The Trials and Triumphs of Yusuf: A Quranic Tale of Faith, Forgiveness, and Divine Providence
Verily, the story of Yusuf is one of suspense and is found in Surah 12 of the Quran. All starts from the vision Yusuf saw; he saw eleven stars, the sun, and the moon prostrating themselves to him. In narrating the matter to his father, Jacob (Yaqub), he becomes convinced that it is a sign of great destiny for his son. But soon, things turn dark. Yusuf’s brothers are terribly jealous of him receiving all their father’s love. They lose their heads and decide to finish this competition, taking Yusuf to a deep well and then, just a bit later, staging a story that he has disappeared. Yusuf is then sold to some merchants who take him to Egypt, where he is sold as a slave to Al-Aziz, a powerful man there. Life doesn’t become easier for him; shortly after this, Al-Aziz’s wife attempts to seduce Yusuf, but he, of course, declines her wish because of his fear of Allah. Much more sadly for him, however, he is now imprisoned without trial after she falsely accuses him of making improper advances to her. Yusuf even uses his remarkable talent in the jail where he is locked up—he is able to interpret the dreams of his fellow prisoners. Finally, one day, he is summoned by the King, who is worried because he sees dreams of a forthcoming famine. Thus, using his divinely endowed skills, Yusuf not only interprets them but also suggests how that upcoming famine could be controlled. With all this behind him, Yusuf continued to rise in strength within the Egyptian government until he became the minister of provisions during years of famine. It is at this point that his brothers come to fetch food in Egypt without realising that they are coming face to face with the brother they had betrayed earlier! After many tearful reunions and trials to show if they have changed their hearts, Yusuf reveals his identity and forgives them. This last act shows his magnanimity and reaffirms one more time the importance of forgiveness in our faith. This is a very educative story that teaches one about patience, injustices, and human struggles. Still, at the same time, it shows how faithfulness to God can have a good effect, even during some of the worst moments, especially how forgiveness can make whole that which looked unredeemable.
