Prophet Yusuf (Joseph)

Yusuf ibn Yaqub ibn Ishaq (Joseph, son of Jacob, peace be upon him) is a prophet of Allah whose story Allah Himself describes as "the best of stories" (ahsan al-qasas). An entire surah — Surah Yusuf (chapter 12) — is devoted exclusively to his life, the only surah in the Quran to tell a single continuous narrative from beginning to end. He was the eleventh of Yaqub's twelve sons and his most beloved, blessed from childhood with extraordinary beauty and the gift of interpreting dreams.

When Yusuf was a young boy, he told his father of a dream in which eleven stars, the sun, and the moon prostrated to him. His brothers' jealousy culminated in a conspiracy: they threw him into a deep well while on a trip, then presented his shirt stained with false blood to their father. A passing caravan found Yusuf and sold him into slavery in Egypt. He was purchased by a high-ranking official known as al-Aziz. In the household of al-Aziz, Yusuf faced the most severe moral trial of his life: al-Aziz's wife attempted to seduce him persistently and finally locked the doors to trap him. He fled, seeking Allah's refuge, saying: Surah Yusuf (12:33): "He said, 'My Lord, prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me. And if You do not avert from me their plan, I might incline toward them and [thus] be of the ignorant.'" He was falsely imprisoned, yet chose imprisonment over sin.

In prison, Yusuf interpreted the dreams of two fellow prisoners correctly. When the king of Egypt had a perplexing dream of seven fat cows devoured by seven lean ones, the released prisoner remembered Yusuf. Summoned before the king, Yusuf interpreted the dream as seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine and presented a detailed plan for managing the food supply. The king appointed him the treasurer of Egypt — effectively its second most powerful man.

When the famine struck the surrounding lands, Yusuf's brothers came to Egypt seeking provisions, unaware the powerful official before them was their brother. After a series of deliberate tests, Yusuf revealed himself: Surah Yusuf (12:92): "He said, 'No blame will there be upon you today. Allah will forgive you; and He is the most merciful of the merciful.'" His forgiveness of those who had wronged him so severely is one of the most moving moments in the Quran. His father Yaqub arrived in Egypt; when Yaqub placed Yusuf's shirt over his eyes, his sight was restored.

Yusuf then made a supplication recorded in Surah Yusuf (12:101): "My Lord, You have given me [something] of sovereignty and taught me of the interpretation of dreams. Creator of the heavens and earth, You are my protector in this world and in the Hereafter. Cause me to die a Muslim and join me with the righteous." His story is the Quran's supreme lesson in patience, trust in divine planning, the triumph of righteousness over every form of adversity, and the nobility of forgiveness extended even to those who inflicted the deepest wounds.