YUSUF AS – PART 2

Refraining at all costs

Ultimately, when the wife of Yusuf’s AS master still persisted in trying to get what she wanted from him, Yusuf AS preferred imprisonment to sin. To him, prison was infinitely better than indulging in such a major sin as fornication. His physical and spiritual purity took precedence over his surroundings. Today, when we think of all the temptations around us, sometimes even encouraged by society and the media we are continuously exposed to, would be set the same benchmark for ourselves? Incidents of sexual pressure amongst friends, in colleges and even in the workplace are not uncommon, and most of us have faced this issue at one time or other. We should remember the story of Yusuf AS, who maintained his chastity, even at the price of his physical liberty.

What is a Prison?

Throughout the strange turn of events in the life of Yusuf AS, we see a noticeable absence of self pity. Instead, he displayed patience at all the calamities, temptations and desires, never letting go of his faith in Allah. There was no incident of emotional breakdowns or despair. There is no mention of bitter complaints that he made against those who oppressed him. Instead, he continued on his mission in life with dignity, which is to continue spreading the message of Allah.

We may view the prison as a place of punishment, but in this context, it was also a spiritual asylum for Yusuf AS, as it protected him the adultery and fornication demanded by the wife of his master.

This displays the ultimate liberation – although his body was behind bars, his soul was very much at peace. Patience in Allah’s decree is a beautiful virtue, highly encouraged by Islam.

Trust in Allah alone

In one momentary lapse, we see that Yusuf AS placed his hopes on another human being, the cup bearer, instead of in Allah alone. It was Allah who had saved him from being murdered by his brothers, rescued him from the bottom of the well and placed him in a palace during his childhood years whereas he was a mere slave. At the moment where Yusuf AS asked the cupbearer for help, he put reliance on the cupbearer to rescue him instead of relying solely on Allah.

According to some scholars, the additional years in prison (by some accounts, slightly less than a decade) was Allah’s way of punishing Yusuf AS for a small mistake that he had made. Prophets and Messengers are only human, but whenever they are in error, their punishment is immediate. We saw this in the story of Yunus AS.

As human beings, we should take heed. Rather than believing in the power of others to help us, we should always remember that our first and last recourse should be with Allah alone. He is the one who can extricate us from any situation, no matter how impossible. All we need is unqualified faith in Him.

Continued here