Best of Stories – Study of Surat Yusuf #22

He was so happy Adrian. We continue with the story of Yusuf Ali ceram, the best of stories and we are at the point now where Yusuf Ali Salaam had asked them if I find the king's cup, if I find the king's goblet inside of one of your bags, then what is the punishment? You tell me what the punishment should be? And so they said, Whoever is back you find the cup and if any of us then they themselves become its compensation, the compensation for stealing an item of someone is that you become that item you become taken into slavery. Some say in their law, it was for a year that you'd have to serve the person that you stole from for a year but the point is, you become their slave

in exchange for what you stole of their property.

So here it needs first verses for bed the abbey already at him qabalah Wi Fi so he began with their bags before his brother's bag, the brother that he wanted to keep back with him, his full brother, whose story is called Benjamin, okay. Of course, the very wise he didn't go straight for his brother's bag. He began with their bags first and he pulled it out of his brother's bag. Allah says Cavalli, khaki Dinelli use of thus we devise the plan in this way we've devised the plan for use of you No kidding. From Kate, Kate is the word in the hood and for plot right to plan in a way that disadvantages others.

And so that's usually

in principle a bad thing to do,

but plotting against those who deserve it is justice. That is why Allah subhanho wa Taala

never mentioned that he plots except in reciprocation in return for those who plot right because it was justice, in that case, it was praiseworthy not in and of itself or the plotting involved because what is plotting, plotting is basically doing something in a subtle fashion in this discreet way, right delivering a certain end to a certain person and not end like demise with just a goal that you get to buy not necessarily deception, but just seek secret to discrete planning. And so, that is this phrase unless it is just this knowmia keep doing okay then when

they plot so I plot Allah subhana wa tada says, William curonian, Corolla and they put scheme and Allah scheme soprano tada even though the word scheme just attributing that to Allah by itself, it comes off wrong, doesn't it? Because in principle, it would be wrong. But because it was against the plotters, it was perfect justice and it is befitting of a you know, a

reparation a punishment, a consequence for their crime. In any case, so Allah says catolica kidnap the use of this is how we made a plot for you. So this is how we enabled him

to get the upper hand to disadvantage them, to force them to let go of their brother. And then he said, I'm not Canada Leah, who the who feed in Maliki lanisha Allah and he would not have been able to

detain his brother under the Kings law. As we said, The Kings law would have been that you get beaten and you have to repay but in their law, when he referred it to their law while knowing their law. This enabled him to retain detain his brother,

Benjamin, so we're not for a loss though just setting up that plan for him he would not have been able to do it. And then he says not a foul Dada jetty Manisha it was through that knowledge that we gave him that we raised him, we enabled him we empowered him, it was not him being the king, because even if you're the king, then you then retain that men in an unjust fashion or what appears to be unjust fashion. That would not raise you it wasn't the power. It was the strategy. It was the knowledge that Allah gave and that's why it says not fall de la gente, Manisha we raised in degrees whomever we wish, for pakula, via Illuminati, and above every possessor of knowledge is someone who

is more knowledgeable.

You know, Abdullah, not best about the love of Thailand who one time stated something and a person, you know, marveling at his knowledge, said at the end of that verse, he said,

afoco, Livia and mineralium above every possessor of knowledge is someone with more knowledge, meaning we never thought that, you know, someone could be a greater scholar than so and so. But here you are clearly more knowledgeable than him. And so even our best got upset about the level on and he said, what an awful thing you said, meaning don't just apply this to human beings. This idea does not mean that there's always going to be someone more knowledgeable on Earth. This is even beyond that. This means that every person of knowledge, there is

someone that knows more than them all the way up to Allah subhanho wa Taala himself, all the way up to Allah Himself.

So a lot raised him with knowledge and he plotted to secure his brother from the

from the harm he was incurring and experiencing at the hand of his brothers.

And that is why some scholars spoke about a lesson in this verse, that learning the tactics, learning the tools, learning, the skills that would neutralize oppressors that would deliver us to ends that are beloved to Allah and His Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, this is praiseworthy, and a means of elevation in the rank of Allah subhana wa tada it no playing Rahim Allah Himself said this. Okay. And then the methodical plan of use of the knowledge Allah granted him it's not clear whether this is like an explicit directive from Allah, like puts the cup in the bag, say this to them there. Was it explicitly revealed to use the valet salon or was it simply, Allah inspired him

with unique intelligence and you know, being an apt thinker.

It's all from Allah subhana wa, tada a very subtle difference between the two, whether this was something that he felt was his own choice that I'm going to use this tactic and Allah inspired him with the creativity and cleverness, or was it something that was not up to him at all, and it was spelled out instructions, but either way, it was still just this pure, it was rightly guided and it was just this pure, every step of the way. Use of Allah is Allah utilize this tactic in a way that was headed towards a good end, which is protecting Benjamin that's one. Number two, he didn't frighten his brother, because that also would have been a little bit problematic. You're not

supposed to frighten people it is actually haram to admit fear upon the heart of a Muslim in particular people in general, you should not cause them to fear your harm. And so he met with his brother first the night before. In the earlier verses, we heard this he took his brother off to the side. So they had a conversation right, he opened up to him about things and very likely opened up to him what his plan for the next day as well and how he was going to keep him.

Also, the third factor is Yusuf Alayhi Salam did not accuse the brothers of stealing whatsoever

you know, it was the announcer who said in that coma sorry porn. You are you have stolen he didn't say even the announcer didn't say you stole the king's cup. All he said was you are thieves. And then in another sentence, he said the goblet the king's cup is missing. And so those both those statements are true, like meaning either the end you know, even if use a valet salon would have said to the announcer

say the following you have stolen it still wouldn't be a lie. Because you know, one way scholars would say it's okay the announcer thought they actually stole that was on his own that he assumed that there that they still he didn't know about us right asylums plan. But even if use of Elisa Lam said just say the following use of notes his own plan, he still wouldn't be lying either.

Because the brothers did steal, they still use it from his brother. And so the announcer didn't say you stole the cup. He said you are thieves. And they are thieves. They stole us the valet cillum from his father, I'm sorry, not his brother. And then the second thing is that when he got to the actual cup, he said neph piddles lol Malik, we don't we cannot find we are missing the king's cup and that is true the king's cup at face value that statement is true, it is missing it is not stolen, it is missing.

Also use about a solemn he avoided this honesty.

In the next verses that we will speak about in a second when he says I cannot take other than the one whom the goblet was found with.

He didn't say the one who stole the goblet who stole the cup.

And and it also would have been wrong of him to apprehend any other brother and surrender Benjamin to them. Yeah, he couldn't, because that would be an act of injustice as well. So it's him saying I cannot take anyone else at face value. It's true because they think he's still with us if our les Salaam was saying I can't take anyone else because this is the one that needs rescuing. So even that statement was true as an environment a lot. lists out all of these moments when I saw the use of the zodiac the man of truth was truthful all throughout this plan this method is this genius method or this divinely inspired method. You know, Yusuf could not take his brother this verses in the Kings

law feed Dini medic in the Kings law, the Kings Dean Dean here means system because at the end is a system system of life system of law, all of that, right. So that's why it was called Dini medic. That

The dean of the king mean the law of the kink. So the law of the king Yusuf Alayhi, Salam was forced to abide by and this kingdom, as you know, was a non Muslim kingdom,

with use of La Sallam assumed the position in that non Muslim system

for the greater good, because sometimes you just have to engage your realities.

Sometimes you have no choice, but to put the superior law on hold, so that you don't slip into a worse state altogether, because, you know, we believe our laws guidance, and his laws are most superior, most likely guided most wise, but between a laws law which is best, and between law listeners, people just being rebels on society and people's welfare and safety and everything, the table gets flipped on, no one wants that in society.

And that is why so upon law, the laws didn't come down to the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam until he was in Medina, because unless there is the values in place, to foster, you know, the abidance by these laws, and then the authority in place when he accepted as the leader, both of those By the way,

the one that circumstance were in place, that all of their laws come down, and that's why it's a long discussion, of course, but this verse is proof. As if the Tamia Rahim, Allah says, on the permissibility, to participate in political systems that do not rule by Islamic law or purely by Islamic law, either to secure a greater benefit, or to mitigate a greater harm, that could not be mitigated or cannot be secured harms and benefits any other way. It's just, we have to deal with reality, until a better alternative, a better reality

is available. And it maintained me or him luck quotes and digestion as well, you know, in the joshy, the kingdom then I guess, of Abyssinia, Ethiopia, who accepted the Muslims who were being persecuted as,

you know, refugees in his lens in His Kingdom, he was a Christian king that secretly became Muslim, secretly became Muslim means what he didn't apply Islam under his jurisdiction, even though he was the authority per se, because he was the authority but he didn't exactly have the authority

to apply the laws without everything getting flipped upside down on him, which would have been a greater harm. And so keeping things as is and trying to do the best you can with what you have

is a primary objective of this study of the deen of Allah azza wa jal that deals with the real world not a utopia that deals with the changing variables of the world. You know, maximize benefit, minimize harm whenever you can, as best you can, so long as you're in the place and qualified on how to apply that principle. Okay, so that's an important rule. Just want to reflect that.

Before we move on to the next verse, so then the next verse

Carlos yesterday for Costa Rica on lahoma. They said if he has stolen

then our brother before him, a brother of his has stolen before him meaning it's no surprise his brother was a thief to they're referring to us, to us if they're referring to while speaking they said yeah, if he stole I guess, kind of makes sense because his brother was a thief as well. Allah xojo says, you know, for us several have NFC, he will move the hell out the use of kept it to himself, kept the reaction to that horrible statement to himself.

What did he what was the reaction? most scholars say that what did he keep to himself? It is the words the very next words in that verse, which are

called Lancome Sharon McKenna. He said no you are in a worse situation or lonely mental seafood. And Allah knows best about what you're saying.

So what abusive keep to himself and not to reveal to them Lem you detail at home didn't reveal it to them. The fact that he wanted to say you are the monsters right? You are far worse than what you're accusing your brother of. And Allah knows the truth. He is fully aware of what about what you're alleging regarding your brother who still

and it is just this verse like everything about it. It's just

it makes you angry. If you want to put yourself in use about a set of shoes. So like, a few verses earlier when they wanted their brother. They said oh our father you know, obviously Minor Arcana send our our brother with us. Yeah, now

They're seeing his brother where you guys are not all brothers. Now, his brother has stolen, they subdivided the Brotherhood right there, his brother has stolen and then even if his brother has stolen since when are like righteousness and unrighteousness you know integrity and you know corruption wickedness? Are these like DNA traits that get passed down in this is the concept of basically sort of like racism comes from sort of bigotry and tribalism. And all this stuff comes from collective guilt, collective shame, you know, stereotypes, all of that, right? They're saying if he stole First of all, you guys are all brothers. And then they said his brother, they separated

themselves. Then they said, he has stolen so what if his brother has stolen? What does it have to do with this one stealing?

And then they said, use it has stolen when they're the thieves. They're the ones who stole use of himself from his dad.

And so it is infuriating to imagine that I'm using a system and they're saying this to my face. You know, some scholars mentioned stories about like, just some accusation, unfounded accusation. I'm with you. Somebody said I'm stealing or some say that he stole one of the idols that one of his grandfather's obviously not from the line of money money said I'm not about him, is half the apple abuse of from you know, his mother's. That's right, maternal grandfather's

that he stole an idol of his grandfather and broke it, which would be a righteous deed, of course. And they would know that, you know, the point is, the accusation was completely baseless, completely baseless. So that's the first part. The second part I want to say that you need to think about this, you know, I read for Sr aurania. Was Nina a beautiful, beautiful reflection on this? You know, Allah zoa. Jen, why did he tell us? That use of it Sam kept it inside of him. Why did Allah tell us about the volcano inside of UCLA Sam at that moment, right. He kept it within him and didn't reveal it to them the fact that he wanted to say, You are the you know, the evil ones, you are in a far worse

position. And whatever you're accusing other people of you are far guiltier Why did Allah tell us that Subhana Allah Tada.

Use of all Islam forgives at the end of the story, we all know the story. And that's why I'm choosing to use this angle, or this style of digging deeper in light of the greater context of the story that we all know. Why did he do that? Subhana Allah tala because we need to see the humaneness of the prophets, you know, and not just the prophets, we need to not shy away from pretending all the time from you know, quitting our our pretentious claims of invincibility.

Put simply, we just got to show our vulnerability sometimes that actually helps people. You know, when you see it, the prophet of Allah who forgave in the end, it was difficult on Him to forgive, they boiled his blood, that is what makes the forgiveness so powerful. When you find someone you know that as she puts it, like takes off the mask takes off the cream takes off, you know, all of the the facade and just meets you like a human being shows you their scars proves you I'm they're human, that is how we can benefit from each other's stories. That is when the stories can save. You know, she, as she puts it also very beautifully. The metaphor she gives, that's the message in the

bottle. You want to connect with people and these, you know, the message that goes into a bottle and floats away and lands in the perfect hands by laws, you know, his planning and his grace. Sometimes our US showing our vulnerabilities, just letting them slip, letting them you know, allowing people to have a peek at our weaknesses, our moments of distress, don't shy away, that actually could be far more beneficial than you setting up this really high expectation so others that neither you are living nor can they attain. And so that is the importance of the humaneness and the human experience that we should not shy away from.

As she says, show me your scars for by them you are human.

And then when he wanted to do that, right, he wanted to explode and said you are worse in position. He said what what Allahu Allah Moby matassa phone. And Allah is fully aware of that what you're describing those words you're talking about a lot knows their reality knows how much of a lie they are knows how much you are guilty of them more than anybody else. That is a lesson on how to be forbearing when your blood is boiling, by remembering Allah subhanho wa Taala the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, when he saw the man enraged, and he said, I know a statement where he didn't say it. A lot would dispel what he's feeling earlier. We live in a ship on our team.

So being forbearing requires you to mention Allah's name to purge corner, you know, strap up straight on in that gather in that equation. Because when you remember Allah, you remember that your opportunity will not be lost, I don't have to react right now. My opportunity remains so long as Allah who knows the full details, who knows the truth remains, so kinda went on.

And so he was able to like hide this very natural expression, very expected expression. You know, when these desperate people who need me right now, they should be apologizing on behalf of their brother for their collective sake, these desperate people and these repeat offenders, they uttered another lie about him to his face, in the middle of all of that use of La Salaam, what self control he had, I mean, these are the prophets of Allah, that's what we want to learn from them, right? He had the self control of a prophet. And he just kept silent, he was able to give them the best response, which was silence.

And so the heroics of being able to keep a secret and getting the last laugh, even and overlooking a right of yours temporarily, for the sake of reconciling hearts to be able, because, you know, if you react sometimes when your blood is boiling,

after you react, you've given up the opportunity to say, Okay, I forgive you, because they're gonna be like you forgive me, well, I don't forgive you for what you did in the reaction. And so you just need to hold you know yourself down through remembering a lump, the opportunity won't go for the sake of that reconciliation of hearts at a later time. You don't have to forgive right now. But leave room advocates told him all right, leave room for reconciliation for fixing things later. Because you know, when the word comes out, it doesn't come back in. People are not like Allah subhana wa tada who forgive as easily. And we've said this many times.

You know, you think about like, even the permissibility to lie in Islam, to reconcile between two brothers, right? That's the Islamic definition of white lies, not the cultural misappropriation of the term white lies. Why? Because even the truth, the Frank truth

isn't always the best. Sometimes the easiest thing to do, just say it straight, don't speak through your teeth, you know, just but you know, the Sahaba or the lavonne. He used to say

about some people we meet some people know kashia Rafi when she doesn't have the SIOP. They say we smile and some people's faces are in Upolu boo, boo, bah, bah, bah, hard to despise these people.

And

another one of the setup, someone said to him, I don't sugarcoat anything for anyone.

So he said to him, You took the easy route, the easy route of not caring about keeping people together. But it's awful to overlook and to withhold and this self control that we're learning from UCLA said, I'm here. This is the clap of the Obama. This is a this is a clap of the greatest people, the character of the greatest people ever.

And so, the verses continuing I'm going to accelerate much in these next two three verses on Oh, yeah. Are you one Yohan, Lizzie's they said, Oh, noble Prince. Oh, dear King, or noble Prince in the level eventually one can be around for Who the hell no McKenna, he has a father. That is a very old man. So take one of us in his place in nanowall coming into our city and we see that you are of the doers of good. We see that you're a great man.

So yeah, you had Ozzy's important lesson. Oh, noble. Man. Oh, noble Prince. Oh, noble minister, honorable King.

Don't ever shy away from giving people their due respect. And do here do how much is due to them? The amount of they expect a lot of the stuff How long? The amount they expect a lot of the stuff how long when the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam

was writing a message to heraclius he wrote he said, from Hamad, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam Isla hirak laulima rule to heraclius the great of Rome. This is not you, recognizing you know, someone who is great according to our value system, he was not a person of tawheed. Right. But he was seen as great he was seen as the utmost leader, he was seen as

the head and the ruler and the commander of his people. So you give people that there is no reason for you to be abrasive and act like I don't need to recognize your authority and you need to hear that every time I open my mouth before we talk about anything else. This is very foreign to us, you know people that are hostile towards Islam.

Actively hostile towards Islam, we can ignore them altogether. And

that would be the exception to the rule and we're addressing them. But sometimes you feel like people

conflate kindness and respect with an endorsement of the other person's beliefs. And that should never be the case. That should never be the case. The Prophet salallahu alaihe salam used to honor the head of the hypocrites because he was honored and Medina

and obeyed and said no, and he would call him. I will hope that, you know, that was his cleaning house. It's like his epithet, his title of respect, and so many others, so many, so many examples of this. And then they said to him, you know, he has an elderly Father, you know, just let him go take one of us in his place, not this young one is going to break his dad's heart more than anyone else in Iraq. I mean, we're seeing we see you, to be of those who are most excellent in conduct, people have a son, you are definitely among them. That statement in an argument, Mr. Sweeney, and many scholars caught the fact that it was said, when he was in prison, interpret our dreams for us or use

of, we see that you are of the Marcin, and here it is, again, at the height of his power. Please be nice to us. And just let the brother go and take us instead, we see that you are the martini same statement. And that's a beautiful tie our scholars called our attention to that Yusuf Alayhi Salam was unfazed by his conditions, his character did not change, you know, the concept of money changes, people

aren't even at the top level, they're low on us to say that money doesn't always change people, it reveals people sometimes it does change us, because we do get weaker. But it it shows you that you are not as strong as you think or shows others that you are not as strong as you think because you are so corrupted by money and otherwise, use a valet sallam. He was doing his Dharma inside and outside he was upon his, his ethical principles inside the prison and at the height of his power. No difference he was of the martini. And so ask yourself,

how principled you are, how consistent you are with the fluctuations of life. You know, I'm what about the lavonne, who has a beautiful statement, it is an Arabic expression that makes no sense in English when literally translated, but it essentially means that riches and poverty are

two riding animals that I don't care which of the two I am put on, so long as they deliver me to Allah subhanho wa Taala they are mounts they are, you know, situations that I have to ride, whatever's under me is under me. I got to keep it moving.

And so poverty is an opportunity for patience and contentment, you know, riches and opportunity for self restraint and charity. There's no difference. In terms of my principles, of course, nobody wants to feel suffering. Nobody, you know, hates to feel comfortable. That's not what's meant, but what's meant in a way that erodes or bleeds into or diminishes from your principles, your principles that Allah will ask you about and hold you to. And so he said, the first we already covered my either lie, seek refuge with ALLAH God forbid. And that whether that we take anyone that we arrest anyone except the one in whose possession we found

our property our motel.

In even Lavalle moon, we would be wrongdoers. If we did that it's true, he would be wrong doors, you would appear a wrong door to take someone who didn't steal. But since he didn't steal, he's still truthful for saying I'd be a wrongdoer because I'd be a wrongdoer to leave Benjamin with you any longer.

And so the next verse says fella stay so minimal Hello, so Nigeria when they lost hope in Him, meaning the spirit of negotiating with him. Hello, so Nigeria, they escaped like they stepped aside to confer with each other to consult each other. Privately Nigerian means manage a private conversation

or like a beautiful home the eldest among them, he said, Don't you know that your father took a vow of pledge from you before God in front of God that you'd bring the young Benjamin back and in the past you failed, you know, your your value your promise to protect with use of as well, and you failed with regards to you. So, Len abre I will not leave this land had died then led me until my father permits me or God decides for me for he is the best of deciders, and they did something excellent here, the performance euro, they got together and they consulted with one another on what's the best course of action. And as the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said, met the

Shahada pony Allah who do

a lot of shady Embrey him no people ever consult sincerely consult one another look for their blind spots. Not just

No formalities and acting like you're humble and listen, you actually look for the best mode of action, the best practices in the current situation. No one does that, except that they will be guided to the most

appropriate of decisions. And this was an appropriate decision to stay with their brother to stay back in Egypt to know that we didn't just toss him and leave. We didn't just you know, by our freedom with his so he detained himself in Egypt so that their their father would know that this was not us. This was not us.

And then he gave them very clear instructions. He said it'll general Isla de can go back to your father for Hulu and say yeah abana Oh, our Father in the Nikah Sarah, your son has stolen but still look your son not our brother your son before it was our brother and now it you know it's his brother use have had stolen and now it's your son had stolen

so when they needed him, he was their brother and now that we're talking about stealing keys, your son

double standards, double standards and on one level or another, we all need to be cognizant of them.

And they said one measure hit dinner in Alabama alumna and we only testify to that which we know we did with evidence came out of his bag and we couldn't say anything that we couldn't prove that we didn't know. Why am I couldn't I look at behalf iliyan and we could not have prevented the unseen like we don't know any secret evidence that's how some scholars took this phrase. Other scholars said well my goodness we have alien meaning we did not we were not aware of the unseen meaning before we got to Egypt we didn't know what was gonna happen. You can't possibly hold this against us.

In order to be right Rahim Allah with this how close he said when Masha hit dinner. He love you man alumna. We only testified to that which we had knowledge about. We couldn't testify to anything else. He says that this verse is of the proofs that we cite as Maliki's is a great medical scholar, that testimony requires knowledge and knowledge only? In other words, what?

to testify for something Do you have to see it with your own eyes?

to testify for something Do you have to orally

testify for it? He said no. This verse reminds us that in Islamic law, however it can be acquired right?

testimony, however, knowledge can be transmitted, even if it's from a blind man, but he was able to give reasonable testimony provable testimony, and likewise a mute person if he's still able to transmit knowledge, right? He can write it down for us or something. So he says, however it is acquired, such as a blind man

who saw or a mute person he says, so long as his gestures are intelligible, whether it's writing or sign language, his gestures are intelligible.

This verse tells us that so long as there's knowledge testimonies allowed in Islamic law, and by the way, it means the opposite as well. Right? It means that if you negates knowledge, you negate testimony, you cannot testify for something without knowledge, like in the case of rumors, and how many rumors exist nowadays, with the hype or circulation of information in the news feed age. So there are laws though Jeff teaches from his book, and I'll see you guys in sha Allah this week, because this was a class from last week. I was a makeup day. I'll see you this week in sha Allah tala. With the remainder of the story. The brothers heading back to their father now to speak about

the latest dilemma that use your full body slam has to brace with his old aging heart on a skeletal system. We'll leave it there. So chronic lung hemorrhage, and Mr. photocatalytic saramonic martoma