Page 14 - Quranic Wisdom - New.indd

Honesty and Hard Work

happy that they accepted him as their hero. After narrating this
story, the Quran says: “God does not waste the reward of those
who do good, who are righteous and steadfast.” (12:90)

What qualities did Joseph possess which elevated him to this
high status? After reading his story, as given in the Quran, we can
summarize these qualities:

1. Joseph’s stepbrothers hatched an evil plot against him
which was intended to cause his death. But Joseph never
developed any kind of hatred or feelings of revenge
towards them. Instead, he forgave them and gave them a
warm welcome in Egypt, as mentioned in the Quran.
2. The caravan of traders sold him as a slave in the Egyptian
market but he never protested against the caravan. He
never said that he was a human being and that they were
using him as a marketable commodity.
3. When in Egypt, he never created any problems for his
master or the king.
4. He remained patient with the culture of idol-worshippers
that was prevalent in Egypt at that time. Following the
principle of avoidance of conflict, he availed of the
opportunity given to him by the Egyptian ruler.

These were the qualities mentioned both in the Quran and
the Bible, that helped him to rise to such a high status.

Honesty and Hard Work

he Prophet Moses was born in Egypt, where he lived for
Tabout thirty years. Then, for some reason he had to leave Egypt
and after a long journey reached Midian (Syria). When he was
resting under a tree on the outskirts of Midian, a very interesting

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