Hazrat Yusuf (as) (Peace be upon him)

The Holy Prophet (saw) said that “Truly the noblest of men is the Prophet Yūsuf, who was the son, grandson and great-grandson of a Prophet of God.”1,2

Hazrat Yūsuf’sas Devotion to Allah from Early Childhood:

The story of Hazrat Yūsuf (as) begins with the narration of a dream, which is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an as the following: “O my father, I saw in a dream eleven stars and the sun and the moon, I saw them making obeisance to me.” This verse signifies that the parents and brethren of Hazrat Yūsuf (as) would submit to his authority.1 Hazrat Yaqūb (as) explained that in this dream, Hazrat Yūsuf (as) received the promise that God would bestow prophethood on him, and through him he would bestow distinction on Hazrat Yaqūb’s (as) family also. He therefore forbade Hazrat Yūsuf (as) from mentioning this dream to his brethren as it would excite their envy and they would be tempted to plot against him.3,4

Brothers Cast Hazrat Yūsuf (as) in a Well and Falsely Declare his Demise:

The brothers of Hazrat Yūsuf (as) were jealous of him and plotted to kill Hazrat Yūsuf (as). Thus when Hazrat Yūsuf (as) was about eleven or twelve years old, they asked their father to send Hazrat Yūsuf (as) away with them. God, had already informed Hazrat Yaqūb (as), about their evil plans.5,6,7 Although the brothers had planned to kill Hazrat Yūsuf (as), as the situation unfolded, one of the brothers opposed the rest and suggested instead that they should dispose Hazrat Yūsuf (as) instead,‘cast him into the bottom of a deep well; some travellers will pick him up.’ 6,8,9 Allah the Almighty revealed to Hazrat Yūsuf (as) “Thou shalt surely one day tell them of this affair of theirs and they shall not know.”10 Upon return, Hazrat Yūsuf’s (as) brothers narrated a false story to Hazrat Ya’qūb (as). “They said,‘O our father, we sent forth racing with one another, and left Yūsuf with our things, and the wolf devoured him, but thou wilt not believe us even if we speak the truth.’ And they came with false blood on his shirt. He (Yaqūb) said, 'Nay, but your souls have made a great thing appear light in your eyes. So now comely patience is good for me. And it is Allah alone Whose help is to be sought against what you assert.’” It appears that Hazrat Yaqūb (as)regarded the report of his sons as a concocted story.11

God Takes Care of his Faithful Servants:

God took care of His servant, ensuring that a caravan arrived at the well immediately. A man from the caravan was sent to fetch water from the well into which Hazrat Yūsuf (as) had been cast and this led to him being taken out alive.12

Wrongful Imprisonment of Hazrat Yūsuf (as):

Al‐‘Azīz, also known as Potiphar, of Egypt, a captain of the royal guard and an officer of high rank in ancient times, bought Hazrat Yūsuf (as)as a slave. Al-‘Aziz was so struck by the noble appearance of Hazrat Yūsuf (as), that he asked his wife to treat him with such honour and affection, as was not ordinarily shown to a slave or servant. He expressed the hope that they might one day benefit by his ability or, if he proved to be worthy, he might adopt him as their son.13,14 However, the wife of Aziz sought to frame Hazrat Yūsuf (as) with false accusations regarding his character but failed in her efforts as Hazrat Yūsuf (as) successfully resisted her attempt to lure him and abstained himself from the heinous sin. God brought about these circumstances so that Hazrat Yūsuf (as) no longer had to live in the evil company of his master’s wicked wife and her evil companions, which might have exercised pernicious influence on him.15 Strange are the ways of God. The very way by which this woman sought to bring disgrace upon Hazrat Yūsuf (as) proved to be the means of his future greatness. As the ill fame of Aziz’s wife spread in wider circles, her people thought that the best way to put a stop to this scandal-mongering was to imprison Hazrat Yūsuf (as) so that the public might come to regard him as the offender and the blame might be shifted from the guilty woman to the innocent man.16

Release of Hazrat Yūsufas from Prison and Appointment as Chief Treasurer of Egypt by the King:

During imprisonment, two fellow prisoners narrated their dreams to Hazrat Yūsuf (as), and asked for the interpretation. Hazrat Yūsuf(as) interpreted the dreams and informed the prisoners about the decree of the inquired dreams.17 The King saw a dream, which he was fully convinced was real and true, hence he asked some learned people to interpret the dream. However, they were confused and did not know the interpretation. It was then that the fellow prisoner of Hazrat Yūsuf (as), who had escaped from prison remembered Hazrat Yūsuf’s (as) ability to interpret dreams.18 The King saw that Hazrat Yūsuf (as) had not only interpreted the dream correctly but had also suggested a remedy for the impending affliction, furthermore, he learnt from his butler that Hazrat Yūsuf’s (as) previous interpretation of two dreams had also turned out to be true, he realised that Hazrat Yūsuf (as) was no ordinary man and desired to release him from theprison immediately. But Hazrat Yūsuf (as) refused to be released until a full inquiry was made into his case and he was proved to be innocent of the charge laid against him.19 The King himself bestowed the honour of a high rank upon Hazrat Yūsuf (as) and appointed him in-charge of the finance department. The Holy Qur’an states: “And thus did We established Yūsuf in the Land…We bestow our mercy on whomsoever We please and We suffer not the reward of the righteous to perish.” Now that Hazrat Yūsuf (as) had emerged triumphant from the ordeal, he was to henceforward enjoy rm, honour and prosperity.20 Hazrat Yūsuf’sas Brothers visit Egypt: Hazrat Yūsuf’s (as) brothers visited Egypt, however they did not recognise him, so during their visit Hazrat Yūsuf (as) instructed them to bring their youngest brother to him. Hazrat Yaqūb (as) only agreed for the youngest son, Bin Yāmin, to accompany his brothers to Egypt, after taking a promise from them that they would bring him back with them.21 When Hazrat Yūsuf’s (as) brothers returned, Hazrat Yūsuf (as) took Bin Yāmin into his confidence and informed him that he is indeed his brother. As a token, Hazrat Yūsuf (as) put a cup in Bin Yāmin’s sack without his knowledge, to use during his journey. However Hazrat Yusuf (as) did not realise that it was the King’s measuring cup that he had placed in Bin Yāmin’s bag. Due to this, Bin Yāmin was detained from leaving Egypt. Hazrat Yūsuf (as) believed this all to be God’s own plan for detaining Bin Yāmin. Hazrat Yūsuf’s (as) brothers returned to their father without Bin Yāmin and narrated what had happened in Egypt. Hazrat Yaqūb (as), who knew that Hazrat Yūsuf (as) must be alive, instructed his sons to return to Egypt and find Hazrat Yūsuf (as) and Bin Yāmin.22 Hazrat Yūsufas Reveals his Identity and Reunites with his Family: When Hazrat Yūsuf‘s (as) brothers returned to Egypt, Hazrat Yūsuf (as) revealed his identity to them and instructed them to inform their father, Hazrat Yaqūb (as), about him and to bring the entire family to Egypt.23 Hazrat Yūsuf’s (as) dream, which he narrated to his father during his childhood, was therefore fulfilled, when his family visited him in Egypt, as it is stated in the Holy Qur’an: “And he raised his parents upon the throne, and they all fell down prostrate before God for him. And he said, 'O my father, this is the fulfilment of my dream of old"

Hazrat Yūsuf’sas Devotion to Allah from Early Childhood:

The story of Hazrat Yūsuf (as) begins with the narration of a dream, which is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an as the following:“O my father, I saw in a dream eleven stars and the sun and the moon, I saw them making obeisance to me.” This verse signifies that the parents and brethren of Hazrat Yūsuf (as) would submit to his authority.1 Hazrat Yaqūb (as) explained that in this dream, Hazrat Yūsuf (as) received the promise that God would bestow prophethood on him, and through him he would bestow distinction on Hazrat Yaqūb’s (as) family also. He therefore forbade Hazrat Yūsuf (as) from mentioning this dream to his brethren as it would excite their envy and they would be tempted to plot against him.3,4

Brothers Cast Hazrat Yūsuf (as) in a Well and Falsely Declare his Demise:

The brothers of Hazrat Yūsuf (as) were jealous of him and plotted to kill Hazrat Yūsuf (as). Thus when Hazrat Yūsuf (as) was about eleven or twelve years old, they asked their father to send Hazrat Yūsuf (as) away with them. God, had already informed Hazrat Yaqūb (as), about their evil plans.5,6,7 Although the brothers had planned to kill Hazrat Yūsuf (as), as the situation unfolded, one of the brothers opposed the rest and suggested instead that they should dispose Hazrat Yūsuf (as) instead, ‘cast him into the bottom of a deep well; some travellers will pick him up.’ 6,8,9 Allah the Almighty revealed to Hazrat Yūsuf (as) “Thou shalt surely one day tell them of this affair of theirs and they shall not know.”10 Upon return, Hazrat Yūsuf’s (as) brothers narrated a false story to Hazrat Ya’qūb (as). “They said,‘O our father, we sent forth racing with one another, and left Yūsuf with our things, and the wolf devoured him, but thou wilt not believe us even if we speak the truth.’ And they came with false blood on his shirt. He (Yaqūb) said, 'Nay, but your souls have made a great thing appear light in your eyes. So now comely patience is good for me. And it is Allah alone Whose help is to be sought against what you assert.’” It appears that Hazrat Yaqūb (as)regarded the report of his sons as a concocted story.11

God Takes Care of his Faithful Servants:

God took care of His servant, ensuring that a caravan arrived at the well immediately. A man from the caravan was sent to fetch water from the well into which Hazrat Yūsuf (as) had been cast and this led to him being taken out alive.12

Wrongful Imprisonment of Hazrat Yūsuf (as):

Al‐‘Azīz, also known as Potiphar, of Egypt, a captain of the royal guard and an officer of high rank in ancient times, bought Hazrat Yūsuf (as)as a slave. Al-‘Aziz was so struck by the noble appearance of Hazrat Yūsuf (as), that he asked his wife to treat him with such honour and affection, as was not ordinarily shown to a slave or servant. He expressed the hope that they might one day benefit by his ability or, if he proved to be worthy, he might adopt him as their son.13,14 However, the wife of Aziz sought to frame Hazrat Yūsuf (as) with false accusations regarding his character but failed in her efforts as Hazrat Yūsuf (as) successfully resisted her attempt to lure him and abstained himself from the heinous sin. God brought about these circumstances so that Hazrat Yūsuf (as) no longer had to live in the evil company of his master’s wicked wife and her evil companions, which might have exercised pernicious influence on him.15 Strange are the ways of God. The very way by which this woman sought to bring disgrace upon Hazrat Yūsuf (as) proved to be the means of his future greatness. As the ill fame of Aziz’s wife spread in wider circles, her people thought that the best way to put a stop to this scandal-mongering was to imprison Hazrat Yūsuf (as) so that the public might come to regard him as the offender and the blame might be shifted from the guilty woman to the innocent man.16

Release of Hazrat Yūsufas from Prison and Appointment as Chief Treasurer of Egypt by the King:

During imprisonment, two fellow prisoners narrated their dreams to Hazrat Yūsuf (as), and asked for the interpretation. Hazrat Yūsuf(as) interpreted the dreams and informed the prisoners about the decree of the inquired dreams.17 The King saw a dream, which he was fully convinced was real and true, hence he asked some learned people to interpret the dream. However, they were confused and did not know the interpretation. It was then that the fellow prisoner of Hazrat Yūsuf (as), who had escaped from prison remembered Hazrat Yūsuf’s (as) ability to interpret dreams.18 The King saw that Hazrat Yūsuf (as) had not only interpreted the dream correctly but had also suggested a remedy for the impending affliction, furthermore, he learnt from his butler that Hazrat Yūsuf’s (as) previous interpretation of two dreams had also turned out to be true, he realised that Hazrat Yūsuf (as) was no ordinary man and desired to release him from the prison immediately. But Hazrat Yūsuf (as) refused to be released until a full inquiry was made into his case and he was proved to be innocent of the charge laid against him.19 The King himself bestowed the honour of a high rank upon Hazrat Yūsuf (as) and appointed him in-charge of the finance department. The Holy Qur’an states: “And thus did We established Yūsuf in the Land…We bestow our mercy on whomsoever We please and We suffer not the reward of the righteous to perish.” Now that Hazrat Yūsuf (as) had emerged triumphant from the ordeal, he was to henceforward enjoy uniform, honour and prosperity.20

Hazrat Yūsuf’sas Brothers visit Egypt:

Hazrat Yūsuf’s (as) brothers visited Egypt, however they did not recognise him, so during their visit Hazrat Yūsuf (as) instructed them to bring their youngest brother to him. Hazrat Yaqūb (as) only agreed for the youngest son, Bin Yāmin, to accompany his brothers to Egypt, after taking a promise from them that they would bring him back with them.21 When Hazrat Yūsuf’s (as) brothers returned, Hazrat Yūsuf (as) took Bin Yāmin into his confidence and informed him that he is indeed his brother. As a token, Hazrat Yūsuf (as) put a cup in Bin Yāmin’s sack without his knowledge, to use during his journey. However Hazrat Yusuf (as) did not realise that it was the King’s measuring cup that he had placed in Bin Yāmin’s bag. Due to this, Bin Yāmin was detained from leaving Egypt. Hazrat Yūsuf (as) believed this all to be God’s own plan for detaining Bin Yāmin. Hazrat Yūsuf’s (as) brothers returned to their father without Bin Yāmin and narrated what had happened in Egypt. Hazrat Yaqūb (as), who knew that Hazrat Yūsuf (as) must be alive, instructed his sons to return to Egypt and find Hazrat Yūsuf (as) and Bin Yāmin.22

Hazrat Yūsuf (as) Reveals his Identity and Reunites with his Family:

When Hazrat Yūsuf‘s (as) brothers returned to Egypt, Hazrat Yūsuf (as) revealed his identity to them and instructed them to inform their father, Hazrat Yaqūb (as), about him and to bring the entire family to Egypt.23 Hazrat Yūsuf’s (as) dream, which he narrated to his father during his childhood, was therefore fulfilled, when his family visited him in Egypt, as it is stated in the Holy Qur’an: “And he raised his parents upon the throne, and they all fell down prostrate before God for him. And he said, 'O my father, this is the fulfilment of my dream of old. My Lord has made it true. And He bestowed a favour upon me when He took me out of the prison and brought you from the desert after Satan had stirred up discord between me and my brethren.”24