Part 5

saved] for them, except a little from which you will store.' [Yoosuf: 47-48] l How did prophet Yoosuf, peace be upon him, include a fifteenth year when interpreting the dream, when there was no mention of it in the forty-sixth verse, where Allaah says: ٍﺎﺕﺎﺒِﺴ ﻴﺃُﺨﹶﺭﺭٍ ﻭﻼﺕٍ ﺨﹸﻀﻨﹾﺒﻊِ ﺴﺒﺴﺎﻑﹲ ﻭ ﻋِﺠﻊﺒ ﺴﻥﺄْﻜﹸﻠﹸﻬﺎﻥٍ ﻴﺍﺕٍ ﺴِﻤﻘﹶﺭﻊِ ﺒﺒﺴ which means: "Seven fat cows eaten by seven [that were] lean, and seven green spikes [of grain] and others [that were] dry." [Yoosuf: 46] So this is something that Allaah must have taught him because had it been that the second set of seven years was not followed by a good year, which was the fifteenth year, then the number specified in the verse would not have been seven; so it was a must that the situation would change to a better one after the second set of seven years. l A person who calls to Allaah and is wrongfully imprisoned should not leave prison until his case becomes clear and his innocence is evident to people in order to preserve his reputation and protect himself from scandal. Allaah informs us about the response of prophet Yoosuf, peace be upon him, to the messenger of the king when he came informing him that he would be allowed to be set free after having interpreted the dream for the king, in the fiftieth verse: ﻥﻬﺩِﻴ ﺃَﻴﻥﺓِ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﺎﺘِﻲ ﻗﹶﻁﱠﻌﻭﺎلُ ﺍﻟﻨﱢﺴﺎ ﺒ ﻤﺄَﻟﹾﻪ ﻓﺎﺴﻙﺒ ﺇِﻟﹶﻰ ﺭﺠِﻊﻗﹶﺎلَ ﺍﺭ which means: "Return to your master and ask him what is the case of the women who cut their hands." [Yoosuf: 50] Then what happened? Allaah continues to say in the fifty-first verse: ﺯِﻴﺯِ ﺍﻟﹾﺂﻥﺃَﺕﹸ ﺍﻟﹾﻌﺭﻭﺀٍ ﻗﹶﺎﻟﹶﺕِ ﺍﻤ ﺴﻪِ ﻤِﻥﻠﹶﻴﻨﹶﺎ ﻋﻠِﻤﺎ ﻋﺎﺵﹶ ﻟِﻠﱠﻪِ ﻤ ﺤ ﻨﹶﻔﹾﺴِﻪِ ﻗﹸﻠﹾﻥﻥﻑﹶ ﻋﻭﺴ ﻴﺘﹸﻥﺩﺍﻭ ﺇِﺫﹾ ﺭﻜﹸﻥﺎ ﺨﹶﻁﹾﺒﻗﹶﺎلَ ﻤ ﺎﺩِﻗِﻴﻥ ﺍﻟﺼ ﻟﹶﻤِﻥﺇِﻨﱠﻪ ﻨﹶﻔﹾﺴِﻪِ ﻭﻥ ﻋﺘﹸﻪﺩﺍﻭﻕﱡ ﺃَﻨﹶﺎ ﺭ ﺍﻟﹾﺤﺹﺤﺼﺤ which means: "[the king] said [to the women], 'What was your condition when you sought to seduce Yoosuf?' They said, 'Perfect is Allaah [In His ability to create such purity of character]! We know about him no evil.' The wife of al-'Azeez [i.e., the minister] said, 'Now the truth has become evident. It was I who sought to seduce him, and indeed, he is of the truthful.'" [Yoosuf: 51] So it was after the truth was known and Yoosuf's case cleared that he agreed to come out of the prison – after the king commanded him to do so the second time. l It is permissible to ask for a position of responsibility if one knows that he is capable of shouldering it. Yoosuf, peace be upon him, clarified his abilities to the king, and that in doing so he was asking for the benefit of the community and not a personal gain, as Allaah says in the fifty-fifth verse: ﻠِﻴﻡﻔِﻴﻅﹲ ﻋﺽِ ﺇِﻨﱢﻲ ﺤﺍﺌِﻥِ ﺍﻟﹾﺄَﺭﻠﹶﻰ ﺨﹶﺯﻠﹾﻨِﻲ ﻋﻌﻗﹶﺎلَ ﺍﺠ which means: "[Yoosuf] said, 'Appoint me over the storehouses of the land. Indeed, I will be a knowing guardian.' [Yoosuf: 55] l Allaah establishes the righteous upon the earth if they are sincere. Allaah says in the fifty-sixth and fifty-seventh verses: ﺴِﻨِﻴﻥﺤ ﺍﻟﹾﻤﺭ ﺃَﺠﻻ ﻨﹸﻀِﻴﻊ ﻭ ﻨﹶﺸﹶﺎﺀﻥﺘِﻨﹶﺎ ﻤﻤﺤ ﺒِﺭ ﻨﹸﺼِﻴﺏﺸﹶﺎﺀﺙﹸ ﻴﻴﺎ ﺤﺃُ ﻤِﻨﹾﻬﻭﺘﹶﺒﺽِ ﻴﻑﹶ ﻓِﻲ ﺍﻟﹾﺄَﺭﻭﺴﻜﱠﻨﱠﺎ ﻟِﻴ ﻤﻜﹶﺫﹶﻟِﻙﻭ * ﺭﻟﹶﺄَﺠﻭ ﺭﺓِ ﺨﹶﻴﺍﻟﹾﺂﺨِﺭ which means: "And thus We established Yoosuf in the land to settle therein wherever he willed. We touch with Our mercy whom We will, and We do not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.

And the reward of the Hereafter is better…" [Yoosuf: 5657] l No one will be established unless he is tested, as was the case of our Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, he was established in Madeenah only after he had been tested in Makkah.