Mohammad Elshinawy – Best of Stories – Study of Surat Yusuf 20
AI: Summary ©
The speakers discuss the importance of fear and anxiety in creating "weird atmosphere" and avoiding getting scared. They stress the need to be aware of fear and anxiety and caution against assumptions and offenses. The art of persuasion is discussed, emphasizing the importance of learning and being generous with one's manners. The importance of hiding one's blessings from strangers and listening to her father's instincts is also emphasized. The transcript uses a parable to describe the concept of knowledge and actions, emphasizing the act of acting on words rather than actions.
AI: Summary ©
Bismillah Alhamdulillah wa salatu salam ala Rasulillah hola Neo savage rain begin the name of Allah All Praise and Glory be to Allah and Miss find this peace and blessings be upon His messenger Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, and his family and his companions and all those who tried his path. May Allah azza wa jal Corinthos and you will life upon his path and death upon his guidance and our union around him alone. I mean, may Allah purify with these moments, which we spend on his book on his words on his Quran, make of the moments that we remember and finding our scale of the deeds on the day we will be in need of every last good deed alone I mean, so there was a bit of
recitation today because we are going to try our best to cover in this half hour
an entire page because that is the scene the scene is a bit detailed regarding what took place when user for the Salomon Brothers went back to their father and made an attempt at
being given their brother the full brother of use of valet Sadam, their half brother, so that they can be allowed back into Egypt and allowed to
seek out more food, more measures of food being sold to them for the goods that they bring into Egypt. So in the first ayah, Allah subhanho wa Taala has for them, Raja Isla de him called Adana. When they went back to their father they said, Oh, our father, Mooney, Amin, al Qaeda, we have been denied measure the measures of food that are weighed out for us in exchange for the goods we give. These measures have been denied to us
for our cinema, Anna Hana Knechtel, and so send with us our brother so that we will obtain measure because he's the requirement now for being allowed back in Egypt. We're in Allahu Allah Hatfield alone, and we will certainly safeguard him. And so despite returning with loads of food, for everyone in the family from this journey, the clever brothers began was mentioning the fact that they were denied measure. And they cleverly omitted that. This is in reference to the future like we were denied any more measure, we will no longer be allowed to buy food from Egypt. So we said we were denied, you know, purchase, meaning future purchase, but they left a future part out why why
did they do that for an obvious reason. They wanted to evoke a sentiment of fear, a sentiment of urgency, so that they'll know that this is a necessity to send the brother by the way that they mentioned that his name is Benjamin. We don't have anything in our records that says his name was Benjamin, but the Prophet salallahu Alaihe. Salam did say Hadith on Venezuela. How much Narrator convey on behalf of Benoit Surah Ian, and there's no harm in that. Don't hesitate in that it's fine. Well, it's so difficult homework to get the ball and just don't deny it.
That's for sure a lie? Well, let's hold the Home nor affirm it, therefore, shorts truth. And so this type of fact is fine to mention. Because the province Australian said Well,
in any case,
they said this brother who said to be Benjamin,
was sought out by the brothers like this, okay?
We're not gonna get measured anymore. This is the last food we're gonna have. They created this sense of urgency right away. And there is an abstract lesson here, among other lessons, but one of the things that comes to mind is that some people
exaggerate the fear mongering, to get you to accept their behavior to dictate your behavior. Like marketers do this all the time. They like if they want you to buy their anti virus software, they'll really exaggerate you know, create this alarmist atmosphere, or alarming atmosphere arouse fears, so that you'll buy the anti virus software, that's what they do.
And so, when shaytaan does this as well, shaytaan does this as well didn't Allah subhanho wa Taala say a shaytani R I do commend Felco Murakami fascia shaitan causes you to be afraid of poverty. And so he constructs you with indecency. Like he tries to get you to forget that Allah has provided for you so much in the past, so that you'll be unethical in the way you seek provisions in the future. Right.
And so just be aware of that people are trying to cause you to be afraid. Why? Why are they trying to make me afraid? Why do I let them cast fear in me? Sometimes because they're looking out for me, they I trust them. Fear could be very productive.
Driving for us a wake up call lights a fire under you that's very good. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said that that fear and anxiety could be your driving force to Jannah. He said Allah salatu salam Madhava at the ledge, whomever. Whoever fears whoever is frightened at the ledge means he leaves in the middle of the night. You know, you start your journey in the morning, ordinarily when you're traveling somewhere, but he says whoever does that leaves extra early. That's what it means right leaves before the morning means he leaves extra early, meaning he plays it extra safe. And he says woman at the lodge available magazine and whomever leaves before dawn will surely
get to their destination meaning in time, and then he switched gears as to what this metaphor is about. He said Allah in SLF, Allah Allah Allah, Allah Allah Siddhartha Lucha agenda, certainly the merchandise of Allah is precious, certainly the merchandise of Allah is is paradise many you want to make sure you get that fear is an excellent driving force for it. And so people that stoke fear in you or evoke fear in you.
Just be careful. They could be trying to get you to make an emotional decision.
That is not in your best interests. In this case, the brothers may have done it and it may have been justified by the way, I'm not necessarily criticizing this. They do need to get their brother but just notice their cleverness in knowing the value of fear.
To go about that, the next verse says that the father responded * am no Kumala he should I trust you with him.
In the camera, I mean to Comala three human club
as I trusted you with his brother in the past me as I trusted you with with use of notice he still hasn't How could he forget yourself, but it's still on his mind. For Allah who played on Hatfield law. He said so Allah is the best guardian or who are Hamra human
and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.
And so he suspecting them. I don't trust you. And that is from the wisdom of Iacobelli. Sarah and it is certainly permissible. Nobody should ever doubt that. You know, suspecting we said this early on in the Surah suspecting people baselessly is impermissible, but suspecting people because of them, offending committing an offense in the past is wisdom is necessary is prudence. You know, your gut instinct. Listen to it, especially when there's some evidence behind the gut instinct. It's not just an instinct, then the Prophet alayhi salatu salam say lay you will dealt with me know in your hand Mara chain that the believer is not struck or stung from the same hole twice.
And so assuming when there's substantiation for assumption is wisdom and prudence It is not wrong, baseless assumptions are what are wrong, in fact, are Ahmadiyya Lavon used to say men LEM
then Pharaoh, London Hogan Pharaoh who was on the whole Linnaean Fairhope I know, whoever's assumptions, like their gut instincts will not benefit them, they don't get anything out of them, they will not benefit from their own eyes.
Meaning if you're gonna like ignore a very strong feeling you have and evidences that you can't seem to shake off
then you may even shake off what you see with your own eyes at some point say No, I didn't see that I must have been you know hallucinating.
And
so he had every reason to suspect them so there was nothing wrong with suspecting them. Rather, they would be something wrong if he didn't suspect them and apply that to your life as well. That you know, they said we're in Allahu Allah half alone, we are surely going to protect his brother. How could he trust them when they said that exact line earlier in the Surah we're in Allah who will have you alone, right before the disappearance of UCLA set up.
And then from from the opposite side, now, if you're the person that has lied or betrayed, think about it like this, do not expect the people to just trust you, from the moment that you
claimed to turn a new leaf like don't lie. And then blame people later for not believing you. Don't betray and then criticize others for not trusting you. Own your problem. Own your mistake. Realize that people are not like Allah, they take a longer time to forgiving you, their hesitation, their foot dragging, consider it part of the painful purification process for your sin. Consider it part of your repentance for your past and don't expect from them with your Estelle for Allah to forgive you and forget it. As Allah subhanho wa Taala may do. People are not like that.
And so don't project your crime your problem on people own it, and give people their time and their space to forgive you
If they choose to do so don't blame them for not believing you
when you've been dishonest in the past,
what's interesting also in this idea, he says, Shall I trust you the same way I trusted you with use of? He says for law Hi Ron Hatfield law.
Allah is the best guardian, Muhammad Rahimi and He is the Most Merciful with those among those who show mercy. The scholar said, it's fascinating how in the beginning, when they asked for use of he said, I fear the wolf will eat him and use have disappeared. This time he didn't mention his fears. He said, Allah is the best guardian. I'm not trusting you with him. I'm trusting my real trust is in Allah, He realizing it's really hinting to the fact that he's already going to give them Binyamin Benjamin, the younger brother, so he said Allah who played on half Allah, Allah is the best Guardian when he said, I fear the wolf uses disappeared when he said Allah is the best Guardian use of N his
brother are both both in a comeback now. And so, notice the link between the language we use and the outcomes we encounter.
Lisanna can qualify to be tele in Albula I'm working on but not the scholar say beware of your tongue, your language the way you speak.
Because as a result of it, you could go through calamities, because calamities misfortunes are interlinked with utterances because what you utter is a reflection of what you you know you're believing right your assumptions, and Allah is where you assume of him subhanaw taala
and then the next verse says, well, am I further home at our home then when they opened their luggage?
They found that their goods were returned to them they found that what they had paid for the food they brought food then they opened their luggage they found the cost of the food was there as you remember use valet Selim instructed that to be put back in their in their saddlebags. And so they said yeah, Bernama and I believe anybody have, they said, Oh, our Father, what could we possibly want more than this? Like, what reassurance do we want that use of our lace LM is a nice guy.
Of course, the problem is them it's not user friendly set up.
The same way the problem wasn't the wolf and their father knew that there was no wolf.
But they're saying look, user la celebs a nice guy, and not not identifying him as using the use of Obviously, today said, here are our goods they've been returned to us when Amido Atlanta and we will provide for our family when I follow up on and we will protect our brother. When is that? Okay? That barrier and we were going to gain an additional load of camera loaded food. They're located on your car, that's an easy load, easy load.
And, you know, Dr. Ali 50 Have it a lot of what he said here
is in his book use of a yard, he said, always you you put in people's lives, things that will cause them to remember you things cause them to check up on you. Things that will cause them to to pray for you while you're sleeping or while while you're dead or otherwise. Right? Use of Alayhis Salam put this in their bag so that they will remember him, of course use the use of Alison and did it for for their own benefit, right. But for sure, he will as well be a beneficiary of his fate. And so you as well. Insert, don't hold back. Be generous with your time be generous with your manners, and invest those in people's lives for Allah sake, so that these people can testify for you with Allah
so they can pray for you and your absence so they can mention you Well,
in this world, and there's nothing wrong with that. See, wanting to be mentioned Well, in this world. Ibrahim Ali Salam said, what Jalili Sana sinful Afreen grant me a good mentioned among the lighter generations.
And then another lesson from this verse is the
the art of persuasion, I told you, these brothers are very clever. You know, they say that like a master sales salesman. Never only mentioned one perk for his product, right? Like one benefit of his product. At the same time, he'll never ask you to make a purchase. He'll, what is the word He'll slip the sale, He'll slip the sale like sneak it in there. So for example, instead of at he'll mention a whole bunch of reasons why you want this product. And then what he'll do is already assume that we're on the same page, customer and salesman that you're already taking the product. It's not even a question. So He'll slip this
sale by saying For instance, the product is xy and z. Now, would you like the delivery on one day? Or do you like the delivery on Wednesday? This is not about when you want to buy it, when would you like it delivered? What's your preference on delivery dates, slipping the sale, this is exactly what they did there.
They basically, they bounced in this verse, right? They said, look at the virtue of this man, it's in our saddlebags and, you know,
when Amuro Atlanta we're going to bring food back for our family dimensioned the families need when i Father Hana and we are gonna, you know, protect our brother, when I when I said to Caleb, we're gonna get a obtain additional rations of food, they just quick fired all four of those, like, it's very compact and diverse, their discussion, this use is great, and we're gonna get you know, we're gonna be able to feed our family before they go hungry, and like we're gonna protect our brother and our additional, you know, rations of food. But what they didn't do in this, you know,
is repeat their requests. So can we have him they didn't do that. It's as if it was a given they slipped at the sale, if you will. It's almost like them saying,
Don't worry, like they heard from him. Allah is the best guardian. Don't worry, you made an excellent decision. And here's why those four reasons. So persuasion is an art and it's an art we should all learn.
And it's a very valuable life navigator, you know, to navigate different
challenges, predicaments negotiations, life is a negotiation so many times. So learn it, learn the art of persuasion, get good at it.
But beware of the curse of the art of persuasion, what is the curse of the art of persuasion, using it to displease Allah subhanaw taala, because he could be a great as Doom, to be eloquent, to be persuasive to be convincing.
Because it puts you into the assumption that you can get whatever you want without consequences, or at the villa. So therefore they said, What LAN or pseudo the next verse Now LAN or Silla, who Marco I will not send him with you had to an email to come in Allah until or unless you give me a pledge before Allah and Allah is our witness over the pledge a pledge from Allah for Allah, I mean, in front of Allah, that you will bring him back to me like that to nanny be ill, and you have to become unless you are completely surrounded, meaning unless you're trapped, or unless you're all killed off, you have to become basically the Arabs used to mean both those things you have means you're
surrounded, meaning you're surrounded and killed off or you're surrounded, meaning you really have nothing.
To to leverage, you're totally out of options. For lemme tell him I'm FIFA home. And so Allah says so when they gave him that pledge that he asked for, called Allahu Ala Moana photo, Akil, he said Allah is a witness over what we are now saying, so he agreed on the condition that they give him this very specific promise and and swear by Allah's Name to make it a covenant under God, an extra emphasize and extra binding promise that this is how it's going to happen.
A person you know, can say, why did he even agree? Why did he agree to send them? There could be a number of reasons we already showed you that he's very prudent. He's very wise, of course, he is the prophet of God. And he said, but some of the scholars said maybe it's because the brothers did show some signs of getting better as the years went by, right, they reformed. Maybe it is also because he didn't have as much evidence
that they hated. The one we will call Benjamin Benjamin, as much as they hate the use of right for sure, you said had to be super special. He's the one Allah chose, right? For prophethood. And for the story, right to be the protagonist of the story.
And also it could have been due to necessity, the necessity of the famine, we need food this is as much as this is still a limited supply. And also the scholars mentioned the fourth or fifth reason which is law who
hardly ever middlemen and Allah it's possible that Allah had revealed to him that he will be safe, don't worry,
Allah guaranteed for me safety
and then there is a beautiful
display of parental justice here, which is what you will absolutely bring him back to me and God is a witness over unless you can't.
And so like in the middle of
the assertiveness and the reminder that you've betrayed before and he
Still compassionate and fair with his other kids. He's apparent right at the end of the day. And he's being extremely fair that if it's out of your hands that I won't ask you about it.
And then he said to them something else that showed his compassion his concern for them while Carla Yeah, Benny he said and he said oh my son's letter to Holloman Babin way ahead don't enter from one door one gate don't enter Egypt all from the same route to the same gate the same street or I don't walk altogether separate when you get into Egypt
don't enter from one gate and enter by different gates well metal Liniang coming Allah human shape and I cannot avail you anything it's got right if Allah something written it will happen. The decision rests only with him in it how can we let Allah I later CELT I put my reliance on him or Allah He fell whatever can whatever ketone anyone who puts their reliance on anyone better be putting it in God?
So he's saying do this, though ultimately things are in Allah's hands, and I'm putting my reliance on him.
And that is the perfect balance of teleco that you're supposed to do what you do, while relying on our lawfully subhanho wa Taala do what you can do the same time relying on Allah to make that effective or not. It's ultimately in his hands Subhana Allah Tala. But why did he tell them enter from separate gates, Mujahid Rahimullah who is the great student of nobis, the companion and cousin of the Prophet SAW Salem and master interpreter of the Quran. He says and many of the scholars took this from him meaning they agreed with him and repeated reported it that he feared for them the evil eye. So these were many children, all handsome, all strong males, they're all going in at the same
time, and they're going to come out with a whole lot of food. And so he feared the evil eye against them.
And so one of the ways might as well what we're talking about this, one of the ways to avert the evil eye because the evil eye will put a man in his grave as the Prophet SAW Salim said. And actually in some of the Hadith he said that the majority of the deaths of my Omar from the evil eye.
And of course, that's by Allah's permission, the same way a bullet hits by Allah's permission, the evil eye hits by Allah's permission,
spent outside of his color.
But one of the ways to work to protect yourself from the evil eye, your bulletproof vest, from the bullets of the eye is what to hide your blessings, to hide your blessing. So he didn't want them to see the brothers congregating together, their number, their collective strength, all of that he wanted to dilute that by sending them down different roads, also of the very important lessons against the evil eye or to protect you from Allah ain, the evil eye is to protect is to hide your blessings from strangers, especially, you know, many people try to put on a show, like in front of strangers. No, be yourself. Don't put our show for anybody. Be yourself with those nearest to you.
And be less than yourself with strangers. Hi. Live in the shadows as best you can with everybody else. You know, we do the very opposite, don't we? Like we flex harder in front of strangers we're performing. But you're you're killing yourself. You're destroying yourself. So many people envy others for things that aren't even real in their life? Social media, that's one of many examples of that. Why are you asking for it, be less than yourself. Be a summary of yourself not yourself in public and be yourself with those that are not strangers, because they're less likely to envy you.
And also of the great lessons here is that he said to his children, do this do this do this me because I'm concerned about you. You know, but I can't benefit you If Allah doesn't want this to work is still not going to work. By the way. That's what he's telling them. It is great parenting. It's very healthy parenting, to announce to your children, your inability sometimes, so they don't depend on you for everything they learn. You know the way they cry to you as toddlers. They cry to Allah azza wa jal when they grow up, when you know they they come to you seeking allowance money. Teach them to ask Allah to provide for you so that you would possibly give them an increase in their
allowance or you know, provide for them. Connect them with Allah, show them your inability,
every now and again. And the last verse, we will cover very quickly, while I'm the Holloman HIFU amerihome Abu whom and when they entered Egypt from
actually this technically is not the same scene but I recited it so we'll cover it when they end
entered from where their father had commanded them.
It did not avail them anything against God. It was not the fact that they were separated that protected them from the evil lie.
Meaning it was ALLAH who protected them from the villi subhanaw taala he said in Hajj and Fein fcr phobia hub, Koba. However it was just the need, it was like a gut instinct a pressing need inside the hole, which he carried out, I need to feel like I did my part to protect them from the villi
they were protected, but it wasn't solely because of that technique or that tactic. And Allah says way now who then he praises Yeah, hold on a second. This is just
very meaningful for us. He praises Yeah, Fulbright As salam for doing that, that which didn't benefit on its own, but it is so praiseworthy of the servant to do it. When that's when he says we're in a hotel and this verse, let's do our ailment. Lima alumna who were like in axon naskila Moon, and he was a person of great knowledge. They were Illman Yeah, who was a person of great knowledge, Lima alumna
knowledge due to what we taught him. He was he had great knowledge of the knowledge that we taught him. That's the bare minimum, we will we will like dig a little deep into it for in a second. Well, I can act Varanasi Allah, Allah moon,
most people don't know.
And so the first lesson here, let's just start from the beginning of the verse, when they entered as their Father commanded them, meaning in separate waves, or in separate groups, they were showing obedience to their parents, even in the absence of their parents. And that is important. Obedience, your parents applies even your adulthood, these are grown men, and it applies and it's included, even at the times when they're not present.
You still obey your parents, unless you have a shout out, excuse not to
the fact that they didn't know
is not by itself alone, a reason for you to be disobeyed and your parents.
And then the importance of listening to your parental instincts. This was just something in your hopes chest that he had to carry out, which was the request of them to not enter
the place in one collective group, those are his father's instincts. Yes, the father who was stabbed in his heart by these children. He still loved them, and he still feared for them. And he had to feel like he did everything that Allah put in his power, while recognizing at the same time that all power in my throat lies with Allah. He had to just try his best to save his children. And now let's get to the last part of the Iowa inner who woulda thought element Lumut Lima alumna and he was a person of great knowledge.
About what what did he know, in this whole exchange in this whole scene. He knew what Allah taught him that the evil eye is a reality. Most people don't know that.
Other a person needs to actively hide their blessings from it from envious eyes. Most people don't know that.
It's being mandatory to seek the means right to do your part, as they say sometimes right? To seek the means against harm. Most people don't know that. They trust God or you know, they're apathetic or have a faulty understanding of reliance on God seeking the means it's mandatory. To believe that caution, my caution my seeking the means my protectiveness does not by itself, deter fate. Most people don't know that. Other like is a group that doesn't do anything and says I'm going to rely on God. The other group of people, they do everything in their power, and they think it's enough neither of those.
He knew he knew all of this leftover element Lima alumna
and so Allah is praising this noble, knowledgeable servant of his subhanho wa taala.
However, some scholars added another layer of meaning here, where a net who let's do or Illman Lima alumna and he was such a possessor of knowledge of what he taught him. They said, obviously, we taught him so he has knowledge that can't be the only meaning. But Tada, the student of nsmt Malik about the Aloha and great to have very, he said they were Illman he is a bearer of great knowledge, a zoo Iman Lima alumna. He was so committed to practicing what we taught him. In other words, Allah to show the the connection the nessa
Sorry, connection between knowledge and actions, use the word knowledge here instead of actions. So the meaning of the idea is, and he was a person that always acted on what we taught him.
And so that qualified him to be considered a person of knowledge because he acted on his knowledge. And this is, by the way, something that said, if there there wasn't used to always do, they would only consider their knowledge to be knowledge once they acted upon it.
And, and that is very wise. Because if you really know something, if I know there's a fire in this room, that Allah forbid, I'm going to act on it. If I, if I don't, if I say there's a fire in the room, and I'm just sitting around, I don't really believe that I'm not really convinced of that. And so when I'm certain of something, which is what knowledge is about, when I'm sure of something, I'm going to act accordingly. And so Allah made knowledge and actions two sides of the same coin in this ayah, they are saying,
as the doer ilmi knowledge of what we taught him actually means the one who acts upon his knowledge that we taught him.
And so that is another layer of meaning there that you would expect him Allah to say he is a peasant. He's an actor of the knowledge we taught him, because he did all of this right. And that was just mentioned in the earlier verses, but he said he is a possessor of knowledge of what we taught him to show us that the word knowledge and actions should be interchangeable, because they are two twins that should always be inseparable in the believers mind.
We'll stop there in sha Allah and now we speak about when they took their brother and went back to use of Ali salaam when they first enter upon him the second time. Next week, if Allah permits is like a local analyst on the law said Nevada kind of em hamadryad it was five he said I want income