Surah Yusuf #106

“And most of them do not believe in Allah except that they associate others (with him).”

This verse indicates that most of those who claim to be believers in Allah in fact associate others with Him, their faith is not pure but mixed with the worship of and reliance upon others.

Imam Rida (as) has said that polytheism in this verse does not mean blasphemy and the worship of idols. Rather, it means focusing 
one’s attention on anything other than Allah.
(Nur-uth-Thaqalayn )

This again is a very profound verse. 
For the majority of the Quraysh, their problem was that they believed in Allāh but along with Allāh they believed in multiple gods. 

Here Allāh ‘azza wa jall is pointing out a fundamental fact of our religion: 

to believe in Allāh is not the essence of īmān. 

The Quraysh also believed in Allāh. 

The Quraysh believed Allāh created them and will resurrect them and Allāh is All-Powerful, but that did not make them Muslims. 

This is a very important point in our times. 

There are people who do believe in all of these things, but they are guilty of very grave crimes of shirk.

For example, common practices that we find sometimes is that people are invoking the dead and making du‘ā’ They make du‘ā’ to this person. 

If you were to ask them, “how could you make du‘ā’ to this person? Aren’t you a Muslim?” 

He would say, “Of course I am a Muslim. Astaghfirullāh. I believe in Allāh and I believe Allāh created me and will resurrect me.” 

All that he has just said is exactly what they Quraysh would say, and this verse clearly shows it. 

Most of them believe in Allāh and Allāh says, “They have īmān in Allāh but they do shirk along with that belief.”

Ibn ‘Abbās explained this verse. He said, 

“This verse means if you ask them, ‘Who created you?’ They would say, ‘Allāh,’ but when it comes to what they need, they ask other than Allāh.” 

They say, “I am too sinful. I cannot approach Allāh directly. I have to go through the wali. I believe in Allāh. I am a Muslim.”

Even Iblīs believes in Allāh. 

Does Iblīs deny Allāh exists? 

Is he an atheist? 

No. 

Didn’t Iblīs make a du‘ā’ to Allāh “Qāla Rabbi…”? 

What does “qāla Rabbi” mean? 

My Rabb. Iblīs is saying, “Allāh is my Rabb. 

Allāh is my Lord. Allāh is my Creator.” 

Iblīs even makes du‘ā’ to Allāh, “O my Lord, allow me to live until the Day of Judgment.” 

Does that make Iblīs a mu’min because he believes in Allāh? Of course not.

A lot of us Muslims don’t know our own religion and think that if we believe in Allāh then we are a Muslim. 

Iblīs believes in Allāh. 

Abu Lahab believed in Allāh. 

By the time testimony of the Qur’ān: “They have īmān in Allāh.” 

What did they do? 

They would ask others besides Allāh for what they need. They would go to their idols and say, 

“O idol, save me. O idol, give me a child. O idol, forgive my sins.” 

They thought that these idols would then take their requests up to Allāh. 

SubḥānAllāh, the exact same mentality 100% is found in those people who go to the graves and the saints. 

They say the exact same thing: “We believe in Allāh, but we need to go through [them].”

This is the *beauty* of Islam. 

There is a *direct* channel. 

You don’t go through the operator.

There is a direct line between you and Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla). 

Going through individuals is the essence of shirk. 

This is a beautiful verse that we can use to prove that believing in Allāh is not sufficient to be a Muslim. 

You can have īmān in Allāh and still be a mushrik. 

Allāh says, “They have īmān and they do shirk.” When you have īmān and do shirk, the shirk cancels the īmān and it is not accepted by Allāh ‘azza wa jall.

Allāh ‘azza wa jall is saying, “Their problem is that they worship others besides Allāh.”

The Signs of a Sincere Believer

  1. He who does not expect a reward or thanks from anyone when he spends out something to someone.
    “…no reward do we desire from you, nor thanks.”(96/9)
  2. In worship: he will only be subservient to Allah and to no one else.
    “…and make none sharer to the worship due unto his Lord.” (18/110)
  3. In the propagation of the faith, he will not receive rewards from any other than Allah.
    “…my reward is only with Allah…”(34/47)
  4. In matrimony, he will not fear poverty, and he will marry being confident that Allah is true to His promises.
    “…if they are needy, Allah will make them free from want out of his grace…”(24/32)
  5. In his communication with people, he will surely be more concerned about satisfying Allah (s.w.t.) than satisfying others.
    “…Say Allah; then leave them sporting…”(6/91)
  6. In fighting the enemy he will fear no one but Allah.
    “…and do not fear anyone but Allah;…”(33/40)
  7. In love and affection, he will love no one as much as he loves Allah.
    “…but for those who have faith, their love of Allah is more intensive.”(2/165)
  8. In business and commerce, he will never forget Allah (s.w.t.).
    “Men whom neither merchandise nor selling diverts from the remembrance of Allah…”(24/37)

Yusuf Verse #105

“And how many a sign there is in the heavens and on the earth which they pass by while they turn away from it.”

Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla) is saying, “Ya Rasūlullāh, you have clear signs. 
You are truthful, have miracles, and have no motivation. 

You are not the only sign. 
They have plenty of other signs. 

If they are ignoring you, ya Rasūlullāh, get some consolation that they have been ignoring other signs long before you came on the scene. 

You are not the only sign. How many are the miracles in the heaven and the earth.”

The miracles of the heavens are the sun, the moon, the stars, and the creation. 

On this earth you have the natural and the man-made.

Of the natural [miracles is], of course, the beauty of the oceans and the mountains and valleys and irrigation and cultivation. 

When it comes to man-made, you have the remnants of the nations of old. 

The Arabs had plenty of ancient civilizations, which to this day are marvels to humanity. 

The people of ‘Ād, the people of Thamūd, those who carved things into the mountains. 

To this day, we have no idea how they built palaces. 

Have you ever seen pictures of the Nabiteans, the people of Thamūd? 

There are pictures you can see online and maybe some of you have been there and visited. 

They literally have palaces carved into the mountains. 

Their house is in the mountain. 

They have bunk beds carved into the mountains. 

They have rooms carved inside the mountains. 

The Arabs were very familiar with these cultures. 

To this day we have no idea how this happened just like the pyramids in Egypt.

Allāh is saying, “Look at these signs. 
You are not the first civilization, and you are not going to be the last. 

How many are the signs they have walked by and they don’t even think about it.”

Notice the beautiful choice of verb here: 

yamurrūn. Murūr literally in Arabic today means traffic. 

Yamurrūn means they are walking without thinking. 

Marra means just to pass by. 

Allāh ‘azza wa jall uses a very precise word. 

They walk by it without even thinking about it. 

They are completely turned away from it even though they are walking by it. 

While they are walking by, it is as if they have turned away. 

While they go right by it, they don’t even see it. This, of course, is the reality of humanity. 

We see the beautiful signs around us – natural signs and miracles – and we don’t think about it.

Then Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta‘āla) consoles the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) once again.

Lesson

We have to observe and learn from the signs of Allah. E.g. Sun, moon, stars, and ocean etc.

Surah Yusuf #104

“And you do not ask them for any reward for it; it (the Qur’an) is no other than a reminder for all mankind.”

In other words, remember what is the conclusion of Yūsuf. 

Why is Allāh ‘azza wa jall going into this conclusion? 

Allāh ‘azza wa jall is linking the sūrah to the message of our Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). 

He is linking the stories to the life and times of Rasūlullāh (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and is telling the people: 

“Where do you think this sūrah is coming from? 

Where do you think this Qur’ān is coming from? 

You did not know these stories. 

The story of Yūsuf and his brothers was unknown to you, and it is an accurate story that is being revealed in the most eloquent language to an illiterate, unlettered man. 

Where did it come from?”

Then Allāh is proving the fact that this is a book from Allāh and is saying,

“Your sincerity is clear. 
You have no motivation.” 

Now Allāh gets to the issue of motivation. 

It is human nature that we do everything for a motive. Everything that we do has a motive to it. 

You go to work for a reason. 

You do everything in your life for a reason. 

Even in a court of law, if you establish certain evidence, you also have to say what is his motive for the crime and why he did it because it is human nature that there is a motive for everything that is done.

Allāh ‘azza wa jall in this āyah is challenging the people to think why would a man start to go against his whole nation and preach a doctrine that will bring about initial persecution and humiliation. 
What is in it for him? 

Does he want power? 
Does he want prestige? 

What prestige is he What is his motivation? 

Do you think he wants money? 

He is not asking you for money.

This is one of the Sunan of Allāh ‘azza wa jall. Rasūl has sunan. Allāh’s Sunan are mentioned in the Qur’ān. 
What is the Sunan of Allāh? 

Allāh has a custom that He shows in humanity. 

A part of the custom of Allāh is that the messengers never get any reward in this world. 

Every prophet comes and says the same message: “I am not asking you for money. 

I am not asking you for power. I am not asking you for any reward.” 

Because their motivation has been negated except for sincerity – in other words, any possible motivation has been negated. “I’m not asking you for anything other than this message and call.”

This is why Allāh is saying, “You are not even asking even money from them.” 

This is a powerful tool that we can use when we talk about Islam: 

go study the life of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and go see for yourself why he would preach this. 
What did he gain? 
The message is simple, powerful, and rational. The messenger is flawless. What can you say?

“**This is only a dhikr for all of the world.”**

Allāh is saying that this Qur’ān is a dhikr for any category, whether it is humanity versus the jinn or even within humanity there are many different groups.

This Qur’ān is a dhikr. 

What does dhikr mean? 

Dhikr means a remembrance or a reminder. 

The most common names are the Qur’ān and the Kitāb – these two are the most common names in the book of Allah.

The two names are complementary. Qur’ān means that which is recited, and Kitāb means that which is written. The Qur’ān and the Kitāb are complementary because Allāh has promised to preserve the recitation along with preserving the writing. 

You always need the recitation along with the Book. The ḥāfiẓ has the Qur’ān and uses the kitāb. 

Both are complementary names. One is the recitation and the other is the speech.

The third most common name of the Qur’ān is Dhikr. This is what is used over here. 

Dhikr here means that it is meant to remind and meant to bring about something that you already know. 

This is a powerful message that the message of the Qur’ān is not unique and you should know it.

What is Allāh saying by using the word dhikr? 

By using the word dhikr, Allāh is implying that the basic message of the Qur’ān you should know, and when the Qur’ān comes down, it should remind you of that basic message. 

You guys are following this point, right? 

The Qur’ān is a dhikr, meaning that it is nothing new.

What is not new? 

The basic message that there is One God who is All-Perfect and worthy of being worshipped. 

This is a message you don’t need to be taught; you know it already. 

How does mankind know this message? 

This is why the Qur’ān is called Dhikr because dhikr means it is reminding you of a message you should know.

DHIKIR also means that it is going to remind you over and over and over again. 

It is always going to be a reminder and is never going to go away. In another verse. Allāh says in the Qur’ān: “This Qur’ān shall be a dhikr for you and your nation.” 

What is the meaning here of dhikr? 

One of the meanings is: “This Qur’ān will take you places. You will have an ‘izzah because of this Qur’ān.” 

Allāh is saying, “This book will take you places.” That is one of the meanings of dhikr. Dhikr in that context means: you will be remembered and you will leave a legacy because of this book. 

These are some of the meanings of dhikr, and Allāh ‘azza wa jall here is saying 

“This is a dhikr for all of humanity.”

The fourth most common name is Furqān. 

You should memorize these names: Qur’ān, Kitāb, Dhikr, and Furqān. 

These are the four most common names of the Qur’ān in the Qur’ān. 

Furqān means the criterion. Furqān means that which separates good from evil, truth from falsehood, īmān from kufr.

In this verse, once again, the concluding verses all mean to prove the truthfulness of the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and the religion of Islam.

Lesson

We have no excuse to reject the call of the Prophet. He is not asking for anything in return. His conveying of the message is benefiting you only.

Yusuf Verse #103

“And most people will not believe, though you desire it.”

Allāh is saying, “Even though it is so clear that this Qurʾān is from Allāh and even though it is so clear that you are getting waḥy, most of mankind will not believe despite the fact that you want them to believe.” 

This clearly shows us the mentality of our Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam). 

He wanted good (khayr) for his ummah. 

Ḥariṣ means to be extra eager and extra passionate about something. 

Allāh ‘azza wa jall uses this word for our Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in Sūrah Tawbah: 

“There has come to you a prophet amongst you. 

He finds it difficult to see your pain. 

He is ever protective, ever careful, ever loving towards you. 

The Rasūl is extra merciful and extra compassionate as much as humanly possible.

Allāh ‘azza wa jall Himself calls our Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) ever eager to help you and guide you. 

Our Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) also explained in one ḥadīth: 

“My example with my nation and my people is that I see them trying to jump into the fire, and I’m holding onto their belt trying to drag them out, and they want to try to disobey me and jump into the fire.” 

He is describing his relationship with the people. 

He doesn’t care if they are acting foolishly, he has to try to save them. 

This is what Allāh ‘azza wa jall is saying: 

“I know you are eager for your people. I know you want to guide your people, but it is not your job. Your job is to convey. “

Allāh ‘azza wa jall is just giving us the status quo that
“no matter how eager you are, ya Rasūlullāh, and no matter how much you want to guide them, the majority of people, even if you want, are not going to be guided.” 

This shows us that the truth does not necessarily lie in the majority. 

The majority can say something, within Islam or outside of Islam; the truth is independent of numbers and quantity. 

The truth is quality. 

Sometimes it has quantity, such as the time of the sahabah, and sometimes it doesn’t. 

This is a verse that clearly shows us that if 20 people or 50 people want to propagate something, it doesn’t necessarily make it the truth. 

The truth is different than what the majority might say.

Surah Yusuf #102

“That is of the news of the Unseen (which) We reveal to you (O’ Prophet); and you were not with them (the brothers of Joseph) when they agreed upon their plan and they were plotting.”

This is of the news of the ghayb…”

“All of this is from the knowledge of the ghayb that We have inspired to you.” The word min is ‘from.’

“**And you were not with them when they gathered together to plot against Yūsuf (‘alayhi’l-salām).”**

Allāh mentions one incident in the whole story: 

when they gathered together to plot against Yūsuf. 

Why does He mention this one instance? 

He doesn’t say that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was not with them in the palace of the king 

Or

that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu alayhi wassallam was not with him when he was in the well 

Or

that the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) was not with them when they went to Egypt. 

Why doesn’t He mention all of these? 

Why does He mention the one point that he was not with them when they gathered to plot against Yūsuf? 

It was the most secret point of the whole story. 

Nobody knew it. 

They intended to make a secret out of it, and they hid from everybody else, and nobody could have ever told him the conversation in the beginning of the surah other than Allāh ‘azza wa jall. 

Allāh ‘azza wa jall is saying, 

“You weren’t there when they gathered together while they were plotting and planning against Yūsuf.” 

Allāh signifies the most secretive of all of the gatherings in the whole story.

What is the purpose of saying, 

“You weren’t there?” 

Of course the Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) knows he wasn’t there. 

Allāh ‘azza wa jall is addressing the world through him and is asking mankind to think. 

Where do you think these stories come from? 

Of the greatest miracles of our Prophet (ṣallallāhu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is the fact that the Qurʾān mentions these stories.

Then Allah says to the Prophet (PBUH), 

“and you were not with them when they gathered together, and when they plotted”. 

In this story, we find narrations of events that no other human being could possibly have witnessed. 

When the brothers of Yusuf (AS) gathered together and plotted on how they could get rid of their brother then was their anyone else who was there with them? 

Was there any human being who recorded this event and who recorded what they said? 

Of course not. 

No one was there with them. 

So how then could he (PBUH) have known about what they said to each other? 

Allah reminds the Prophet (PBUH) of this fact in this ayah. 

This is done in order that the Prophet (PBUH) may use this fact in his dawah.

Even though the Prophet (PBUH) brought such clear evidences the vast majority of the Quraysh chiefs did not respond to his dawah. 

Neither did the vast majority of the Jews of Madina. 

Allah consoles the Prophet (PBUH) here by reminding him that such is the nature of this dawah. 

Such is the nature of the call to this Message. 

The vast majority of people simply will not believe.

LESSON 

Learning history is important.