Mohammad Elshinawy – Best of Stories – Study of Surat Yusuf 23
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The speakers discuss the use of Jesus's words in the Bible to express pride and bragging about one's success, as well as the importance of patient forgiveness. They also touch on the use of "overbe] words to describe emotions and actions, and the importance of patient empathy when dealing with people in pain. The speakers stress the need to be empathetic and avoid blaming others, as well as acknowledging the negative impact of social media on one's well-being and expressing sadness to avoid violating boundaries.
AI: Summary ©
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Smilla hamdulillah salatu salam ala Rasulillah while earlier he also had the edge marine a prayer well everyone may Allah azza wa jal to make us a new people of the Quran and make us of those who the Quran will intercede for through our many, many slip ups throughout our lives and may Allah azza wa jal make all of our actions righteous, make them sincerely for his sake and not allow any of his creation or share of our intentions. We ask Allah subhana wa Taala to brighten our minds with the Quran and purify our hearts with it.
As we asked him as xojo Jalla Jalla Allahu to teach us that which will benefit us and benefit us with that which He has taught us and to increase us in knowledge, for he is the knower of everything on scene, Hannah, Hola, Donna. So I have to do something interesting, which is hit the road. And so I'm, I've made a mental note of the reflections I wanted to make. And hopefully, I don't shortchange you this week, but I felt like
a, a highway clip of reflections is better than a week without reflections. And I swear, I'm not looking at the notes.
But I have written them out quite thoroughly. So in sha Allah, they should be somewhat coherent. Bismillah. So in this segment of the best of stories, the story of use of Allah, His salatu, salam, we find that there's like a very interesting transition, because last week, as you can review the tape, if you will, there was the brother that was going to stay behind, telling
his brothers go back to your father and say, To him,
such and such happened and we could only testified to what we knew. And we didn't know the unseen, we didn't know what was gonna happen. And we didn't know that he didn't steal, we didn't have any counter evidence, all of that.
And then here it says, what's an in Korea and ask the city, the town that we were in, you know, ask ask all of Egypt. And what are your allotted benefi. And as the rest of the caravan, apparently, they weren't traveling alone. Ask the rest of the caravan that we just came back to you with what in Allah saw the phone, we're being honest here. So the very interesting shift is that it doesn't say they went back to their father and they told their father, it's just the brothers saying, say this. And it's almost as if
it was said that is implied it was already said to the Father, because the immediately thereafter you will see the verses, the father responds and says, so the instructions are being stated in Egypt. And then the the quick shift, the very eloquent shift is the father response. But before the Father Yeah, humulene salaams response.
I want to call your attention to a few points of benefit in sha Allah, sorry that the lights don't look like they're going to be helping us today.
Oh, there we go. That's decent.
They were not challenged,
or at least not challenged yet about their story, which is a true story that, you know, our brother was apprehended was trapped, arrested by, you know, the Egyptian government.
What they said and ask everyone ask the people of Egypt as the people that are in the caravan with us. And that just shows you how
poor credibility they have, and they know that they have it. You see, when you know you lose credibility in the sight of the people, you need 1001 other people to testify for you, people that have their own credibility. And that is a lesson in and of itself. If you want to catch it in passing, that lying sometimes will get you ahead for a moment. But it does so much long term damage that you need so many honest moments thereafter, or honest testimonies thereafter to make up for your one lie, whether that's you being honest, over and over and over again in the future, or so many other honest people to validate your testimony in the future. And so it takes so much more work
to fix a life
than whatever perk you gained. Temporarily momentarily by lying. And aroma Radi Allahu Anhu
I don't I think this has been like the most often I've ever quoted Omar Rhodiola Han.
In any series, and I don't know why I'm just reflecting here psychologically. I think it's just because I've quoted Omar so much that every time I think about these rallies salaam, I,
I think about Omar, and so I guess his narration is come to mind. Maybe also because there's a story in my head that I heard early on a narration that Omar macabre, the low on wood would weep heavily
leave when he would recite sort of use of insulted fetcher. In any case, so Amara de la Juana about lying, he says, so profound about how much like work it takes after to make up for one lie, that it's just so unwise to lie, he says, for honesty, to hold me back. And I may have shared this with you for honesty to hold me back. And it hardly ever does is dear to me. And then for this honesty to move me forward to gain me some ground, and it hardly ever does. Meaning I'd rather be disadvantaged by being honest.
Even though I hardly will ever be disadvantaged by honesty, meaning ultimately, that's so much better than being dishonest and getting some sort of advantage as a result of my dishonesty, but there hardly ever is an advantage in being dishonest very wise of him because they because it's so short lived. And it comes with such a high build such a high tax. So they said ask everyone ask everyone even before someone told them you're lying, they just said we know you don't believe most basically we're in Allah saw the phone
and then yeah, Fulbright As Salam responds and says
that it's a well lit room and full circle Mamre No, you're you're up to something again, your souls have enticed you to something again same statement he said to them the first time when they got rid of use of Allah He said in the beginning of the story, and then he says for southern German
and so beautiful patience. I say hola hola to Naevi him Jimmy and Perhaps Allah will soon bring them all back to me in now who who will Alim will Hakeem he certainly is the All Knowing the or otherwise. And so what does it mean?
For southern German, then a beautiful patients or then patients is beautiful. It actually means either or, or both. But the point is, it could mean either of those statements or both of them not necessarily one or the other.
Sub rune Jimmy sobre means patience. Jamil means beautiful.
Does this mean sub Quran Jamil
means patience is beautiful. Meaning patience is because if you're not patient, you'll just miss out on the reward and you'll be okay with things later. Right? So patience is always a beautiful thing to do. So is that what he means by sovereign Jimmy? Patients beautiful meaning patients is beautiful. Or is patients beautiful? Me does it mean here I will show Allah a patience that is beautiful meaning a high level of patience.
And that's where my bias leads me I lean to that view. And there is a
a profound
or an insightful distinction that chicken salmon the TV about him Allah makes in his definition of sunburn Jimmy and he says we find three virtuous actions in the Quran that are qualified by the word Jimmy and that Allah Subhana Allah Allah, you know, essentially enjoins upon us calls us to, they are sovereign jahmene patients that is beautiful, a beautiful level of patience, hedgerow and Jamil shunning. People are ignoring people in a beautiful way. And soft phone Jimmy foster myself Hi, Jimmy. Beautiful forgiveness, forgiveness, that is beautiful. He says and these are all the highest level of those actions. He says so let's go backwards. Patient forgiveness that is beautiful, is
forgiveness that involves no mention of the
of the crime like you, you really forgave it and forgot it. Really like no matter what happens you never bring it up again. Because sometimes, you know, you forgive someone Yes, you forgotten your right to retaliate per se right. But you still mentioned it. And so that takes away from the purity of the forgiveness.
The most beautiful form of forgiveness, the forgiveness that does not involve any reprimand thereafter. And then I hedged on Jimmy and Allah subhanaw taala spoke about the abusers of the prophets also known he said Well gentlemen Hydra and Jamila and shun them with a beautiful shunning. Meaning when you ignore them, ignore them without retaliating. You know, like
a person can, you know, punch back if you will retaliate back, you know, literally or figuratively, and then say, Okay,
now that's it. I'm not gonna deal with them anymore so that I don't fall into this again, or I don't
stoop to that level again. Or that's still noble right that you put a roadblock between yourself and reciprocating, you know, hostility and so on and so forth. But hedgerow and Jamil a beautiful shunning is that you take the high road consistently and from the beginning
and hear coming now back to the verse. I attend suburban Jamil beautiful patience, he says is patience that does not involve any complaint to the creation of Allah subhanho wa taala. It doesn't involve complaining to anyone of Allah's creation, because you can be patient in a sense that you do not disbelieve in Allah upon a calamity. You do not object to Allah and show resentment and that patience is mandatory to stay Muslim. But you there's a lesser form of expressing discontentment, right, which is complaining to people about your ordeal. And beautiful patients meaning the height, the pinnacle of patients that you don't mention it to anyone in a complaint form, like you can
mention to a doctor, so they didn't give you the prescription. But you're not just venting to people, you're not just you know,
soliciting their sympathy or their empathy as we'll talk about a little later and John Locke, people should be giving that but you're not soliciting it. And so you're not complaining to people. That is mandatory for beautiful patients not objecting to Allah not questioning him not showing resentment to Allah, that's mandatory for just bare minimum patients mandatory for staying Muslim right.
But the bare minimum for beautiful patients is that it is patients without complaint to the creation so Jacoba Alehissalaam said for sovereign Jimmy and I'm going to show hola for myself in this compounded agony the most beautiful form of patients
is hola hola and yet tn EV him Jimmy en perhaps Allah who will soon bring them all back to me in a hoo hoo and Eileen will Hakeem because he is the All Knowing the all wise and that is by the way, you know of the tips on how to exemplify beautiful patients by remembering Allah. Right He is the knowing he is the wise, you know, you need to fixate on him subpoena with Allah, you know, and fixate on his wisdom and his promise and his reward. That doesn't mean the bitterness will disappear but it will be eclipsed by the sweetness of the reward, the bitterness of the
pain will be eclipsed and smothered and tempered by the sweetness of the reward and the sweetness of connecting with Allah subhanho wa Taala who chose you for these lofty ranks through this ordeal. Oh no who I named Will Hakeem.
And then although I'm taller than him and then it says he turned away from them. Notice notice that Slipknot, Emile was citing in that previous discussion I shared with you he says he turned away from them and he said yeah SFR Allah use of all my agony Oh my My sorrow sorrow is a good word here SFM I sorrow overuse of like think about like this is his brother was just taken away. And now he is saying Oh, my deep sorrow overuse of so it triggered the old injury it peeled that or gashed opened up that wound it aggravated that wound again. That never really healed ever healed. You know, use of is not part of the discussion. Right? But for your whole body slam everything reminds them of
yourself. He's never recovered from that pain. And he didn't say this to them. Remember, he's not complaining of Allah to the he says, Well, I know Allah pointed out that he turned away from them and said this meaning he said this to himself. Or the other interpretation of Josie Rahim Allah gives, He says, or he meant by it. Oh Allah have mercy on my sorrow for overuse of it was intended to be menagerie to be an intimate intimate dialogue with Allah subhanho wa taala.
And so, this number one shows you is not complaining to the creation he's complaining to Allah azza wa jal subhanho wa taala. But it also shows the prolonged grief so to be depressed. You know, someone asked me recently, can you is it correct to say that a Prophet went through depression? And it's really about semantics here. What do you mean by depression? If you mean by depression, that he was injured by his pain, and he the pain lingered with him for a long time, prolonged grief? I mean, what does this verse say? Like they're talking about Benjamin and his brother, and he says, Oh, my sorrow overuse of it is definitely prolonged grief.
Fear. And there's definitely a great deal of pain. In fact, the very next versus the very next words in this verse are Obeah Latina who Meenal husband, and his eyes went white, from sadness from hosted from grief for Hua Kaeleen, because he was suppressing it, he was suppressing it for so long.
And so there's your answer. If that's what you mean by depression, then your whole ballet Salam fits that description. But if and this might be, I actually don't know, but this might be the more common definition of grief, that grief is when you become hopeless,
then no definitely to be inappropriate and unbefitting to describe any righteous person, let along you know, the prophets of Allah, let alone the prophets of Allah subhanaw taala with hopelessness, because, as you will see, and this discussion today is all about that passage, these three, four verses, the, his eyes went wide, meaning he went blind, according to so many interpreters that you know, how some of the coloration of the pupil fades when people are blind,
certain kinds of blindness in particular, right. And so he lost his eyesight, but he never lost his hope in Allah. And that is just
why this story has to revolve around the use of Alehissalaam and yeah, wholebody Salam and we need to be reading it, you know, until the end of time, because no matter what pain you're going through, if your heart is in the right place, if your iman and Allah subhanho wa Taala is solid, it will never cause you to look at Allah any different, it will be a means of elevating you more and more and it will never breach. You know your inner core, because your inner core is is Allah subhanho wa Taala your your fixation on him, your understanding about him and what he told you the nature of this world, the nature of the next all of that right? So it will never break you. So we'll be Allah
Dinah, who and then husband, his eyes grew wide from sadness for work Aleem for he was a suppressor of that sadness he was pressing, suppressing it
Carlota la hidef that would have gone to use of a hat the Kelowna Heartland Eltek Wynnum then Harlequin and then they said you're going to keep your you're bringing up use of again, you're going to keep bringing up use of until you become horrible and horrible. And they say means
on the brink of death, it's translated as diseased and some of the translations of the Quran but yeah, until you grow ill and become, you know, on your deathbed because of this had this Hakuna Heartland Eltek Unum and Harlequin or be of those who die altogether, you're gonna kill yourself over this. And what an awful response right? An awful, awful response. You know, she didn't Fifi Have you the whole law? He says that? Can you imagine that they targeted his loved ones like use of AI, they said um, and now they're targeting him over the memory of his loved ones.
And he got sent off the low ticket. And so what are we supposed to do when someone's in pain? You're supposed to empathize, try to share their pain, if you cannot empathize and at least sympathize like at least be considerate of their pain, you know, be shoulder with regard for their pain. And by the way, this pain, the reason behind it doesn't necessarily have to be justified
doesn't necessarily have to be justified.
And Abu Lahab no vagueness salute the head of the hypocrites in Medina, is a very good example of that. He was in so much pain as a result of his hatred, his envy of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wasallam because, you know, something that almost never happened before. I will say because of the, you know, the Arabs of Medina, they were at each other's throats for decades. And they will finally having a truce and they finally chose like a single leader, which was Abdullah Hypnobabies, who, who became the head of the hypocrites, and so they were literally putting together his crown, putting you know, the gemstones on his crown, to Crown Him, their king, the king of Medina. And moments
before he gets crowned King who comes to town, the prophets of Allah Who said I'm migrants in Medina, that is why he could not get past it. And yet, despite that, the prophet Alayhi Salatu was Salam was so considerate of him no bait when he heard the explanation. Seven or was it oh, he also Allah, you know, just take it easy on me. He's, he's having a rough day or a fear. You know, he he was just getting ready to be crowned king. And until Allah blessed us with your coming. And so he did Ali salatu salam if you read the Sierra carefully, so many times he accepted things for Mr. Luna tolerated him except that his intercessions prayed for him until Allah forbid him from praying for
him meaning at his janazah all of that was really special treatment. Why? In hopes that he could rescue him from his emotions. And so even if you don't understand someone's pain, or even if someone's pain isn't justified, you still want to look for the best way to help
and cope with it. That's very important. I would say that's one of my biggest regrets is telling certain family members, you shouldn't be thinking this way, you don't have a right to be upset about that, then you're being upset about something that Allah didn't grant you
the wrong way to process it wrong way to deal with it the wrong way to help people get past it, overcome it. So they said this to him, and they should not have said this to him. And it's a lesson for us on how do we react when people are in pain in front of us be empathetic, if not be sympathetic. Like oh my God, Allah, you know how my life is a battle of bed that they the Prophet SAW, Selim was wondering, should we run some these captives off? Or should we execute them? Because it was the first battle and the ideal? What would in the bigger picture, save more lives? And, you know, accelerate or Rushmore peace, and to the end of it? And so what could I do? Lavon said, No,
let's, let's, let's run some of them, you know, just or even like, release some for free and cause some others to be paid off by their families. For a reasonable amount, it really was a reasonable doubt. Some of them even if he taught some reading and writing to the to the Muslims in Medina, they let them go. It wasn't about money, but it was at the same time about making a statement to help get past the hostilities. So anyway, I will definitely go that route, I would have said no to sort of luck. We have to make our presence felt and we have to, you know, do this. And I'll begin with my own family members, that are captives.
Because this is the way to do things. And so the Arabs only respect strength.
Ultimately, the prophet Alayhi Salatu was Salam. He leaned to clemency forgiveness and mercy. And so he released them for the ransom. And then I will book a study about the law this is like a Muslim no book has to do with Ella Han is sitting there with the province of Salem, we think they're both crying, and I'm gonna pass by this is why are you crying? Coming back to empathy, sympathy, understanding, right?
Why are you crying for if you if you give me a reason to cry, and I'll cry with you, basically, he says, we're in lamb edge, Buka and tabacky to LibreCAD a coma. And if I can't find grounds for crying, meaning your explanation doesn't trigger anything in me, I will attempt almost pretend what he means attempt to cry out of sympathy for your crying. That's what I want to say about the hola Juan. And so for Amara de la Juan has this emotional intelligence and this you know, sympathy strong, tough, or Omar than all of us
should put it on our
you know, yesterday before today to do this, we need to be better at this in sha Allah, the last two verses very quickly, I'm trying to keep it under 30 minutes. Their father responded and said in a magical birthday was Neil Allah. I am only expressing my Beth and my husband to Allah. So Beth and her husband are sadness. But there's a useful distinction here for reflection, which is what is the difference between Beth and hers? And they're two different words, there's probably two different connotations there is, there are different levels of sadness. So Beth means to spill out. That's why even you know, to like spread.
That's why even live broadcasts, live broadcasts and like modern language, it's called the Beth broadcast Mubasher. That is life that is direct. And so Beth means you know, this. So they say Beth is different from Jose and Jose is the common word for grief or sadness, that is more general that encompasses lower sadness, higher sadness, all sadness, but he said first, I only complain of my Beth meaning my sadness, which I cannot suppress this, the Arabs will use the word Beth with sadness that was unbearable, to bearable to be quiet about must be released. And so he's saying the things I must release, I'm releasing them only to Allah. I'm not talking to you.
And so that, first of all shows sovereign Jimmy we spoke about that already twice to Allah, he turned away from them and did SFL Mysore overuse it. And now again, he's saying that which I can't keep inside, I release it to Allah, I'm not releasing it to you.
And so that's beautiful patience, but also there's something else here to the strength of the believer. The strength of the believer.
Is that because he has this connection with Allah, and you know,
venting mechanism sounds a little bit inappropriate, you know, has this resource for comfort with Allah subhanho wa taala. You know, has this escape emotional escape in his conversations with Allah, that I'm not looking for your sympathy? I don't need you. You can't offer me anything. And in general
Well, we are we should always talk about solidarity and all of this. But we should also balance that with the idea that we shouldn't customarily, you know, speak to people about our sadness. Yes, survival stories are important. I'm not contradicting what I said last week, but just in general, just like bad news, you know, like he's saying, If I have to speak, I'm going to speak to Allah. Yeah. Us, we just share a lot of negativity. Yeah, this thing's this, the, you know, that stuff, that muttering and stuttering and, you know, negative expressions and because, like, if you're always bothered, that's no one can really solve that for you. So why share it with your friends,
because it's only gonna make them sad, they're just gonna feel bad for you without being able to help. You know, if you want to have like a pointed discussion with a therapist, or one person that can probably advise you, or someone you need to vent to, you know, that's fine. It's not something on Janine, but it's definitely something and route Allah is gonna reward you for it and everything, right, as long as it's not a complaint.
And if it's a complaint, then it's only to Allah subhanaw taala. Anyway, but you should have this in a very sparing way. But in general, you shouldn't just be like, bursting out to people spreading your bad news and your complaints to people or your, your pains to people, because if they're friends, it's just going to be too much for them. And so they will be saddened for your sadness and not be able to help. And then if your enemies catch wind of this, that's going to not be very good, either. Because that's just going to delight them. So that's why they say be sparing with your expressions of frustration, your expressions of
sadness, you know, be very calculated and pointed, and, you know, sell them share them.
I hope that's not all over the place. So if you need to speak for help, she should be speaking. That's one category, right? If you need to complain, try to complain to Allah. And if you need to complain to his creation, fine, it's not ideal. But make sure you're not complaining about Allah, you're just complaining about your pains, right? You're not saying Why did Allah do this? That would never be acceptable, right? You need to complain to people find complain to people, you know, infrequently in a direct specific way.
That's all
and of course, if you're
sharing with people to help them through their pains, that is something else completely that is, you know,
you identifying with them to help them through that's totally fine for sure. The last idea and we're out of time, he says, oh my son's go find use of
you know, that means like, in the middle of this like, like, Oh, my son like did listen, enough is enough. Just cut the lies. Go find your brother. Go fix things. I know he's alive. I know. He's, I know he's alive. You know that earlier. We actually didn't cover that the end of the previous verse. I complain of the things I can't suppress only to Allah. And I know from Allah what you don't know. You know, I know from Allah what you don't know he'll he knows these valleys and I was alive. He just doesn't know how much longer he's gonna have to be without him. Right? And so he says, Oh, my sons go find your brother. Go find yourself will actually and his brother Benjamin. Wala take us
home Rohilla and do not lose hope in the relief of Allah in the forgiveness of Allah like relieving you of your sins.
In the holiday so Rohilla hola como cafiero Nobody loses hope in the Mercy of Allah and the relief of Allah except the disbelieving people. So he's telling them like middle of all of this, there's only going to kill yourself with grief. He tell them no, I'm not complaining to you. And I'm telling you, you need to go fix your wrongs. Enough is enough. Just come clean already. And go undo.
You know all of this that you've fallen into, and don't lose hope in the Mercy of Allah. So the context here is, is
don't lose hope in the Mercy of Allah from your sins. You know, shiftless lamb when he was commenting on this very simply Tamia. He says, it is extremely important for every Muslim to know that it is utterly impermissible, no matter how great your sins are. It is haram. Like you've done haram. But you need to know that it is even more haram to lose mercy and to lose hope in the mercy of Allah to despair in the Mercy of Allah. He said and that is why the early scholars used to always say that
the wise man does not embolden people to transgress Allah's boundaries, like he gives them too much of a dose of Allah's mercy. They forget his punishment. He doesn't embolden people to transgress Allah's boundaries, nor does he scare people into losing sight of Allah's
vast mercy Subhanallah that and so that was like medicine, right? When you want to help people. You need to realize, you know, where their imbalances, their spiritual imbalance so that you don't give them so much ease that they violate
Allah's boundaries and not fear of punishment.
Nor so much fear that they don't seek to be forgiven for the boundaries they violated and their weaknesses and their crimes to the end of it. That's all we'll leave it there in sha Allah Subhana Allah Muhammad Dikshitar Allah Allah Allah hello internet stuff, it'll go to Woodlake like local and everybody said I want to come