Part 2
فـوائـد مسـتـنبطة مـن قـصة يوسف
Benefits Derived from the Story of Yusuf
-sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam-
By the
Shaykh ‘Allama
AbdurRahman bin Nasr as-Sa’adi
Translated by
Abbas Abu Yahya
Part 2
Author’s Introduction
In the Name of Allaah the Most Kind the Most Merciful
All praise is due to Allaah and may Allaah send praise and security upon Muhammad, his family and upon his Companions.
To proceed:
These are benefits derived from the story of Yusuf -May Allaah’s praise and security be upon him and upon all the Prophets and Messengers. Indeed Allaah Ta’ala narrated the story of Yusuf to us clearly and at the end of the story He said:
لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي قَصَصِهِمْ عِبْرَةٌ لِأُولِي الْأَلْبَابِ
<< Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of understanding.>> [1]
A lesson or an admonition is something which is of importance and expressed to give different meanings and beneficial rulings, and instructs in goodness and warnings against destruction. All the stories of the Prophets are lessons, however Allaah singled out the story of Yusuf –alayhim as-Salaam- with His saying:
لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي يُوسُفَ وَإِخْوَتِهِ آيَاتٌ لِلسَّائِلِينَ
<< Verily, in Yusuf and his brethren, there were Ayaat (signs) for those who ask.>>[2]
In the story of Yusuf, there are various signs and lessons for everyone who asks, and desires guidance and direction. The story details his transition from one state to another, from trial after trial, humiliation and imprisonment, to honour and ruling over a kingdom. Also, from being separated and alone, to being united and achieving goals, from sadness and grief to delight and happiness, from ease to poverty and poverty to ease, and from being constrained to being free. There are many other things which this great story includes, so praise be to The One Who narrated it, clarified it and explained it.
From the benefits of this Soorah is that it contains the principles of the science of dream interpretation. Indeed knowledge of dream interpretation is a great important branch of knowledge, it is built upon having good understanding, an ability to be articulate, upon tangible visible matters and abstract meanings, or that which is relevant to the circumstances of the one dreaming. As well as being in accordance with the times and conditions associated with the dream.
Indeed Allaah praised Yusuf –alayhim as-Salaam- for his knowledge of interpreting sequences of events and dreams, and for his explaining the narratives of Sharia’ rulings and narratives linked to these dreams.
The difference between these and the type of dreams which are confusing and have no interpretation, such as the dream of the one whom certain matters play on his mind and as a result he often sees those matters in his sleep, and that these type of dreams are confused dreams which have no interpretation.
Another type of dream is what Shaytaan casts in the soul of a sleeping person; dreams which are lies and madness. These also do not have an interpretation and it is not required for an intelligent person to busy himself with reflecting upon them, rather it is necessary for that person to turn his attention away from them and forget them.
As for the correct dream, then that is inspiration with which Allaah inspires the soul, when it is free from the body at the time of sleep, or the dream is examples which are presented to a human by an Angel to make that person understand what is suitable for him.
Perhaps a person sees something in reality and its interpretation is that what he saw in his dream.
Yusuf –alayhim as-Salaam- was given the knowledge of distinguishing between a correct dream and a false one by Allaah, and of distinguishing the truth in that dream from the falsehood in it.
Yusuf’s story is proof for interpreting dreams due to the following:
Firstly, Yusuf’s dream which he narrated to his father Yaqoob –alayhim as-Salaam:
إِذْ قَالَ يُوسُفُ لِأَبِيهِ يَا أَبَتِ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِي سَاجِدِينَ
<<(Remember) when Yusuf said to his father: ‘O my father! Verily, I saw (in a dream) eleven stars and the sun and the moon, I saw them prostrating themselves to me.’>>[3]
Yaqoob –alayhim as-Salaam- interpreted it completely with its correct meaning, and he used means which had preceded. He interpreted seeing the sun and the moon to be the father and the mother of Yusuf, and the eleven stars to be Yusuf’s brothers, and that his condition would be such that all of them would prostrate to Yusuf, and would be under his rule. This is why, when that meeting between Yusuf and his family took place, after his father, mother and brothers entered Misr, and Yusuf had raised his parents upon thrones and they had all bowed to him in prostration that Yusuf said, recollecting that dream and interpretation:
يَا أَبَتِ هَذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُؤْيَايَ مِنْ قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّي حَقًّا
<< O my father! This is the interpretation of my dream aforetime! My Lord has made it come true! >>[4]
This is a great matter by which Yusuf reached a level where he is exalted and highly honoured by his parents, his brothers and also by the people.
Achieving this goal necessitates means and preparations which cannot be achieved except by using means that comprise of:
- a great amount of knowledge,
- righteous actions,
- sincerity,
- being chosen by Allaah,
- fulfilling the rights of Allaah and the rights of the creation.
This is why it was stated, in mentioning the reason for reaching this noble goal:
وَكَذَلِكَ يَجْتَبِيكَ رَبُّكَ وَيُعَلِّمُكَ مِنْ تَأْوِيلِ الْأَحَادِيثِ وَيُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَى آلِ يَعْقُوبَ كَمَا أَتَمَّهَا عَلَى أَبَوَيْكَ مِنْ قَبْلُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
<<“Thus will your Lord choose you and teach you the interpretation of dreams (and other matters) and perfect His Favour on you and on the offspring of Ya’qoob, as He perfected it on your fathers, Ibraheem and Ishaaq aforetime! Verily, your Lord is All-Knowing, All-Wise.”>>[5]
This means that it is incumbent that Allaah will complete His blessings upon you by teaching you beneficial knowledge and righteous actions and by being chosen by Allaah thereby achieving beautiful manners and a magnificent status, which will therefore, give you glad tidings and attaining high status in the Dunyaa and the Hereafter.
Incorporated in to this interpretation of Yusuf’s dream by Yaqoob, was good news for Yusuf and ease from what he was to encounter of difficulties and distress from his brothers and of being in prison. Indeed, through knowledge it is known that disliked things and difficulties lead towards goodness, ease and comfort and make difficulties easier, facilitate relief from their distress and that a great amount of ease and relaxation is thereby achieved.
This is a part of the kindness which Yusuf indicated in his statement:
إِنَّ رَبِّي لَطِيفٌ لِمَا يَشَاءُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ
<<Certainly, my Lord is the Most Courteous and Kind unto whom He will. Truly He! Only He is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.>>[6]
This is what is essential from the wisdom of Allaah, that high, lofty levels cannot be achieved except with noble means, and this is why He said:
لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي يُوسُفَ وَإِخْوَتِهِ آيَاتٌ لِلسَّائِلِينَ
<< Verily, in Yusuf and his brethren, there were Ayaat (signs) for those who ask.>>[7]
From the benefits of this interpretation of Yusuf’s dream is the great news for Yaqoob, Yusuf’s mother and his brothers, that he would achieve a high rank, rectification and goodness.
Yaqoob was from the major Prophets, the best of those chosen. Yusuf’s mother had goodness, rectification and a high rank in the Dunyaa and the Hereafter such that she was compared to the sun or the moon, depending on the difference of opinion as to which referred to which parent.
As for Yusuf’s brothers, even though they did what they did regarding the rights of their father and brother: afflicting harm, being disobedient, and breaking off from him, despite all that, their father and brother pardoned them and sought Allaah’s forgiveness for them – and Allaah Ta’ala is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.
The sun, moon and stars all incorporate light and a great loftiness, yet they are, in the contrast of their light, similar to the contrast between Yusuf’s parents and his brothers.
So briefly, Yusuf’s dream included what happened to Yusuf –alayhim as-Salaam, the goodness of the Dunyaa and the Hereafter, his great status, the means and blessings which occurred due to these events and what happened to his parents and brothers, of sharing in the good of the Dunyaa and the Hereafter, and Allaah knows best.
AbdurRahmaan bin Nasir bin Sa’adi
[1] [Yusuf : 111]
[2] [Yusuf : 7]
[3] [Yusuf : 4]
[4] [Yusuf : 100]
[5] [Yusuf: 6]
[6] [Yusuf: 100]
[7] [Yusuf: 7]