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SNMC Heritage: Part-2 Lessons Truth Prevails: 10 Brothers of Prophet Yousif (AHS) put him into Desert Well

Lessons Truth Prevails: 10 Brothers of Prophet Yousif (AHS) put him into Desert Well

In our society, majority sometimes gang up and try to present false as truth. The story of Quran shows 10 brothers of Prophet Yousuf tried to trick their father Prophet Yaqoob, that Prophet Yousuf was eaten by wolf, they swore. But Prophet Yaqoob said, by God the wolf was very kind, he ate Yousuf but kept his shirt intact. In present society, we should be on the side of truth even we are minority. At the end, as the surah  Yousuf showed, truth will prevail. God tests the true believers.

Joseph’s (Prophet Yousuf)  brothers plotting against him. “Truly, Joseph (Yousuf) and his brother (Benjamin) are loved more by our father than we, but we are Usbah (a strong group). One from among them said: “Kill not Joseph, but if you must do something, throw him down to the bottom of a well, he will be picked up by some caravan of travelers. (Ch 12:8-10)

Their next movement opened the scene between them and their father Jacob (Yaqoob) (pbuh): They said: “O our father! Why do you not trust us with Joseph, when we are indeed his well wishers? Send him with us tomorrow to enjoy himself and play, and verily we will take care of him.”

Jacob (Yaqoob) suggested a point, which had not occurred to them in their discussion: he feared that desert wolves would eat him!

They were excited that they could now get rid of Joseph for after this they could stand a better chance of receiving their father’s affection. On leaving home, they went directly to the well, as they had planned, and cast him into the deep well. Joseph’s piteous pleas made no difference to their cruel hearts.

Then Allah revealed to Joseph that he was safe and should not fear, for he would meet them again some day to remind them of what they had done.

There was water in the well, which buoyed Joseph’s body, so he was not harmed. He sat lonely in the water, then clung to a rock ledge overheard and climbed on top of it. his brothers left him in this desolate place.

Then they killed a sheep and soaked Joseph’s  (Yousuf) shirt in its blood. One brother said that they should swear to keep their deed a close secret. All of them took the oath. And they came to their father in the early part of the night weeping. (Ch 12:16)

The scene here is dark night, broken by the crying of ten men. The father is sitting in his house when the sons enter, the darkness of night covering the darkness of their hearts and the darkness of their lies struggling to come out. Jacob wondered aloud: “Why this weeping? Has anything happened to our flock?” They answered crying: “O our father! We went racing with one another, and left Joseph by our belongings and a wolf devoured him; but you will never believe us even when we speak the truth. (Ch 12:17)

“We were surprised after returning from the race that Joseph was in the belly of the wolf.”

“This is Joseph’s shirt. We foiled it soiled with blood, and did not find Joseph!”

They brought his shirt stained with false blood. (Ch 12:18)

Deep down in the heart Jacob  said “What a merciful wolf! he ate up my beloved son without tearing his shirt!”. The broken hearted father burst into tears: “Nay! But your own selves have made up a tale. So for me patience is more fitting. It is Allah Alone whose Help can be sought against that which you assert.” (Ch 12:18)

Joseph (Yousuf)  began to pray earnestly, pleading to Allah for salvation. Gradually his fear began to subside. His Creator was testing the young man with a great misfortune in order to infuse in him a spirit of patience and courage. Joseph, surrender himself to the will of his Lord.

The next scene shows the wide desert. At 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: “Better give me a hand fellows! Looks like I found real treasure in the well!”

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.