Page 60 - Prayer in the Qur'an

58 PRAYER IN THE QUR'AN

As is seen in the verse, in his prayer, the Prophet Yusuf (as) sin-
cerely made his situation clear to Allah. The Prophet Yusuf (as), who
was imprisoned, then started to convey Allah's message to the peo-

ple in prison:
[Yusuf said:] "My fellow-prisoners, are many lords better, or
Allah, the only One, the Conqueror? What you serve apart
from Him are only names which you and your forefathers have
made up, there is no mandate for them from Allah. Discretion
belongs only to Allah. His Order is to worship none but Him.
That is in truth the straight and upright religion, but most of

mankind simply do not know." (Surah Yusuf: 39-40)
After spending long years in prison, the vizier's wife confessed
that the Prophet Yusuf (as) was innocent, and he was released.
(Surah Yusuf: 51-54)
After all that he had been through, the Prophet Yusuf's (as)
prayer was accepted and the sequence of events that began with his

being thrown into a well ended with his being placed in authority
over the treasures of Egypt:
And thus We established Yusuf in the land so he could live in
any place he pleased... (Surah Yusuf: 56)
This way, the Prophet Yusuf (as), who held power in the country,

gave thanks to Allah Who released him from prison and prayed to
Him. His wish was to die as a Muslim and to be one of His true ser-
vants in the hereafter:
My Lord, You have granted power to me on earth and taught
me the true meaning of events. Originator of the heavens and

earth, You are my Friend in this world and the Next. So take me
as a Muslim at my death and join me to the people who are