Page 71 - Faith: The Way to Happiness

The Secret of Happiness: Allah's Good Pleasure

Prophet Yusuf (as) in Egypt, taught him how to interpret the dreams
of others and granted him mastery and wisdom.
In this way Allah put Prophet Yusuf (as) through an important
test. The wife of the governor with whom Prophet Yusuf (as) was
staying, desired him. Faced with her behavior, Prophet Yusuf (as)
took refuge in Allah. In order to escape from the devious machina-
tions which the woman had concocted, and conduct himself in con-
formity with Allah's guidance, he found it more "pleasant" to be
imprisoned in a dark dungeon. Allah tells us how Prophet Yusuf (as)
prayed to Him for rescue from the trap which had been set for him:
He [Yusuf] said, "My Lord, the prison is preferable to me
than what they call on me to do. Unless You turn their guile
away from me, it may well be that I will fall for them and so
become a man of ignorance." His Lord replied to him
( Yusuf) and turned away from him their female guile and
deviousness. He is the One Who Hears, the One Who
Knows. Then, after they had seen the Signs, they thought
that they should still imprison him for a time. (Surah Y u s u f :
3 3 - 3 5 )
P rophet Yusuf (as) gave an example of moral excellence and
opted for imprisonment in the dungeon rather than succumb to be-
havior which would have been displeasing to Allah. That Pro p h e t
Yusuf (as) found such a place as the dungeon "pleasant" is an expre s-
sion of the happiness and peace brought him by acting in order to
gain Allah's approval. This determination and zeal on the part of
P rophet Yusuf (as) in his striving for the approval of Allah is an im-
portant example to all believers. Every sincere believer joyfully opts
for trouble and difficulty if this will earn His approval and love. This
moral excellence that the disbeliever can never grasp is also the secre t
of happiness which disbelievers fail to attain throughout their lives.

69