Part 1

Benefits from the story of Prophet Yoosuf? (1) All perfect praise is due to Allaah; I testify that there is nothing worthy of worship except Allaah and Muhammad is His Slave and Messenger, upon whom may Allaah send salutations and exalt his mention, as well as that of his family and all his Companions. We will talk in tonight's lecture about some of the benefits extracted from chapter Yoosuf. This chapter relates the story of one of the noble prophets, peace be upon him, and includes great admonitions and numerous benefits for the believers, as well as Islaamic rulings which the scholars of Islaam have extracted from this wonderful story that Allaah revealed to His Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam. The story of Prophet Yoosuf, peace be upon him, has a distinct, beautiful style, and neither the Jews nor the Christians have anything like it in their books, especially in such detail. The following are some of the extracted benefits: l Allaah says in the seventh verse: ﺎﺌِﻠِﻴﻥﺎﺕﹲ ﻟِﻠﺴﺘِﻪِ ﺁﻴﺇِﺨﹾﻭﻑﹶ ﻭﻭﺴ ﻓِﻲ ﻴ ﻜﹶﺎﻥﻟﹶﻘﹶﺩ which means: "Certainly were there in Yoosuf and his brothers signs for those who ask." [Yoosuf: 7] Preceding this verse, Allaah informed us how He showed His prophet, peace be upon him, a strange dream and how the father of this prophet reacted by instructing his son not to tell his brothers of that dream; from this we learn that a father should always direct his children and give special attention to those who appear more interested, are willing to learn and are talented. l A good dream is from Allaah, and this is why his father told him not to inform his brothers about it, because he knew that the dream would come true, and thus he was afraid of them becoming jealous and harming him. l It is permissible to conceal a favour which Allaah has bestowed upon a person if he has good reason to do so; this is why Prophet Yoosuf's father instructed him not to mention the good dream, which was a favour from Allaah, lest his brothers plot against or envy him. l Satan can entice brothers to turn against each other and make them enemies of one another. l A father should be just between all his children, and if any one of them requires extra care, the father should attend to him in a way which would not create hatred between that child and the others. l Allaah chooses whom He pleases from amongst His slaves and favours them over others, and this preference is a bounty from Him. For example, Allaah has made us humans and not objects, believers and not infidels, and so on. l A good home produces good children. Allaah says in the sixth verse: ﺍﻫِﻴﻡﺭلُ ﺇِﺒ ﻗﹶﺒ ﻤِﻥﻙﻴﻭﻠﹶﻰ ﺃَﺒﺎ ﻋﻬﺎ ﺃَﺘﹶﻤ ﻜﹶﻤﻘﹸﻭﺏﻌﻠﹶﻰ ﺁلِ ﻴﻋ ﻭﻙﻠﹶﻴ ﻋﺘﹶﻪﻤ ﻨِﻌﺘِﻡﻴﺎﺩِﻴﺙِ ﻭ ﺘﹶﺄْﻭِﻴلِ ﺍﻟﹾﺄَﺤ ﻤِﻥﻙﻠﱢﻤﻌﻴ ﻭﻙﺒ ﺭﺘﹶﺒِﻴﻙﺠ ﻴﻜﹶﺫﹶﻟِﻙﻭ ﻜِﻴﻡ ﺤﻠِﻴﻡ ﻋﻙﺒ ﺭﺎﻕﹶ ﺇِﻥﺤﺇِﺴﻭ which means: "And thus will your Lord choose you and teach you the interpretation of narratives [i.e. events or dreams] and complete His favour upon you and upon the family of Ya'qoob, as He completed it upon your fathers before, Ibraaheem and Is-haaq. Indeed, your Lord is Knowing and Wise.'" [Yoosuf: 6] l Jealousy often leads one to harm others, which is evident in how Prophet Yoosuf's brothers plotted to harm him. Furthermore, it could even lead to murder. l Planning to repent after the commission of a sin, whilst preparing to embark upon it, is not an acceptable form of repentance and will be rejected by Allaah, and this is what the brothers of Yoosuf, peace be upon him, planned and said as Allaah says in the ninth verse: ﺎﻟِﺤِﻴﻥﻤﺎﹰ ﺼﺩِﻩِ ﻗﹶﻭﻌ ﺒﺘﹶﻜﹸﻭﻨﹸﻭﺍ ﻤِﻥ ﻭ ﺃَﺒِﻴﻜﹸﻡﻪﺠ ﻭﺨﹾلُ ﻟﹶﻜﹸﻡﻀﺎﹰ ﻴ ﺃَﺭﻭﻩﺤﻑﹶ ﺃَﻭِ ﺍﻁﹾﺭﻭﺴﺍﻗﹾﺘﹸﻠﹸﻭﺍ ﻴ which means: "Kill Yoosuf or cast him out to another land; the countenance [i.e. attention] of your father will then be only for you, and you will be after that a righteous people [i.e. you can repent thereafter]." [Yoosuf: 9] l If one fears that others may harm him, he should not suggest things to them which they can use as a pretext to inflict the harm, such as when Yoosuf's father suggested to his other sons that Yoosuf, peace be upon him, may get eaten by a wolf, which they later used an excuse, claiming that Yoosuf, peace be upon him, was indeed eaten by a wolf. l Allaah made Yoosuf, peace be upon him, steadfast from the beginning of this story, from when he was thrown in the well. Allaah says in the fifteenth verse: ﻭﻥﺭﺸﹾﻌ ﻻ ﻴﻡﻫﺫﹶﺍ ﻭ ﻫﺭِﻫِﻡ ﺒِﺄَﻤﻡﺌَﻨﱠﻬﻪِ ﻟﹶﺘﹸﻨﹶﺒﻨﹶﺎ ﺇِﻟﹶﻴﻴﺤﺃَﻭﻭ which means: "But We inspired to him: You will surely inform them [someday] about this affair of theirs while they do not perceive [your identity]." [Yoosuf: 15] l People of insight are able to detect the pretence and falsehood of those who lie. Allaah says in the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth verses: ﻜﹸﻭﻥﺒ ﻴ ﻋِﺸﹶﺎﺀﻡﺎﻫﻭﺍ ﺃَﺒﺎﺀﺠﻭ . ﺍﻟﺫﱢﺌْﺏﺘﹶﺎﻋِﻨﹶﺎ ﻓﹶﺄَﻜﹶﻠﹶﻪ ﻤﻑﹶ ﻋِﻨﹾﺩﻭﺴﻜﹾﻨﹶﺎ ﻴﺘﹶﺭﺘﹶﺒِﻕﹸ ﻭﻨﹶﺎ ﻨﹶﺴﺒﺎﻨﹶﺎ ﺇِﻨﱠﺎ ﺫﹶﻫﺎ ﺃَﺒﻗﹶﺎﻟﹸﻭﺍ ﻴ ﺎ ﺃَﻨﺕﹶ ﻤﻗﹶﺎﻟﹸﻭﺍﹾ ﻭ ـٰﺩِﻗِﻴﻥ ﻜﹸﻨﱠﺎ ﺼﻟﹶﻭﺅْﻤِﻥٍ ﻟﱠﻨﹶﺎ ﻭﺒِﻤ . ﺍﺭ ﺃَﻤﻜﹸﻡ ﺃَﻨﻔﹸﺴﻟﹶﺕﹾ ﻟﹶﻜﹸﻡﻭلْ ﺴﻡٍ ﻜﹶﺫِﺏٍ ﻗﹶﺎلَ ﺒﻠﹶﻰٰ ﻗﹶﻤِﻴﺼِﻪِ ﺒِﺩﺎﺀﻭﺍ ﻋﺠﻭ which means: "And they came to their father at night, weeping.