The Divine Education Model in the Family of the Prophets (Part 54)
The Status of Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him) with His Father, the Dream, and the Envy of His Brothers
Prophet Yusuf (PBUH) in his childhood was a beloved, calm, and noble child who grew up under the care of his father, Prophet Ya‘qub (PBUH). Ya‘qub (PBUH) had eleven strong, youthful sons who fulfilled his worldly hopes and needs in life. These brothers took pride in their youth and strength, as the Noble Qur’an relates their words: «وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ» (1) Translation: We are a powerful group.
And elsewhere it is mentioned in their saying: «أَرْسِلْهُ مَعَنَا غَدًا یرْتَعْ وَیلْعَبْ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ» (2) Translation: “Send him with us tomorrow that he may enjoy himself and play, and indeed we will surely protect him.”
The Dream of Prophet Yusuf (PBUH) and His Conversation with His Father
Prophet Yusuf (PBUH) saw a strange dream during his childhood. When morning came, he told his father about it so that he might interpret it for him. Allah the Exalted says: «إِذْ قَالَ یوسُفُ لِأَبِیهِ یا أَبَتِ إِنِّی رَأَیتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًا وَالشَّمْسَ وَالْقَمَرَ رَأَیتُهُمْ لِی سَاجِدِینَ * قَالَ یا بُنَی لَا تَقْصُصْ رُؤْیاكَ عَلَى إِخْوَتِكَ فَیكِیدُوا لَكَ كَیدًا إِنَّ الشَّیطَانَ لِلْإِنسَانِ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِینٌ * وَكَذَلِكَ یجْتَبِیكَ رَبُّكَ وَیعَلِّمُكَ مِن تَأْوِیلِ الْأَحَادِیثِ وَیتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُ عَلَیكَ وَعَلَى آلِ یعْقُوبَ كَمَا أَتَمَّهَا عَلَى أَبَوَیكَ مِن قَبْلُ إِبْرَاهِیمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ عَلِیمٌ حَكِیمٌ» (3) Translation: “(O Prophet!) Remember when Yusuf said to his father, ‘O my father! I saw in a dream eleven stars, and the sun and the moon; I saw them prostrating before me.’ He (the father) said, ‘My dear son! Do not relate your dream to your brothers, for they will devise a plot against you. Indeed, Satan is a manifest enemy to man. Thus your Lord will choose you (for prophethood), and teach you the interpretation of dreams, and perfect His favor upon you and upon the family of Ya‘qub, as He perfected it upon your forefathers before—Prophet Ibrahim and Prophet Ishaq. Truly, your Lord is All-Knowing, All-Wise.’”
The Advice and Warning of Ya‘qub (PBUH) to Yusuf (PBUH)
As mentioned earlier, when Yusuf (PBUH) saw this dream, he was a young boy or perhaps still a child; but his dream was not an ordinary dream like that of other children. His father, Ya‘qub (PBUH), through his spiritual insight and wisdom, realized that this dream signified a great future for his son and that he would be the recipient of divine favor and honor. Therefore, he cautioned and advised his son not to relate this dream to his brothers (even though they were the closest to him) and to keep it secret until Allah’s decree came to pass.
Ya‘qub (PBUH) feared that his sons might understand the importance and special nature of this dream—which was granted to their younger half-brother—and that Satan might exploit this weakness within them, inciting them against Yusuf (PBUH). Their hearts could become filled with envy and resentment, leading them to plot harm against him and cause him distress. This is precisely what Satan did when he provoked one of the sons of Adam to rise against his brother and kill him.
Envy and jealousy are natural instincts within the children of Adam, and Satan, by his very nature, seeks to corrupt people’s hearts toward one another, making sin and evil appear attractive in their eyes. As Allah the Exalted says: «إِنَّ الشَّيطَانَ لِلْإِنسَانِ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِینٌ» (4) Translation: “Indeed, Satan is a manifest enemy to man.”
And He also says: «وَزَینَ لَهُمُ الشَّیطَانُ أَعْمَالَهُمْ فَصَدَّهُمْ عَنِ السَّبِیلِ فَهُمْ لَا یهْتَدُونَ»(5) Translation: “Satan made their deeds seem fair to them and turned them away from the right path; therefore, they are not guided.”
The warning of Prophet Ya‘qub (PBUH) to his son stemmed from his certainty about Yusuf’s maturity of intellect, purity of heart, and noble character—for one who possesses such qualities is forgiving, tolerant, and overlooks the faults of others.
After giving this advice, Ya‘qub (PBUH) interpreted the dream for Yusuf. He told him that in the future he would become a respected leader; that Allah would choose him for prophethood; that He would grant him a heart filled with sincerity and insight, enabling him to discern the outcomes of matters from their beginnings; and that Allah would teach him the interpretation of dreams and visions.
In the end, Allah would complete His blessings upon him and upon the family of Ya‘qub with goodness, mercy, and blessings—just as He had perfected them before upon his forefathers, Ibrahim and Ishaq (peace be upon them).
The Envy of the Brothers of Yusuf (PBUH) and Their Plot Against Him
Allah the Exalted, in the noble verses of the Qur’an, reveals the jealousy of Yusuf’s brothers (PBUH), the motive behind it, and the wicked plot they devised to rid themselves of him. He says: “إِذْ قَالُوا لَیوسُفُ وَأَخُوهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَى أَبِینَا مِنَّا وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ إِنَّ أَبَانَا لَفِی ضَلَالٍ مُّبِینٍ* اقْتُلُوا یوسُفَ أَوِ اطْرَحُوهُ أَرْضًا یخْلُ لَكُمْ وَجْهُ أَبِیكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا مِن بَعْدِهِ قَوْمًا صَالِحِینَ* قَالَ قَائِلٌ مِّنْهُمْ لَا تَقْتُلُوا یوسُفَ وَأَلْقُوهُ فِی غَیابَتِ الْجُبِّ یلْتَقِطْهُ بَعْضُ السَّیارَةِ إِن كُنتُمْ فَاعِلِینَ* قَالُوا یا أَبَانَا مَا لَكَ لَا تَأْمَنَّا عَلَى یوسُفَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَنَاصِحُونَ* أَرْسِلْهُ مَعَنَا غَدًا یرْتَعْ وَیلْعَبْ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ* قَالَ إِنِّی لَیحْزُنُنِی أَن تَذْهَبُوا بِهِ وَأَخَافُ أَن یأْكُلَهُ الذِّئْبُ وَأَنتُمْ عَنْهُ غَافِلُونَ* قَالُوا لَئِنْ أَكَلَهُ الذِّئْبُ وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ إِنَّا إِذًا لَّخَاسِرُونَ* فَلَمَّا ذَهَبُوا بِهِ وَأَجْمَعُوا أَن یجْعَلُوهُ فِی غَیابَتِ الْجُبِّ وَأَوْحَینَا إِلَیهِ لَتُنَبِّئَنَّهُم بِأَمْرِهِمْ هَٰذَا وَهُمْ لَا یشْعُرُونَ* وَجَاءُوا أَبَاهُمْ عِشَاءً یبْكُونَ* قَالُوا یا أَبَانَا إِنَّا ذَهَبْنَا نَسْتَبِقُ وَتَرَكْنَا یوسُفَ عِندَ مَتَاعِنَا فَأَكَلَهُ الذِّئْبُ وَمَا أَنتَ بِمُؤْمِنٍ لَّنَا وَلَوْ كُنَّا صَادِقِینَ* وَجَاءُوا عَلَى قَمِیصِهِ بِدَمٍ كَذِبٍ قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًا فَصَبْرٌ جَمِیلٌ وَاللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَى مَا تَصِفُونَ” (6) “Translation: (Remember) when they said: ‘Yusuf and his brother (Binyamin) are more beloved to our father than we are, though we are a strong group. Truly, our father is in clear error (in preferring them to us). Kill Yusuf or cast him away to some distant land, so that your father’s attention may be entirely devoted to you; and afterward you may become righteous people (once again).’ One of them said: ‘Do not kill Yusuf, but if you must do something, cast him into the bottom of a well so that some travelers may pick him up.’ (They went to their father and) said: ‘O father! What is the matter with you that you do not trust us with Yusuf, when we are indeed his well-wishers? Send him with us tomorrow so that he may enjoy himself and play, and we will surely take good care of him.’ (Ya‘qub) said: ‘Indeed it saddens me that you should take him away, and I fear that a wolf might eat him while you are unaware.’ They said: ‘If a wolf eats him while we are a strong group, then surely we would be the losers (and deserving of blame).’
So, when they took him away and agreed to put him into the bottom of the well, We revealed to him: ‘Surely, you will one day inform them of this deed of theirs while they do not recognize you.’ And (after carrying out their plot) they came to their father at night, weeping. They said: ‘O father! We went racing with one another, and left Yusuf by our belongings, and the wolf devoured him! But you will never believe us, even though we are telling the truth.’ And they brought his shirt stained with false blood. (Their father) said: ‘No, rather your souls have made a matter seem fair to you. So (for me) patience is most fitting (a patience whose beauty is not tainted by complaint or anguish, nor diminished by ingratitude, nor turned into sin by despair). And it is Allah (alone) whose help is to be sought against what you describe.’”
