We relate to you the best of stories…
The Story of Prophet Yusuf A.S
Lessons | Reminders | Guidance
Surah Yusuf – the Background
• Based in 1900 BC, about 4000 years from
now
• Surah Yusuf – an example of education
through story telling
• Highlighting points:
– Sabr
– Ihsan
• Honorable lineage: Kareem ibn kareem ibn
kareem ibn kareem
Lessons and Topics
Consequences of jealousy/hatred
Detailed explanation of human psyche
Solutions to social problems
Downside of human self
Allah’s help during difficult times
ُْ َ ْ ُ َ َ ْ
ِ ِ ‫اب اْل ِِب‬
‫ين‬
ِ ‫الر ۚ ِتلك آيات ال ِكت‬
Alif, Lam, Ra. These are the verses of the clear
Book.
َ‫َّ َ َ ْ َ ُ ُ ْ ً َ َ ًّ َّ َ َّ ُ ْ َ ْ ُ ن‬
ِ ‫ِإنا أنزلناه قرآنا عرِبيا لعلكم تع ِقلو‬
Indeed, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an
that you might understand.
Discussion points:
• Why is the Quran in Arabic?
َ‫صص ب َما َأ ْو َح ْينا‬
َ ‫ص َع َل ْي َك َأ ْح َس َن ْال َِق‬
ُّ ‫َن ْح ُن َن ُق‬
ِ ِ
ْ َ ََٰ َ ْ َ
َ‫آن‬
ُ
ْ
ِ ‫ِإليك هذا القر‬
We relate to you, [O Muhammad], the best of stories in
what We have revealed to you of this Qur'an
ُ َ
َ ْ َ َ َْ
َ‫ين‬
َ
ِ ‫وِإن كنت ِمن قب ِل ِه ِْلن الغا ِف ِل‬
although you were, before it, among the unaware.
Discussion Points:
•Why is the story of Yusuf called the best of
stories?
The “Best of Stories” – Why?
The whole story is narrated in one place
Compare to a history book – has lessons
for us without the dry irrelevant facts
Contains a lot of moral lessons
In depth analysis of human psyche
ُ ُ ُ َ َ ْ
َ‫ف َِلب يه َي ا َأِ َبت إ ِّن ي َ َأ ْي ُتِ َأ َحد‬
‫ِإذ ق ال ي وس‬
‫ِ ِ ِ َر‬
ِ
ِ
ِ
َ ْ َ َ ْ َّ َ ً َ ْ َ َ َ َ
ُ
ْ
ْ
َ
ُ
َ
َ
‫عشر كوكب ا والشمس ِوالقمر رأيتهمِ ِل ي‬
َِ‫َس اجد ين‬
ِ ِ
[Of these stories mention] when Joseph said to his
father, "O my father, indeed I have seen [in a dream]
eleven stars and the sun and the moon; I saw them
prostrating to me."
• Discussion Points:
– Communication with parents
َ
َِ ‫ص ُر ْؤ َي‬
َ‫اك َع َل َٰى إ ْخ َوتك‬
ُ‫ال َيا ُب َن َّي ََل َت ْقص‬
ْ
َ
‫ق‬
ِ ِ
ُ ‫َف َيك‬
ً‫يدوا َل َك َك ْيدا‬
ِ
He said, "O my son, do not relate your vision to your
brothers or they will contrive against you a plan.
ْ َ َ ْ َّ َّ
ُ
َ
َ
ُّ
ِ‫ِإن الشيطان ِل ِْلنس ِان عد ِو م ِبين‬
Indeed Satan, to man, is a manifest enemy.
• Discussion Point:
– Yaqub A.S’s warning – backbiting?
َْ
ِّ َ ُ َ َ ُّ َ َ َ ْ َ َ ََٰ َ َ
َ
ُ
‫ك يجت ِبيك ربك وِيع ِلمك ِمن تأ ِو ِيل‬
ِ ‫وكذ ِل‬
َْ
ََٰ َ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ َ َ ْ ُّ ُ َ
ُ
َ
َ
ْ
َ‫وب‬
ِ ‫يث وي ِتم ِنع َمته ع ِليك وعلى ِآل يعق‬
‫اد‬
‫ح‬
‫اِل‬
ِ
ِ
َ‫َك َما َأ َت َّم َها َع َل َٰى أ َب َو ْي َك من َِق ْب ُل إ ْب َراهيم‬
ِ
ِ ِ
َ
َ
َّ
َ
َ
َ
َ
ْ
َّ
َ
ِ‫اق ۚ ِإن ربك ع ِليم ح ِِكيم‬
ِ ‫وِإسح‬
And thus will your Lord choose you and teach you the
interpretation of narratives and complete His favor
upon you and upon the family of Jacob, as He
completed it upon your fathers before, Abraham and
Isaac. Indeed, your Lord is Knowing and Wise."
• Discussion Points:
– The reality of dreams
Reality of dreams
Three kinds of dreams:
• Anxiety/worry (Hadith nafs)
• Shaitan’s nightmares
• True dream from Allah
A part of the soul is extracted when we sleep – it travels through different realms and sometimes
we experience that as dreams
A good dream is from Allah; a bad one is from Shaitan
When you see a good dream, tell only trusted wellwishers. When you see a bad dream, tell
absolutely no one.
When you have a bad dream, spit thrice to the left, seek refuge with Allah and turn over. Tell no one
and do not make a bad interpretation. The dream cannot harm you then.
A dream cannot be consulted for guiding between haq and batil or as proof of haq vs batil
arguments
A dream is not the means to know the future, even a dream after istikhara, and neither does
istikhara guarantee a dream.
ِّ َ َ ْ َ َ ُ ُ َ َ ْ َ َّ
َ‫ين‬
َّ
ِ ‫لسا ِئ ِل‬
ِ ‫خو ِت ِه آيات ِل‬
ِ ‫لقد كان ِفي يوسف وِإ‬
Certainly were there in Joseph and his brothers signs
for those who ask,
• Discussion Points:
• Narrative-based learning in the Quran
َ ُ ُ ََ ُ ُ َُ ُ َ ْ
َّ‫ب إ َل َٰى َأب َينا م ِنا‬
َ
ُّ
ِ ِ َ ِ ِ ‫ِإذ قالوا ليوسف وأ َخوه َ أح‬
َ َ َّ َ ْ ُ ُ ْ َ َ
َ
ُّ
ِ ٍ ‫ونحن عصبة ِإن أبانا ل ِِفي ضَل ٍل م ِب‬
‫ين‬
8. When they said, "Joseph and his brother are more
beloved to our father than we, while we are a clan.
Indeed, our father is in clear error.
• Favoritism by Yaqub A.S?
• Words reflect character
• Attitude towards parents
Discussion from Ayah 8
• Did Yaqub A.S really discriminate among
his children? No! Parents can be naturally
inclined towards one child because of
obedience and gentleness – with these, a
child can win over his parents’ heart.
• Attitude towards parents should be one
of humility, not superiority
ْ َ َ ُ ُ ُُ ْ
ً ‫وه َأ ِْر‬
ُ ‫اط َر ُح‬
ْ‫ضا َي ْخ ُل َل ُكم‬
‫اقتلوا يوسف أ ِو‬
ُ َ ُ ْ َ
َ‫صالحين‬
َ ‫يك ْم َو َت ُك ُونوا من َب ِْعده َق ْو ًما‬
‫وجه أ ِب‬
ِِ
ِِ
ِ
9. Kill Joseph or cast him out to [another] land; the
countenance of your father will [then] be only for
you, and you will be after that a righteous people."
• Shaitan’s traps within family?
• Sibling Rivalry
Sibling rivalry
• They weren’t looking at their own faults.
• Sibling rivalry was caused by Shaitan
• What do we do when we dislike
someone?
• Isolate, insult and degrade, create an
unpleasant atmosphere
• Underlying reason – jealousy!
What is the most effective way of
winning hearts?
Humility,
gentleness,
patience, kindness,
understanding
Pride, plotting and
planning, isolation,
cutting off, spite,
revenge
ْ َ َ َ ُ ُ ُ ُ ْ َ َ ْ ُ ْ ِّ َ َ َ
ُ
ُ
‫قال قا ِئل ِمنهم َل تقتل ِوا يوسف وألقوه ِفي‬
ْ‫الس َّيا َرة إن ُك ُنتم‬
َّ ‫ض‬
ُ ‫َغ َي َاب ِت ْال ُج ِّب َي ْل َت ِق ْط ُه َب ْع‬
ِ
ِ ِ
َ
َ‫ين‬
ِ ‫اع ِل‬
ِ ‫ف‬
10. Said a speaker among them, "Do not kill Joseph but
throw him into the bottom of the well; some travelers
will pick him up - if you would do [something]."
• How Allah creates help
َ ُ ُ َٰ َ َ َّ َ ْ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ ُ َ
َّ‫ف َوإ ِنا‬
ِ ‫قالوا يا أبانا ما َ ل َك َ َل تأم ِنا َ على يوس‬
ُ
ُ
‫اصحون‬
ِ ‫له لن‬
11. They said, "O our father, why do you not entrust
us with Joseph while indeed, we are to him sincere
counselors?
ُ‫َأ ْ س ْل ُه َم َع َنا َغ ًدا َي ْرَت ْع َوَِي ْل َع ْب َوإ َّنا َله‬
ِ‫ر‬
ِ
َ‫َ َ ُ ن‬
ِ ‫لحا ِفظو‬
12. Send him with us tomorrow that he may eat well
and play. And indeed, we will be his guardians.
• Discussion Points:
– Emotional blackmail of parents
ُ َ ََ
ْ َ َ ُ ُ ْ َ َ ِّ َ َ
ُ‫اف َأن َي ْأ ُك َِله‬
َ
ُ
‫قال ِإ ِني ليحزن ِني أن تذهب ِوا ِب ِه وأخ‬
َ‫ِّ ْ ُ َ َ ُ ْ َ ْ ُ َ ُ ن‬
ِ ‫الذئب وأنتم عنه غا ِفلو‬
ِ
13. [Jacob] said, "Indeed, it saddens me that you should
take him, and I fear that a wolf would eat him while you
are of him unaware."
ً َّ َ ْ ُ ُ ْ َ َ ُ ْ ِّ ُ َ َ َ ْ َ ُ َ
‫الذئب ونحن عصبة ِإنا ِإذا‬
ِ ‫قالوا ل ِئن أكله‬
َ‫َّل َخاس ُرون‬
ِ
14. They said, "If a wolf should eat him while we are
a [strong] clan, indeed, we would then be losers."
َ َّ َ َ
َ ُ َُ ْ َ َ ُ َ ْ ََ
َ
َ
َ
ُ
‫فلما ذهبوا َ ِب ِه وأجمعوا أن يجعل َوه ِفي غي ِاب ِت‬
َ ََٰ ْ ْ ُ َّ َ ِّ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ ْ َ ِّ ُ ْ
‫ب ۚ وأوحينا ِإلي ِه ل ِتن ِبئنهم ِبأم ِر ِِهم هذا‬
ِ ِ ‫الج‬
َ‫َو ُه ْم ََل َي ْش ُع ُرو ِن‬
15. So when they took him [out] and agreed to put
him into the bottom of the well... But We inspired
to him, "You will surely inform them [someday]
about this affair of theirs while they do not perceive
[your identity]."
َ‫َ َ ُ َ َ ُ ْ َ ً َ ْ ُ ن‬
ِ ‫وجاءوا أباهم ِعشاء يبكو‬
16. And they came to their father at night, weeping.
َ ُ ُ َ ْ َ َ َ ُ َ ْ َ َ ْ َ َ َّ َ َ َ َ ُ َ
‫ست ِبق وتركنا ي ِوسف‬
ِ ‫قالوا يا أبانا ِإنا ذهبنا ن‬
ْ ُ َ َ َ َ ُ ْ ِّ ُ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ َ
‫ب ۚ وما أنت ِبمؤ ِم ٍن‬
ِ ‫الذئ‬
ِ ‫اعنا فأكله‬
ِ ‫ِعند مت‬
ُ ْ َ َ َ َّ
َ‫ين‬
َّ
َ
ِ ‫لنا ولو كنا ص ِاد ِق‬
17. “They said, "O our father, indeed we went racing
each other and left Joseph with our possessions, and
a wolf ate him. But you would not believe us, even
if we were truthful."
َ َ
َ َٰ َ َ ُ َ َ
َ ‫ب ۚ َق‬
ْ‫ال َبل‬
‫وجاءوا على ق ِم‬
ِ ٍ ‫يص ِه ِبد ٍم ك ِ ِذ‬
ِ
َ
َ
ُ
ُ
ُ
ْ
ْ
ً‫َس َّو َل ْت َل ُك ْم أنفسكم أم ِرا‬
18. And they brought upon his shirt false blood. [Jacob]
said, "Rather, your souls have enticed you to
something…
َ
َّ َ
ُ ‫س َت َع‬
ْ
َ
َ
َ‫ان َع َل َٰى ما‬
ِْ ُ‫الل ُه ْاْل‬
‫فصبر ج ِميلِ ۚ و‬
َ
ُ
‫ت ِصفو ِن‬
18. (contd.) …so patience is most fitting. And
Allah is the one sought for help against that which
you describe."
• Discussion Points:
– Sabrun Jameel
Three meanings of sabr according
to Ali R.A
Positive
• Sticking to good
• Thoughts, words, feelings, leading to actions
Negative
• Staying away from bad
• Thoughts, words, feelings, leading to actions
Acceptance
• Accepting Allah’s decree and ruling