Part 2

l Relying on Allaah is what prevents evil from taking place, and that is what Yoosuf's father Prophet Ya'qoob, peace be upon him, did which is apparent from his saying, as Allaah tells us, at the end of the sixty-fourth verse: ﺍﺤِﻤِﻴﻥ ﺍﻟﺭﻡﺤ ﺃَﺭﻭﻫﺎﻓِﻅﺎﹰ ﻭ ﺤﺭ ﺨﹶﻴﻓﹶﺎﻟﻠﱠﻪ which means: " …But Allaah is the best guardian, and He is the most merciful of the merciful." [Yoosuf: 64] l Being kind and generous to people is a means of attracting them and winning their hearts. Prophet Yoosuf's brothers said to their father about the generosity of Yoosuf, peace be upon him, as Allaah says in the sixty-fifth verse: ﺴِﻴﺭلٌ ﻴ ﻜﹶﻴﻌِﻴﺭٍ ﺫﹶﻟِﻙلَ ﺒ ﻜﹶﻴﺍﺩﺩﻨﹶﺯﻔﹶﻅﹸ ﺃَﺨﹶﺎﻨﹶﺎ ﻭﻨﹶﺤﻠﹶﻨﹶﺎ ﻭ ﺃَﻫﻨﹶﻤِﻴﺭﻨﹶﺎ ﻭﺕﹾ ﺇِﻟﹶﻴﺩﺘﹸﻨﹶﺎ ﺭﺎﻋﺫِﻩِ ﺒِﻀﻐِﻲ ﻫﺎ ﻨﹶﺒﺎﻨﹶﺎ ﻤﺎ ﺃَﺒﻴ which means: "O our father, what [more] could we desire? This is our merchandise returned to us. And we will obtain supplies [i.e. food] for our family and protect our brother and obtain an increase of a camel's load; that is an easy measurement [i.e., obtained by us with ease]." [Yoosuf: 65] l It is recommended for a person to take a pledge from another with whom he is about to deal if he thinks that there is a risk in trusting him, and that is why Prophet Ya'qoob, peace be upon him, said to his sons when they requested that he allow them to take their other brother to see Yoosuf, peace be upon him, as Allaah says in the sixty-sixth verse: ِ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪِ ﻟﹶﺘﹶﺄْﺘﹸﻨﱠﻨِﻲ ﺒِﻪﺜِﻘﺎﹰ ﻤِﻥﻭﺘﱠﻰ ﺘﹸﺅْﺘﹸﻭﻥِ ﻤ ﺤﻜﹸﻡﻌ ﻤﺴِﻠﹶﻪ ﺃُﺭﻗﹶﺎلَ ﻟﹶﻥ which means: "[Ya'qoob] said, 'Never will I send him with you until you give me a promise [i.e. oath] by Allaah that you will bring him [back] to me.'" [Yoosuf: 66] l A person is excused by Allaah if he is forced to do something that is wrong, which is extracted from the saying Ya'qoob, peace be upon him, when he said to his sons, as Allaah says in the sixty-sixth verse: ﺎﻁﹶ ﺒِﻜﹸﻡﺤ ﻴﺇِﻟﱠﺎ ﺃَﺒَ which means: " …unless you should be surrounded [i.e. overcome by enemies]." [Yoosuf: 66] He wanted them to come back with their brother if conditions were normal, but if they were overpowered by circumstances beyond their control, then they were excused. l Declaring reliance on Allaah after concluding an agreement increases its blessings and reminds both parties of what they have committed themselves to do, and thus Prophet Ya'qoob, peace be upon him, said at the end of the sixty-sixth verse, as Allaah says: ٌﻜِﻴلﺎ ﻨﹶﻘﹸﻭلُ ﻭﻠﹶﻰ ﻤ ﻋ ﻗﹶﺎلَ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪﻡﺜِﻘﹶﻬﻭ ﻤﻩﺎ ﺁﺘﹶﻭﻓﹶﻠﹶﻤ which means: "… And when they had given their promise, he said, 'Allaah, over what we say, is Witness.'" [Yoosuf: 66] l Utilising means to prevent the effect of the evil eye is permissible, as Prophet Ya'qoob, peace be upon him, said to his children in the sixty-seventh verse, where Allaah says: ٍﻗﹶﺔﺘﹶﻔﹶﺭﺍﺏٍ ﻤﻭ ﺃَﺒﺨﹸﻠﹸﻭﺍ ﻤِﻥﺍﺩﺍﺤِﺩٍ ﻭﺎﺏٍ ﻭ ﺒﺨﹸﻠﹸﻭﺍ ﻤِﻥ ﻻ ﺘﹶﺩﻨِﻲﺎ ﺒﻗﹶﺎلَ ﻴﻭ which means: "And he said, 'O my sons, do not enter from one gate but enter from different gates.'" [Yoosuf: 66] His children were male, numerous and handsome, all of which could invite an evil eye, and thus them not showing up at one time from the same place was better for them. l A Muslim should avoid matters that may cause others to be suspicious of him, and thus another reason for them not to enter collectively from the same door at the same time was that people may have thought that they intended evil, since at that time, cities had gates which closed and opened at certain times, and so if eleven men were to all enter at the same time, people might have thought that they were a gang intending destruction. l Utilising all possible worldly means does not stop the decree of Allaah from occurring, and when ibn 'Abbaas, may Allaah be pleased with him, was asked about the hoopoe bird which is given a great attribute by Allaah in being able to detect water underground, yet a small child is able to trap it, he replied: "Precaution does not protect against that which has been decreed." Nonetheless, we must utilise all worldly means. Prophet Ya'qoob, peace be upon him, said as in the sixty-eighth verse, where Allaah says: ﻟﹶﺫﹸﻭﺇِﻨﱠﻪﺎ ﻭﺎﻫ ﻗﹶﻀﻘﹸﻭﺏﻌﺔﹰ ﻓِﻲ ﻨﹶﻔﹾﺱِ ﻴﺎﺠﺀٍ ﺇِﻟﱠﺎ ﺤ ﺸﹶﻲ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪِ ﻤِﻥ ﻤِﻥﻡﻨﹾﻬﻐﹾﻨِﻲ ﻋ ﻴﺎ ﻜﹶﺎﻥ ﻤﻡﻭﻫ ﺃَﺒﻡﻫﺭﺙﹸ ﺃَﻤﻴ ﺤﺨﹶﻠﹸﻭﺍ ﻤِﻥﺎ ﺩﻟﹶﻤﻭ ﻨﹶﺎﻩﻠﱠﻤﺎ ﻋﻋِﻠﹾﻡٍ ﻟِﻤ ﻭﻥﻠﹶﻤﻌ ﺍﻟﻨﱠﺎﺱِ ﻻ ﻴ ﺃَﻜﹾﺜﹶﺭﻟﹶﻜِﻥﻭ which means: "And when they entered from where their father had ordered them, it did not avail them against Allaah at all except [it was] a need [i.e. concern] within the soul of Ya'qoob, which he satisfied. And indeed, he was a possessor of knowledge because of what We had taught him, but most of the people do not know." [Yoosuf: 66] It is more likely for something disliked to occur if means are not utilised. Moreover, utilising means does not contradict reliance on Allaah. l One should be generous to his blood brother.