The Lives of the Prophets Part 1;
اَلْحَمْدُ لله ، وَالصَّلَاةُ وَالسَّلَامُ عَلى سَيِّدِنَا محمد وَعَلَى اَلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ وَسَلِّمْ
And then after this introduction of Da'wah(دعوة); after he has fulfilled his part in conveying to them the message,
now he gets to the answer of the question.
But he held them back until they finished delivering the message of truth to them.
And now he's going to tell them the answer.
Why?
Because they need him.
And because they need him, they're willing to, to listen.
So he took advantage of that and he started giving them these important concepts,
and now he's gonna give them the interpretation of the dream.
He said;
يا صاحِبَيِ السِّجنِ أَمّا أَحَدُكُما فَيَسقي رَبَّهُ خَمرًا ۖ وَأَمَّا الآخَرُ فَيُصلَبُ فَتَأكُلُ الطَّيرُ مِن رَأسِهِ ۚ
Oh two companions of the prison;
As for one of you, he will pour out wine for his Lord, to drink,
and as for the other; he will be crucified and birds will eat from his head.
Thus is the case judged concerning what you both did inquire.
One of you will be very close to the king.
One of you is going to leave from this prison and jail and he is going to be one of the close associates of the king
and he will be pouring wine for the king.
This is the one who saw that he's pressing wine.
And the other one of you will be taken out of jail and will be crucified
and he will be left on the cross until birds will come and eat from his head.
And that is the one who saw that he has bread and birds are eating from it.
And then he said;
قُضِيَ الأَمرُ الَّذي فيهِ تَستَفتِيانِ۝
The issue which you're asking about is judged; that's it.
That's the judgment of Allah; it's done.
And then SadyinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف) went to the one who he thought would be saved, and will be close to the king
and SadyinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف) told him;
Please remember my name in front of the king.
Yusuf(يوسُف) was thrown in jail, they oppressed him,
so he appeal because the one who put him in jail was Al-Aziz(ألعزيز),
and that was the second highest authority after the king.
So there is no one; whom Yusuf(يوسُف) could appeal to; except the king, he is the next higher authority.
So Yusuf(يوسُف) wanted his case to be presented in front of the king,
so that the king would look into that case, and maybe, he would free him.
Allahسُبحانه وتعالى says;
وَقالَ لِلَّذي ظَنَّ أَنَّهُ ناجٍ مِنهُمَا اذكُرني عِندَ رَبِّكَ فَأَنساهُ الشَّيطانُ ذِكرَ رَبِّهِ فَلَبِثَ فِي السِّجنِ بِضعَ سِنينَ۝
And he said to the one whom he knew to be saved, mentioned me to your Lord
Your Lord means your king.
There are two interpretations given to the next part.
فَأَنساهُ الشَّيطانُ ذِكرَ رَبِّهِ
Satan made him forget to mention it to His Lord.
There are two interpretations given;
One interpretation is that
this man he left jail and he went to work with the king;
but when he got in the palace and he gotten close to the king and all of the luxury of life, he forgot about Yusuf عليه السّلام.
Shaytan(شَيْطَانْ) made him forget, that's one meaning.
The other meaning is that;
Sayidina Yusuf عليه السلام, forgot to ask Allahسُبحانه وتعالى and he asked this man to ask the king.
Instead of asking Allah, he asked the king to help him.
Shaytan(شَيْطَانْ) made him forget.
And they say in the books of Tafseer(تفسير), some Mufasireen(مفسرين) say;
that Jibreel(جِبْرِيْل) came to see the Sadyina Yusuf عليه السّلام and told him;
Who is the one, who freed you from the well.?
He said: Allah;
Who is the one, who delivered you to safety in Egypt.?
He said: Allah;
Who is the one, who put you in the right place to be raised up and honored you?
He said: Allah;
Who is the one who saved you from the Fitnah(فِتْنَه) of the wife of Al-Aziz(ألعزيز)?
He said: Allah;
He said: If Allah is the One, Who saved you throughout all of this.
How come instead of asking Allah; you're asking the king to save you out of jail.
And because of that mistake, he paid a price.
Allahسُبحانه وتعالى says;
فَلَبِثَ فِي السِّجنِ بِضعَ سِنينَ۝
He spent a few more years in jail.
This mistake that seems to be small, he paid the price for it and he spent a few more years in jail.
Ask Allahسُبحانه وتعالى directly; He's the one who saved you throughout this.
Now definitely SadyinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف) was asking Allah for Dua(دُعَا)
but because he went through this human being and thought that he could do something;
Allahسُبحانه وتعالى wants to teach him the lesson
and the Ambiyaa(أنبِيَاء) of Allahسُبحانه وتعالى whenever they commit a mistake;
Allahسُبحانه وتعالى teaches them, so that they would leave us a message that is clean,
the Ambiyaa(أنبِيَاء) of Allah when they commit mistakes;
Allahسُبحانه وتعالى would correct their mistakes for them.
So that when they Die all of the message that they leave behind is pure without any mistakes.
If there was anything in it; it would have been corrected.
فَلَبِثَ فِي السِّجنِ بِضعَ سِنينَ۝
So Yusuf(يوسُف) stayed in prison for a few more years.
The king, after a few years saw a dream.
We see that dreams are important in their lives.
We have a few dreams here;
a dream of Yaqoob(يعقوب);
a dream of Yusuf(يوسُف);
the dream of the king.
And the dream of these two men in jail.
Dreams played an important role in their lives.
And Allahسُبحانه وتعالى gives the Ambiyaa(أنبِيَاء) a miracle to challenge the people in the thing that is most important to them.
So Allah has given SadyinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف); the miracle of interpreting dreams.
That's one of his miracles.
The King saw dream.
The King saw seven fat cows eaten by seven Ejaaf(عجاف);
Ejaaf(عجاف) means; bones are sticking out, you can see the bone under the flesh, they're very skinny.
So these seven fat cows were eaten up by seven skinny ones; that's one dream.
Either in the same dream or another dream;
he saw seven green ears of corn eaten by seven dry ones.
Allahسُبحانه وتعالى says;
وَقالَ المَلِكُ إِنّي أَرىٰ سَبعَ بَقَراتٍ سِمانٍ يَأكُلُهُنَّ سَبعٌ عِجافٌ وَسَبعَ سُنبُلاتٍ خُضرٍ وَأُخَرَ يابِساتٍ ۖ
And the king of Egypt said;
Verily I saw in a dream seven fat cows, whom seven lean ones were devouring and seven green ears of corn and seven others dry.
يا أَيُّهَا المَلَأُ أَفتوني في رُؤيايَ إِن كُنتُم لِلرُّؤيا تَعبُرونَ۝
Oh notables explained to me my dream if it be that you can interpret dreams.
We have seven fat cows eaten by seven weak ones;
and then seven green ears of corn and seven dry ears of corn.
And then he asked his government and Associates and people please interpret this dream for me.
None of them knew the answer.
They said;
قالوا أَضغاثُ أَحلامٍ ۖ وَما نَحنُ بِتَأويلِ الأَحلامِ بِعالِمينَ۝
Mixed up false dreams, forget about it, this is false dreams, don't worry about it.
وَما نَحنُ بِتَأويلِ الأَحلامِ بِعالِمينَ۝
And we don't have any skill in the interpretation of dreams.
We are not people who care about interpreting dreams.
People who are materialistic and attached to life, they don't care about this unseen; Al-Ghaeb(ألغيب)?
The servant was there, the one who was serving the king wine; he was there.
When the topic of dreams was brought up; what did he remember?
He remembered Yusuf(يوسُف) after a few years.
He now remembered.
Allahسُبحانه وتعالى says;
وَقالَ الَّذي نَجا مِنهُما وَادَّكَرَ بَعدَ أُمَّةٍ أَنا أُنَبِّئُكُم بِتَأويلِهِ فَأَرسِلونِ۝
Then the man, who was released now at length, remember that said;
I will tell you it's interpretation; so sent me forth.
I will tell you the interpretation let me go and I'll get you the answer.
So, he went to Sayidina Yusuf عليه السلام and he said;
يوسف أيها الصديق
O Yusuf(يوسُف), man of truth.
Subhaan Allah(سُبْحَان الله), Allah has given the Ambiyaa(أنبِيَاء) the quality of truth and the people know it; Sideeq(ألصديق).
He was called Sideeq(ألصديق) man of truth.
يوسُفُ أَيُّهَا الصِّدّيقُ أَفتِنا في سَبعِ بَقَراتٍ سِمانٍ يَأكُلُهُنَّ سَبعٌ عِجافٌ وَسَبعِ سُنبُلاتٍ خُضرٍ وَأُخَرَ يابِساتٍ
وَأُخَرَ يابِساتٍ لَعَلّي أَرجِعُ إِلَى النّاسِ لَعَلَّهُم يَعلَمونَ۝
Here this man is narrating the dream to SadyinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف);
but Allah is mentioning to us the narration and he's narrating it exactly as the King saw in the dream.
And that is important in dreams.
If you want a dream to be interpreted, it has to be narrated exactly as it was seen?
So here this man is narrating the dream exactly as the King has said it; in the Ayah(آية) before.
Seven fat cows devour by seven weak ones, seven green ears of corn and seven dry ones.
Aftina(أفتنا); tell us the interpretation of this.
So that I can go and let the people know.
Yusuf عليه السّلام now has a bargaining tool in his hand.
He's in jail and this man comes to asking you about the interpretation of the dream.
He could have said: I'm not going to tell you the answer until you free me.
But Yusuf(يوسُف) didn't! He gave him the answer without asking for anything.
He said; and not only did he give the answer, he gave the interpretation and his recommendations.
He said;
قالَ تَزرَعونَ سَبعَ سِنينَ دَأَبًا فَما حَصَدتُم فَذَروهُ في سُنبُلِهِ إِلّا قَليلًا مِمّا تَأكُلونَ۝
For seven consecutive years, you shall, Sow as usual.
For seven years, you're gonna have an abundance of harvest.
These are the seven fat cows, you're gonna have a lot of rain and you're gonna be blessed you're gonna have a lot.
And then he said;
فَما حَصَدتُم فَذَروهُ في سُنبُلِهِ إِلّا قَليلًا مِمّا تَأكُلونَ۝
That harvest which you reap, keep it in the ears except a little of it, which you may eat.
He told them: You need to ration, even though you're gonna have a lot of harvest; Don't use it all.
Save most of it and only use the minimum.
Even though there are years of blessings, don't use it, don't consume it.
Save it all except for what you need for eating.
And they used to say, in the Tafseer(تفسير) that SadyinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف) would survive on half a meal a day.
And he has ordered the government to ration in the same way.
And he would give the example to the people.
He would eat the minimum even though there was an abundance.
Why?
Because he wants them to store the rest.
He told them to keep the grain; the corn in the ear.
There's an interesting story, you know that Sudan is going through an embargo.
Sudani brothers are going through miserable times.
US and its allies are forcing them into this embargo, by this oppressive embargo,
and they're not allowing them to export and import.
Sudan has a lot of grain, they have a lot of wheat.
But they're not able to export anything from the outside and they need to store this grain, store it for the future.
But the problem is whenever they would store the grain in this underground bunkers; underground storages.
After a few years it would go bad.
It would spoil because of fungus and humidity and insects and worms and other diseases and bacteria.
So it would spoil it.
They have a lot of wheat, but it would just go bad; it will expire.
There was a Muslim professor who was visiting them; he's a professor in agriculture.
He told them I have a suggestion for you.
Let's try this.
How about instead of storing the grain as seed stored it; in the ears?
Let's try with Yusuf عليه السّلام did.
Let's store the grain in the ears.
So they tried it and they stored the grain in the ears and it survived for a much longer period than it was before.
So Yusuf عليه السّلام told them: Keep the grain in the ears; so that we can store it.
And then he said;
ثُمَّ يَأتي مِن بَعدِ ذٰلِكَ سَبعٌ شِدادٌ يَأكُلنَ ما قَدَّمتُم لَهُنَّ إِلّا قَليلًا مِمّا تُحصِنونَ۝
Then we'll come after that 7 hard years
which will devour what you have laid by in advance for them except a little of that which you have guarded stored.
After this seven years of abundance, they would come seven difficult years you would have nothing.
And in those seven years you're going to be eating from what?
From what you have storage.
So these are the seven lean skinny cows eating the seven fat ones.
And the seven green corns, ears of corn, you're going to use them for the seven dry years.
So it gives them recommendation on how to do it.
And then he told them something that is not in the dream and this is a wahi(وحي) from Allahسُبحانه وتعالى.
ثُمَّ يَأتي مِن بَعدِ ذٰلِكَ عامٌ فيهِ يُغاثُ النّاسُ وَفيهِ يَعصِرونَ۝
Then thereafter will come a year in which people will have abundant rain and in which they will press wine and oil.
This is not in the dream but he told them that after the seven difficult years, Allahسُبحانه وتعالى will send a lot of rain on you.
This was conveyed to the king.
The king was impressed He wanted to make use of this expertise.
وَقالَ المَلِكُ ائتوني بِهِ ۖ
The king said: Bring him forth; Bring him to me.
The messenger went to convey this news to SadyinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف);
he told them the king is offering you to leave prison and jail, you're free, you're free to leave.
Not only are you free to leave, but the king wants to have you as one of his advisors.
Look at this honor;
Not only is he gonna leave jail after years, but he's gonna be an advisor of the king.
But the response of Yusuf عليه السّلام was amazing.
It was even amazing to Rasool Allah ﷺ.
Yusuf(يوسُف) said: No, I'm not gonna leave;
You're offered to leave jail, here the doors are open; leave.
And you can be an advisor for the king.
He said: I'm not gonna leave.
SadyinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف) said;
فَلَمّا جاءَهُ الرَّسولُ قالَ ارجِع إِلىٰ رَبِّكَ فَاسأَلهُ ما بالُ النِّسوَةِ اللّاتي قَطَّعنَ أَيدِيَهُنَّ ۚ
Return to your Lord and ask him what happened to the woman who cut their hands.
Surely my Lord; Allah is well aware of their plot.
Yusuf عليه السّلام did not want to leave prison until his innocence is established.
Because he was put in jail and he's innocent.
And he does not want to leave jail as a favor given to him by the king.
No! He wants to leave jail with everybody knowing that he's innocent.
And Rasool Allah ﷺ said;
رحم الله يوسف لو كنت أنا لبعدرت الباب او لعجبت الداعي
Rasool Allah ﷺ said;
May Allah have mercy on Yusuf(يوسُف); if it was me, I would have rushed towards the door and responded to the call.
Staying in, years for years; staying in prison for years, and then you're offered to leave
and you say: No, I'm not gonna leave; Until my innocence is established.
But the story of Yusuf(يوسُف) is an example from the beginning to the end; It's an example of patience, Sabr(صبر).
That is the essence of the story of Yusuf(يوسُف).
Go and ask the king, what is the story of the woman who cut their hands?
So he wants his case to be open again.
So the king investigated in this case.
And then he brought these women and he asked them this question.
قالَ ما خَطبُكُنَّ إِذ راوَدتُنَّ يوسُفَ عَن نَفسِهِ ۚ
The king said to the women, what was your affair when you did seek to seduce Yusuf(يوسُف)?
The women told the truth,
قُلنَ حاشَ لِلَّهِ ما عَلِمنا عَلَيهِ مِن سوءٍ ۚ
The women said; Allah forbid no evil, know we against him.
All of these women witness the truth and said;
Yusuf(يوسُف) is innocent, and he has committed no evil.
At that particular moment, the wife of Al-Aziz(ألعزيز), when she saw that the case is exposed and the truth is known.
She said;
قالَتِ امرَأَتُ العَزيزِ الآنَ حَصحَصَ الحَقُّ أَنا راوَدتُهُ عَن نَفسِهِ وَإِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصّادِقينَ۝
She said;
Now the truth is manifest to all and she admitted her guilt and said;
أَنا راوَدتُهُ عَن نَفسِهِ وَإِنَّهُ لَمِنَ الصّادِقينَ۝
It was I who sought to seduce him and he is surely of the truthful.
Now the innocence of Yusuf(يوسُف) is established, and then she said;
ذٰلِكَ لِيَعلَمَ أَنّي لَم أَخُنهُ بِالغَيبِ وَأَنَّ اللَّهَ لا يَهدي كَيدَ الخائِنينَ۝
Then Yusuf(يوسُف) said;
I asked for this inquiry in an order that he Al-Aziz(ألعزيز) may know that I betrayed him not in secret;
and verily Allah guides not the plot of the betrayal.
So here in the translation, they believe that these are words of Yusuf(يوسُف).
There's a difference of opinion, whether it's the words of Yusuf(يوسُف) or her words.
If it's the words of Yusuf(يوسُف) he is saying;
Because who was the Sayyid(سيد) of Yusuf(يوسُف) - who was a slave owner?
It was the husband of this woman.
So Yusuf(يوسُف) after she admitted, he said, this is so that my Lord would know that I'm innocent.
And this is her husband.
And it's not me who tried to seduce her, it is her.
And I free not myself from the blame, verily the human self is inclined to evil
except when my lord bestows His mercy upon whom He wills verily my lord is aft forgiving, Most Merciful.
Now the king said;
وَقالَ المَلِكُ ائتوني بِهِ أَستَخلِصهُ لِنَفسي ۖ
And the king said: Bring him to me that I may attach him to my person.
So they brought Saydina Yusuf عليه السّلام honored out of jail with his innocence established and now he is with the king.
And he talked with the king.
The king was even more impressed with him, when he talked to him.
After he talked with him.
فَلَمّا كَلَّمَهُ قالَ إِنَّكَ اليَومَ لَدَينا مَكينٌ أَمينٌ۝
Then when he spoke to him, he said;
Verily this day, you are with us high in rank and fully trusted.
Now I trust you fully, and now I would give you authority.
In that moment in the SadyinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف) said;
قالَ اجعَلني عَلىٰ خَزائِنِ الأَرضِ ۖ إِنّي حَفيظٌ عَليمٌ۝
He said;
Set me over the store houses of the land.
Subhaan Allah(سُبْحَان الله) Yusuf(يوسُف) is asking for position.
We know that in Islam, we're not supposed to ask for a position of leadership.
Rasool Allah ﷺ says;
إنَّا وَاللَّهِ لا نُوَلِّي علَى هذا العَمَلِ أَحَدًا سَأَلَهُ،
We do not appoint to the position of leadership; whoever asks for it.
If you are seeking the position of leadership, you should not be given that position;
But SaydinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف) is asking for that position.
And then SaydinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف) is doing something else that we don't do in Islam, he said;
إِنّي حَفيظٌ عَليمٌ۝
I am Hafeez(حفيظ) meaning I will protect it and Aleem(عليم) I'm knowledgeable.
And in Islam we know,
ولا تزكو أنفسكم
Do not praise yourselves.
Allah tells us in Qur'an don’t praise yourself don’t give yourself credit and praise yourself.
And Yusuf(يوسُف) is giving himself praise.
He saying;
أنا حفيظ و عليم
I will protect it, I have the ability to protect and take care of it.
And Aleem(عليم); I'm knowledgeable.
The scholars say that
when you are the only person who is able to take that position, then you're allowed to ask for it.
And Yusuf(يوسُف) was the only one, who was fit for that position.
If he left it, it would have been taken by somebody who will not take care of it.
Number two, if you are not well known to the people, then you are allowed to introduce yourself.
In the Islamic community, when everybody around you is Muslim;
you should not go and ask for a position of leadership and authority because everyone around you is Muslim.
And when you are part of the community and people know you should not go and praise yourself.
But Yusuf عليه السّلام is not known; They don't know him yet he just came out of jail.
So he need to tell them his credentials.
And also he's the only one who knows what's going on and knows this future.
Therefore, if he leaves it, that will be an irresponsible stance,
because it will be taken by somebody who will corrupt and will not be able to take this authority.
So this is why SadyinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف) asked for that position of leadership
and that's why he told them about himself
and Yusuf عليه السّلام was not asking this position for fame, or power.
No, he knew from the beginning, that he will be taken care of Egypt in one of its most difficult times.
Who wants to take care of a government that is broke.
He's gonna take care of Egypt in seven of the most devastating years,
years of hunger and famine.
Prime Ministers run away from positions like this because this is the end of your career.
If a stock market crash happens in your time you lost your job.
And we know it that whole governments would collapse because of this.
So there's no honor and taking that position, it's a very difficult and critical moment.
But Yusuf(يوسُف) wants to take that position, not for the honor and the prestige and the fame of it;
No! He's doing it as a service to take care of the people of Egypt.
وَكَذٰلِكَ مَكَّنّا لِيوسُفَ فِي الأَرضِ يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنها حَيثُ يَشاءُ ۚ
نُصيبُ بِرَحمَتِنا مَن نَشاءُ ۖ وَلا نُضيعُ أَجرَ المُحسِنينَ۝
Thus do we give full authority to Yusuf(يوسُف) in the land?
Allahسُبحانه وتعالى now has established Yusuf(يوسُف) firmly in the land.
يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنها حَيثُ يَشاءُ ۚ
He will go wherever he wants with authority.
It is said that the king told him; Do whatever you want in the kingdom.
So Allahسُبحانه وتعالى says that Yusuf(يوسُف) can go anywhere in Egypt and he has full authority to do whatever he wants.
Allahسُبحانه وتعالى established SaydinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف) who was sold as a slave, who faced death.
Now Yusuf(يوسُف) became the most powerful person in Egypt.
He had the Treasury he had the authority all under his hands.
But Allahسُبحانه وتعالى says;
وَلَأَجرُ الآخِرَةِ خَيرٌ لِلَّذينَ آمَنوا وَكانوا يَتَّقونَ۝
And verily the reward of the Hereafter is better for those who believe and use to be obedient to Allah.
Allah is telling us so that we don't think that Duniyah(دُنِيَّا) is something worthy;
Allah is telling us that the reward of Yusuf(يوسُف) in Akhirah(آخرة) is the true reward.
Allahسُبحانه وتعالى is saving the reward for Yusuf(يوسُف) in Akhirah(آخرة) that is the place of reward.
The famine that striked Egypt wasn't limited to that area.
It had some effects on the surrounding areas, including Ash-Sham(ألشَّام).
So this drought not only affected the area of Egypt,
but also over spilled to the areas of Falistine(فلسطين) and Syria and those parts of the world.
So the place where Yaqoob عليه السّلام was living, was suffering from that drought.
But now all the people are Egypt have nothing to eat;
because they don't have someone like Yusuf(يوسُف) to manage their affairs.
So everyone was running out of wealth and money and food, except Egypt.
Egypt had enough to feed the people of Egypt and to feed its neighbors
because of the wonderful management of SaydinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف).
So now the brothers of Yusuf(يوسُف) are going to the center of the drought, the famine; Egypt to ask for food.
Even though that is where the center of the drought and the famine is;
but that is where everybody's going to ask for food.
Why?
Because it was under a just and great manager and that Saydina Yusuf عليه السّلام.
So sometimes it's not a matter of how much wealth the earth has;
Allahسُبحانه وتعالى will put blessing, even if there is dry, if there is Adl(عدل); if there is justice.
Ibn Taymiyah(اِبْنِ تَيْمِيَّه) says: Justice is the think that the heavens and Earth are established on.
Whenever it is missing, everything will go corrupt.
There is under you could be filled with wealth; Oil could be pumping out of the ground.
Harvest could be filling your storages.
Nevertheless, you would have poverty in the streets.
Why? Because justice is missing.
But you could have a land that is completely dry and drought and there's nothing growing up; like in Egypt.
Nevertheless, everybody's going to Egypt to get their ration.
So it's not a matter of how much your earth is producing; It's a matter of the Justice; Al-Adl(ألعدل).
In the time of Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal(إمام أحمد إبن حنبل);
Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal(إمام أحمد إبن حنبل) said: We were opening up some of the storages of Bani Ummayah(بني أميَّة).
Bani Ummayah(بني أميَّة) are the ruling family of the Muslim world for a few decades.
Imam Ahmad(اِمَامْ اَحْمَدْ) said: We were opening some of their storages;
So we found the sack and in the sack we found a mustard seed.
Now the mustard seed is very, very small.
It's very small seed; very small.
But this mustard seed like was the seed of a date.
The size of the mustard seed was like a seed of a date; this big.
And that seed was put in this small sack written on it was;
This used to grow in the time of justice; the time of Umar Ibn Abdelaziz(عمر إبن عبدالعزيز).
This type of Mustard seed used to grow, in the time of justice in the time of Umar Ibn Abdelaziz(عمر إبن عبدالعزيز).
So Allah blesses even the land because of the justice of the ruler.
Allahسُبحانه وتعالى says;
وَجاءَ إِخوَةُ يوسُفَ فَدَخَلوا عَلَيهِ فَعَرَفَهُم وَهُم لَهُ مُنكِرونَ۝
And Yusuf(يوسُف) bretherin came and they entered into him and he recognized them but they did not recognize him.
He knew them;
He knew that these are my brothers but they didn't know him.
They came;
Why did they come to Egypt?
To receive ration; some food.
Allahسُبحانه وتعالى says;
وَلَمّا جَهَّزَهُم بِجَهازِهِم قالَ ائتوني بِأَخٍ لَكُم مِن أَبيكُم ۚ
أَلا تَرَونَ أَنّي أوفِي الكَيلَ وَأَنا خَيرُ المُنزِلينَ۝
Yusuf(يوسُف) use to give ration per head.
So he would give every individual a camel load.
So how many brothers were these?
There were ten brothers.
So he gave them 10 camel loads.
And then he was talking to them.
He told them, how many brothers are you?
They said: We're eleven.
He said: Why didn't you bring the 11th brother with you?
They said: He's with his father.
He said: Okay, next you bring him with you.
Because as you see, I will give you a full load per head.
If you bring him with you, instead of going back home with 10 loads, you'll get 11.
This is Targheeb(ترغيب).
He's trying to encourage them to bring their brother
and then he is using Tarheeb(ترهيب); threatening them.
And if you don't bring him with you, I'm not gonna give you anything.
So he's using Targheeb(ترغيب) and Tarheeb(ترهيب);
The carrot and the stick.
The carrot, bring your brother I'll give you 11 loads.
The stick if you don't bring him or you're gonna get zero; nothing.
فَإِن لَم تَأتوني بِهِ فَلا كَيلَ لَكُم عِندي وَلا تَقرَبونِ۝
But if you bring him not; there shall be no measure of corn for you with me, nor shall you even come near me.
They said;
قالوا سَنُراوِدُ عَنهُ أَباهُ وَإِنّا لَفاعِلونَ۝
They said: We shall try to get permission for him from his father and verily we shall do it.
The brothers of Yusuf(يوسُف) of they brought with them some merchandise; to do trade.
So they gave this stuff that they brought with them and they took instead of it; food.
The merchandise that they brought was worthless; really it wasn't very valuable.
Saydina Yusuf عليه السّلام said;
Go and put it back in their luggage.
This merchandise that they brought; Put it back in their luggage without them knowing.
Why did SaydinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف) do that.?
So that when they go back home they would have something to bring next year with them to do trade.
Yusuf(يوسُف) was afraid that maybe they would go home and they would have nothing left to bring with them next year.
So they would think; well if we don't have anything to give, how can we take corn.
So, Yusuf(يوسُف) said;
Give them back what they brought so that they will use it to come back next year.
Yusuf(يوسُف) told his servants to put their money which they have brought with them into their bags;
so that they might know it when they go back to their people in order that they may come back.
فَلَمّا رَجَعوا إِلىٰ أَبيهِم قالوا يا أَبانا مُنِعَ مِنَّا الكَيلُ
قالوا يا أَبانا مُنِعَ مِنَّا الكَيلُ فَأَرسِل مَعَنا أَخانا نَكتَل وَإِنّا لَهُ لَحافِظونَ۝
When they went back to their father, they said;
Oh our father, no more measure of grain will be given to us unless we take our brother;
so send our brother with us and we shall get our measure and truly we will guard him.
Who was this brother?
This was Binyameen(بنيامين); the brother of Yusuf(يوسُف) from the same mother.
Sayidina Yaqub عليه السلام was protective of Binyameen(بنيامين) just like he was with Yusuf(يوسُف).
And he would not trust his brothers to take care of him.
So the brothers are trying to convince the father they said;
Listen; If you don't send them we can't give anything's.
Yaqoob(يعقوب) knows what they have done with Yusuf(يوسُف); that they have made a conspiracy against him.
He doesn't want this to happen with Binyameen(بنيامين) again.
قالَ هَل آمَنُكُم عَلَيهِ إِلّا كَما أَمِنتُكُم عَلىٰ أَخيهِ مِن قَبلُ ۖ
فَاللَّهُ خَيرٌ حافِظًا ۖ وَهُوَ أَرحَمُ الرّاحِمينَ۝
He said: Can I entrust him, to you except as I entrust his brother Yusuf(يوسُف) to you afore time;
but Allah is the best to guard and He is the most Merciful of those who show mercy.
وَلَمّا فَتَحوا مَتاعَهُم وَجَدوا بِضاعَتَهُم رُدَّت إِلَيهِم ۖ
قالوا يا أَبانا ما نَبغي ۖ هٰذِهِ بِضاعَتُنا رُدَّت إِلَينا ۖ
هٰذِهِ بِضاعَتُنا رُدَّت إِلَينا ۖ وَنَميرُ أَهلَنا وَنَحفَظُ أَخانا وَنَزدادُ كَيلَ بَعيرٍ ۖ ذٰلِكَ كَيلٌ يَسيرٌ۝
And when they opened their bags they found their money had been returned to them.
They said: Oh our Father, what more can we desire?
This is our money it has been returned to us.
So we shall get more food for our family.
And we shall guard our brother and add one more measure of a camel's load;
This quantity is easy for the king to give.
Now, Yaqoob(يعقوب) is almost convinced, but he said;
قالَ لَن أُرسِلَهُ مَعَكُم حَتّىٰ تُؤتونِ مَوثِقًا مِنَ اللَّهِ لَتَأتُنَّني بِهِ إِلّا أَن يُحاطَ بِكُم ۖ
I'm not going to send him with you; Unless You promise me
that you will not forsake him unless you are surrounded, and there's no way for you to survive.
Don't come to me alive without Binyameen(بنيامين).
And I want you to give me your promise.
He; Jacob said: I will not send them with you;
until you swear an oath to me in Allah's name, that you will bring him back to me unless you all, yourself surrounded.
So they gave him the promise and when they had sworn their solemn oath, he said;
Allah is the witness over that which you said.
These 11 brothers were strong and handsome.
And I mean you have 11 sons; That is something that people are going to be jealous about.
Sayidina Yaqub(سيدنا يعقوب) might have been worried of the effect of the evil eye; Al-Ain(ألعين).
And this is Haqq(حَقّ). Rasool Allah ﷺ says;
ألعين حقَ
The evil eye is true.
The evil eye is some ability that some people have to cause you harm when they are jealous of you.
So Sayidina Yaqub(سيدنا يعقوب) said;
وَقالَ يا بَنِيَّ لا تَدخُلوا مِن بابٍ واحِدٍ وَادخُلوا مِن أَبوابٍ مُتَفَرِّقَةٍ ۖ
And he said: Oh my sons do not enter by one gate, but enter by different gates.
Don't go all of you together from one gate, go from different gates,
because if you go all of you together, people will be jealous.
So break up into groups and go from different gates.
Yaqoob(يعقوب) is telling them this, to keep them away from the evil eye;
but then Yaqoob(يعقوب) is clarifying something; He said;
وَما أُغني عَنكُم مِنَ اللَّهِ مِن شَيءٍ ۖ
And I can't avail you against Allah at all;
this is means that you could follow; this is a Sabab(سبب) but it is not this; that could save you; It is Allah.
So we follow the means, but then we leave the matter in the hands of Allahسُبحانه وتعالى; that Twakul(توكل).
إِنِ الحُكمُ إِلّا لِلَّهِ ۖ
Allah Ho Akbar(ألله أكبر) even Yaqoob(يعقوب) is emphasizing in this again and he is saying;
إِنِ الحُكمُ إِلّا لِلَّهِ ۖ
The command and the decision, rests only with Allah.
And then he said;
عَلَيهِ تَوَكَّلتُ ۖ وَعَلَيهِ فَليَتَوَكَّلِ المُتَوَكِّلونَ۝
In Him I put my trust and let all those that trust put their trust in Allah.
وَلَمّا دَخَلوا مِن حَيثُ أَمَرَهُم أَبوهُم ما كانَ يُغني عَنهُم مِنَ اللَّهِ مِن شَيءٍ
إِلّا حاجَةً في نَفسِ يَعقوبَ قَضاها ۚ
Allahسُبحانه وتعالى says and when they entered according to their father's advice;
It did not avail them in the least; against the will of Allah.
It was but a need of Jacob's inner self which he discharged.
It is not this that will save them; It is the will of Allahسُبحانه وتعالى.
So they entered and met with Sayidina Yusuf عليه السّلام.
When they came in to meet Yusuf(يوسُف);
Yusuf عليه السّلام took Binyamin(بنيامين) to the side without the brothers knowing
and he told him Binyamin(بنيامين); Do you know who's speaking to you?
This is your brother Yusuf(يوسُف).
He embraced his brother and hugged him and he told him;
قالَ إِنّي أَنا أَخوكَ فَلا تَبتَئِس بِما كانوا يَعمَلونَ۝
Verily, I am your brother so grieved not for what they used to do.
And then SayidinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف) made a plan.
SayidinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف) provided them with their camel loads; 11 camel loads.
And then he took Suwaa Malik(صواع ملك), the cup of the king, which was made of gold, very valuable thing that belonged to the king.
And he put it in the luggage of his brother Binyamin(بنيامين).
He sticks it in there without nobody knowing.
All of the brothers, they loaded all of their luggage and they started to leave.
And suddenly they heard that announcement.
ثُمَّ أَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ أَيَّتُهَا العيرُ إِنَّكُم لَسارِقونَ۝
That the cup of the king has been stolen.
So they said: We did not come to cause corruption in the land;
This is not our habit or custom;
We're not robbers, we're not thieves.
They said;
If you are not thieves, we have to look at your luggage we're going to look in every luggage
but what if we find that in your luggage what will happen?
They said: If you find this; in our luggage, then you take the guilty one as a slave with you.
This used to be the law of Yaqoob(يعقوب).
The law of Sayidina Yaqub(سيدنا يعقوب) is that whoever steals is captured as a prisoner by the owner of the goods.
The law of the king of Egypt, whom Yusuf(يوسُف) is working under Is that
the one who steals is punished; the certain punishment.
Yusuf(يوسُف) does not want his brother to be punished.
Yusuf(يوسُف) wants to take his brother.
So Yusuf(يوسُف) made trick; this plan to take his brother according to their law,
so he made them stay at the rules; he told them;
Okay, what if we find it in your belongings; what will happen?
So they told him; their law; the law Yaqoob(يعقوب); which was you take him as a prisoner.
He said: Okay, well follow your laws; sign this paper; this is the agreement.
We are following your rules, not ours.
And then they started looking in the camels one by one, and they started with the other camels before.
So they kept on uncovering them, they would look inside, they would not find it, they would go to the next one.
And then when they opened up the luggage of Binyamin(بنيامين) they found it there.
When they found this cup in the luggage of Binyamin(بنيامين); what did the brothers say?
قالوا إِن يَسرِق فَقَد سَرَقَ أَخٌ لَهُ مِن قَبلُ ۚ
They said: If he steals his brother has stole before.
They said that his brother stole before.
They're talking about Yusuf(يوسُف).
Now the Mufasireen(مفسرين) say: What is meant by this is that;
When Yusuf(يوسُف) was young; look at the how they could twist the information.
When Yusuf(يوسُف) was young he did steal; but what did he steal?
His grandmother; they say, this is the story of Tafseer(تفسير), Allah Ho Alam(ألله أعلم); This could be valid or it could be not.
It says that his grandmother had a small idle and Yusuf(يوسُف) stole it from her and he destroyed it.
So they use this and they said, he stole before.
Even though this is not really stealing, this is Da'wah(دعوة) destroying a false god.
Anyway they said;
إِن يَسرِق فَقَد سَرَقَ أَخٌ لَهُ مِن قَبلُ ۚ
Let me read these Ayaat(آيات) that we just covered now.
فَلَمّا جَهَّزَهُم بِجَهازِهِم جَعَلَ السِّقايَةَ في رَحلِ أَخيهِ ثُمَّ أَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ
ثُمَّ أَذَّنَ مُؤَذِّنٌ أَيَّتُهَا العيرُ إِنَّكُم لَسارِقونَ۝
So when he had furnished them forth with their provisions he put the golden bowl into their brothers bag;
then a crier cried, O you in the caravan surely you are thieves.
قالوا وَأَقبَلوا عَلَيهِم ماذا تَفقِدونَ۝
Then they turn toward them and said: What is it that you have missed?
قالوا نَفقِدُ صُواعَ المَلِكِ وَلِمَن جاءَ بِهِ حِملُ بَعيرٍ وَأَنا بِهِ زَعيمٌ۝
They said: We have missed the golden bowl of the king and for him, who produces it,
the reward of a camel load; I will be bound by it.
قالوا تَاللَّهِ لَقَد عَلِمتُم ما جِئنا لِنُفسِدَ فِي الأَرضِ وَما كُنّا سارِقينَ۝
They said: By Allah Indeed you know that we came not to make mischeif in the land, and we are no thieves.
قالوا فَما جَزاؤُهُ إِن كُنتُم كاذِبينَ۝
They, Joseph's men said;
What then shall be the penalty of him, if you are proved to be liars.
قالوا جَزاؤُهُ مَن وُجِدَ في رَحلِهِ فَهُوَ جَزاؤُهُ ۚ
They said; The brothers of Yusuf(يوسُف);
The penalty should be that; in whose bag it is found should be held for the punishment of the crime thus we punish the wrongdoers.
فَبَدَأَ بِأَوعِيَتِهِم قَبلَ وِعاءِ أَخيهِ ثُمَّ استَخرَجَها مِن وِعاءِ أَخيهِ ۚ
So he began the search in their bags before the bag of his brother.
Then he brought it out of his brother's bag.
كَذٰلِكَ كِدنا لِيوسُفَ ۖ
ما كانَ لِيَأخُذَ أَخاهُ في دينِ المَلِكِ إِلّا أَن يَشاءَ اللَّهُ ۚ
Thus did we plan for Joseph; He could not take his brother by the law of the king.
Except that Allah willed it.
نَرفَعُ دَرَجاتٍ مَن نَشاءُ ۗ
We raise the degrees whom He please.
وَفَوقَ كُلِّ ذي عِلمٍ عَليمٌ۝
But over all those endowed with knowledge is the all knowing Allah.
I want to comment on one word here,
ما كانَ لِيَأخُذَ أَخاهُ في دينِ المَلِكِ
Allah says: He could not take his brother according to the religion of the king.
Deen(دِيْن); Allah used the word Deen(دِيْن).
Allah is calling this law Deen(دِيْن); It is religion.
Laws are part of religion.
This is a law; we call it criminal law here in the United States criminal law.
It has nothing to do with religion.
And that mentality is being engraved in our minds unfortunately, that laws have nothing to do with religion.
Allah in Qur'an is calling the law of the king; Deen(دِيْن); religion, that is the religion of the king.
And this is the religion of Allah; Laws are part of religion.
في دينِ المَلِكِ
Allah did not say in the Qanoon(قانون) of Malik(ملك) - in the law of the Malik(ملك).
Allah say in the Deen(دِيْن), the religion of the Malik(ملك) the king.
They said;
قالوا إِن يَسرِق فَقَد سَرَقَ أَخٌ لَهُ مِن قَبلُ
If he steals there was a brother of his who did steal before him.
SayidinaYusuf(سَيِّدنا يوسُف) held those emotions in his heart and he didn't speak.
فَأَسَرَّها يوسُفُ في نَفسِهِ وَلَم يُبدِها لَهُم ۚ
But these things did Joseph keeping himself revealing not the secrets to them.
He did not respond to this.
And then he said also silently.
قالَ أَنتُم شَرٌّ مَكانًا ۖ وَاللَّهُ أَعلَمُ بِما تَصِفونَ۝
He said: Within himself; you are in worst case and Allah knows best the truth of what you are saying.
They're speaking to Yusuf(يوسُف) and this they're telling him that Yusuf(يوسُف) stole before.
Yusuf(يوسُف) knows the truth.
He said: Allah Ho Alam(ألله أعلم); Allah knows better but he did not show that to them.
Now the brothers are trying to free Binyamin(بنيامين)
because they have given their father a promise that we'll come back with him.
قالوا يا أَيُّهَا العَزيزُ إِنَّ لَهُ أَبًا شَيخًا كَبيرًا فَخُذ أَحَدَنا مَكانَهُ ۖ إِنّا نَراكَ مِنَ المُحسِنينَ۝
They said: Oh ruler of the land, Verily he has a father who is old.
So take one of us in his place; Indeed we think you are one of the good doers.
He said: No! that will be oppression; that is wrong.
How can we take an innocent one?
He is guilty; We're going to keep him.
When they gave up;
خَلَصوا نَجِيًّا ۖ
they went on the side.
Their elder brother, they say his name is Robeel(روبيل).
He said;
قالَ كَبيرُهُم أَلَم تَعلَموا أَنَّ أَباكُم قَد أَخَذَ عَلَيكُم مَوثِقًا مِنَ اللَّهِ وَمِن قَبلُ ما فَرَّطتُم في يوسُفَ ۖ
فَلَن أَبرَحَ الأَرضَ حَتّىٰ يَأذَنَ لي أَبي أَو يَحكُمَ اللَّهُ لي ۖ وَهُوَ خَيرُ الحاكِمينَ۝
The eldest among them said;
Know you not that your father did take an oath from you in Allah's name?
And before this, you did fail in your duty with Yusuf(يوسُف).
Therefore I will not leave this land, until my father permit me or Allah decides my case.
And he is the best of the judges.
He said: I am not going to leave Egypt, I'm not going to go and face my father after this.
We have betrayed Yusuf(يوسُف) before.
And now we're going to go to our father and say that our brother is taken as a prisoner; I'm not going to leave.
So he stayed there, and the other brothers went back to Egypt.
So they went back and they told their father what happened.
The father didn't believe this.
How could it happen that before you betrayed Yusuf(يوسُف) and you come and lie,
and now you betray his other brother and you lie, so he told them;
قالَ بَل سَوَّلَت لَكُم أَنفُسُكُم أَمرًا ۖ فَصَبرٌ جَميلٌ ۖ
Nay but your own selves have be guilted you to do something.
They said;
وَاسأَلِ القَريَةَ الَّتي كُنّا فيها وَالعيرَ الَّتي أَقبَلنا فيها ۖ وَإِنّا لَصادِقونَ۝
This time; they are telling the truth.
They said: Ask the people in Egypt and ask the caravan of them or witness that we're telling the truth.
But this is like they say that there was one Shepherd of sheep.
And once he started saying the wolf was attacking, the wolf was attacking; so everybody came to help him.
They found that there's no wolf he was lying.
In the next day; He said the wolf is attacking the wolf as attacking, they all came to help him.
Nobody came to help him.
The third day the wolf did show up.
And he started saying the wolf is attacking, the wolf is attacking; Nobody came to help him because they thought he is lying.
So the brothers of Yusuf(يوسُف); they lied before, they lied about Yusuf(يوسُف).
Now, they're telling the truth, but their fathers cannot believe it.
And they're trying to convince him and they're telling them ask the witnesses.
But he said: No.
You have made the plot
فَصَبرٌ جَميلٌ ۖ
He said: I will have patience.
And then he said;
عَسَى اللَّهُ أَن يَأتِيَني بِهِم جَميعًا
He did not lose hope.
He said: May Allah bring them all back to me.
Yusuf(يوسُف) and his brother.
He did not even lose hope in Yusuf(يوسُف)
because he remembers the dream of Yusuf(يوسُف) and he knows that one day Yusuf(يوسُف) will be victorious; he knew.
The father; Now his sorrow; his injury was brought up again.
And he remembered Yusuf(يوسُف) and now it's Yusuf(يوسُف) and his brother Binyamin(بنيامين).
So the father started to cry and weep; until he turned blind.
He kept on crying and weeping.
وَابيَضَّت عَيناهُ مِنَ الحُزنِ
Until his eyes lost vision because of sorrow.
فَهُوَ كَظيمٌ۝
He was suppressing that sorrow.
The brothers tried to reduce this pain on their father and they said;
By Allah, you will never cease remembering Yusuf(يوسُف) until you become weak with old age or until you be of the dead.
They felt sorry for their father.
They saw that he's gonna destroy his health, by this sorrow that he's suppressing in his heart.
He said;
قالَ إِنَّما أَشكو بَثّي وَحُزني إِلَى اللَّهِ وَأَعلَمُ مِنَ اللَّهِ ما لا تَعلَمونَ۝
I only complain of my grief and sorrow to Allah and I know from Allah that which you know not.
I am not complaining to you I'm not complaining to mankind.
I am asking Allahسُبحانه وتعالى to help me.
أشكو إلى الله
I seek assistance from Allahسُبحانه وتعالى.
And then he said;
يا بَنِيَّ اذهَبوا فَتَحَسَّسوا مِن يوسُفَ وَأَخيهِ وَلا تَيأَسوا مِن رَوحِ اللَّهِ ۖ
Oh my son's go you and inquire about Yusuf(يوسُف) and his brother.
The father is telling these other brothers go and look Yusuf(يوسُف) and his brother.
But Sayidina Yaqub عليه السلام did not lose hope and he said;
And never give up hope of Allah's mercy; certainly no one despair is of Allah's mercy except people who disbelief.
صلى الله عليه وسلم على سيدنا محمد وعلى آله وصحبه وسلم