Yūsuf

لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي يُوسُفَ وَإِخْوَتِهِ ءَايَاتٌ لِلسَّآئِلِينَ

7. “Certainly there are signs (of Allah’s sovereignty) in (the story of) Yusuf and his brothers for the inquirers.”

There are numerous signs of Allah’s omnipotence at work in the life history of Hadrat Yusuf, each of which is an advice and a didactic lesson for the seeker of Truth. Among these Signs we can cite:

1. Hadrat Yusuf’s very sophisticated dream.

2. The science of the interpretation of dreams.

3. Ya‘qub’s awareness of the future of his son.

4. Yusuf’s remaining safe at the bottom of the well.

5. Becoming blind and then regaining sight.

6. From being abandoned at the bottom of a well and becoming high, exalted.

7. Being put in prison and finally to acceding power and government.

8. Being cleared off all accusations and hearing accusations of corruption.

9. Parting and reunion.

10. Servitude and accession to power.

11. Choosing prison over being polluted with sin.

12. Having the upper hand yet impelled to forgive wrong done to oneself.

Along with the above signs, there are certain questions which can be raised, the answers to which illustrate the way to a decent life: How does man’s envy lead him to fratricide? How can ten individuals engage in a conspiracy for treason? How does Yusuf spare punishing his criminal brothers while having the upper hand? How man can prefer prison to pollution by sin and the pleasures of committing sin, when thinking of Allah? This Surah was revealed when the sublime Prophet (S) was economically and socially besieged and this story provided great comfort for him.

It meant that if some of his relatives did not believe and support him, he should not have worried for the brothers of Yusuf had thrown him down a well. The most important verses of this Surah are those which deal with the domination of the Divine power over man-made conspiracies. They threw Yusuf into the well in order to become dearer to their father but they became hated. Doors were closed in order to pollute him with sin, but his chastity and innocence were well demonstrated in this trying circumstance.

Neither did the well, servitude, prison, palace life, or any of these conspiracies exert the slightest influence on Allah’s Will. At any rate, it is from here that the entanglement of the brothers with Yusuf first starts, and didactic lessons can be gleaned from the story. It says:

“Certainly there are signs (of Allah’s sovereignty) in (the story of) Yusuf and his brothers for the inquirers.”

What lesson might be more instructive than this? One finds a group of powerful individuals with well calculated strategies, through envy trying their utmost to kill a seemingly weak person. In the end all their plans turn against them making it possible for him to be elevated to a position of influence, governing a vast territory with everyone bowing before him instead! This shows that when Allah’s will is at work, His plans may be implemented by even the opponents of those plans.

This denotes that a truly faithful believer is never left alone and even if the whole world were to unite for his extermination, he would not even suffer the slightest injury if the will of Allah does not desire such.