1. Introduction
Prophet Yusuf (A) was the son of Prophet Ya'qub
(A). In the Bible he is referred to as Joseph son of
Jacob. The Holy Qur'an has mentioned his story in
a beautiful chapter entitled "Surah Yusuf".
Prophet Yusuf (A) had 11 brothers. He was one of
the youngest and possessed excellent character
and manners. His father loved him dearly.
Prophet Yusuf (A) once dreamt that eleven stars
and the sun and moon were prostrating to him. He
related the dream to his father. Prophet Ya'qub
(A) realised that the dream outlined his son's
destiny and greatness and cautioned him not to
tell his brothers about the dream.
His brothers were jealous of the favour that he
enjoyed in their father's eyes and planned to
somehow get rid of him. Whenever they took their
goats out for grazing they would ask their father if
Yusuf (A) could accompany them. Prophet Ya'qub
(A) always refused, saying that the boy was too
young. When Prophet Yusuf (A) reached the age of
16, his brothers insisted that he was now old
enough to accompany them. With reluctance, their
father agreed to let them take him with them.
As soon as they were far enough from home, they
began to plot about how to dispose of Prophet
Yusuf (A). Then, they came across a dry well.
They removed Prophet Yusuf's (A) shirt, and threw
him into the well. Ignoring their young brother's
pleas, they heartlessly left him to die of hunger.
On the way back, they slaughtered a goat and
stained Prophet Yusuf's (A) shirt with its blood.
They arrived home weeping and told their father
that while they were grazing their sheep, a wolf
came and ate their brother. He did not believe
their story and could do nothing but remain patient
and wait for Allah to reunite him with his beloved
son.
Meanwhile a caravan of traders passing by the
well stopped to draw some water. They were
surprised to see Prophet Yusuf (A) come up
holding the bucket. They hid him with their
merchandise and sold him to some slave traders
for a few pieces of silver.

2. Prophet Yusuf (A) in Egypt
Thus, Prophet Yusuf (A) arrived in Egypt. At the
slave market the buyers were all attracted by him,
because he was a very handsome young man.
News of this remarkable youth swept through the
city. The Aziz (Governor of Egypt and Chief Officer
of the King), whose name was Fotifaar, offered a
price that none could match. He brought Prophet
Yusuf (A) home and told his wife Zuleikha that
they would adopt him as their son.
Zuleikha, however, was so taken by Prophet
Yusuf's (A) beauty that she sought to have an
illegal association with him. A Prophet of Allah
could never be part of such an evil deed and
Prophet Yusuf (A) backed away from the advances
of Zuleikha. As he raced for the door she ripped
his shirt from behind. At the door they met the
Aziz. On seeing her husband, Zuleikha tried to
blame Yusuf (A) by claiming that he had tried to
lay a hand on her. Before the Aziz could vent his
fury on Prophet Yusuf (A), a baby spoke up from
the cradle, and the Holy Qur'an says:
And a witness from her own household testified,
"If his shirt is torn from the front, then she speaks
the truth and he is of the liars. And if his shirt is
torn from behind, then she lies and he is of the
truthful ones.
Surah Yusuf, 12:26,27
The shirt was, of course, torn from behind, and
the Aziz was extremely angry with his wife for
attempting such an act of indecency. The women
of the city heard about Zuleikha's actions and
began to gossip and make fun of her. To explain
her attraction she decided to let them see Prophet
Yusuf (A) themselves.
She called forty of them to the palace for a meal.
As soon as they all had a knife to cut some fruit,
she called Prophet Yusuf (A) into the room on
some excuse. So dazzled were they by his beauty
and presence, that they cut their fingers in their
distraction and exclaimed, "This is not a human
being - he must be an angel!"
Zuleikha was furious with Prophet Yusuf (A)
because he had caused her to be ridiculed. In her
anger and frustration, she caused him to be
imprisoned on false charges of assault.
1. Prophet Yusuf (A) in Prison
Due to continued pressure from his wife Zuleikha,
the Aziz of Egypt decided to imprison Prophet
Yusuf (A), despite his innocence. The reason he
gave was that people would forget the actions of
his wife while Prophet Yusuf (A) lay in prison, and
her dignity would be restored.
On the same day that Prophet Yusuf (A) was put
into prison, two other men were also imprisoned.
One used to serve the king wine, while the other
was the royal cook. Both men had been accused
of trying to poison the king. On the following day,
the wine-server said to Prophet Yusuf (A), "I saw
in a dream that I was crushing grapes to make
wine for the king". The cook said, "I dreamt that I
was carrying some bread in a basket on my head
and birds were pecking at the bread".
Both men saw that Prophet Yusuf (A) was a noble
and pious person and asked him if he could
interpret their dreams. Prophet Yusuf (A) took this
opportunity to preach the religion of Allah to his
prison-mates. He promised to tell them the
meaning of their dreams and informed them that
this was a special power given to him by Allah
Before he did so, however, he explained to them
how senseless it was to believe in various gods
and explained to them about the Oneness of Allah
and the Day of Resurrection. Finally he said, "O
my prison-mates! The man who dreamt that he
was crushing grapes will soon be released from
here and will go back to his previous post. The
second one, who carried the bread on his head in
the dream, will be executed and the birds will start
to eat his brain."
Prophet Yusuf (A) thought of getting himself
released from prison through the wine-server, and
told him to remind the king of his innocence when
he saw him. The dreams of both men came true
just as he had foretold. One of the captives was
released while the other was hanged.
Unfortunately, the wine-server forgot all that
Prophet Yusuf (A) had told him to convey to the
king.

2. Prophet Yusuf's (A) Release From Prison
The Holy Qur'an says:
The king dreamt that seven lean cows were eating
seven fat ones and that there were seven green
ears of corn and seven dry ones. He asked the
nobles to tell him the meaning of his dream if they
were able to. They replied, "It is a confused dream
and we do not know the meaning of such dreams."
Surah Yusuf, 12:43,44
The king was very concerned about the meaning of
his dream and even though his wise men thought
over it seriously, they could not make sense of it.
The king's dream became a means of the
liberation of Prophet Yusuf (A) from prison. As
soon as the wine-server heard about the dream he
was reminded of his time in prison and
remembered the powers of his cell-mate. He also
remembered that Prophet Yusuf (A) had asked him
to tell the king of his innocence. He approached
the king and got his permission to see Prophet
Yusuf (A).
Prophet Yusuf (A) interpreted the dream by the
power given to him by Allah . He said, "For seven
years the crops will yield abundant food-grain for
the people of Egypt. After that there will be a
famine for seven years during which all the food-
grain lying in the storehouses will be finished and
people will starve. Therefore, the people should try
to grow as much extra grain as possible so that it
would stand them in good stead during the time of
famine".
On hearing this very reasonable and sensible
interpretation of his dream from the wine-server,
the king was delighted. He ordered that Prophet
Yusuf (A) be brought before him so he could make
good use of his wisdom in solving his problems.
Although he had been in the dark dungeon for so
long, Prophet Yusuf (A) refused to leave the prison
until he proved his innocence. He said to the
courtiers, "I will not come out of the prison until
the king makes enquiries about my case. Tell the
king to ask the wives of the noble men about the
time when they cut their fingers on seeing me".
The courtiers passed on this message to the king
who called the concerned women to him for an
explanation. They all confessed the truth and
Zuleikha, the wife of the Aziz, also testified that
Prophet Yusuf (A) was innocent of any guilt. Thus,
Prophet Yusuf (A) was released from the prison
with his dignity and honour restored.
1. Prophet Yusuf (A) in the Royal Court
The Holy Qur'an says:
The king ordered his men to bring Yusuf before
him; he wanted to grant him a high office. The
king said to him, "From now on you will be an
honoured and trusted person amongst us." Yusuf
said, "Put me in charge of the treasuries of the
land, I know how to manage them."
Surah Yusuf, 12:54,55
When the king met Prophet Yusuf (A), he found
him to be a wise and broad-minded man. In
response to the request of Prophet Yusuf (A) as
related in the verse above, the king made him in
charge of finance and food and ordered his
ministers and officials to treat Prophet Yusuf's
(A) commands as his own.
Prophet Yusuf (A) thus became the Aziz of Egypt
and began his new duties without delay. He was
determined that when the famine arrived, nobody
should starve.
The river Nile flooded its banks regularly to provide
fertile soil for the growth of food grain and
Prophet Yusuf (A) was aware that the famine
would be caused by the decrease of the water in
this river. He decided to make a brief tour of Egypt
to assess the best locations where intensive
cultivation could be carried out. He allocated extra
money to the farmers in the most fertile areas of
the Nile, so that they would be able to grow the
maximum amount of grain. He also ordered the
construction of huge storehouses (granaries),
capable of storing several hundred tons of the
surplus grain.
During the first seven years, he supplied grain to
the people according to their minimum needs, and
stored the rest in the newly-built granaries. By the
time the seven years were over, the granaries were
full. The water level of the Nile fell tremendously
and the country was hit by a severe drought.
However, due to his foresight and planning, the
country did not face a shortage of food.
The famine also extended to the lands of Palestine
and Kanaan where Prophet Ya'qub (A) lived with
his sons. One day he called them and said, "My
sons! We are in great distress due to the famine.
You may go to the Aziz of Egypt whose reputation
as a kind and just person has spread everywhere in
the country. Leave Binyameen with me for
company so that I may not be lonely." As
commanded by their father, the brothers of
Prophet Yusuf (A) set off for Egypt to purchase
grain and bring it back to Kanaan.

2. Prophet Yusuf's (A) Brothers in Egypt
When his brothers arrived in Egypt, Prophet Yusuf
(A) was very pleased to see them. They did not
recognise him at all, never expecting that he was
alive. Prophet Yusuf (A) was disappointed not to
see his full brother, Binyameen, and asked his
brothers to tell him about themselves. They
introduced themselves and told him about their
father and mother. Prophet Yusuf (A) was relieved
to hear that Prophet Ya'qub (A) was alive, and he
welcomed his brothers sincerely. He provided them
with enough wheat for their needs and had their
money put back in their bags secretly. He also
asked them to bring their other brother the next
time as proof that they were speaking the truth
about their family. The Holy Qur'an narrates this
episode in the following words:
Yusuf's brothers came to him and when they
entered his court, he recognised them. They did
not know him. And when he gave them the
provisions, he said, "Next time, bring me your
other brother from your father. As you can see, I
give each of you a certain amount of grain, I am a
polite host. If you do not bring him, do not come
to us for we shall not give you any more grain.
Surah Yusuf, 12:58- 60
On their return home, the brothers related their
experiences to their father, praising the generosity
and hospitality of Prophet Yusuf (A). When they
opened their bags they were delighted to see that
their money had been returned. Soon they were
out of grain and were impatient to go back to
Egypt to get more. However, they could not go
back without Binyameen, so they tried to convince
their father to let him come with them. Prophet
Ya'qub (A) refused to let them take Binyameen,
saying that they would do the same thing with him
as they did with Prophet Yusuf (A). After repeated
promises the brothers finally convinced him that
they would sincerely look after Binyameen, so he
let him accompany them to Egypt.
When they reached Egypt, the brothers proceeded
to the court of Prophet Yusuf (A) and presented
their brother Binyameen to him. Prophet Yusuf (A)
was extremely happy to see his younger brother
and invited all of them to dine with him. Later he
gave them all accommodation at his own house,
and asked Binyameen to sleep in his room.
During the night, Prophet Yusuf (A) revealed his
identity to Binyameen. He explained how he had
been raised from a lowly slave to a position of
great power by the Grace of Allah. However, he
asked Binyameen not to tell their brothers
anything of their conversation.
1. Prophet Yusuf's (A) Plan to Detain Binyameen
After they had received their requirement of wheat,
the brothers of Prophet Yusuf (A) began to prepare
for their journey home. Meanwhile, according to
the command of Allah, Prophet Yusuf (A) put into
action a plan to detain his full brother Binyameen.
He ordered his men to put a gold cup belonging to
the king in Binyameen's baggage. The Holy Qur'an
describes the incident in the following words:
When he (Yusuf) had furnished them with
provisions, (someone) placed the (king's) drinking
cup in his brother's baggage. Then someone
shouted, "People of the caravan, you are most
surely thieves."
Surah Yusuf, 12:70
The brothers of Prophet Yusuf (A) had not gone
very far when they were stopped and accused of
stealing. They denied this, and said that if anyone
of them was found guilty of theft, he could be held
as a slave by Prophet Yusuf (A). The caravan was
searched, and the cup was found in the bag of
Binyameen.
When the brothers were brought before Prophet
Yusuf (A), he said, "According to your own words,
we will now detain Binyameen with us." They
replied, "O Aziz of Egypt! Our father is old and
weak. You may detain any of us, but not
Binyameen." However, Prophet Yusuf (A) said that
he could not detain anyone who was not guilty.
The brothers had no choice but to leave for
Kanaan. The eldest brother, Yahuda, refused to
return without Binyameen. He remained behind in
Egypt, rather than face his father.

2. The Reunion of the family of Prophet Ya'qub
(A)
When the brothers returned to Kanaan and told
Prophet Ya'qub (A) what had happened, he was
heartbroken.
He had already lost his eyesight crying for his
beloved son Prophet Yusuf (A), and this second
loss was almost too much for him to bear. He now
recalled the memory of his lost sons and wept.
He asked his sons to immediately return to Egypt
to look for both Prophet Yusuf (A) and Binyameen.
According to their father's instructions, the
brothers came to the Aziz of Egypt for the third
time, and pleaded for the release of Binyameen as
well as some grain for food.
Prophet Yusuf (A) reminded them of how badly
they had treated their brother Yusuf, and caused
separation between him and his father. The
brothers were amazed to hear their secret from
the Aziz, who now spoke in the language of the
people of Kanaan. They asked him, "Are you
Yusuf?"
He replied, "Yes, I am Yusuf, and this is my
brother. Allah has been gracious to me. One who
is pious and patient against hardships is always
rewarded by Allah for his virtues." On hearing this,
the brothers hung their heads in shame and asked
him for his forgiveness. He said, "You need not be
frightened of me. Allah may forgive you your sins.
Now take my shirt and cover my father's face with
it, so that he may regain his lost sight. Then
return to me with all your family."
The Holy Qur'an says:
When the caravan had left the town (from Egypt),
their father (in Kanaan) said, "I smell Yusuf's
fragrance. I hope you will not think that I am weak
in judgement (due to my love for him). They said,
"By Allah ! You are still making the same old
error. When someone brought him the glad news,
Yusuf's shirt was placed on his face and his
eyesight was restored. He said, "Did I not tell you
that I know about Allah that which you do not
know?"
Surah Yusuf, 12:94-96
After getting his eyesight back and hearing the
good news of his son, Prophet Ya'qub (A) decided
to proceed to Egypt immediately. Prophet Yusuf
(A) was delighted to meet them and embraced his
father and mother.
As a token of their gratitude to Allah at this
reunion, his parents and brothers prostrated
themselves on the ground.
Thus Allah made true the dream of Prophet Yusuf
(A), when he had seen eleven stars and the sun
and the moon in prostration in front of him. After
many trials, Allah raised him from the position of
a slave to the highest rank in the land.
At the request of his son, Prophet Ya'qub (A)
settled in Egypt with his family, and their clan
came to be known as the Bani Israa'il.
Prophet Ya'qub (A) lived in Egypt for 17 years and
died at the age of 147. Prophet Yusuf (A)
breathed his last some years later at the age of
110 years, and his kingdom passed into the hands
of rulers whose titles were Fir'aun.

Moral Lessons from the Story of Prophet Yusuf
(A)
Allah says the following about the story of Prophet
Yusuf (A) in the Holy Qur'an:
We narrate unto you (O Muhammad) the most
excellent of the stories (by which) We have
revealed unto you this Qur'an; though before this
you were of the unaware ones (of its details).
Surah Yusuf, 12:3
Indeed, the adventures and experiences of Prophet
Yusuf (A), and his conduct throughout his life,
provide us with a wealth of lessons and morals.
Some things we may learn from his life are:
1. The belief in the presence of Allah makes a
man's troubles easier for him to bear, and as long
as he keeps himself away from sins despite
temptations, he will ultimately be successful.
Prophet Yusuf (A) taught us this by his cheerful
conduct throughout his enslavement and
imprisonment.
2. In all difficulties and hardships one should seek
only Allah's protection. Prophet Yusuf (A) showed
his faith by seeking refuge from Allah when faced
with the evil intentions of Zuleikha. He was thus
saved from committing a terrible sin.
3. One should always remain attached to religion
and should take every opportunity to persuade
others towards the right path. Prophet Yusuf (A)
did not forsake his duty even when in the prison,
where he preached against idol worship before
interpreting the dreams of his cell-mates.
4. Patience in the face of hardship is the best of
qualities and results in reward from Allah in this
life and the hereafter. Prophet Yusuf (A) remained
calm and resigned to the Will of Allah, despite
being abandoned in the well by his brothers.
He also bore the shame of being sold as a slave
patiently.
He also accepted his false imprisonment. In return
for his forbearance, Allah raised his position till it
was the highest in Egypt.
5. It is important to act in such a manner as to
preserve your honour and dignity, and these
qualities must always be safeguarded. Prophet
Yusuf (A) taught us this valuable lesson when he
refused to accept his freedom from prison until his
innocence was proved to the people.
Thus when he was finally released, he knew he
could come in front of the people with his head
held high and without any blemish on his record.
6. Above all, this story teaches us that we should
forgive and forget the past. When Prophet Yusuf's
(A) brothers came to him in Egypt, they were in a
pitiable condition and would have been helpless
against his great power. If he had wished, Prophet
Yusuf (A) could have severely punished them for
the heartless treatment they had given him.
Instead he forgave their errors and treated them
well.
We have listed only a few lessons above, and
there is a lot more that one can learn and
understand from the story of Prophet Yusuf (A).