Part 77

) (SoO/'all Yoo.\·lif 12: 17). ThaI is, you will not believe what

we arc telling you regard ing the wolf hav ing devoured Yoosuf,

even if you consider us truthfu l. So what about when you

suspect that we are not trut hful, especiall y since yo u feared that

Mel/lioll o/ fhe Progeny o/Ihraheem 343

the wo lf mi ght devour Yoosufand we guara nt eed 10 you that he

woul d be sa fe, due to our numbers around him and so we have

co me to be co ns idered untrustworthy by you. So we do not

blam e you for not be lieving us in these circllmstances. ( And

they brought his shirt stained with fa lse bl ood ) . That is, with

fabr icated evidence; they had laken a baby goat and slaught ered

it, then they look it s blood a nd smeared it on hi s shi rt , in order

to lend c redence to their claim that a wo lf had eaten hil11. It

was sai d th at th ey forgot to tear th e shirt - and the ruin of lying

is forget fu lness. When the signs o f doubt became apparent in

them, their deed did not surprise th eir fa th er, because he knew

of their enmity toward Yoosuf ittB and the envy they harbored

toward him , because of the fa ct tha t he loved him more than

them, due to the nob le and venerab le attributes he di spl ayed

in his c hildhood - allributes which Alla h had bestowed on

him , as He had dest ined Prophethood for him. Once they had

persuaded him to let them take their brother, no sooner had

they taken him , de pri ved him of him and removed him from

hi s sight , than they returned, weep ing over what they had done

aga in st hi m and claim ing that th ey had been help less to save

him. This is why Ya ' qoo b ~ sa id, ( "Nay, but you yo urse lves

have made up a tal c. So (for me) pati ence is most fittin g . And it

is All ah (A lone) Whose help ca n be sought again st th at whi ch

YO LI asse rt o" ) (SoO/ooil )oosll( 12: 18)

A ll ah , Most Hi gh, says, ( An d th ere came a caravan; they

sent their water-drawe r, and he let dow n hi s bucke t (into the

well). He said, " What good news! Here is a boy." So they hid

him as merchand ise. And All ah was the AllKnowing regarding

what they did . And they so ld him for a low pri ce - fo r a few

dirhams (i.e. for a few silver coin s). And they we re of those

who regarded him as in signifi cant. ) (SoO/'all YODSlif 12: 19,20)

344 1\ f('/IliOIl of the Progeny of fbmheem ~

Allah, Most High, informs Ihal Yoosuf ~, when he was cast

into the well, sal wai ling for Allah 10 de li ve r him and bestow

Ki ndn ess on him. ( And there came a ca ra va n ) . means, a pany

of lTavelers. ( He said, "What good news! ) That is, whal good

fortune forme ! ( "Here is a boy." So they hid him as merchandise

) . That is, thcy pretended that he was wilh thcm and Ihal he was

one of the slaves that made up their merchandise. ( And Alla h

\\ns theA ll-Knowing regarding what they did ) . That is, He was

full y acquainted with the pial th at his brot hers had conspired

aga inst him and the way those who fou nd him hid hi m amongst

th ei r merchandise. BlII He did not intervene due 10 His Greal

Wisdom, His All-Enco mpassing Omnipotence and the Mercy

whic h woul d be bestowed on the people of Egypt at the hands

of this young boy, who entered Ihe land in the form ofa capti ve

slave, and after that, he came to hold the reins of powe r in his

hands and Allah benefited them th rough him, in the life of this

world and the Hereafte r in ways 100 numerous to menti on or

desc ri be. When Yoosuf's brot hers rea lized that the caravan had

taken him, they overtook them and said, "Thi s is our slave who

has run away from li S," and they (th e people of Ihe caravan)

purchased him from Ihem fo r a low pri ce. ( J] few dirhams (i.e.

for a few sil ver coi ns). And they were of those who regarded

hi m as insignifi ca nt ) (SoO/'all Yoosly l 2: 19)

Allah, Most High, says, ( And he (t he Illan) from Egypt who

bought him, said to his wife. "Make his stay comfortab le." ) .

ThaI is, be kind to him ( "may be he will profi t us or we shall

adopt him as a son. " ) (SoO/'all rooslI! 12:2 1) This was from

Allah 's Kindness, Mercy and BCllcnce nce toward him, as it

was His Will that He should make him fee l at home ancl give

hillll he goodness of this life and the goodness of the Herea fter.

Scholars said that the person who bought him was an Egyptian

and his title was AI- 'Azeez; he was the min ister in charge of the

Melllioll ojlhe Pmgell.\' oj I/)raheem 345

treasury. Ibn Ishaq sa id, "1-1 is name was' A t feer, so n of Ruh aib."

He sa id, "The Fir'awn of Egypt at that time was Ar-Rayya n,

son of AI-Wa leed and the name of the wife of AI- 'Azee= was

Ra'ce l, da ughter of Ru'aee l." Oth ers sa id that her name was

Zula ikha; but it wo uld appea r th at that was he r ni ckname.

Ibn Ishaq sa id, " II was report ed on the authority of ' Abdullah

Ibn Mas ' ood ..;:0 that he said, 'The nobles t of peopl e are three:

The' Azeez ofEgyp l, when he said to hi s wife, ( " Make hi s stay

comfo rtab le." ) , the woman who sa id to her fath er, regarding

Moosa, ( " 0 , my fa the r! I-li re him! Veri ly, the best of men for

YO ll to hi re is the stro ng, the tru stworth y. " ) (Soorah AI-Qasas

28:26). and Ab u Bah As-Siddeeq .:;o, when he a ppoint ed 'U mar

Ibn AI-Khattab .:Go as hi s sllccessor." (24)

Allah, Most High , says, ( Thus did \Vc establi sh Yoosuf in

th e land ) (Soorah Yoosu! 12: 2 1) That is,j ust as We ordained

th at AI- 'Azeez and hi s wife shou ld trea t Yoosllf ~ kindly and

take ca re of him , so did We estab lish him in the land of Egyp t

( that We mi glll teach hi m th e interpre tation o f events. ) Tha t

is, the understanding of them; and the interpretation of dreams

is a part of th at. ( And All ah has full powe r and control ove r

Hi s Affa irs ) . That is, when A ll ah wills a thin g, He orda in s the

causes of it. Thi s is why He, Most Hi gh, says, ( And he (th e

ma n) from Egypt who bought him, said to hi s wife, " Make

hi s stay comfortab le, that maybe he will profi t us or we shall

adopt hi m as 3. son." Thus di d We es tab li sh Yoosuf in the land ,

that We mightt cach him th e interpretati on of c vents. And Allah

has full power and cont ro l ove r I-lis A ffairs, hut 1110st of men

know nolo And wh en he (Yoosul) attained hi s full ma nhood,

We gave him wisdom and know ledge (the Prophethood)_ thus

(24) Narmted by AI-Hakim (2/345) and it is authentic, due to supporting naf-

rmions, or it is hasan, due to supporting narrations. And Allah knows bet-

Icr. Sec: AI-Majltla' ( 10/368).

346 A/cmiol1 of/he Progeny of lbralzeem ~

We reward the MllhsillOOIl (doers of good deeds) ) (Soorah

He, Most High, says, ( And she, in whose hOll se he was,

sought to seduce him (to do an ev il act), she closed the doors

and said, "Come on, yo u." He said, " I seek refuge in Allah

(or Allah forbid)! Tru ly, he (yo ur husband) is my master!

I-I e made my stay agreeable ! (So I will never betray him).

Verily, the =alimooll (w rongdoers and ev il-doers) will never

be succcssful." And indeed she did desi re him and he would

have inclined to her desi re, had he not seen th e evidence of his

Lord. Thus it was, that We mi ght tum away from him evil and

illegal sexual intercourse. Surely, he was one of Our chosen.

guided slaves. So they raced with one another to the door, and

she tore his sh irt from the back. They both found her lord (i. e.

her husband) at the door. She sa id, " What is the recompense

(punishment) for him who intended an evil design agai nst your

wife, exce pt that he be pu t in prison or a painful torment?" He

(Yoosut) said. ';It was she that sough t to sedu ce me," - and a

witness of her house hold bore witness (sayi ng), " If il be tha t

hi s shirt is torn from the front, then her laic is true and he is

a liar! But if it be that hi s shirt is tom from th e back, Ihen

she has told a li e and he is speaking the truth! " So when he

(her husband) saw hi s (Yoos uf's) shirt torn at the back, he (her

husband) said, "Su rely. it is a plol of you women! Certai nly

mighty is your plol! 0 , Yoosuf! Turn J\vay from thi s! (0 .

woman !) Ask forg iveness for your sin. Verily, you we re of the

si nfuL" ) (SoO/·aII YOOS II! 12:23-29)

Allah, Most Hi gh, informs us abollt Af- 'Azeez's wife 's

att empl to seduce Yoosuf lfJJ. and her demand for him to do