“Verily there is in their
stories a lesson
to men possessed of
minds; it is not an
invented story, rather
it is a (divine
writ) confirming the
truth ..”
(Qur’an, 12:111).
In the Qur’an we find various stories of historic personalities that are
lessons about men having insights. I will try, however, to present only two of
them in brief: one about Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) and another about Prophet Musa (Moses).
In this first part of the article our concern will be with the earlier, Joseph.
Since his early youth he faced a lot of jealousy, intrigue and terror from his
own elderly brothers (from a different mother). His father, Prophet Jacob
realized this, so he asked Joseph to be careful in dealing with them, but of
course to remain nice in his manners.
Joseph once dreamt that eleven stars, the sun and the moon were
prostrating before him. He related this dream to his father, who asked him not
to tell his brothers about it: “O my
son, do not relate your vision to your brothers, lest they plot against you
some plot, (as) truly Satan is to man a manifest foe” (12:5). Prophet
Jacob understood from that dream that God will elevate him and impart to him
some understanding of the inner meaning of happenings, and will bestow the full
measure of His blessings.
Joseph’s brothers being jealous of him plotted to cast him into the
bottom of a well so that some caravan might pick him up and take him as a slave
to a far country, by which they expect that their father will be solely
concerned with them. And they did the plot.
A caravan of merchants came and surprisingly found this handsome boy
hanged to their bucket, so took him as a slave. Arriving to Egypt, and for his
remarkable beauty the news reached the Governor who bought him and kept him as
a servant for they might adopt him as their son.
But when Joseph grew as an adolescent, his charm fascinated the lady of
the house, so she tried to seduce him, but he prevented her, until one day she
found him in a room, closed the doors and tried to harass him, yet he refused.
She pulled his garment when he went forth to the door, and he opened the door
when his Master was coming in. The lady immediately accused the innocent young
man, and claimed that he tried to harass her. He repelled the accusation and
told his master that it was she who tried to harass him and he refused her seduction.
After some discussion inside the palace, however, the governor preferred to
appease the matter, and told his wife that she was guilty, and asked Joseph to
keep silent.
The story of the affair moved swiftly to the aristocratic rank’s families,
and some high-life women started talking about the governor’s wife scandal.
This smart lady, then, invited those chattering women and prepared for them a
repast with a lot of fruits and many kinds of food, and gave each of them a
knife. In the meantime she ordered Joseph to appear for them. “And when they saw him, they were in awe of
him and cut their hands, and they exclaimed: God preserve us! This is no human
being: this is but a noble angel” (12:30). Thereby, the hostess of that
gathering victoriously announced: “This,
then, is he about whom you have been blaming me! And, indeed, I did try to make
him yield himself unto me, but he remained chaste. Now, however, if he does not
do what I bid him, he shall most certainly be imprisoned, and shall most
certainly find himself among the despised” (12:32).
For a well-guided person like Joseph, he remained firm on his position:
he refused to be seduced or to fall into grievous error. Joseph stood up,
raising his hands supplicant to God: “O
my Lord, prison is more desirable to me than (compliance with) what these women
invite me to; for, unless You turn away their guile from me, I might yet yield
to their allure and become one of those who are unaware (of right and wrong)”
(12:33).
Then comes a period where Joseph goes to prison: The rule of the satanic
force won to imprison the innocent. He stayed there for several years. In that
period Joseph had plenty of time to meditate, to interact with other prisoners
from different kinds of culture and understanding. He tried to teach them whatever
he thought they might need to know. They became friendly with him and listened
to him. Among what he told them:
“.. Behold, I have left behind me the ways
of people who do not believe in God, and who persistently refuse to acknowledge
the truth of the life to come, and I follow the creed of my forefathers
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is not conceivable that we should (be allowed to)
ascribe divinity to aught beside God: this is (an outcome) of God’s bounty unto
us and unto all mankind – but most people are ungrateful” (12:37-38).
Joseph, as a messenger of God, unceasingly tried to give his inmates reasonable
lessons, for example, once he said to them: “which is more reasonable:
(belief in the existence of numerous divine) lords, each of them different from
the other – or (in) the One God, who holds absolute sway over all that exists?”
(12.39)
Once upon a time, the King of the country saw a very strange vision in a
dream: Seven fat cows being devoured by seven emaciated ones, and seven green
ears (of wheat) next to (seven) others that were withered. He wanted to find
somebody who could interpret this dream. Suddenly, one of the former prisoners
remembered Joseph. He asked the king to allow him to see Joseph to interpret
it, as he is the right person to do it. The king gave him the authorization, so
he went to Joseph saying: “Joseph, o you
the truthful one! Enlighten us about (the meaning of a dream in which) seven
fat cows were being devoured by seven emaciated ones, and seven green ears (of
wheat appeared) next to (seven) others that were withered – so that I may
return (with your explanation) unto the people (of the court, and) that they
may come to know” (12:46).
Joseph told him the explanation: “You
shall sow seven years consecutively but that which you reap, leave it in the
ear, except for a little which you eat. Then after that, there shall come seven
hard years which shall devour what you set aside for them, all except a little
which you have preserved. Then after that there shall come a year in which the
people will be granted relief, and in which they will press (fruit)”
(12:47-49).
The king, surprised by such a clear interpretation said: “Bring him to me! And when the messenger
came to him, he said: (First) return to your lord and ask him what of the women
who cut their hands? Surely my Lord has knowledge of their guile” (12:50).
A God-conscious person as Prophet Joseph has his dignity. There was an
unjust sentence taken against him, which led him to prison for some years,
while he was innocent. So before acceding the king’s call, he first wanted him
to know what would happen to him, and the reason why he was condemned unjustly.
Thereupon the King sent for those women, and when they came, he started investigating
and questioning, and discovered the scandal. The women said that they did not
perceive the least evil conduct on Joseph’s part. Then the wife of Joseph’s former master exclaimed: “Now has the truth come to light! It was I
who sought to make him yield himself to me – whereas he, behold, was
indeed among the truthful persons”
(12:51).
When Joseph learned what had happened in front of the king, and the
affair had been cleared up, he said to the king’s messenger: “I asked for this
investigation and the clearance, so that my former master might know that I did
not betray him behind his back, and that God does not bless with His guidance
the artful schemes of those who betray their trust” (see 12:52). And although
it was clear for everybody that Joseph was innocent, and was imprisoned
unjustly, yet he said humbly: “And yet, I am not trying to absolve myself,
for, verily, man’s inner self does incite (him/her) to evil, and saved are only
they upon whom my Lord bestows His grace. Behold, my Lord is much-Forgiving, a
Dispenser of Grace” (12:53).
Then the King asked Joseph to come to him; they had a long talk, and then
the King said to him: From this day on you shall be with us well placed, and
fully trusted (see: 12:54).
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