Story Of Prophet Yusuf ✔

PART 20:YUSUF INTERPRET THE DREAMS [Surah Yusuf 12: 41-42]

41. Oh my two companions of the prison, as for one of you he will pour wine for his lord, and as for the other he will be crucified so that the birds will eat from his head. The matter about which you asked has been decreed.

42. And he said to the one whom he was certain would be freed from them both “Mention me in the presence of your lord,” but Shaitan caused him to forget mentioning him to his lord, so he remained in prison for some years.

The word 'lord' refers to the king, and one of the prisoners will be returned to his job of pouring wine for the king to drink. As for the other, he is going to die in a very gruesome and painful way. For many days his body will be left on the cross until the vultures and other carrion-eating birds come and feast from his head. One of these two men will have the best of lives, and the other will have the most painful of deaths, such is what has been decreed for them, and there is nothing that they can do to change it.

Yusuf (AS) asks of the prisoner whom he knew would be freed to mention him (AS) to the king of Egypt. Yusuf (AS) wants the king to know of the injustice that was done to him. He (AS) wants the king to know that he was an innocent man who was imprisoned for no reason. Without a doubt the men who had put Yusuf (AS) in prison were very powerful and the high-class of Egypt. But if there was one person in the land who had more power than them, if there was one person who was able to undo the wrong that they had done, then this would have been the king. This is why Yusuf (AS) tells this young man to mention him to the king.

However, this man had failed to fulfill this simple request that Yusuf (AS) had made as shaitan made him forget, thus Yusuf  (AS) had to remain in prison for seven more years - Test of patience.

LESSONS

1. Without patience there will be no maturity; and without trials, delays, and disappointments there will be no patience. When Yusuf's companion in the prison forgot to mention him to the king it was another disappointment and test of patience. This time he was abandoned by a friend, not an enemy, and for a long time, not a short one. It would have been easy for him to succumb to disappointment. But he didn't put trust in his friend rather his trust was in Allah. Therefore Yusuf had overcome treachery, temptation, and now disappointment with the help of Allah.

2. Patience is not about doing nothing. Patience is the ability to endure a difficult situation without complaining. It means showing self-control and staying calm in the face of frustration, disappointment or boredom. When you're patient, you understand that some things are worth waiting for. But patience isn’t only passive waiting--it means persevering when things get tough. We often get frustrated if we don’t see immediate results. But it's important to wait for the right time to speak or act. Patience is the quality that allows us to wait calmly, to have self-control, and to develop the tolerance for life's little frustrations. Patience means to believe that whatever happens – good or bad – has been decreed by Allah, whether we understand the wisdom behind it or not.

3. What kind of patience Yusuf AS went through in his life? The Test of Abandonment. After Yusuf faithfully helped his friend, King’s cupbearer, he sat in prison for many years. We can make several important observations about Yusuf’s situation:

First, Yusuf was abandoned by a friend. If the enemy abandons you, who cares? What else would you expect? But when a friend forgets you, it cuts deeply.

Second, Yusuf’s abandonment lasted for a lengthy period of time. Yusuf didn’t have to wait a few days or a few weeks but almost seven years. From his perspective, it probably felt like a lifetime. Yusuf went through three types of mistreatments in his life earlier.
1. Mistreatment from his brothers
2. Mistreatment from the people of caravan
3. Mistreatment from Minister's wife

Now we can add a fourth: unfair treatment by one he had helped. The natural response to this kind of is to feel disheartened and betrayed. But Yusuf was not like any other man. At this point you might argue, why didn’t Allah rescue him from his troubles?

So often we’re haunted by the things that Allah “could have done” in our lives, but He didn’t. Many of us get stuck in the “what Allah is NOT doing” narrative. Let’s bring it all together with some lessons we can all learn from Yusuf’s life:

•    Allah’s plans and purposes are far greater than our own!

•    Allah provides and blesses those who persevere to follow His commands.

•    Suffering is not always bad! Allah can use the most painful time of our life for our good.

•    Allah honors patience and perseverance in the time of troubles.

In Minister’s house, Yusuf passed the purity test. In prison, he faced another: the faith test. The exam came in the form of a dream-interpretation sequence. Yusuf passed this test when he testified that interpretations belong to Allah and when the interpretation Yusuf offered came true. However, just because Yusuf made an A+ on the faith test didn’t mean Allah was through with him. Yusuf also had to pass the patience test; the cupbearer’s neglect meant Yusuf would remain in prison indefinitely.

For many people, the patience test is the hardest exam of all. Allah often waits to promote His people to the next level of responsibility until after He has tested their faith in His promises, and such tests often involve discouraging situations during periods of waiting. It’s the few who remain faithful and patient, particularly when life seems unfair, are the ones who are ready for Allah’s next assignment. We all know the pain of disappointment, but if we understand its cause and cure, we can avoid the attitude of pessimism.

First, the cause of disappointment is putting our hope and trust in people. When we put fallible people on pedestals, we allow them to take the place of God. When they fail us, disappointment sets in.

Next, the cure for disappointment is putting our hope and trust in the living Lord. Allah knows just the right message to give us at just the right time, no matter what dungeon we’re living in. All it takes is a sensitive heart, not one preoccupied with revenge, bitterness, hostility, or getting even but one that puts complete trust in Allah’s divine plan.

4. Yusuf was both loved and hated.  Most of us could say the same about our own lives, right? Being loved does not mean that you are the greatest person in the world, nor does the fact that you might be hated make you the worst one, either. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was both despised and adored, as were his companions. Being liked and disliked is just a part of life, even for those that faithfully serve the Lord like Prophets of Allah.  Therefore, we must not allow the love that we receive to cause us to be arrogant, nor should we allow others’ hatred of us to cause us to develop a bitter spirit. Whether we are loved dearly or hated intensely, life goes on.

5. Yusuf had to endure unpleasant circumstances. The following realities of his life come to mind immediately: he lived with ten brothers that hated him, he was sold into slavery, against his will he was forced to live in a foreign country, and he was wrongfully cast into prison. Each of us has had experiences in life that were not enjoyable. But, can any of us truthfully say that we have endured the kind of situations that Yusuf faced? Let us avoid the temptation to complain when severe challenges or hard times come our way. All the Prophet of Allah suffered wrongfully, too. And their response to such sufferings and wrongdoing of others serves as a great lesson for each of us.