By Allah, verily Allah hath preferred thee above us, and we were indeed sinful. (91) He said: Have no fear this day! May Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy. (92)
A man with a generous and kind heart has no room for vengeance or malice, and at the moment of triumph he shows greater benevolence towards others and more humility towards God. Joseph then said to his brothers: ""Go with this shirt of mine and lay it on my father's face, he will become (again) a seer; and come to me with all your folk ""(93). Well into his journey from Palestine to Egypt, Jacob cried: ""Truly I am conscious of the breath of Joseph, though ye call me dotard "" (94). This phrase again brings us face to face with the mysteries of premonition and the world of the unseen.
We are left wondering as to how Jacob could have felt Joseph's existence? How could he have perceived of events that had taken place hundreds of miles away? "Then, when the bearer of glad tidings came, he laid it on his face and he became a seer once more. He said: Said I not unto you that I know from Allah that which ye know not? "(96). A few days later Joseph's first dream was also to come true, as did the other two he had interpreted in the course of this surah.
And when they came in before Joseph, he took his parents unto him, and said: Come into Egypt safe, if Allah will! (99) And he placed his parents on the dais and they fell down before him prostrate, and he said: O my father! This is the interpretation of my dream of old. My Lord hath made it true, and He hath shown me kindness, since He took me out of the prison and hath brought you from the desert after Satan had made strife between me and my brethren. Lo! my Lord is tender unto whom He will. He is the Knower, the Wise. (100)
Having related these part of Joseph's story, God turns to address Prophet Muhammad, saying: "This is of the tidings of the Unseen which We inspire in thee (Muhammad). Thou wast not present with them when they fixed their plan and they were scheming "(102). Besides the obvious fact that the Prophet had not been present during those events, the Quran confirms that he had no knowledge of them prior to receiving the Qur'anic revelation. It was in effect warning his detractors that Muhammad's knowledge of all such matters had come from God. Such rejectionists and cynical critics can still be found today, but God urges His Prophet to: "Say: This is my Way: I call on Allah with sure knowledge. I and whosoever followeth me - Glory be to Allah! - and I am not of the idolaters " (108). But such doubters are negligent and totally oblivious of the evidence pointing to God and the truth of His revelation: " How many a portent is there in the heavens and the earth which they pass by with face averted! "(105)
Muhammad al-Ghazali
[ 1917 - 1996 ]
Excerpt from " A Thematic Commentary On The Qur'an "
Perhaps at this juncture; in 2012 when Muslims of Palestine are currently bivouked in small pockets of 'islands' surrounded by belligerent grandchildren of Yusuf and Jacob; post 911 and all, with the present day 'misguided' followers and ex-followers of prophet Isa [ Jesus ], in cohort with the grandchildren of Yusuf and Jacob, having covert and non-covert plans and design on Muslim lands; I think, it would be appropriate to end the saga of prophet Yusuf with a Talmudic and Biblical contribution, to underline that despite all these umbrage amongst the latter 'people of the books', the close proximity of these three great 'nations' on earth, indeed once exist:
Once Yusuf, riding with his retinue, happened to pass by the place where Zulaikha in her utter misery was spending her days. On hearing the sound of horses' hoofs many people ran to see the company passing, and all called out, 'It is Yusuf, Yusuf!' On hearing this, Zulaikha desired to look at him once again. When Yusuf saw her he did not recognize her, but he halted, seeing that some woman wished to speak with him. He was moved to see a person in such misery, and asked her, 'What desirest thou of me?' She said, 'Zulaikha has still the same desire, O Yusuf, and it will continue here and in the hereafter. I have desired thee, and thee alone I will desire.' Yusuf became very convinced of her constant love, and was moved by her state of misery. He kissed her on the forehead, and took her in his arms and prayed to God. The prayer of the prophet and the appeal of long-continued love attracted the blessing of God, and Zulaikha regained her youth and beauty. Yusuf said to Zulaikha, 'From this day thou becomest my beloved queen.' They were then married and lived in happiness. 'Verily God hearkens attentively to the cry of every wretched heart.'
For us Muslims, the current tide may not seem to favor us, but we are always reminded that "In their history verily there is a lesson for men of understanding. It is no invented story but a confirmation of the existing (Scripture) and a detailed explanation of everything, and a guidance and a mercy for folk who believe" (111). We are urged by God to have patience and to persevere.
Like prophet Yusuf, those on the side of truth will finally prevail. It is just a matter of time. If it is not to be in this world, then the next. A matter of time.
.......................
From "Pearls & Gem " :-
Surah Yusuf,
http://drnikisahak.blogspot.com/2008/05/pearls-and-gem-from-surah-yusufjoseph.html
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