﷽

Reflecting on Surah Yusuf (12:22), which says, 'When Yusuf reached maturity, We granted him wisdom and knowledge. This is how We reward those who do good,' I wondered what Prophet Yusuf AS had done by that time, especially since he hadn’t started his public mission or preaching yet.

Upon deeper reflection, I realized that even though Prophet Yusuf AS had not yet started his prophetic mission, his unshakable faith, patience during hardships, and trust in Allah were in themselves remarkable virtues. These qualities were so valued by Allah that they earned him great rewards, including wisdom and knowledge.

Subhanallah, it’s a powerful reminder of the importance of staying faithful and patient through life’s challenges and how these qualities can bring immense spiritual rewards.

Ya Allah, grant us the strength to maintain our faith and patience in times of difficulty, just as You granted to Prophet Yusuf AS. Help us trust in Your divine plan and guide us with Your wisdom and knowledge. Ameen

Ihsan: The antidote to sadness 

Feeling lonely? Ihsan.
Experienced betrayal? Ihsan.
Need reassurance? Ihsan.
Wanting to experience more of God's mercy, blessings and love? Ihsan.

Surah Yusuf to me highlights ihsan - Prophet Yusuf's ihsan and great moral character regardless of the circumstances - whether he was thrown into a well by his own brothers, sold into slavery for cheap, or thrown into prison for a crime he did not commit - his ihsan did not waiver.  

Ibn 'Ataa رحمه الله said: 'No one listens to Surah Yusuf (with reflection) and they are in a state of sadness except he will find comfort by way of it.' [Tafseer al-Baghawee 2/434, Daar Tayyibah print]. 

So I wonder if Surah Yusuf is all about ihsan and it's recommended for when feeling sadness, is the antidote to sadness to engage in more ihsan? 

Research tells us that volunteering for two hours a week can alleviate feelings of sadness because it gives a sense of contribution and connectedness.  And one of the categories most mentioned in the Quran as those whom God loves are the 'muhsineen' (those who engage in ihsan).  So serving the creation through Ihsan can lead to the love of The Creator and in turn experiencing His ihsan with us.

May we be of the muhsineen. Ameen.

The central line of this comment is wrong. It should be 'Ihsan: The antidote to hopelessness.' In Surah Yusuf, we learn that Prophet Yakub A.S. was sad throughout Yusuf A.S.'s absence. So, a Muslim can be sad, but he cannot be hopeless. 

حضرت یوسف (علیہ السلام) پر بچپن سے آزمائشیں آئیں — کنویں میں پھینکنا، غلامی، قید خانہ — مگر اللہ نے ان آزمائشوں کے ذریعے ان کی تربیت کی، اور جب وہ جوانی (اشدہ) کو پہنچے، تب حکمت اور علم عطا کیا۔ یعنی آپ اپنی زندگی کے چیلنجز سے گھبرائیں نہیں، کیونکہ اللہ انہیں آپ کی صلاحیت بنانے کے لیے استعمال کرتا ہے۔
✨ یہ علم و حکمت ان کے صبر، احسان اور مسلسل struggle کا انعام تھا۔
✨ اللہ فرماتا ہے کہ ہم اسی طرح نیکی کرنے والوں (المحسنین) کو نوازتے ہیں۔

I like the term 'young adult' much more than the word 'teenager'. The concept of being a teenager seems to creates this expectation of a certain type of behaviour. What we expect from the 'teen' and what the 'teen' expects from themselves is influenced heavily by societal norms.

Did you know the concept of being a teenager didn't even really exist until the 1920's? This is a fascinating article about the invention of the vehicle and how the term 'teenager' came to be in America: 

https://www.ushistory.org/us/46c.asp 

Quran is a book that has infinite lessons for us to benefit from. One of my favourite is Surah Yusuf. The more one ponders over its verses, the more Allah SWT unravels it’s hidden treasures.

Today as I was reading the translation of Surah Yusuf I pondered over the life of Prophet Yusuf (as) and realized the choice of words to describe his character.

He is called Muhsin (doer of good, even when others fail him or ill-treat him)

I pondered how from an early age people around him failed him, disappointed him.

He trusted & relied on his brothers, but they deserted him & threw him into the deep, dark well.

When the travellers rescued Yusuf (as) from the well, he must have thought that they’ll reunite him with his beloved father.

But they disappointed him & sold him for mere pennies at the market in Egypt, far away from his father, his home & his country.

He must have had hope and expectations from Aziz & his wife when they bought him & told him that they might adopt him.

But yet again the wife of Aziz ruined his life & shattered his faith in people.

While in prison, the man for whom he interpreted the dream, when he was freed he too forgot about Yusuf (as).

The deception of people, the repeated disappointments from his close friends & family never made him a harsh person.

In spite of such bad experiences with people, he never thought it’s justifiable for him to be harsh to them.

Yet he was good to everyone. He continued to help others. His faith in Allah didn’t waver once. His heart was still filled with mercy, compassion & forgiveness for all.

I reflected that we often become blunt, hard-hearted and harsh when we go through difficulties. When our close friends & family members fail us, we not only become ruthless & but we also tend to justify our wrongdoings.

The life of Yusuf (as) is the epitome of universal love, self-less service and forgiveness. Are our hearts open to take in & implement the profound lessons of Yusuf (as) ‘s beautiful character ?

#inspiredbyYusuf #YusufTaughtMe

The first thing I notice is that Allah mentions knowledge separate from wisdom, pointing out the dissconnection between the both. 
You may have a lot of knowledge but the way you apply it proves if you have wisdom or not. 

Secondly, Alhamdulillah that we have Yusuf (upon him be peace), as a role model. for all those young brothers and sisters, especially living in times where it is the norm to not be chaste.  
How hard would it be for us to do what Yusuf did in his situation.  

Lastly the thing I noticed is that Allah gives him wisdom and knowledge as a reward for being of the good-doers, and somehow we have this conception in our society that I must be educated fully and establish myself before I can actually start doing good. 

Allah knows Best


وأما النور والعلم والحكمة؛ فقد دل عليه قوله تعالى في قصة يوسف: (ولما بلغ أشده آتيناه حكمًا وعلمًا وكذلك نجزي المحسنين)؛ فهي لكل محسن. ابن تيمية:4/22.
السؤال: كل محسن له نصيب من النور والعلم والحكمة، بين ذلك من الآية.

وفي ذكر المحسنين إيماء إلى أنّ إحسانه هو سبب جزائه بتلك النعمة. ابن عاشور:12/248. 
السؤال: اذكر فائدة من فوائد صفة الإحسان.

* يمكنك وضع إجابتك عن الأسئلة في التعليقات حتى تعمّ الفائدة

* للمزيد عن هذه الآية في مصحف تدبر وعمل: https://altadabbur.com/#aya=12_22

#وقفة_تدبرية

An Islamic wisdom tells us 'No one experiencing sadness will read Surat Yusuf except that they will find relief'.  So why Surat Yusuf ?

Amidst all the trials, heartbreak, lies and struggles, Prophet Yusuf continuously and consistently is described as from the 'muhsineen' (those who embody moral excellence).

His brothers throwing him into a well, his separation from his father for decades, his selling into slavery and his persecution in prison for a crime he didn't commit didn't harden his heart or change his character.

He remained from the muhsineen, he forgave when he had a choice from a position of power, he saved a nation from hunger and after it all, he remembered that despite his great suffering, Allah was good to him.

In the face of grief, trials and struggle may we be gifted with the ability to show Ihsan. 

To keep showing up with our best when the world gives us its worst.

Because Allah, in His infinite generosity and grace, has always been good to us. 

And because He loves the muhsineen (those who engage in Ihsan). 

May we be of them.  Ameen.

No family is immune from complications, Allah will not give you or me a normal family. Wether you like it or not , there is gunna be some body who is trouble. That is just how Allah made us. 

And sometimes you will even wonder how are u two are related.. it could be like that, but because Allah decided that you had to be around certain people in your life and they had to be your trial and you had to be theirs.....and 
you are tied to them for life. 

Subhaan  Allah in the case of prophet Jacob and Yusuf, peace be upon them, on one hand and the brothers of Yusuf on the other .... like if you think about it , it will look like a mismatch right ? But its not , its a decree of Allah that they be family, that they be blood and even bonded to each other for better and worse . 

We .... have to just let go the idea of some kind of 'A life where the people in our lives non of them are going to be a source of difficulty' ..... 

May Allah always make it easy for us , give us wisdom and help us see these difficulties to be able to balance our lives right ...

A day with #NomanAliKhan #QALAM

Ameen. May Allah make it easy and source of strength to serve Allah

İn this captivating narrative, one constant element stands out – the 'qamis' (shirt). Notice how the story revolves around it, ultimately returning to this symbolic garment. Some commentators have aptly titled this surah 'Qassas al-Qamis' (The Story of the Shirt). While much has been said about this tale, I'd like to highlight an aspect that resonates with me.

Throughout Prophet Yusuf's (Aleyhisalam) life, the qamis itself, though falsely tainted by others, remains unstained, serving as irrefutable evidence. Whether it's the shirt retrieved from the dark well, falsely tainted with deceit, or the one scratched in Aziz's palace, testifying to his innocence, or even the royal attire he wore as Egypt's leader, the qamis itself remains unblemished.

This narrative  underscores human vulnerability, revealing how Prophet Yusuf (Aleyhisalam) was susceptible to pitfalls at every turn, where plots were woven against him. humanly, he could have fallen prey to:

The depths of the well, where despair and darkness might have consumed him.
The solitude in Aziz' palace, where loneliness could have led him astray.
The throne of power, where the intoxication of authority might have led him to avenge the injustice perpetrated against him.

Yet, his unwavering faith and mindful character triumphed over these vulnerabilities. Every time this surah quotes an event it's a testament to Syyiduna Yusuf (Aleyhisalam) mindfulness, which he preserved throughout his life journey from the depths of well to the heights of power. thereby maintaining the purity of his Qamis intact. 

So the shirt here, in a subtle nuance, represents  garment of righteousness (libas al-taqwa). Just as the qamis withstand the darkness of the well, false accusations, and the temptations of power, our spiritual garment must resist the stains of sin, worldly allurements, and trials.

May Allah SWT  grant us the strength to embody Yusuf's AS character, in the depths of darkness, in solitude, and at the pinnacle of power Ameen 



MashaAllah, that was amazing Sis. Thank you for sharing.