Page 28 - The School of Yusuf (as)

THE SCHOOL OF YUSUF

ishment, is revealed in the Qur’an as follows:
He 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 and turned

away from him their female guile and deviousness. He is
the One Who Hears, the One Who Knows. (Surah Yusuf, 33-
34)
Throughout history, believers, who were imprisoned as a con-
sequence of slander, or suffered some other hardship, demon-
strated that they would never compromise their morality, thus
following the example set by Yusuf (as). Sincere believers submit-

ted to their prison sentences, otherwise considered by the unbe-
lievers as suffering and punishment. All the hardship they
encountered in their efforts to earn Allah’s good pleasure served
only to increase their determination.

Yusuf’s (as) Days In Prison
Throughout his stay in prison, Yusuf (as) demonstrated his su-
perior character through his patience, submission to Allah, deter-

mination and insight. He told the other inmates about the existence
of Allah and His unity, and warned them against worshipping oth-
ers besides Him. He also used his gift for interpreting dreams to ex-
plain to his fellow inmate the meaning of his dream, but only after
first reminding them of Allah.
Yusuf’s (as) release from prison came under unusual circum-
stances. News of his wisdom and trustworthiness reached the ears
of the ruler through a friend of his, released from the prison some

26