This book is an adaption of a friday khutbah given by Sheikh Muhammed Salih Al-Munajjid which explains the fruits that can be taken from the life of prophet Yoosuf (may Allah be pleased with him).
This chapter Yoosuf relates to the story of one of the noble prophets, peace be upon him, and includes great admonitions and numerous benefits for the believers, as well as Islaamic rulings which the scholars of Islaam have extracted from this wonderful story that Allaah revealed to His Prophet Muhammad sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. The story of Prophet Yoosuf, peace be upon him, has a distinct, beautiful style, and neither the Jews nor the Christians have anything like it in their books, especially in such detail.
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Part 2
Ibn Kathir
Enjoining certain Manners so that the Mothers of the Believers may be an Example; and the Prohibition of Tabarruj
Tafsir Ibn Kathir
These are the good manners which Allah enjoined upon the wives of the Prophet so that they would be an example for the women of the Ummah to follow. Allah said, addressing the wives of the Prophet that they should fear Allah as He commanded them, and that no other woman is like them or can be their equal in virtue and status. Then Allah says:
[فَلاَ تَخْضَعْنَ بِالْقَوْلِ]
(then be not soft in speech,) As-Suddi and others said, this means, do not be gentle in speech when addressing men. Allah says:
[فَيَطْمَعَ الَّذِى فِى قَلْبِهِ مَرَضٌ]
(lest he in whose heart is a disease should be moved with desire,) means, something unclean.
[وَقُلْنَ قَوْلاً مَّعْرُوفاً]
(but speak in an honorable manner.) Ibn Zayd said: “Decent and honorable talk that is known to be good.” This means that she should address non-Mahram men in a manner in which there is no softness, i.e., a woman should not address a non-Mahram man in the same way that she addresses her husband.
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ibn Qayyim al Jawziyyah
‘Abû Hurairah (radiAllâhu anhû) said: I have heard the Prophet (sallAllâhu alaihi wasallam) say:
“Allâh (the Mighty and Sublime) has said: I have divided prayer between Myself and My servant into two halves, and My servant shall have what he has asked for. When the servant says:
Al Hamdulillâhi Rabbil-Alamîn.
Allâh (mighty and sublime be He) says: My servant has praised Me.
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Imam Ibn ul Qayyim al Jawziyyah
The Invocation of God – Al-Wabil al-Sayyib min al-Kalim al-Tayyib
God strikes a parable about His light within the heart of His servant, which only the learned understand: ‘God is the light of the heavens and the earth. The similitude of His light is a niche in which there is a lamp. The lamp is in a Glass, the Glass, like a glistening star, kindled from a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil well nigh glows though no fire has touched it: light upon light. God guides to His light whom He wills, and God strikes parables for human beings, and God knows all things.’ [Qur’an 24:35]
Ubayy ibn Ka`b said, ‘the similitude of His light [takes place in] the Muslim’s heart.’ [Ibn Kathir, 3:464] This light, which He has placed in the heart, comes from gnosis, love, faith and the remembrance of God. It is the light that He has sent down to His servants, by which He gives them life, and by which they walk among people. Its origin is in their hearts, but then He strengthens and increases it until it appears upon their faces, limbs, bodies, even their clothes and dwellings. People of this nature perceive it, while others deny it. On the Day of Judgement, however, it will come forth by their faith, and hasten before them in the darkness of the Bridge, that they might cross it. They will proceed in proportion to either its strength or its weakness in their hearts during their life in the world.
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As-Shaykh Abdurahmaan Ibn Naasir As-Sa’dee states in his tafseer “Tayseer Al-Kareem Ar-Rahmaan” (pg. 408 – 412) regarding the last ayah of surah Yusuf wherein Allah subhaanahu wa ta’la says, “Indeed in their stories, there is a lesson for men of understanding.”
This story is from the best of stories because of what it relates from the varying phases of life; from trial to tribulation, from being tested to being blessed, from humiliation to grandeur, from slavery to kingship, from division to unity, from grief to joy, from superfluity to famine, from famine to glut, from hardship to ease, and from denial to affirmation. So blessed be the One who revealed it in the best manner possible.
From amongst the lessons derived from this surah are:
1. The knowledge of interpreting dreams is a very important branch of knowledge that Allah gives to whom he pleases from His servants. And most of them (dreams) are based on symbols that are ambiguous in meaning and in description. For indeed the significance of the sun, the moon and twelve stars bowing to Yusuf, is that these lights are the beauty of the sky, and from them emanates benefit. Likewise the prophets and the scholars are the beauty of this earth, and by them mankind is guided through darkness just as they do by the light of the stars, the sun and the moon. Moreover, since the source of this light is his mother and father, hence it is very befitting that the moon and the sun symbolize his parents, for from them emanate the greatest light from which he and his brothers are off-springs. Thus, the sun, which is a feminine noun, symbolizes his mother and the moon, which is a masculine noun, symbolizes his father, and the stars symbolize his brothers.
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In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
1. By time,
2. Verily, man is in loss,
3. Except those who believe and do righteous deeds and exhort one another to Truth and exhort one another to patience.
< By Time > That is, the ages during which the deeds – both good and bad – of the sons of Aadam `alayhis salam take place. Maalik said that it refers to the time of `asr prayer, but the first explanation is more correct. Allah swears by it (time) that mankind is in loss, that is misfortune and ruin.
< Except those who believe and do righteous deeds > Allah excludes those of mankind who believe sincerely with all their hearts and do good deeds with their hands.
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Ibn Kathir
In the Name of Allah, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful
1. Verily, We sent it down in the night of al-Qadr.
2. And what will make you know what the night of al-Qadr is?
3. The night of al-Qadr is better than a thousand months.
4. Therein descend the angels and the Spirit by their Lord’s permission with all Decrees.
5. Peace! Until the appearance of dawn.
Allah, Most High informs us that He sent down the Qur’aan in the night of Al-Qadr, and it is the blessed night referred to in the Words of Him, Almighty, All-Powerful: << Verily, We sent it down in the night of Al-Qadr >>. The night of Al-Qadr occurs in the month of Ramadhaan, as Allah says: <
> (Soorah Al-Baqarah 2:185). Ibn `Abbaas, amongst others, explains that the complete Qur’aan was sent down from Al-Lawh Al-Mahfooz (the Preserved Tablet) in the night of Al-Qadr to Bait Al-`Izzah (the House of Glory) in the lowest heaven, from whence it was revealed piecemeal to the Prophet sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam according to events which took place during his life over a period of twenty-three years. Then, Allah says, in order to make clear the greatness of the matter of the night of Al-Qadr, which He has chosen for sending down of the Noble Qur’aan: << And what will make you know what the night of Al-Qadr is? The night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months >> It is narrated on the authority of Mujaahid that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu `alayhi wa salam mentioned a man from Bani Israa’eel who carried his sword in the Way of Allah for a thousand months; the Muslims were amazed at this until Allah revealed: << Verily, We sent it down in the night of Al-Qadr. And what will make you know what the night of Al-Qadr is? The night of Al-Qadr is better than a thousand months >>.” (i.e. the thousand months during which the man carried his sword in the Way of Allah). (Narrated by Ibn Abi Haatim)
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Ibn Taymiyyah
An Introduction to the Principles of Tafseer
If you ask what is the best method of tafseer, the answer is that the best way is to explain the Qur’aan through the Qur’aan. For, what the Qur’aan alludes to at one place is explained at the other, and what it says in brief on one occasion is elaborated upon at the other. But if this does not help you, you should turn to the sunnah, because the sunnah explains and elucidates the Qur’aan. Imaam Abu `Abd Allaah Muhammad ibn Idrees al-Shaafi`ee has said: “All that the Prophet, peace be upon him, has said is what he has derived from the Qur’aan.” Allaah has said:
“We have sent down to you the book in truth that you may judge between men, as Allaah guides you; so don’t be an advocate for those who betray their trust.” [al-Qur’aan, 4:105]
“We have sent down to you the message that you may explain clearly to people what has been sent to them, and that they think over it.” [16:44]
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Imâm Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah
Patience and Gratitude. By Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah. An abridgement of his original work entitled, “Uddat as-Sâbireen wa Dhâkirat by TaHa Publications
Allâh tells us:
“Then remember Me; I will remember you. Be grateful to Me, and do not reject Me” (al-Baqarah 2:152).
And He has told us that only those who are grateful to Him truly worship Him:
“… and be grateful to Allâh, if it is Him you worship” (al-Baqarah 2:172)
Allâh has mentioned gratitude alongside îmân, and has made it clear that He gains nothing from punishing His people if they give thanks to Him and believe in Him:
“What can Allâh gain by your punishment, if you are grateful and you believe?…” (an-Nisâ’ 4:147)
In other words: if you carry out the duties for which you were created, namely gratitude and îmân, why should Allâh punish you?
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Ibn Kathir – from his tafsir
“Know that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children. (It is) like a rain (Ghayth), thereof the growth is pleasing to the tiller; afterwards it dries up and you see it turning yellow; then it becomes straw. But in the Hereafter (there is) a severe torment, and (there is) forgiveness from Allah and (His) pleasure. And the life of this world is only a deceiving enjoyment.” [57:20]
Allah the Exalted degrades the significance of this life and belittles it by saying,
“that the life of this world is only play and amusement, pomp and mutual boasting among you, and rivalry in respect of wealth and children.”
Meaning, this is the significance of this life to its people, just as He said in another Ayah,
“Beautified for men is the love of things they covet; women, children, much of gold and silver (wealth), branded beautiful horses, cattle and well-tilled land. This is the pleasure of the present world’s life; but Allah has the excellent return with Him.” (3:14)
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