Quran Garden

Today, we are going to share the story of our beloved Y?suf as a beautiful example of how a Muslim should carry himself, and even self-promote his strengths, for the sake of serving the community and sharing God's message with others.  So grab a coffee, sit back, and listen.

Session 635

Chapter 4

Verse 49

a continuation

Have you not seen those who regard themselves as pure?  No!  God purifies whoever He will: no one will be wronged by as much as the fiber of a date pit. (Chapter 4:Verse 49)

We begin with a king's dream.  The ruler of Egypt saw a vivid dream of seven green ears of corn and seven others withered; seven fat cows eaten by seven lean ones!!  Logically, the strong eat the weak, not the other way around, but few people ever pay attention to the symbols of dreams.  The King awoke troubled by what he saw.  The interpretation of dreams is not a science, but a gift from God granted to certain people, making them experts in decoding the cipher of dreams.  The King gathered the best of his counsel and asked them.  They said, "Confused dreams.  Perhaps you ate too much before bed." His council was a good and honest group.

They said, "These are confusing dreams, and we are not skilled at dream-interpretation," (12:44)

Their advice was fair because the person who says, "I don't know," is at least being honest.  That gives you the freedom to ask someone else or keep searching for the answer.  If they had pretended to know and made something up, you might have trusted them and ended up going down the wrong path.

While all this was happening in the Palace, Allah had prepared the ground for Y?suf.  He, peace be upon him, was in prison for a crime he did not commit.  He had two young men for cellmates.  Listen to the following Aya,

Two young men went into prison alongside him.  One of them said, "I dreamed that I was pressing grapes;" the other said, "I dreamed that I was carrying bread on my head and that the birds were eating it." "Tell us what this means; we can see that you are a righteous man." (12:36)

Did you notice what the young men said?  They described Prophet Joseph as a righteous man, which means that they, a couple of criminals, knew what was good.  When matters became personal, such as disturbing dreams, the young men did not seek a fellow criminal for advice but a good man worthy of their trust.  People who deviate from God's path still appreciate the purification faith brings to individuals and communities.  We say, "The heart knows what is right." The honest person is respected even by the liar, and the Alcoholic admires the one who does not drink Alcohol.   How could you judge another person except when you have a measure by which you know good from evil?

When his cellmates approached Joseph, asking about disturbing dreams, he, peace be upon him, could have simply given them the interpretation and moved on.  But that was not his true mission.  Instead, he saw it as an opportunity to guide and benefit these lost young men.  Before answering their questions, Y?suf turned their attention to faith and truth, for he was a prophet from a noble line of heavenly messengers.  Listen to the following Aya,

He answered: "I will give you its interpretation before the next meal you are served arrives.  This knowledge is one of the things my Lord has taught me.  I have given up the religion of those who do not believe in God and deny the life to come.  (12:37)

Our beloved Joseph purified himself, but pay attention to how and why he did it.  He wanted to guide the hands of the young men to his Lord; thus, he mentioned his skills and gifts, then attributed them to God's blessings, saying, "I will give you its interpretation before the next meal you are served arrives.  This knowledge is one of the things my Lord has taught me."

This exemplifies proper self-purification, a practice highly encouraged in such circumstances.  Joseph attributed every talent and gift to Allah, emphasizing that they were not inherent to him.  Even more significantly, he explained to the young men why God had blessed him with the ability to interpret dreams, saying, "I have rejected the religion of those who do not believe in God and deny the life to come." In other words, if you have faith and follow God's path, you too can receive blessings and gifts from the Almighty.  Joseph continued,

And I follow the faith of my forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  We don't associate anything with Allah.  And that is how Allah has favored us and all mankind, but most do not give thanks.  (12:38)

 

It is possible for you to be like me if you follow this path.  Y?suf then presented the essence of faith, addressing the minds of these young men.  He asked,

O my prison mates, what is better?  Diverse and numerous gods or Allah, the One, the Conqueror?  All those you worship apart from Him are mere names you and your forefathers have invented, names for which God has sent down no sanction.  Authority belongs to God alone, and He orders you to worship none but Him: this is the true faith, though most people do not realize it. (12:39-40)

You have many gods, yet you came to me—the man who worships the One God, the Creator—for guidance about your dreams.  Having many gods might make you feel stronger, but in reality, it only brings confusion and weakness.  In your moment of need, you turned to one who worships the One God.  Once again, our beloved Joseph purified himself before the prisoners so they could also seek purification from Allah.  Then, he, peace be upon him, gave them the answer they came for.

Fellow prisoners, one of you will serve his master with wine; the other will be crucified, and the birds will peck at his head.  That is the end of the matter on which you asked my opinion.  (12:41)

We now return to the troubled King who, after hearing about Y?suf's gift, said, "Bring him to me so that I may make him one of my trusted advisors."  Listen to what happened next,

"Truthful Joseph!  Tell us the meaning of seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean ones, seven green ears of corn, and seven others withered," he said.  "You will sow for seven consecutive years."  Then leave in the ear whatever you harvest, except a little that you eat.  After that will come seven years of hardship, which will consume all but a little of what you stored up for them; after that will come a year when the people will have abundant rain and will press grapes." (12:46-49)

Matters began to unfold exactly as Joseph foretold.  As the King's trust in Joseph increased, he, peace be upon him, approached him and asked,

Joseph said, "Put me in charge of the nation's storehouses, for I am a good custodian, a knowledgeable one." (12:55)

Here, again, Y?suf purified himself and highlighted his qualifications.  Why?  Because national security is not a matter of experimentation, trial and error, but a very serious issue that demands precise and wise management.  Joseph had the qualifications for this job, so he did not hesitate to step forward and offer his services to the nation. 

We hope that today's tafsir made clear to you when to step forward and promote yourself, and when not to.  If you learned something new, please share it with a loved one.