Description

LINEAGE

Prophet Yusuf (AS) was the beloved son of Prophet Yaqub (AS), who also had 11 other sons. Binyamin, who was the youngest, was from the same mother as Yusuf (AS), while the rest were older half-brothers.

LIFE

Yusuf (AS) is one of the sons of Yaqub (AS) who has a talent for interpreting dreams. One day Yusuf (AS) has a dream, and he narrates his dream to his father, who immediately knows that Yusuf (AS) will be a prophet. His father tells him not to tell his brothers to avoid any harm. However, because of Yaqub (AS)’s loving treatment of Yusuf (AS), Yusuf (AS)’s brothers felt jealous. They wanted to get rid of Yusuf (AS), so their father could love them instead of Yusuf (AS). Their initial plan was to kill Yusuf (AS), but later they decided to throw him in a well. They lied to their father and told him that a wolf had killed him. Later, a caravan rescued Yusuf (AS) from the well, who then sold him to ‘Al-Aziz in Egypt. The ‘Al-Aziz took Yusuf (AS) in and was hoping to either put him to work or adopt him as a son. Later, the man’s wife tries to seduce Yusuf (AS), but he resists. The woman seeing his resistance accuses Yusuf (AS) of wanting to harm her and demands that he should either be punished severely or sent to jail.

A witness after defending Yusuf (AS)’s innocence, testifies “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 lied, and he is of the truthful.” The shirt was indeed torn from the back. Soon after this accident, the women of the city talk about how the wife is seeking to seduce Yusuf (AS). The wife of ‘Al-Aziz invites them to a banquet, gives each of them a knife, and then tells Yusuf (AS) to come out. The women cut their hands in astonishment. ‘She said, “That is the one about whom you blamed me. And I certainly sought to seduce him, but he firmly refused; and if he will not do what I order him, he will surely be imprisoned and will be of those debased.” Yusuf (AS) prefers prison to what they call him, so he prayed to Allah. Yusuf (AS) is sent to prison.

In the prison, Yusuf (AS) met two other men and interprets one of the prisoner’s dreams. The prisoner is then released, and Yusuf (AS) asked the prisoner to mention his talent to the king. One day, the King had a dream, and the prisoner who had been released mentioned Yusuf (AS). He interprets the King’s dream, which is about Egypt having a seven-year drought. To reward him, the King requests his release from jail and the King also investigates his case. The wife who tried to seduce Yusuf (AS) testifies that he was innocent, and the truth unveils. Yusuf (AS) is given authority in Egypt.

During the seven-year drought, Yusuf (AS)’s brothers visit Egypt to get food for their family. Upon seeing his brothers, Yusuf (AS) recognizes them though they did not recognize him. Yusuf (AS), in a high position of authority, requests that the next time they come, they bring their youngest brother Binyamin with them. When the brothers returned with their youngest brother, Yusuf (AS) takes him aside and tells him his identity. Yusuf (AS) plots a theft case where his youngest brother is found guilty of theft when he is truly innocent and is detained from his family, so he could stay with him. Later, when the father and brothers face poverty, they come back to Yusuf (AS) and Yusuf (AS) then helps them and reveals his identity asking them to come and live with him.

MIRACLES

Yusuf (AS) had a talent for interpreting dreams. When Allah granted him physical beauty, it caused him to be locked up in prison. But when Allah granted him knowledge (interpreting the dream of the Pharaoh), it not only took him out of prison but elevated his rank in society.

In the story of Yusuf (AS) his father became blind due to extreme unhappiness and tears at the loss of his son. When he found out his son was still living, he wiped the shirt over his eyes and his eyesight was restored.