“Then it seemed to them, after they had seen the signs (of his innocence), to imprison him till a time.”
TAFSEER
From Palace to Prison:
The strange meeting between the Egyptian women and Yusuf in the palace of the ‘Aziz, with its particular tumult, ended. The fear of the increasing damage the sex scandal was causing to the prestige of his family.
In the view of people, it was becoming more and more every day. The ‘Aziz and his advisors thought that the only way to rescue the situation was to remove Yusuf from the scene entirely, and the best way to do that was to send him to prison.
This would not only help the people forget about the situation, but would also make it seem that real culprit had been Yusuf himself.
The Qur’an in this holy verse says:
“Then it seemed to them, after they had seen the signs (of his innocence), to imprison him till a time.”
In such morally decrepit environments, apparently freedom only belongs to those who are corrupt and so does everything else, whereas the pure and God-fearing individuals, like Yusuf, must be isolated and imprisoned. However, such a situation never lasts forever.
Then it occurred to them”. Them in this ayah refers to the nobles of the city. The Aziz and the other upper classmen of the city – the ones whose wives were enthralled with Yusuf (AS). They came up with an idea to send Yusuf to prison after seeing that their wives were madly in love with Yusuf (AS).
The scandal was all over the city so they need to figure out a way to suppress this scandal. They decided that the only way they could suppress the scandal and remove Yusuf from their wives’ lives was to imprison him without trial until a given time. They knew that Yusuf (as) was innocent. They knew that it was really their own women who were guilty because they had sought to seduce Yusuf, but still they decided to send an innocent man to prison.
Some scholars say that Yusuf was taken to prison in chains. Before they put him in the prison, they made him ride on a donkey, and he was paraded across the streets of the city for all to see. The people thought him to be a criminal even though he was the most innocent and righteous of men in their city. Yusuf (AS) bore with patience all that was done to him, and he took comfort in the fact that Allah (swt) was well Aware of all his sufferings.
Explanations;
- Only a person with a distracted mind would engage in a fruitless act causing trouble for everyone, like throwing an important needle into the bottom of a well which could not be found and taken out by a hundred wise men.
- Love is such a distraction. A woman fell in love and although many men and high-ranking officials of a country joined together to solve the problems caused by that woman, they were unable to find a solution.
- Trials and courts are held in default of a person aften as ceremonial gestures in palaces where despots and dictators live, assure the condemnation of the innocent.
- Those people who dwell in luxurious palaces are usually reckless and brash. Despite all the reasons in his favour, Yusuf was still convicted and sent to prison.
Reflection:
‣ The magnitude of gossiping
‣ Yusuf (u) was known for being a slave.
‣ Rumor spreads faster than a wild fire.
‣ The wife of Al-Aziz was known for being a rich, famous, and a powerful woman.
‣ The wife of Al-Aziz was determined to get what she wanted.
‣ Half of the world’s beauty was given to Yusuf.
‣ Angles are beautiful.
‣ You are what your friends are.
‣ If a believer is given a choice to choose between sabr at the time of hardship and
committing a sin he/she should choose sabr (patience).
‣ 3 types of patience
- Patience in obedience of Allah (doing good deeds)
• Prophet said “The best of deeds are that which is most consistent, even if it’s a
small amount.”
- Abu Hurayra said “From my khalil (prophet), I never left these three deeds: 1.praying 3 rakas of witr,
- fasting 3 days a month,
- praying 2 rakas before fajr.”
- Make goals to make a minimum of good deeds to be consistent 1)It’s the most beloved to Allah (consistency) 2)Patience in staying away from what is prohibited 3)Patience when calamity strikes
‣ Allah responds to the call of the distressed.
‣ Yusuf (u) was harmed for greater benefit.
‣ Yusuf (u) asked Allah to help him.
‣ Ibn Alqayyim said in his book Ighathit al-lahfaan, she did in spite of the following reasons:
- She was the wife of the Aziz and no one would dear to say anything about her, and when the women talked they did not mention her by name
- Her Husband was power full man in Egypt
- Yusuf was just a slave who had no place in the society
- She initiated it
‣ Ibn Alqayyim said in his book Ighathit al-lahfaan, she did in spite of the following reasons:
- Love blinded her
- He was far righteous than her
- They desired the act to continue in the future
- The act was considered sinful yet they were willing to do i
- She dressed him well for the rise of the occasion
- She asked him to show himself to them unexpectedly without any notice
‣ Ibn Tayyaimiya said the wisdom behind Yusuf choosing prison over what they were asking
to do is two:
• He choose prison over zina
• He asked Allah to strength his heart
‣ When we leave something for Allah, Allah will reward us better in this world and in the hereafter.
‣ We should choose the creator over the creation.
‣ We should choose everlasting joy over temporary enjoyment.
‣ We should flee to Allah at times of weakness.
Lesson ;
1) Allah “broke” Yusuf by taking him out of comfortable circumstances and stretching him. Allah often has to “break” us before He (swt) can use us for greater purpose. Think how has Allah “broken” you? How did He (swt) “strengthen” you?
2)Yusuf’s life teaches us that disappointments are vital to spiritual growth because they demand faith and resting all hope upon Allah. Delay never prevents Allah’s purposes; it only polishes the person. How is Allah (swt) “polishing” you?
3)Allah is in control even when it seems that your world is spinning madly out of control. Is there something going on in your life today that is hard for you to understand? Take it to Allah and trust His plans.
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