SNMC Newsletter

Part -3: Prophet Yousuf from Desert well ended in Egypt’s Chief Minister’s House as Assistant: 

The next scene shows the wide desert. On the horizon is a long line of camels, horses, and men; a caravan on its way to Egypt. The caravan of merchants halted at this famous well for water. A man lowered in his bucket. Joseph was startled by the bucket hurtling down and grabbed hold of it before it could land in the water. As the man began to haul he felt the load unusually heavy, so he peeped into the well. What he saw shocked him; a man was clinging to the rope! He held the rope tightly and shouted to his friends:

His companions rushed to the well and helped him to pull out the stranger holding onto the rope. Standing before them was a healthy, handsome youth, beaming with an angelic smile. They saw in him a handsome prize, for money was all that mattered to them. Immediately, they clapped iron shackles on his feet and took him along to Egypt, far away from his beloved homeland of Canaan.

All over the Egyptian city, the news spread that an unusually handsome, robust young slave was on sale. People gathered by the hundreds at the slave market. some were spectators, others were bidders the elite and the rich, each one craning his neck to view the handsome specimen. the auctioneer had a field day as the bidding went wild, each buyer trying to outbid the other. Eventually, the Aziz, the chief minister of Egypt, outbid all the others and took Joseph to his mansion.

The Quran describes this scene as follows: And there came a caravan of travelers; they sent their water-drawer, and he let down his bucket into the well. He said: “What a good news! Here is a boy.” So they hid him as merchandise (a slave). And Allah was the All-Knower of what they did.

They sold him for a low price, for a few Dhirhams (for a few silver coins). They were of those who regarded him insignificant.

he (the man) from Egypt who bought him said to his wife: “Make his stay comfortable, may be he will profit us or we shall ado[t him as a son.” Thus did We establish Joseph in the land, that We might teach him the interpretation of events. (Ch 12:19-21)

See how Allah the Almighty reveals the substance of this long story from its beginning: And Allah has full power and control over His Affairs, but most of men know not. (Ch 12:21)

The chains of slavery have closed on Joseph. He was cast into the well, deprived of his father, picked from the well, made a slave, sold at the market, and made the property of this man, the Aziz, the chief minister. The hazards followed in quick succession, leaving Joseph (Yousuf)  helpless.

Joseph (Yousuf)  was pleasantly surprised when the chief minister of Egypt ordered his men to remove the heavy shackles from his swollen feet. He was also surprised when he told Joseph not to betray his trust; he would not be ill-treated if he behaved himself. Joseph smiled at his benefactor, thanked him, and promised to be loyal.

Joseph felt at ease, for at last he was sheltered and would be well cared for. He thanked Allah over and over and wondered at the mystery of life. Not so long ago he had been cast into a deep, dark well with no hope of ever coming out alive. Next, he was rescued, then enslaved in iron shackles, and now he was moving freely in a luxurious mansion with enough food to enjoy. However, his heart ached with longing for his parents and brother Benjamin, and he shed tears daily.

Joseph was made the personal attendant of the chief minister’s wife. He was obedient and ever-obliging. With his pleasant manners and charming behavior, he won everybody’s heart.

Joseph’s handsomeness became the talk of the town. People referred to him as the most attractive man they had ever seen and wrote poetry about him. His face carried immaculate beauty. The purity of his inner soul and his heart showed in his face, increasing his beauty. People from afar came to the city to have a glimpse of him. The prettiest of maidens and the richest of ladies nurse to possess him, but not once did he show haughtiness or conceit. he was always humble and polite.

The days passed and Joseph grew. Almighty Allah said: And when he (Joseph) attained his full manhood, We gave him wisdom and knowledge (the Prophethood), thus We reward the doers of good. (Ch 12:22)

He was given wisdom in affairs and knowledge of life and its conditions. He as given the art of conversation, captivating those who heard him. He was given nobility and self-restraint, which made him an irresistible personality. His master soon knew that Allah had graced him with Joseph. He understood that Joseph was the most honest, straightforward and noble person he had met in his life. Therefore, he put Joseph in charge of his household, honored him, and treated him as a son.

Imam Zijad’s Corner:  SINCERE LOYALTY TO CANADA Those who know Canadian Muslims well and interact with them on a regular day-to-day-basis know that in general, Canadian Muslims are far more law-abiding than their mass-media portrayals; some, in fact, are shown to be more loyal to Canada than most average citizens, as a 2007, 2010 or 2017 Environics reports show. The link:  https://www.environicsinstitute.org/projects/project-details/survey-of-canadian-muslims Why do I believe Canadian Muslims are more loyal and law-abiding than current stereotypes might suggest? In recognition of living in Canada and benefiting from the freedoms and opportunities that this great nation presents to its naturalized citizens, I gave an explicit pledge of loyalty by taking an Oath of Allegiance during the ceremony in 2000 at which I became a citizen. My formative religious principles demand that I “faithfully observe my trusts and my covenants” (Qur’an 23:8; 70:32), while my citizenship Oath of Allegiance similarly demanded that “I will faithfully observe the laws of Canada and fulfill my duties as a Canadian citizen.” Being faithful and compliant to the laws of Canada and fulfilling my duties as a citizen do not make me more loyal to my homeland than to God. Neither God nor Canada demands exclusive loyalty. God requires that I worship none but Him, but does not prohibit loyalty to others outside the sphere of worship. Canada’s constitution and civil laws rightly require that we be loyal to our nation, but at the same time, they do not prohibit loyalty to God. Similarly, there is no conflict between being loyal to and caring for the worldwide Muslim community (Ummah) and being loyal to and caring for our Canadian neighbors and citizens of all faiths, or for that matter, the entire global human family. Actually, there is nothing in Islam that suggests Muslims should not be caring toward all human beings. As Prophet Muhammad said; “The best among the people are those who benefit other people” – and in this he meant all people everywhere, regardless of background, nationality, or belief. Muhammad’s (S) message was, and always has been, a universal one; we are all a global family! Among the historical recorded sayings of Muhammad (or hadith), the theme of caring for “neighbors,” our fellow human beings, is a recurring obligation. When the Prophet once repeated three times, “By God, he is not a believer!” he was asked, “Who is that, O Messenger of God?” Muhammad replied; “One whose neighbor does not feel safe from his/her evil.” Another narrative reports Muhammad as saying that, “He will not enter Paradise whose neighbor is not secure from his/her wrongful conduct,” and that “Angel Gabriel kept recommending treating neighbors with kindness until I thought he would assign for a neighbor a share of inheritance.” There is no evidence in the Qur’an, or in the Prophetic tradition that comprises Islamic intellectual heritage, that I as a Canadian Muslim am asked to be disloyal to, or to betray my country and my people. On the contrary, Islamic sources provide ample encouragement and commendation to loyalty, faithfulness and respect for the nation and government under which we live. This does not mean that I must blindly obey or believe whatever our national leaders tell me. For the well-being of Canada and Canadians, each citizen must be both self-critical and critically vigilant toward the government in power. There are times when citizens need to speak up on issues critical to the welfare and image of Canada and oppose forces of chaos that could threaten us both internally and internationally. Loyalty to Canada thus means working toward domestic and foreign policies that are in Canada’s best interests and opposing those that one believes are harmful. As citizens in a democratic society, we will never agree unanimously on everything; but we need to agree on matters of common concern and relevance to us all.