Part 4

This is not a man; this is none but a noble angel.' [Yoosuf: 31] l Angels are known for extraordinary beauty, and that is why the women resembled Yoosuf's beauty to that of the angels, as in the aforementioned verse. l If a Muslim is in a situation where he can either obey Allaah and suffer, or disobey Allaah, then it is best for him to persevere through what afflicts him as a result of obedience. Allaah says in the thirty-third verse: ِﻪﻭﻨﹶﻨِﻲ ﺇِﻟﹶﻴﻋﺩﺎ ﻴ ﻤِﻤ ﺇِﻟﹶﻲﺏ ﺃَﺤﻥﺠ ﺍﻟﺴﺏﻗﹶﺎلَ ﺭ which means: "He [i.e., Yoosuf] said, "My Lord, prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me." [Yoosuf: 33] So he sought the help of Allaah, as Allaah says at the end of this verse: ﺎﻫِﻠِﻴﻥ ﺍﻟﹾﺠ ﻤِﻥﺃَﻜﹸﻥ ﻭﻬِﻥ ﺇِﻟﹶﻴﺏ ﺃَﺼﻥﻫﺩﻨﱢﻲ ﻜﹶﻴﺭِﻑﹾ ﻋﺇِﻟﱠﺎ ﺘﹶﺼﻭ which means: "And if You do not avert from me their plan, I might incline toward them and [thus] be of the ignorant.'" [Yoosuf: 33] Man without the help and support of Allaah is extremely weak and helpless. l Allaah responds to the supplications of the righteous. Allaah says in the thirtyfourth verse: ﻠِﻴﻡ ﺍﻟﹾﻌﻤِﻴﻊ ﺍﻟﺴﻭ ﻫ ﺇِﻨﱠﻪﻥﻫﺩ ﻜﹶﻴﻨﹾﻪﻑﹶ ﻋﺭ ﻓﹶﺼﻪﺒ ﺭ ﻟﹶﻪﺎﺏﺘﹶﺠﻓﹶﺎﺴ which means: "So his Lord responded to him and averted from him their plan. Indeed, He is the Hearing, the Knowing." [Yoosuf: 34] He is All-hearing of the supplication, and All-knowing of the situation of the supplicant. l Piety reflects on ones face, or else why would the inmates of prophet Yoosuf, peace be upon him, say as Allaah says in the thirty-sixth verse: ﺴِﻨِﻴﻥﺤ ﺍﻟﹾﻤ ﻤِﻥﺍﻙﺇِﻨﱠﺎ ﻨﹶﺭ which means: "We see you to be of those who do good [i.e., pious]." [Yoosuf: 36] l One who calls people to Allaah and teaches them Islaam should first gain their trust and then carry out his mission. Allaah says in the thirty-seventh verse: ﺅْﻤِﻨﹸﻭﻥﻡٍ ﻻ ﻴﻜﹾﺕﹸ ﻤِﻠﱠﺔﹶ ﻗﹶﻭﻲ ﺇِﻨﱢﻲ ﺘﹶﺭﺒﻨِﻲ ﺭﻠﱠﻤﺎ ﻋﺎ ﻤِﻤﺎ ﺫﹶﻟِﻜﹸﻤﻜﹸﻤﺄْﺘِﻴ ﻴلَ ﺃَﻥﺎ ﺒِﺘﹶﺄْﻭِﻴﻠِﻪِ ﻗﹶﺒﺄْﺘﹸﻜﹸﻤﻗﹶﺎﻨِﻪِ ﺇِﻟﱠﺎ ﻨﹶﺒﺯ ﺘﹸﺭﺎﻡﺎ ﻁﹶﻌﺄْﺘِﻴﻜﹸﻤﻗﹶﺎلَ ﻻ ﻴ ﻭﻥ ﻜﹶﺎﻓِﺭﻡﺓِ ﻫ ﺒِﺎﻟﹾﺂﺨِﺭﻡﻫﺒِﺎﻟﻠﱠﻪِ ﻭ which means: "He said, "You will not receive food that is provided to you except that I will inform you of its [i.e., the dream that the fellow inmates of Yoosuf had asked about] interpretation before it comes to you. That is from what my Lord has taught me. Indeed, I have left the religion of a people who do not believe in Allaah, and they, in the Hereafter, are disbelievers." [Yoosuf: 37] l The first thing a propagator of Islaam should call to is Islaamic monotheism. Allaah says in the thirty-eight verse: ٍﺀ ﺸﹶﻲ ﺒِﺎﻟﻠﱠﻪِ ﻤِﻥ ﻨﹸﺸﹾﺭِﻙ ﻟﹶﻨﹶﺎ ﺃَﻥﺎ ﻜﹶﺎﻥ ﻤﻘﹸﻭﺏﻌﻴﺎﻕﹶ ﻭﺤﺇِﺴ ﻭﺍﻫِﻴﻡﺭﺎﺌﻲ ﺇِﺒﺕﹸ ﻤِﻠﱠﺔﹶ ﺁﺒﻌﺍﺘﱠﺒﻭ which means: "And I have followed the religion of my fathers, Ibraaheem, Is-haaq and Ya'qoob. And it was not for us to associate anything with Allaah." [Yoosuf: 38] Even though they had asked about the interpretation of a dream, it was incumbent upon him to first teach them what was more important, just like the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam who answered a man who came asking him about when the final Hour would occur, his reply was: "What have you prepared for it?" This is because what is more important than the Hour is how one should prepare for it. l Interpreting dreams is a form of passing an Islaamic ruling, or Fatwa, and this is why the Islaamic scholars rule that it is forbidden for one who has no knowledge of the subject to attempt to interpret. l It is permissible to use Islaamically lawful means to rescue oneself, as Yoosuf, peace be upon him, did when he requested his fellow surviving inmate to mention him to the king, as Allaah says in the forty-second verse: ﻙﺒ ﺭﻨِﻲ ﻋِﻨﹾﺩﺍﺫﹾﻜﹸﺭ which means: "Mention me before your master." [Yoosuf: 42] l It is possible for a disbeliever to see a true dream, but rarely. l Yoosuf, peace be upon him, did not ask for anything in return for interpreting the dream of the king; he did not ask any recompense for knowledge. l A good economic plan is to save during times of prosperity and ease for times of adversity, in order to be able to cope with emergencies, as Yoosuf, peace be upon him, guided the people to do in verses forty-seven and forty-eight: ِﻠِﻪﻨﹾﺒ ﻓِﻲ ﺴﻭﻩﻓﹶﺫﹶﺭ ﺎ ﺘﹶﺄْﻜﹸﻠﹸﻭﻥﺇِﻟﱠﺎ ﻗﹶﻠِﻴﻼﹰ ﻤِﻤ ﺼِﻨﹸﻭﻥﺎ ﺘﹸﺤ ﺇِﻟﱠﺎ ﻗﹶﻠِﻴﻼﹰ ﻤِﻤﻥ ﻟﹶﻬﺘﹸﻡﻤﺎ ﻗﹶﺩ ﻤﺄْﻜﹸﻠﹾﻥ ﻴﺍﺩ ﺸِﺩﻊﺒ ﺴﺩِ ﺫﹶﻟِﻙﻌ ﺒﺄْﺘِﻲ ﻤِﻥ ﻴﺜﹸﻡ which means: "[Yoosuf] said, 'You will plant for seven years consecutively; and what you harvest leave in its spikes, except a little from which you will eat. Then will come after that seven difficult [years] which will consume what you advanced [i.e.