Surah Yusuf

The story of Joseph is not a mere story, but Allah uses it, as usual, for the propagation of the Message in the following ways: Throughout the story, the Qur’an has made it clear that the faith of the Prophets, Ibrahim, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph was the same as that of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺand they invited the people to the same Message as Prophet Muhammad ﷺwas inviting the Quraysh.

Then it places the characters of Prophet Jacob and Prophet Joseph side by side with the characters of the brothers of Joseph, the members of the trade caravan, the court dignitary, al-Aziz of Egypt, his wife, the women and the rulers of Egypt. It’s as if a silent question is posed to the reader to contrast the former characters moulded by Islam on the worship of one God and belief in the Hereafter, with the latter moulded by disbelief (Kufr) and ignorance and decide which of these two patterns you should emulate.

The Qur’an has used this story to bring forth another truth: Allah carries out whatever He wills and man can never change Allah’s plan or prevent it from happening. Nay, often man adopts a plan to carry out his evil designs but to his dismay he only finds that he has done something which is contrary to fulfilling his objectives and only conducive to the divine plan.

The brothers of Prophet Joseph cast him into the well, believing they had removed the obstacle which distracted their fathers love from them. They had only paved the way for the divine purpose of making him the ruler of Egypt, before whom they would eventually humble themselves. Likewise, the wife of Aziz had caused Prophet Joseph to be sent to prison, thus providing the opportunity for him to become the ruler of Egypt and for her to eventually confess her plot publicly and shame herself.

These are not the only examples which prove that if the whole world were united to bring about the down fall of one whom Allah willed to raise high it would never succeed. The plan that was devised by the brothers to degrade Prophet Joseph was only used by Allah for the success of Joseph (and for the humiliation and disgrace of his brothers). Equally, if Allah willed the downfall of someone, no amount of support could save him.

Moreover, the story contains other lessons for those who intend to follow the way of Allah. Firstly, it teaches that one should remain within the limits prescribed by the divine Law since success and failure is the decision of Allah. Therefore, if one adopts pure aims and lawful measures but fails, at least one will escape humiliation and disgrace. On the other hand, the one who adopts an impure aim and unlawful measures shall not only meet with humiliation and disgrace in the Hereafter but also runs the risk of humiliation and disgrace in this world.

Secondly, it teaches us that those who exert themselves for the cause of truth and righteousness and entrust all their affairs to Allah, receive consolation and comfort from Him. This helps them face their opponents with confidence and courage and they do not lose heart when they encounter the apparently terrifying measures employed by their powerful enemies. They will persevere in their task without fear and trust the results to Allah.

Lastly, the greatest lesson in the story is that if the believer possesses true Islamic character and is endowed with wisdom, he can conquer a whole country with the strength of his character alone. The marvellous example of Prophet Joseph teaches us that a man of high and pure character comes out successful even in the most adverse circumstances. When Prophet Joseph was taken to Egypt, he was only a teenager of seventeen years, a foreigner, all alone, without any provisions and sold there as a slave. And the horrible condition of the slaves during that period is known to every student of history. He was then charged with a heinous moral crime and sent to prison for an indefinite term. But throughout this period of affliction, he reflected the highest moral qualities which raised him to the highest rank in the country.