“He also said: ‘O’ my sons! Do not enter by one gate, but enter by separate gates. Yet I cannot avail you anything against Allah. Judgment belongs no one but Allah. In Him do I put my trust, and in Him let all that trust put their trust’.”
*Tafseer:*
After winning the approval of their father, the brothers got ready to go to Egypt for the second time taking their younger brother along with them.
Ya‘qub advised them that they should not all enter by one gate to avoid drawing the attention of the jealous minded and those who did not wish them well, instead, they should enter Egypt through different gates, and thus be safer from the evil intentions of people.
those days, cities were surrounded by fortresses and walls – every single city on earth – because wars were common. Once upon a time, there were no borders, and you could expect an attack at any time. Life was very difficult back then. It included Makkah and Madinah. If you look at photographs of Makkah and Madinah that were taken 100 years ago, you find walls around the whole cities.
He said, “Don’t enter by one gate, but rather, enter by different gates.
And what I am telling you to do will not help you at all against Allah.
The decision rests with Allah. In Him I put my trust, and let everybody who puts there trust put their trust in Allah.”
Now, what is entering one door versus entering different doors all about? What Ya‘qub (‘alayhi salaam) is trying to protect them from two things:
1. The first is the legitimate suspicion that would come upon them. These are eleven men, and eleven is a large number for that .
These are eleven strangers literally at the mercy of the government that they are walking into, which is the government of the ministry of Yusuf (‘alayhi salaam) and the king at that time.
He wants to make sure that the people don’t get suspicious of eleven men from a certain town or tribe coming in. They may think: Are they spies?
He has already heard that the king thinks that these are spies. He is saying, “Don’t all go in together. You will attract attention. Everyone enters from a different gate, and then you can meet together at your place of residence in your hotel, but don’t draw the attention of the people because it is causing suspicion.”
2. The second reason is to protect his children from ‘ayn (evil eye). Ya‘qub (‘alayhi salaam) wanted to protect his children from the evil eye. This leads us to the issue of the evil eye.
What is this evil eye? What is al-‘ayn? Is it a reality?
IThe Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) has said in an authentic hadith, “The evil eye is true.”
This story of Ya‘qub as well proves it. There is a reason why he does not want his eleven children to enter together. Why? All of these are sons. For one man to have eleven sons is a big blessing and honor, especially at that time when sons are of great value.
These are all full brothers, and they are all the children of Ya‘qub, and they are all very handsome.
They are all from a foreign race – the race of Bani Isra‘il which is just starting now. Isra‘il is Ya‘qub.
This is a new race that is starting, a new ethnicity. They are all, masha’Allah, young, powerful, strong men.
Who is not going to get jealous amongst the people of Egypt when they find this new race and they are all speaking a language and looking differently and dressing differently. He is worried about ‘ayn.
What is ‘*ayn*?
What exactly is ‘ayn? There are only five or six ahadith about ‘‘Ayn seems to be very true and real from the Qur’an and from the Sunnah.
As for from the Qur’an, we have a clear verse wa min sharri haasidin idha hasad.
The very fact that we seek Allah’s refuge from the evil of the haasid when he has hasad shows us that when a person is jealous – hasad means a burning jealousy – there is an evil that will affect.
What is al-‘ayn? Al-‘ayn is the negative consequences of jealousy.
The Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) said, “Jealousy destroys good deeds like a fire destroys twigs or like a specific herb that destroys honey (it makes it corrupt).”
Jealousy destroys hasanat. The mu’min will never allow the jealousy to go unchecked because jealousy is a filthy feeling. Even when you feel jealous, you feel filthy and think, “Why am I feeling like this?” Jealousy is a filthy feeling, and it is only the evil person who allows jealousy to go unchecked.
What happens when you allow jealousy to go unchecked?
Somehow it causes an effect on the object of jealousy.
How?
One hadith seems to suggest that the jealousy empowers Shaytan.
It gives some type of fuel to Shaytan, and Shaytan can then use that fuel – because Shaytan wants to harm – to get to the other person.
This seems to be the most logical, rational, and also hadith-y interpretation
Reflections
‣ They can go back quickly because they still have the merchandise to go back with
‣ This time prophet Ya‘qub orders his sons not to enter from one door but from multiple
doors
• Why?
– Yusuf was handsome, but his brothers are also handsome
– They’re from a different land
– They dress differently, look different, they will stand out as foreigners
– Also, from the land of prophet Ya‘qub, people were monotheists unlike in
Egypt
– Gates in cities back there were surrounded by fortresses
– He advises them to take precautionary measures so you’re not struck by the evil
eye
– Prophet said “the evil eye is true.” – How does the evil eye happen?
–
– Being extremely angry allows higher chance of possessions
– Not sure how the evil eye actually happens, but it could be a theory – This is all by the will of Allah, but one must take precautions
– When it comes to jealousy, there’s a cure
– Recite the last two surahs of the Quran after each prayer
– Prophet used those two surahs once they were revealed instead of
making dua against evil eye
– We should do that and before we sleep as well
Lesson
What happens when people lose their loved ones, especially parents who lose a child? They begin to question the existence of God and they become very possessive.
Now look at the response of Prophet Yaqub (Peace be upon him) who is being asked by the people who killed his son, to let them take his other son with them. His response was: “The decision rests only with Allah. In him, I put my trust and let all those that trust, put their trust in Him.”
How many of us can say that after losing a loved one?
Remember always that the real test of faith of a Muslim is during times of hardship, not ease
2) There is neither might nor power except with Allah (
The true eye is True . Taking precautionary measures is permissible . The Rest is on Allah. Yaqoob( AS) told his son do not enter from one gate but enter from different gates.