The Story of Joseph (part 7 of 7)
The golden bowl was found in Benjamin's belongings and his
brothers were astonished. They quickly realised the Chief Minister
(Joseph) would follow their own law and keep Benjamin as a slave.
This upset them greatly. They were afraid of returning to their
father without his beloved youngest son. One of the brothers
offered to accept the punishment on Benjamin's behalf, but the
offer was refused. Another brother, probably the eldest, chose to
stay in Egypt while the others returned to their homeland to face
their father Jacob. When the brothers arrived home they went
immediately to their father and said,
{O our father! Verily, your son
(Benjamin) has stolen, we testify not except according to what we
know, and we could not know the unseen! And ask (the people of) the
town where we have been, and the caravan in which we returned, and
indeed we are telling the truth.} [Quran 12:81-82]
{يَا أَبَانَا إِنَّ ابْنَكَ سَرَقَ
وَمَا شَهِدْنَا إِلَّا بِمَا عَلِمْنَا وَمَا كُنَّا لِلْغَيْبِ
حَافِظِينَ ﴿٨١﴾ وَاسْأَلِ الْقَرْيَةَ الَّتِي
كُنَّا فِيهَا وَالْعِيرَ الَّتِي أَقْبَلْنَا فِيهَا ۖ وَإِنَّا
لَصَادِقُونَ} [يوسف:81-٨٢]
Transliteration: Yā 'Abānā 'Inna Abnaka Saraqa Wa Mā
Shahidnā 'Illā Bimā `Alimnā Wa Mā Kunnā Lilghaybi Ĥāfižīna(81) Wa
As'ali Al-Qaryata Allatī Kunnā Fīhā Wa Al-`Īra Allatī 'Aqbalnā Fīhā
Wa 'Innā Laşādiqūna
Prophet Jacob had heard this all before. When the brothers betrayed
Joseph and threw him in the well, they went to their father
pleading and crying yet their words were nothing but lies. This
time Jacob refused to believe them. He turned away from them
saying, {Nay, but your own selves have
beguiled you into something. So patience is most fitting (for
me).} [Quran 12:83]
{قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ
أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًا ۖ فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ} [يوسف:٨٣]
Transliteration: Qāla Bal Sawwalat Lakum 'Anfusukum
'Amrāan Faşabrun Jamīlun
Jacob had spent years grieving for Joseph and trusting in God. When
this new sorrow overwhelmed him, his first reaction was to be
patient. He knew, without a shred of doubt, that the affairs of his
beloved youngest sons were controlled by God.
Even though he trusted God completely, Jacob behaved as any father
would in the same circumstances. He was overcome with grief and
wept uncontrollably. He remembered Joseph, and wept until he became
ill and lost his sight. The brothers were concerned about his pain
and sorrow and questioned his constant grief. They asked him, "Will
you cry until the day you die?" Jacob answered that he only
complained of his grief and sorrow to God and that he (Jacob) knew,
from God, things that they did not. [Quran
12:86]
Though many years had passed, Jacob had not forgotten his son
Joseph. Jacob reflected on Joseph's dream and understood God's plan
would come to fruition. Jacob was deeply hurt by the loss of his
sons, but his faith in God sustained him, and he ordered his sons
to go back to Egypt in search of Joseph and Benjamin.
Joseph
revealed
The brothers once again set off on the long journey to Egypt. The
famine had taken its toll on the surrounding areas and people were
poor and weak. When the brothers stood before Joseph, they too were
amongst the poor. Their level of weakness forced them to ask for
charity. They said:
{O ruler of the land! A hard time has
hit our family, and we have brought but poor capital, so pay us
full measure and be charitable to us. Truly, God does reward the
charitable.} [Quran 12:88]
{يَا أَيُّهَا الْعَزِيزُ مَسَّنَا
وَأَهْلَنَا الضُّرُّ وَجِئْنَا بِبِضَاعَةٍ مُّزْجَاةٍ فَأَوْفِ
لَنَا الْكَيْلَ وَتَصَدَّقْ عَلَيْنَا ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يَجْزِي
الْمُتَصَدِّقِينَ} [يوسف:٨٨]
Transliteration: Yā 'Ayyuhā Al-`Azīzu Massanā Wa
'Ahlanā Ađ-Đurru Wa Ji'nā Bibiđā`atin Muzjāatin Fa'awfi Lanā
Al-Kayla Wa Taşaddaq `Alaynā 'Inna Allāha Yajzī
Al-Mutaşaddiqīna
Joseph could not bear to see his family in this position, even
though these were the men who had betrayed him. He looked at his
family and could keep his secret no longer, he said,
{Do you know what you did with Joseph
and his brother, when you were ignorant?} [Quran
12:89]
{قَالَ هَلْ عَلِمْتُم مَّا فَعَلْتُم
بِيُوسُفَ وَأَخِيهِ إِذْ أَنتُمْ جَاهِلُونَ} [يوسف:٨٩]
Transliteration: Qāla Hal `Alimtum Mā Fa`altum
Biyūsufa Wa 'Akhīhi 'Idh 'Antum Jāhilūna
The brothers recognised Joseph immediately, not because of his
looks, for they had seen him many times before, however who else
could know the true story of Joseph, but Joseph himself.
{I am Joseph, and this is my brother
(Benjamin). God has indeed been Gracious to us. Verily, he who
fears God with obedience to Him (by abstaining from sins and evil
deeds, and by performing righteous good deeds), and is patient,
then surely, God makes not the reward of the good doers to be
lost.} [Quran 12:90]
{قَالَ أَنَا يُوسُفُ وَهَٰذَا أَخِي ۖ
قَدْ مَنَّ اللَّهُ عَلَيْنَا ۖ إِنَّهُ مَن يَتَّقِ وَيَصْبِرْ
فَإِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ}
[يوسف:٩٠]
Transliteration: Qāla 'Anā Yūsufu Wa Hadhā 'Akhī Qad
Manna Allāhu `Alaynā 'Innahu Man Yattaqi Wa Yaşbir Fa'inna Allāha
Lā Yuđī`u 'Ajra Al-Muĥsinīna
The brothers were afraid, their past deeds were grave sins, and
they were now in a position of weakness. They stood in fear before
the Chief Minister of Egypt no longer a small, beautiful boy named
Joseph. Through his trials and tribulations, Joseph, like his
father, found comfort in submission to the One God. He understood
patience and the qualities of mercy and piety imbedded in true
patience. He looked down at his brothers who were trembling in fear
and said, {No reproach of you this
day, May God forgive you.} [Quran 12:92]
{قَالَ لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ
الْيَوْمَ ۖ يَغْفِرُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ} [يوسف:٩٢]
Transliteration: Qāla Lā Tathrība `Alaykumu Al-Yawma
Yaghfiru Allāhu Lakum
Joseph immediately made plans to reunite his family. He requested
the brothers return to their father and cast an old shirt of his
(Joseph's) over his face. This, he said, would cause him to become
clear sighted. Immediately, although the old man was so far away he
turned his face towards the heavens and sniffed, believing that he
could smell Joseph in the air. This is one of the miracles, made
possible by God, of Prophet Joseph. When the brothers arrived, they
cast the shirt over Jacob's face and he became clear sighted. He
cried out, {Did I not say to you, I
know from God, that which you know not.} [Quran 12:
96]
{قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّي
أَعْلَمُ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ} [يوسف:٩٦]
Transliteration: Qāla 'Alam 'Aqul Lakum 'Innī
'A`lamu Mina Allāhi Mā Lā Ta`lamūna
The family of Prophet Jacob gathered their belongings together and
travelled to Egypt. Jacob was eager to be reunited with his sons.
They went straight to Joseph and found him sitting on an elevated
throne. Joseph spoke to his family saying, enter Egypt, if God
wills, in security.
The beginning of chapter 12 of the Quran, Joseph, began
with the young boy Joseph describing his dream to his beloved
father Jacob. He said, {Verily, I saw
(in a dream) eleven stars and the sun and the moon, I saw them
prostrating themselves to me.} [Quran 12:4]
{إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ
كَوْكَبًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِي
سَاجِدِينَ} [يوسف:٤]
Transliteration: 'Innī Ra'aytu 'Aĥada `Ashara
Kawkabāan Wa Ash-Shamsa Wa Al-Qamara Ra'aytuhum Lī
Sājidīna
Quran concludes the story of Joseph in the same way as it began,
with the interpretation of the dream. The eleven stars were his
brothers, the sun his father and the moon was his mother.
{And he raised his parents to the
throne and they fell down before him prostrate. And he said, "O my
father! This is the interpretation of my dream of old! My Lord has
made it come true! He was indeed good to me, when He took me out of
prison, and brought you all here out of the Bedouin life, after
Satan had sown enmity between my brothers and me. Certainly, my
Lord is the Most Courteous and Kind unto whom He will. Truly He!
Only He is the All Knowing, the All-Wise.} [Quran
12:98-100]
{فَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ
آوَىٰ إِلَيْهِ أَبَوَيْهِ وَقَالَ ادْخُلُوا مِصْرَ إِن شَاءَ
اللَّهُ آمِنِينَ ﴿٩٩﴾ وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيْهِ
عَلَى الْعَرْشِ وَخَرُّوا لَهُ سُجَّدًا ۖ وَقَالَ يَا أَبَتِ هَٰذَا
تَأْوِيلُ رُؤْيَايَ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّي حَقًّا ۖ
وَقَدْ أَحْسَنَ بِي إِذْ أَخْرَجَنِي مِنَ السِّجْنِ وَجَاءَ بِكُم
مِّنَ الْبَدْوِ مِن بَعْدِ أَن نَّزَغَ الشَّيْطَانُ بَيْنِي
وَبَيْنَ إِخْوَتِي ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّي لَطِيفٌ لِّمَا يَشَاءُ ۚ إِنَّهُ
هُوَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ} [يوسف:99-١٠٠]
Transliteration: Falammā Dakhalū `Alá
Yūsufa 'Āwá 'Ilayhi 'Abawayhi Wa Qāla Adkhulū Mişra 'In
Shā'a Allāhu 'Āminīna(99) Wa Rafa`a 'Abawayhi `Alá
Al-`Arshi Wa Kharrū Lahu Sujjadāan Wa Qāla Yā 'Abati Hādhā Ta'wīlu
Ru'uyā Y Min Qablu Qad Ja`alahā Rabbī Ĥaqqāan Wa Qad 'Aĥsana Bī
'Idh 'Akhrajanī Mina As-Sijni Wa Jā'a Bikum Mina Al-Badwi Min Ba`di
'An Nazagha Ash-Shayţānu Baynī Wa Bayna 'Ikhwatī 'Inna Rabbī
Laţīfun Limā Yashā'u 'Innahu Huwa Al-`Alīmu
Al-Ĥakīmu
The essence of the story of Joseph is patience in the face of
adversity and sorrow. Joseph faced every trial with patience and
complete trust in God. His father Jacob bore his grief and misery
with patience and submission. All the chapters of Quran were
revealed at particular times, in response to particular situations.
This chapter was revealed to Prophet Muhammad in a time of great
sorrow. In fact, the year of its revelation is known as "the year
of sorrow'. Prophet Muhammad had to bear the death of his beloved
first wife Khadijah and his Uncle Abu Talib. Both had provided him
with comfort and support. God was advising Prophet Muhammad that
the road may be long and difficult but the ultimate victory belongs
to those with God consciousness and patience. The story of Joseph
is a lesson for us all. True patience, what the scholars of Islam
call beautiful patience is a key to the gate of Paradise.
By Aisha Stacey
IslamReligion.com
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