Prophet Yusuf (AS) – The Best of Stories حضرت یوسف علیہ السلام – بہترین قصہ

Allah calls the story of Yusuf (AS) the best of stories (Quran 12:3) and devotes an entire surah to it. The Prophet ﷺ described Yusuf as the noble son of a noble, son of a noble, son of a noble: Yusuf son of Yaqub son of Ishaq son of Ibrahim (Sahih al-Bukhari).

As a boy, Yusuf saw in a dream eleven stars, the sun and the moon prostrating to him, and his father told him not to relate it to his brothers (Quran 12:4-5). The brothers were jealous of their father's love for Yusuf and his younger brother, and plotted to get rid of him; one of them suggested throwing him into a well instead of killing him (Quran 12:8-10). They threw him into the well and returned in the evening weeping, with his shirt stained with false blood, claiming a wolf had eaten him. Yaqub responded with beautiful patience (Quran 12:16-18).

A passing caravan drew Yusuf out of the well and sold him in Egypt for a few coins. The man who bought him, a high official called al-'Aziz, told his wife to treat him honourably (Quran 12:19-21). When Yusuf reached maturity, Allah gave him wisdom and knowledge (Quran 12:22). The wife of al-'Aziz tried to seduce him and closed the doors, but he sought refuge in Allah, saying his master had treated him well, and he turned away because he saw the clear proof of his Lord (Quran 12:23-24). They raced to the door and she tore his shirt from behind; a witness from her own family pointed out that a shirt torn from behind proved his innocence (Quran 12:25-28). When the women of the city gossiped, she invited them, and they cut their hands in amazement when they saw him (Quran 12:30-31). Yusuf prayed that prison was dearer to him than what they invited him to, and he was imprisoned despite his innocence (Quran 12:33-35).

In prison he first called his two fellow prisoners to the oneness of Allah, and then interpreted their dreams (Quran 12:37-41). Years later the king dreamt of seven fat cows eaten by seven lean ones, and seven green ears of corn and seven dry. The freed prisoner remembered Yusuf, who explained it as seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine, and advised storing the grain (Quran 12:43-49). Before leaving prison, Yusuf insisted that his innocence be established; the women testified to it and the wife of al-'Aziz confessed (Quran 12:50-51). The king then placed him in charge of the storehouses of the land (Quran 12:54-56).

During the famine, his brothers came to buy grain and did not recognise him (Quran 12:58). Through a series of events he kept his full brother Binyamin with him (Quran 12:69-76). When the brothers came again, humbled and asking for charity, Yusuf revealed himself. They admitted their wrongdoing, and he told them there was no blame on them that day; may Allah forgive them, for He is the Most Merciful of the merciful (Quran 12:89-92). He sent his shirt to restore his father's sight, and the whole family came to Egypt. His parents and brothers bowed before him, and he said this was the fulfilment of his childhood dream (Quran 12:93-100).

Yusuf (AS) ended by praising Allah for all His favours and praying to die as a Muslim and be joined with the righteous (Quran 12:101). During the Mi'raj, the Prophet ﷺ met him in the third heaven and said he had been given half of all beauty (Sahih Muslim 162).