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
Chapter 8
The Comparison of the Truth and Falsehood
- From the benefits of the story:
Is guidance to a beneficial method, from the different methods of debating, and the comparison of truth and falsehood, which is a clarification of the truth, good? And likewise, the benefits from this method- present and future – and what opposes them from falsehood.
Allaah Ta’ala said about the Dawa’ of Yusuf to Tawheed:
يَا صَاحِبَيِ السِّجْنِ أَأَرْبَابٌ مُتَفَرِّقُونَ خَيْرٌ أَمِ اللَّهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ
<< “O two companions of the prison! Are many different lords (gods) better or Allaah, the One, the Irresistible? >>[1]
This point mentions the ugliness and evil condition of what constitutes Shirk and following false suspicions.
Also, that every group of those who commit Shirk has a deity that they worship, whether it is fire, an idol, a grave, a dead person, or other different deities that are worshipped which do not possess benefit or harm, death or life, or resurrection for themselves or for the people.
Every group regards the other as misguided, whereas they are all misguided and ruined. Therefore, are these lords and deities better or Allaah Al-Qahhar (The Ever-Forceful)?
There are three great general Characteristics mentioned about Allaah:
- that Allaah has Names and lofty Characteristics,
- from Him are all the blessings and
- with that, Allaah has the right of being the deity – the deity of the people on the earth and those in the heavens.
He actually is the deity in the heavens and He is the deity of the earth, and He is the One Alone who has all the perfect Characteristics, The One Alone with the Characteristics of al-Jalaal (Magnificence) and al-Jamaal (Beauty), who has no associate in anything from His actions; and He is The Ever-Forceful in everything.
All of the worlds, the heavenly and the earthly, all of them are subject to and compelled by Allaah’s power and strength, submitting to Allaah’s Magnificence and humbling themselves for His Glory and His Might. It is He who has these Great Characteristics, so worship is not appropriate except for Him Alone, who has no associate.
- From its benefits:
That the upright religion, which all the Messengers and their followers are upon is the worship of Allaah Alone, who has no associate. Due to the saying of Allaah Ta’ala:
إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّهِ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ ذَلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ
<< The command (or the judgement) is for none but Allaah. He has commanded that you worship none but Him (i.e. His Monotheism), that is the (true) straight religion>>[2]
It is the straight Deen, established with beliefs, manners and deeds without which the matters of the Deen and the Dunya cannot be correct or upright.
- From its benefits:
The obligation of acknowledging Allaah’s blessings of the Deen and the Dunya due to His saying:
ذَلِكَ مِنْ فَضْلِ اللَّهِ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى النَّاسِ
<< This is from the Grace of Allaah to us and to mankind, >>[3]
Allaah is He who blessed us with well-being and provision and what follows on from that. Allaah is He who blessed us with the blessings of Islaam, Eemaan, obedience and what follows on from that. Therefore, it is upon the slave of Allaah to acknowledge this with his heart, proclaim it and seek aid with that in obedience to the One Who gives blessings.
- From its benefits:
That Ihsaan (perfection of worship) in the worship of Allaah and Ihsaan (kindness and generosity) to the worshippers of Allaah is a means by which knowledge is learned and by which the good of the Dunya and the Hereafter is acquired, due to his saying:
وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُ آتَيْنَاهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا وَكَذَلِكَ نَجْزِي الْمُحْسِنِينَ
<< And when he [Yusuf] attained his full manhood, We gave him wisdom and knowledge (the Prophethood), thus We reward the Muhsinoon (doers of good).>>[4]
And Allaah’s saying:
نُصِيبُ بِرَحْمَتِنَا مَنْ نَشَاءُ وَلَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ الْمُحْسِنِينَ () وَلَأَجْرُ الْآخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَكَانُوا يَتَّقُونَ
<< We bestow of Our Mercy on whom We please, and We make not to be lost the reward of Al-Muhsinoon (the good doers). And verily, the reward of the Hereafter is better for those who believe and used to fear Allaah>>[5]
So Allaah made Ihsaan a means to achieve this lofty/noble level.
- From its benefits:
Having insight into desired ends, lessens the hardships which are encountered when using their means.
Therefore, when a slave of Allaah knows what the matter will be and that it leads him to the good of the Dunyaa and the Hereafter, then hardship becomes easier for him, and (this knowledge) comforts him whole-heartedly, due to the saying of Allaah Ta’ala :
وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِ لَتُنَبِّئَنَّهُمْ بِأَمْرِهِمْ هَذَا وَهُمْ لَا يَشْعُرُونَ
<< and We inspired in him: “Indeed, you shall (one day) inform them of this, their affair, when they do not know (you).”>> [6]
It was revealed to Yusuf -alayhi sallam- in this troublesome and difficult situation, that the matter would become easy and comfortable.
So, after the abuse which stemmed from what Yusuf’s brothers did to him, there would be a good influence upon them and the end would be a praiseworthy one.
In this, is kindness and comfort and a lessening of afflictions which is from the greatest blessings of Allaah upon the slave of Allaah. This is why the clear meaning that Allaah reminds His slaves of when there are difficulties and troublesome matters, is that there is a reward as subsequent goodness and there is good news of virtue from Allaah.
Allaah Ta’ala said:
إِنْ تَكُونُوا تَأْلَمُونَ فَإِنَّهُمْ يَأْلَمُونَ كَمَا تَأْلَمُونَ وَتَرْجُونَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مَا لَا يَرْجُونَ
<<If you are suffering (hardships) then surely, they (too) are suffering (hardships) as you are suffering, but you have a hope from Allaah (for the reward, i.e. Paradise) that for which they hope not>>[7]
The saying of Allaah Ta’ala:
وَأَجْمَعُوا أَنْ يَجْعَلُوهُ فِي غَيَابَتِ الْجُبِّ
<< they all agreed to throw him down to the bottom of the well >>[8], is a proof that all of Yusuf’s brothers returned to the opinion of the one brother who said:
لَا تَقْتُلُوا يُوسُفَ وَأَلْقُوهُ فِي غَيَابَتِ الْجُبِّ يَلْتَقِطْهُ بَعْضُ السَّيَّارَةِ
<< “Do not Kill Yusuf (Joseph), but if you must do something, throw him down to the bottom of a well, he will be picked up by some caravan of travellers.”>>[9].
Just like the saying:
قَالَ رَبِّ السِّجْنُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا يَدْعُونَنِي إِلَيْهِ وَإِلَّا تَصْرِفْ عَنِّي كَيْدَهُنَّ أَصْبُ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَكُنْ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ () فَاسْتَجَابَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ فَصَرَفَ عَنْهُ كَيْدَهُنَّ
<< Unless You turn away their plot from me, I will feel inclined towards them and be one (of those who commit sin and deserve blame or those who do deeds) of the ignorant.” So his Lord answered his invocation and turned away from him their plot. >>[10] is evidence that the women (at the banquet) assisted the wife of Azeez against Yusuf and they began to tempt him with this action. After what they saw of the dazzling beauty of Yusuf, they became helpers of the wife of Azeez after they had previously blamed her, saying:
امْرَأَتُ الْعَزِيزِ تُرَاوِدُ فَتَاهَا عَنْ نَفْسِهِ قَدْ شَغَفَهَا حُبًّا إِنَّا لَنَرَاهَا فِي ضَلَالٍ مُبِينٍ
<< “The wife of Al-‘Azîz is seeking to seduce her (slave) young man, indeed she loves him violently; verily we see her in plain error.”>>[11]
- From its benefits:
Contracts are established on what is presented and alluded to, through statements and actions.
There is no difference between charitable contracts and profitable contracts, because Yusuf returned the goods that his brothers had brought to barter with, for provisions of food, and they did not even know that he had returned the goods. When they eventually opened their baggage they found their goods had been returned. This took place without there being any type of verbal acceptance because the action and acceptance indicate that the deal was accepted.
[1] Yusuf: 39
[2] [Yusuf: 40]
[3] [Yusuf: 38]
[4] [Yusuf: 22]
[5] [Yusuf: 56-57]
[6] [Yusuf: 15]
[7] [Nisa: 104]
[8] [Yusuf: 15 ]
[9] [Yusuf:10]
[10] [Yusuf: 33-34]
[11] [Yusuf :30]