Part 4

he lost his sight] from grief.' [Yoosuf: 84] A question arises here: what is the difference between crying over a deceased loved one and wailing? The former is permitted, as the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam cried over a boy who died whilst in his lap, whereas wailing entails discontentment with the decree of Allaah, and usually involves tearing one's clothes and slapping one's face; this is one of the Great Major sins, and the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "One who tears his (or her) clothes and slaps his (or her) face (when afflicted) is not from us." Moreover, the consequences of this are severe and entail a painful punishment in the Hereafter. l A Muslim should only complain to Allaah and must not complain about the decrees of Allaah to others, because this is complaining about Allaah. Allaah informs us about the words of Prophet Ya'qoob, peace be upon him, in the eighty-sixth verse saying: ﻨِﻲ ﺇِﻟﹶﻰ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪﺯﺤﺜﱢﻲ ﻭﺎ ﺃَﺸﹾﻜﹸﻭ ﺒﻗﹶﺎلَ ﺇِﻨﱠﻤ which means: "I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allaah." [Yoosuf: 86] l There is a difference between spying and gathering information by asking or listening to people speaking in public gatherings in order to achieve something beneficial, which is generally permissible. l It is prohibited to feel despair and give up on the mercy of Allaah because it contradicts Islaamic Monotheism. l Allaah supports the oppressed, even if this support comes after a while. He grants the oppressed a high rank if he perseveres and is pious. Yoosuf's brothers came to him humiliated and begging for food after they had treacherously conspired against him. Allaah says in the eighty-eighth verse: ﻗِﻴﻥﺩﺘﹶﺼﺯِﻱ ﺍﻟﹾﻤﺠ ﻴ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪﻨﹶﺎ ﺇِﻥﻠﹶﻴﻕﹾ ﻋﺩﺘﹶﺼلَ ﻭﻑِ ﻟﹶﻨﹶﺎ ﺍﻟﹾﻜﹶﻴﺎﺓٍ ﻓﹶﺄَﻭﺠﺯﺔٍ ﻤﺎﻋﺠِﺌْﻨﹶﺎ ﺒِﺒِﻀ ﻭﺭﻠﹶﻨﹶﺎ ﺍﻟﻀﺃَﻫﻨﹶﺎ ﻭﺴﻤ which means: "They said, 'O 'Azeez [i.e., prophet Yoosuf, who was at that time the minister in charge of supplies], adversity has touched us and our family, and we have come with goods poor in quality, but give us full measure and be charitable to us. Indeed, Allaah rewards the charitable.'" [Yoosuf: 88] l One should not take revenge from those who have harmed him and should try to stop agonies which befall others whenever he can. Prophet Yoosuf, peace be upon him, could have taken revenge from his brothers for having thrown him in the well, but instead he sympathised with their situation and revealed his true identity to them, he stated in the eighty ninth and ninetieth verses as Allaah says: ﺎﻫِﻠﹸﻭﻥ ﺠﺃَﺨِﻴﻪِ ﺇِﺫﹾ ﺃَﻨﹾﺘﹸﻡﻑﹶ ﻭﻭﺴ ﺒِﻴﻠﹾﺘﹸﻡﺎ ﻓﹶﻌ ﻤﺘﹸﻡﻠِﻤلْ ﻋﻗﹶﺎلَ ﻫ ﺫﹶﺍ ﺃَﺨِﻲﻫﻑﹸ ﻭﻭﺴﻑﹸ ﻗﹶﺎلَ ﺃَﻨﹶﺎ ﻴﻭﺴ ﻟﹶﺄَﻨﹾﺕﹶ ﻴﻗﹶﺎﻟﹸﻭﺍ ﺃَﺇِﻨﱠﻙ which means: "He said, 'Do you know what you did with Yoosuf and his brother when you were ignorant?' They said, 'Are you indeed Yoosuf?' He said, 'I am Yoosuf, and this is my brother… '" [Yoosuf: 89-90] l Allaah greatly rewards one who combines patience and piety in himself, as Yoosuf, peace be upon him, said as Allaah says in the ninetieth verse: ﺴِﻨِﻴﻥﺤ ﺍﻟﹾﻤﺭ ﺃَﺠﻀِﻴﻊ ﻻ ﻴ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪ ﻓﹶﺈِﻥﺒِﺭﺼﻴﺘﱠﻕِ ﻭ ﻴﻥ ﻤﺇِﻨﱠﻪ which means: " …Indeed, he who fears Allaah and is patient, then indeed, Allaah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good.'" [Yoosuf: 90] l One should not become arrogant and be deceived by the greatness that he achieves; he must attribute all credit to Allaah, as were the words of Yoosuf, peace be upon him, as in the above mentioned ninetieth verse: ﻨﹶﺎﻠﹶﻴ ﻋ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪﻥ ﻤﺫﹶﺍ ﺃَﺨِﻲ ﻗﹶﺩﻫﻑﹸ ﻭﻭﺴﺃَﻨﹶﺎ ﻴ which means: " …He said, 'I am Yoosuf, and this is my brother. Allaah has certainly favoured us… '" [Yoosuf: 90] l One should forgive when he is able to. l One should supplicate for the forgiveness of those who have wronged him. Yoosuf, peace be upon him, said to his brothers as Allaah says in the ninety-second verse: ﻟﹶﻜﹸﻡ ﺍﻟﻠﱠﻪﻐﹾﻔِﺭﻴ which means: " …May Allaah forgive you… " [Yoosuf: 92] l Prophet Yoosuf, peace be upon him, had miracles like all the other prophets of Allaah, and among them were that his shirt caused his father Ya'qoob, peace be upon him, to regain his eyesight when it was thrown over his face. l One who has good news should be the first among the group he is in to reach the one to whom he is carrying the good news. Allaah says in the ninety-sixth verse: ﺸِﻴﺭ ﺍﻟﹾﺒﺎﺀ ﺠﺎ ﺃَﻥﻓﹶﻠﹶﻤ which means: "And when the bearer of good tidings [He who carried Yoosuf's shirt from among the brothers] arrived… " [Yoosuf: 96] Furthermore, it is recommended to gift a bringer of good news. l One should ask his father to ask Allaah to forgive him when he is undutiful towards him; this is the expiation for undutifulness to one's father. Allaah says in the ninety-seventh verse: ﻨﹶﺎ ﺇِﻨﱠﺎ ﻜﹸﻨﱠﺎ ﺨﹶﺎﻁِﺌِﻴﻥ ﻟﹶﻨﹶﺎ ﺫﹸﻨﹸﻭﺒﺘﹶﻐﹾﻔِﺭﺎﻨﹶﺎ ﺍﺴﺎ ﺃَﺒﻗﹶﺎﻟﹸﻭﺍ ﻴ which means: "They said, 'O our father, ask for us forgiveness of our sins; indeed, we have been sinners.'" [Yoosuf: 97] l One should supplicate during the times in which supplications are more likely to be answered, and that is why Prophet Ya'qoob, peace be upon him, did not supplicate for the forgiveness of his sons immediately.