Recitation of surah Yusuf by Shaykh Abdul Rahman al-Sudais:-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAOSIGTj4mI
JOSEPH'S MODEL FOR DILIGENCE and devotion in the service of God and His message, no matter how great the obstacle might be, is an honorable and commendable one. The surah tells us that his prophethood began as soon as he had come of age: "And when he reached his prime We gave him wisdom and knowledge. Thus We reward the good "(22).
Wisdom and knowledge are the two main essential constituents which God grants His prophets. In al-Anbiya, verse 74, God says: "And unto Lot we gave judgment and knowledge....", while in Qasas, verse 14, God says of Moses that "And when he reached his full strength and was ripe, We gave him wisdom and knowledge. Thus do We reward the good."
However ironic it may seem, despite his noble lineage, Joseph was sold in slavery by people whose main concern was the price they would get for him, and the "And he of Egypt who purchased him said unto his wife: Receive him honourably. Perchance he may prove useful to us or we may adopt him as a son." [21]. Thus a prophet's son found himself serving in a King's household, where he was to come face to face another type of temptation. Even at a ripe young age, Joseph was very concious of God and well known for his piety. God says in the surah: "...Thus we established Joseph in the land that We might teach him the interpretation of events. And Allah was predominant in His career, but most of mankind know not. "(21)
Joseph respected the man who had taken him into his own household and became exceptionally loyal to him. He was not of the despotic and arrogant type of Egyptian chiefs, but was decent and honorable one. A friendly and sincere relationship had developed between the two men, as Joseph continued to observe and uphold the religious beliefs and traditions of his ancestors as well as their belief in the one God, preserving at the same time his personal virtue and upright conduct. Being accepted into the ruler's family and treated liek a son, however, did not stop the lady of the house from coveting to win Joseph's emotional and sensual attention. She could not resist his charm and beauty and pursued him for the satisfaction of her pleasure. But Joseph was beyond temptation, and as soon as the lady began to coax him into seduction his virtuous instincts were alerted. He recalled the honor he had inherited from his forefathers as well as the trust placed in him by the master of the household, and decided that under no circumstances could he betray either of them. The scene was set:
And she, in whose house he was, asked of him an evil act. She bolted the doors and said: Come! He said: I seek refuge in Allah! Lo! he is my lord, who hath treated me honourably. Lo! wrong-doers never prosper. (23]
Being who he was, Joseph could not but refuse such an invitation and pass that severe test. Prophet Muhammad is reported to have said that among the seven people God Almighty would confer special favor upon the Day of Judgement is "a man seduced by a woman of beauty and power but refuses her advances, saying ' I fear God...''
Joseph, more than anyone else, would be expected to take precisely that stance. His resolve confirmed by the lady herself who admitted: " I asked of him an evil act, but he proved continent..."32)
As a virile man, fully developed man in the prime of his youth, Joseph's desire would under such circumstances be quite naturally aroused, but at that very moment he would also be aware that he could not allow himself to be led by those desires. Personal honor, religious faith, and fear of God would all combine to control the carnal passions and sensual feelings he must, as a human being, have experienced. Were he bereft of these natural human emotions and feelings, were he passionless or inadequate, he would merit no credit for resisting this lady's amorous advances.
She verily desired him, and he would have desired her if it had not been that he saw the argument of his Lord. Thus it was, that We might ward off from him evil and lewdness. Lo! he was of Our chosen slaves. (24)
Faith triumphed over temptation, and Joseph's integrity and chastity were preserved intact.. As Joseph tuned away, making his way towards the door, the Egyptian chief's wife ran after him, grabbing his shirt and tearing it as he dashed away from her towards the door. The drama reached fever pitch when the husband appeared on the scene and the wife, spurned and driven by rage and guilt, immediately retorted, accusing Jiseph of attacking her, demanding that he should be punished. She said: "...What shall be his reward, who wisheth evil to thy folk, save prison or a painful doom? "(25). Convinced of his innocence, Joseph said without hesitation: ".. She it was who asked of me an evil act..."[26]. There was no video or voice recording, and no material evidence to support either claim, but circumstantial evidence was overwhelmingly in Joseph's favor. Simple logic and common sense pointed to the fact that since his shirt was torn from the back, Joseph must have been innocent.
...And a witness of her own folk testified: If his shirt is torn from before, then she speaketh truth and he is of the liars. (26) And if his shirt is torn from behind, then she hath lied and he is of the truthful. (27) So when he saw his shirt torn from behind, he said: Lo! this is of the guile of you women. Lo! the guile of you is very great. (28]
Such circumstantial evidence is admissible in Islamic courts, and so is that obtained through the analysis of fingerprint, blood samples and other modern forensic techniques. [...including DNA sampling etc etc and etc..this is my addition.... with the proviso the chain of 'legality and honesty' in collection are maintained ]. The Egyptian chief's wife persisted in protesting her innocence, but as the rumors spread outside her household she could no longer hide her infatuation with Joseph while at the same time seeking justification for her behavior. Her plea to other women who blamed her would have been: if you were in my position you would have done the exactly what I did! The narrative continues: "And women in the city said: The ruler's wife is asking of her slave-boy an ill-deed. Indeed he has smitten her to the heart with love. We behold her in plain aberration "(30). To prove her point. the chief's wife invited a group of women to a banquet and gave each one a sharp knife with which to cut the food and then asked Joseph to appear before them. They were totally enthralled with his charm and were taken by how handsome he looked that unconsciously cut their hands with the knives they were holding, and said: "This is no a human being. This is not other than some gracious angel " (31). At last, as the women's emotions ran high, enraged with frustration and fury, she had no choice but admit: "This is he on whose account ye blamed me. I asked of him an evil act, but he proved continent, but if he do not my behest he verily shall be imprisoned, and verily shall be of those brought low. "(32)
It is clear that this admission on her part had come as a result of her realization that the evidence against her was overwhelming. Her guilt became established. Freudian and other modern schools of human psychology have sought to find justification for permissiveness, indecency, and illicit sexual behavior. Perversion is portrayed as 'normal' and moral discipline as repressive. But history tells us that immorality and promiscuity undermine societies and can indeed destroy whole civilizations. Joseph's reaction was the epitome of integrity, manliness, and humility when he said:
O my Lord! Prison is more dear than that unto which they urge me, and if Thou fend not off their wiles from me I shall incline unto them and become of the foolish. (33) So his Lord heard his prayer and fended off their wiles from him. Lo! He is Hearer, Knower. (34)
He was rescued from his lady's scheming and, notwithstanding his honesty and trustworthiness, was put in prison. "And it seemed good to them (the men-folk) after they had seen the signs (of his innocence) to imprison him for a time. "[35]
Shaykh Muhammad al-Ghazali
[ 1917 - 1996 ]
Reflection and commentary by Shaykh Yasir Qadhi:-
Part 3 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diBnC7vprZk&feature=relmfu
Part 4 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKBOfCaM-9c&feature=relmfu
Part 5 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3oidWu4aQ4&feature=relmfu
Part 6 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9BuDc3V_Tg&feature=relmfu
Part 7 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl4z-bl18js&feature=relmfu
Part 8 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nfe7looJJo&feature=relmfu
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