high-ranking minister or vizier. The 'Aziz saw something special in Yusuf and told his wife, "Make his stay comfortable, maybe he will be of benefit to us, or we may adopt him as a son." (Quran 12:21). Thus, Allah established Yusuf in the land, where he grew into a handsome, wise, and righteous young man, blessed with knowledge and judgment.
Chapter 4: The Test of Chastity
As Yusuf reached his full manhood, he was faced with a severe trial. The wife of the 'Aziz, surrounded by luxury but empty in faith, became infatuated with him. One day, she locked the doors and attempted to seduce him. But Yusuf, a man of pure faith, immediately sought refuge in Allah. He told her, "He (your husband) has been good to me! Verily, the wrong-doers will never be successful." (Quran 12:23).
He turned and ran for the door, and she chased after him, tearing his shirt from the back. At that very moment, her husband, the 'Aziz, appeared at the door. To save herself, she immediately accused Yusuf of trying to harm her. Yusuf defended his innocence, and by a miracle of Allah, a witness from her own household offered a wise solution: "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 the back, then she has told a lie and he is of the truthful." (Quran 12:26-27). When the 'Aziz saw the shirt torn from the back, he knew his wife was the guilty one.
However, the scandal spread among the women of the city. To silence their gossip, the vizier's wife invited them to a banquet. She gave each woman a knife to peel fruit, and then she called for Yusuf to appear. When the women saw his breathtaking beauty, they were so mesmerized that they cut their own hands, exclaiming, "How perfect is Allah! This is not a human being! This is none other than a noble angel!" (Quran 12:31). Seizing the moment, she confessed her guilt but then threatened Yusuf: if he did not do as she commanded, he would surely be imprisoned. Faced with this impossible choice, Yusuf prayed to Allah: "O my Lord! Prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me." (Quran 12:33). So Allah answered his prayer, and despite his proven innocence, Yusuf was sent to prison.
Chapter 5: Light in the Dungeon
Even in the darkness of the dungeon, Yusuf's noble character shone brightly. Two other men were imprisoned with him, and one night, they both had dreams they could not understand. Seeing Yusuf's righteousness, they asked him for an interpretation. Seizing the opportunity, Yusuf first preached to them about the Oneness of Allah, contrasting the folly of idol worship with the wisdom of serving the One True God.
He then interpreted their dreams with the knowledge Allah had given him. He told one that he would be freed and would serve wine to the king again, and the other that he would be executed. Before the first man was released, Yusuf asked him, "Please mention me to your lord (the king)." But Satan made the man forget, and Yusuf remained in prison for several more years, a period he endured with beautiful patience.
Chapter 6: The Path to Power
Years later, the King of Egypt had a perplexing dream: he saw seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean ones, and seven green ears of corn and seven others that were dry. He summoned all the wise men and magicians of his kingdom, but none could interpret it. It was then that the cupbearer, the man who had been in prison with Yusuf, finally remembered him. He rushed to the prison and asked Yusuf for the meaning of the dream.
Yusuf explained that Egypt would see seven years of abundant harvest, followed by seven years of severe famine. He advised them to sow diligently and to store the grain in its ear to protect it. The king was so impressed by this wisdom that he ordered Yusuf to be brought before him. But Yusuf refused to leave until his name was cleared. He sent the messenger back, asking the king to investigate the case of the women who cut their hands. The king summoned the women, who all confessed Yusuf's complete innocence, and the vizier's wife finally admitted, "The truth is now manifest; it was I who sought to seduce him, and he is surely of the truthful." (Quran 12:51).
With his honor restored, Yusuf was brought before the king. Impressed by his wisdom and integrity, the king appointed him as the treasurer over all the storehouses of Egypt, giving him the authority to manage the country's resources through the coming years of plenty and famine.
Chapter 7: The Reunion
As Yusuf had foretold, the famine came, and it was widespread. People from neighboring lands, including Canaan, came to Egypt seeking grain. Among them were Yusuf's own brothers. They came before him, but they did not recognize the powerful governor as the little brother they had betrayed so many years ago. He, however, recognized them immediately.
He treated them kindly, gave them their provisions, and told them not to return without their youngest brother, Binyamin. After a series of wise and carefully orchestrated events, he managed to keep Binyamin with him. This caused great distress to their father, Prophet Ya'qub, who had now lost his second beloved son. Yet, he never lost hope in the mercy of Allah.
Finally, when his brothers returned, broken and desperate, Yusuf revealed his identity: "I am Yusuf, and this is my brother." (Quran 12:90). They were overcome with shame and admitted their sin. But Yusuf, with a heart free of bitterness, forgave them completely, saying, "No reproach on you this day, may Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy." (Quran 12:92).
He gave them his shirt to take back to their father. As the caravan approached Canaan, Prophet Ya'qub could smell the scent of Yusuf. When the shirt was cast over his face, his sight, which he had lost from grief, was miraculously restored. The entire family then journeyed to Egypt. As they entered Yusuf's presence, he raised his parents to the throne, and they, along with his eleven brothers, prostrated before him in a sign of respect and honor. At that moment, Yusuf turned to his father and said, "O my father! This is the interpretation of my dream of old! My Lord has made it true!" (Quran 12:100). The childhood dream had been fulfilled, and the beautiful story reached its perfect conclusion.