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| Surah Yusuf |
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| theOriginal |
| 03/16/04 at 11:39:10 |
| [slm] I've been thinking again... I was reading Surah Yusuf with its translation and commentary. And I really like the way the person who translated it added notes and drew comparisons with Shakespearean plays. The thing with Surah Yusuf (as I'm sure you all know) is that it reads so much like a play. It's a story within a story within a story, and it just keeps building in suspense. I read it in three parts, and before I stopped the second night, I was like "but but I just want to find out what happens at the end." Such climax! So what ended up happening is that I began to think about my life in the context of Sayyidina Yusuf's (as)...and I realized that my awe of the Prophet (as) increased SO much, because of the amount of faith he had, the amount of patience he had, and the amount of beauty he had (the inward kind). But, on a darker note, I sort of sympathized with every evil character in his life. His brothers, the travellers who bought him, the Aziz's wife, the women of "high society" (as the translator referred to them), their husbands, the prisoner who forgot about him... All of them played such an evil role in the Prophet's (as) life, yet I can see myself making every one of those mistakes, and then justifying it the way they did. They all had such evil intentions when it came to Hadhrat Yusuf (as), but it's only in the Qur'an that I began to see these things as evil. I mean okay...the Aziz's wife, that's something that's pretty obvious. And maybe the brothers' jealousy, but everything beyond that seemed pretty normal. For example, the travellers who bought him at a very low price. Their intentions were evil because they knew that even as a slave, someone so beautiful and able-bodied as Hadhat Yusuf (as) should be worth more. Yet they didn't say anything. I've done that before! But it's just business!!! Or when Hadhrat Yusuf (as) was proven innocent but said that he would choose prison over the women, and the women's husbands' refrained from offering him a third (but probably more just) option of being able to live freely, because they were worried about themselevs. Anyway now I'm seriously concerned about my sense of right and wrong. And I had one question. Does anyone know if these people were forgiven? I know the Aziz's wife asked for forgiveness, but the rest of them? Also, on a completely different note. On the day of judgement, no prophet (ams) will be interceding for us except the Prophet Mohammad (saw), because they will all be seeking forgiveness for an act they committed. For example, Hadhrat Musa (as) hit that guy who was hitting the slave, and that guy ended up dying. (Wow I use such colloquial language) Does anyone know what Hadhrat Yusuf's (as) concern will be? I'm just curious, although I think I know what it is. Woooohhhh it was a good exercise :) Thank you for your help :) Wasalaam. |
| Re: Surah Yusuf |
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| betason |
| 03/16/04 at 12:06:41 |
| [slm] There is a really good lecture series about this surah by a brother named Abu Ammar Yasir Qadhi. You can get the lectures from www.sunnahonline.com and just check out the audio section. I am pretty sure he answers all your questions. [wlm] |
| Re: Surah Yusuf |
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| faith |
| 03/16/04 at 20:36:32 |
| [slm] subhanallah sister JustOne, its good to hear that you are reflecting v. deeply on the qur'an, on surah yusuf, and that you are relating it to your real life. Thanks sister, for some of us, overlook the smaller comparisons to real life (i.e. me). As far as I can remember, I think his 10 brothers sought forgiveness from their father, Prophet Ya'koub (alaihisalam), and when they arrived in Egypt to seek help from the Egyptian minister, they did not realise it was their brother whom they have abandoned. Prophet Yusuf (alaihissalam) forgave his brothers, and was united with his most beloved brother, Benjamin, and his father. I just don't understand one thing. How come Prophet Yusuf (alaihissalam) finally married the lady who tried to seduce him...that is a bit baffling for me ??? Sorry, betason, I haven't listened to the lecture you posted, inshaAllah soon... :-) p/s: my tafseer class will start on this surah, in a fortnite, inshaAllah. SubhanaAllah, truly Allah knows all, sees all and hears all and He is the best of planners. :) |
| 03/18/04 at 05:58:11 |
| faith |
| Re: Surah Yusuf |
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| timbuktu |
| 03/16/04 at 21:23:17 |
| [slm] Subhanallah, may Allah (swt) bless you for reminding us of this lesson. Quran is not for reading as bedtime stories :); it is to learn lessons, and to relate to one's shortcomings. Hopefully, it leads to improvement in oneself. about the ladies and the husbands, if they accepted Islam (remember, all religion from Allah is Islam), then yes. I have not come across any such claim or conclusion. Our worry should be whether we will be forgiven, and we are very blessed in that. our minor sins are forgiven between two sallah, and our major ones with real repentance. and there are so many times to seek forgiveness, and of course, if we do the Hajj, we will be as innocent as a new-born. who is (are) the translator and the commentator? [quote author=faith link=board=madrasa;num=1079455150;start=0#2 date=03/16/04 at 20:36:32] I just don't understand one thing. How come Prophet Yusuf (alaihissalam) finally married the lady who tried to seduce him...that is a bit baffling for me ??? [/quote] as far as i can remember this is a story from Israeliyaat (ÇÓÑÇÁíáíÇÊ), i.e. stories from the Jewish sources, which may or may not be true. |
| 03/16/04 at 21:26:01 |
| timbuktu |
| Re: Surah Yusuf |
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| Maliha |
| 03/17/04 at 12:23:42 |
| [slm] Awesome reflections J/O :) Mashaallah:) Be careful about the commentators though..even Ibn Katheer admitted to using Israeliyaats, and I think Yusuf does too, plus other geographical, historical incidences that may or may not coincide with the truth. The best thing you get out of a translation is the scholar's understanding of the Quran..and no one is perfect in that understanding..so for any details that are not included in the text itself (like who Prophet Yusuf (AS) married.) then its best not to delve into those... As far as being forgiven for our sins, any sins, Allah told us many times in the Quran that if we are sincere and truly repent He will forgive our sins no matter the magnitude. Many ahadith collaborate that..there's one ayah that I absolutely love (actually i love the whole Surah) and it goes: [i] Say: "O my Servants who have transgressed against their souls! Despair not of the Mercy of God: for God forgives all sins: for He is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. [ Quran 39:053] [/i] Subhana Allah:)..According to Ibn Qayyim and others we have to return people's properties, rights etc if we took it away from them, for Allah is Just and we would be punished if we were unjust to others. I asked an amazing shaykh about what if we backbite someone? Wouldn't it be hard to seek forgiveness? And what if what you told them hurt them even more than if they didn't know? He basically said, if that is the case, make lotsa istighfaar and mention the person in a good way whenever you get a chance. Also giving lotsa charity helps..for charity expiates sins like water on fire... Wa Allahu Ta'ala A'alam. PS: My little sis LOVES surah Yusuf a lot. She had a major incentive to go to Jannah after reading about him, and kept bugging me on whether she will see him or not if she didn't quite make it to his level of Jannah ::) she is soo cute..she also asked really really shyly if she could marry him?!!!! I told her why don't you make it first then worry about all that :P Sis in struggle, [wlm] |
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