واتبعت ملة ابائي ابراهيم واسحاق ويعقوب ما كان لنا ان نشرك بالله من شيء ذلك من فضل الله علينا وعلى الناس ولكن اكثر الناس لا يشكرون

وَٱتَّبَعْتُ مِلَّةَ ءَابَآءِىٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ ۚ مَا كَانَ لَنَآ أَن نُّشْرِكَ بِٱللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِن فَضْلِ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ

This ayat gives the idea that following the ways of Yusuf's forefathers, Ibrahim, Ishaq, and Yaqub (AS), i.e., Islam ensures that you practice monotheism and do not associate or get attached to anything else in this dunya. And that this kind of mindset is a grace of this religion that many are not grateful for. 

For most of my life, I never realized how many things I was attached to in this dunya; without even realizing, I had placed people, wealth, and entertainment into my heart. I needed them, in all senses of the word, and was not able to live without them. And I had learned a strong lesson from these false attachments. To place something else besides Allah in your heart will lead to heartbreak. The properties of anything in this dunya (that it is temporary, that it can make mistakes, that it can be destroyed at any time, that it sleeps and is not awake) make it so that depending on them as if you would depend on Allah, only leads to your heart being truly and deeply hurt. This is when I had truly learned that monotheism is one of the most special and disregarded gifts of this faith.

Basit Minhas you are so kind! thank you :)

[Surah Yusuf: 38]
This verse comes in the middle of the story of Prophet Joseph (peace be upon him), and it separates two completely different phases.

The first part is filled with severe trials that Joseph went through: the betrayal of his brothers, being thrown into the well, then sold as a slave, and later imprisoned because he refused immorality. This verse comes to separate those hardships from what follows of empowerment: he is released from prison, his innocence becomes clear, his dignity is restored, and he becomes one of the top officials in the state, entrusted with the treasuries of the land to establish justice among people. He also forgives his brothers, and his childhood dream is fulfilled:

“And he raised his parents to the throne, and they fell before him in prostration, and he said, 'O my father, this is the interpretation of my dream from before. My Lord has made it come true.’”

In this central verse, the reader might expect Joseph to be at the peak of pain after all those عظيمة (great) trials. Yet, in that difficult moment, he reminds his two fellow prisoners of the importance of gratitude to Allah and worshipping Him properly:
{...but most people are not grateful (12:38).

From this beautiful situation, we learn the meaning of gratitude even at the height of hardship. Not only that, he calls to the worship of Allah not just in times of ease but even inside the prison after years of suffering:

"O my fellow prisoners! Which is far better: many different lords or Allah—the one, the supreme? 12':39

Therefore, we should avoid changing our principles based on our circumstances. Our faith should remain firm, and we should not be like those about whom Allah said:

“If we give people a taste of our mercy and then take it away from them, they become utterly desperate and ungrateful.

But if We give them a taste of prosperity after being touched with adversity, they say, “My ills are gone,” and become totally prideful and boastful.
”
[Surah Hud: 9–10]

This verse is in Surah Hud, which is just before Surah Yusuf.

A beautiful observation – recasting 12:38 as the turning point between Yusuf’s (AS) trials and his empowerment really highlights the depth of his gratitude and call to tawhid in the very midst of hardship. The contrast you drew with Surah Hud 9-10 is a powerful reinforcement of the lesson. JazakAllahu khayran for this thoughtful reflection.

When reading this Ayah, I say 

All praise be to Allah, I am Muslim 
Why? Prophet Yusuf said that's only by the grace of God where someone is Muslim 

Why? All those blessings in the world mean nothing if you don't have Islam 

If you have Islam you have everything

#inspiredbyYusuf #YusufTaughtMe

MashaAllah, your reflection is a beautiful reminder of the immense blessing of Islam. Truly, being guided to faith is the greatest grace from Allah, far beyond any worldly success. May we always remain grateful and steadfast. Keep sharing these heartfelt reflections!



Gratitude: Surah Yusuf, 12:38

'And I have followed the religion of my fathers, - Ibrahim (Abraham), Ishaque (Isaac) and  Ya'qub (Jacob)], and never could we attribute any partners whatsoever to Allah. This is from  the Grace of Allah to us and to mankind, but most people are not grateful.

Prophet Yusuf (peace be on him) made a conscious choice: Gratefulness. 

He chose to be grateful rather than complain. Indeed, gratitude is a conscious choice. You can choose to be grateful even when the emotions and feelings are steep, hurtful and  resentful.  You can choose to look at His countless blessings rather than focus on what is not currently working.

It is a choice made by Prophet Yusuf despite everything. 

It is a choice you can make for your mind to thank you (consciously or unconsciously). It is a choice that  enables you to focus on simple and significant gifts you have received in your life; the gifts  of belief, the gift of living, the pleasant people in your life, your strengths, talents, kindness  to and from others.

Gratitude enables us to receive. Gratitude motivates us to extend hands of goodness to  others. Indeed, gratitude is for our own souls!!!

Gratitude always is worship. Be among the privileged few.... that are grateful to Ash-Shakoor (The Most Appreciating) 

Purify my heart with its lessons
• Show gratitude for the gift of life
• Express gratitude for the gift of belief
• Keep gratitude Journal
• Thank Allaah; Thank others

IG:@quranandme 
www.theparadisepearl.com 

﷽

Reflecting on the family of prophets, when Prophet Yusuf (AS) was sent to prison, he introduced himself by declaring that he had left the path of those who do not believe in Allah and the Hereafter. The way he said this so openly made me think about the era of polytheism in which he lived, where declaring one’s faith was a bold statement. It was not just in Egypt; even Canaan, despite being home to prophets like Ibrahim, Ishaq, and Yaqub, was not predominantly monotheistic. 

Similarly, today in Western societies, openly declaring, 'I am a Muslim; I believe in Allah and follow Islam,' can sometimes make you feel like a stranger. The world has not yet reached a time when monotheism will be the norm and true Islam—marked by peace, respect, and good manners—will be universally dominant.

Until that time, we continue to hold onto our faith like Prophet Yusuf AS and his forefathers. May Allah make us firm in our belief and make us among those who uphold the truth with patience and sincerity. Ameen

That's so real!! It's also so sad to see the change in attitude in generations, like how disrespectful kids have gotten towards their parents and adults

Yusuf makes a declaration of cutting himself from a group of people who donot believe in Allah.
After disassociating from this group, I would question: Who am I a part of? Who do I follow? This is answered in the next ayah where he says, 'I follow the faith of my fathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob'.

وَٱتَّبَعْتُ مِلَّةَ ءَابَآءِىٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْحَٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ

This is also my identity 'مِّلَّةَ أَبِيكُمْ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ'.

It's so beautiful how the bearers of monotheism are connected to Ibrahim (as).

Reflections: Yusuf 12:38