It has been weeks since I have been pondering and going back and forth in my mind about what I should write when it comes to the topic of a Qur’anic personality. How do I gauge this? What can I convey to you – the readers – that can, in some small way, help you, and myself of course, in understanding, connecting with, and finding comfort in the words of our Lord Most High?
Allah knows our intentions and what we need, at the precise time. That being said, one of my absolute favourite surahs in the Qur’an is the Story of Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام and his father Ya’qub ليه السلام. As I sat listening to this beautiful Surah (for the millionth time), I realized that the number of lessons that Allah teaches us through the lives of these great Prophets are some of the most relatable, given the tumultuous world we find ourselves living in today.
How many times have we found ourselves in conflict with family members or friends or we have found that someone may look at us unfavourably for reasons unknown or even known? How many times do we find ourselves wondering if we will ever come out of a test or a series of tests and trials that seem to hit us one after the other? How many times have we felt such overwhelming sadness and grief that sometimes we feel that we have nowhere to turn to again? How many times have we felt fear and anxiety over situations we may not have control over and how many times have we felt fear over the safety of our children? Yet, how many times have we found ourselves being on the forgiving end of a conflict solely for the sake and pleasure of Allah? In the Story of Yusuf عليه السلام and his father Ya’qub عليه السلام – Surah Yusuf in the Qur’an, all these and more happened to them throughout their lives and Allah relates this to us – not just as a “nice story” for us to read and then put the Qur’an away, but as a reminder, a reminder that we can connect our own trials in life to and the ways to deal with them back to the way his noble and beloved Prophets dealt with their trials and how they came out successful.
We live during a time where trials and tribulations surround us, and for many, their faith seems to go either one of two ways when they find themselves in certain situations – either faith is questioned and the faith of a believer becomes shaky and is easily quaked, or faith is strengthened and made firm, and the person finds himself or herself having Istiqamah (steadfastness) in the face of these trials. No doubt the world is a difficult place for the believers being surrounded by so much fitnah and corruption. Believe it or not, our beloved Prophets of the past also had their fair share of fitnah and faced immense trials, evoking exactly the same reactions and emotions we experience today – even thousands of years later.
Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام faced such immense trials from his own brothers at such a young age, from being thought about being killed, to eventually being thrown down a well and sold – all in the name of jealousy. Allah tells us about this in the Qur’an,
ٱقْتُلُوا۟ يُوسُفَ أَوِ ٱطْرَحُوهُ أَرْضًۭا يَخْلُ لَكُمْ وَجْهُ أَبِيكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا۟ مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ قَوْمًۭا صَـٰلِحِينَ
Kill Yusuf or cast him out to some (distant) land so that our father’s attention will be only ours, then after that you may (repent and) become righteous people!” [Surah Yusuf, 9]
The brothers of Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام plotted and planned how to get rid of him, causing him to then be sold for a small price and sent off to a distant land, still as a young boy. The pain and agony he would have felt being away from his beloved father and brother Benyamin, from his home and all that he knew and loved would have been so immense, yet he survived and carried on. So, when we feel mistreated, oppressed at the hands of others, or even harmed physically, know that our faith and trust in Allah will help us through any hardship we face.
Once Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام was in Egypt and under the care of Al-‘Azeez, he was once again put to the test by the wife of Al-‘Azeez. Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام was tested with trying to be seduced and almost molested and thus was thrown into jail due with a false accusation on his shoulders, where he stayed for many years. What was the reply of Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام when he was put in such a situation?
وَرَٰوَدَتْهُ ٱلَّتِى هُوَ فِى بَيْتِهَا عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ وَغَلَّقَتِ ٱلْأَبْوَٰبَ وَقَالَتْ هَيْتَ لَكَ ۚ قَالَ مَعَاذَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ رَبِّىٓ أَحْسَنَ مَثْوَاىَ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ
And the lady, in whose house he lived, tried to seduce him. She locked the doors (firmly) and said, “Come to me!” He replied, “Allah is my refuge! It is (not right to betray) my master, who has taken good care of me. Indeed, the wrongdoers never succeed.” [Surah Yusuf, 23]
Sometimes we may find ourselves surrounded by the haram everywhere we turn, because immorality, lewdness and vulgarity, nakedness and hyper-sexuality, and lack of self-restraint are so rampant and normalized in the society we live. However, we find the responses to these temptations that surround us in the Story of Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام and his awareness and consciousness of Allah at all times.
Thrown into prison wrongfully, behind bars with other criminals for many years, Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام endured hardships and loss of freedom that the majority of us cannot even imagine. This was yet another trial for a Prophet of Allah – and what did he do behind bars? Did Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام cry and question Allah’s plan for him? Did his faith become weak and was his heart and mind filled with doubt? Quite the opposite! Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام spread the message of Tawheed to his companions in the prison before interpreting their dreams, and called them to the worship of Allah alone, associating no partners with Him. Allah records this and says,
يَـٰصَـٰحِبَىِ ٱلسِّجْنِ ءَأَرْبَابٌۭ مُّتَفَرِّقُونَ خَيْرٌ أَمِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّارُ - مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِۦٓ إِلَّآ أَسْمَآءًۭ سَمَّيْتُمُوهَآ أَنتُمْ وَءَابَآؤُكُم مَّآ أَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَـٰنٍ ۚ إِنِ ٱلْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ ۚ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوٓا۟ إِلَّآ إِيَّاهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ ٱلدِّينُ ٱلْقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
O my fellow prisoners! Which is far better: many different lords or Allah—the One, the Supreme? Whatever (idols) you worship instead of Him are mere names that you and your forefathers have made up—a practice Allah has never authorized. It is only Allah Who decides. He has commanded that you worship none but Him. That is the upright faith, but most people do not know. [Surah Yusuf, 39-40]
When we are struck with calamities or challenging situations, do we find ourselves questioning Allah and wondering what we did wrong to deserve such a fate? Or rather do we follow Prophet Yusuf’s عليه السلام example and reaffirm our belief in Tawheed and remain steadfast in the face of these trials? Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام did nothing wrong to “deserve” to be thrown away by his brothers and then end up in prison. It was the Decree of Allah that such had to happen to him. In the same way, we face such difficulties in life, because Allah Decrees it for us for reasons we may not understand fully; but know that Allah Loves His servants and wants nothing but goodness for us.
After many years in Egypt, gaining his freedom and establishing himself in the land, Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام came to meet face-to-face with his brothers in a situation where he had the upper hand and the power to do anything that he wished and exact any revenge that he wanted after all that they had done to him and what he endured as a result of it. Yet, Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام, chose the path of righteousness, the path of being the bigger person and he chose to forgive his brothers and not blame them for what they had done. Allah records this benevolence in the Qur’an,
قَالَ لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ ۖ يَغْفِرُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ
Yusuf said, “There is no blame on you today. May Allah forgive you! He is the Most Merciful of the merciful! [Surah Yusuf, 92]
A trait of a Muslim who truly believes in Allah is that he is able to forgive when he has been wronged just as he would love Allah to Forgive him on the Day of Judgement. It may not be easy, however, we have as an example, Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام.
Experiencing extreme grief is a part of life that every person will at some point face. It is the way we handle that grief, anxiety, and sadness that makes the difference. The beloved father of Yusuf, Prophet Ya’qub عليه السلام, is relatable to each and every one of us in this regard because of the grief he underwent with the loss of his beloved son Yusuf عليه السلام. He grieved to such an extent that he lost his eyesight and there was none to console him except in turning to Allah. What then can we learn from this great Prophet of Allah, Ya’qub عليه السلام? He said,
قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَشْكُوا۟ بَثِّى وَحُزْنِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
He replied, “I complain of my anguish and sorrow only to Allah, and I know from Allah what you do not know. [Surah Yusuf, 86]
It is in our times of great sadness and anxiety over a calamity that Allah shows us that there is none who can come to our aid except Him Alone. We turn to Allah in our times of need but also remember that while Ya’qub عليه السلام complained only to Allah in his time of grief, he also never forgot Allah in his times of happiness and ease. So, it is a great reminder that turning to Allah doesn’t and shouldn’t only happen when we have no one else to turn to and we are at our lowest point, but rather our habit should be to turn to Allah in every situation, good or bad, happy or sad, in ease and in difficulty. As Allah tells us,
فَٱذْكُرُونِىٓ أَذْكُرْكُمْ وَٱشْكُرُوا۟ لِى وَلَا تَكْفُرُونِ
So remember Me; I will remember you. And be grateful to Me and do not be ungrateful. [Surah al-Baqarah, 152]
The many lessons we learn from the Story of Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام as told to us by Allah, show us great men who remain relatable to all of us even today. Although they were Prophets of Allah, they were men who experienced hardships, grief, anxiety, loss, pain, and suffering – emotionally and physically, yet still, through it all, managed to come out on top. All of what they experienced can and surely relates to us today and in their story, we find hope, mercy, forgiveness, endurance, meaning, and above all, a relentless, unwavering hope and trust in Allah. A great lesson we can learn in navigating this life with its turbulent ups and downs. May Allah Allow us to benefit more from the Qur’an and make it easy for us to be steadfast on the Right Path.
