In one tradition, the Prophet of Islam(p.b.u.h.) says that there are seven groups that will be sheltered by Allah on the Day when there will be no shade except His:
1. A just pioneer and leader.
2. A young man who has been trained in servitude unto Allah from the beginning of his life.
3. He whose heart is attached to mosques and places where Allah is worshipped and whenever he leaves those places, he ceaselessly thinks of the time when he can return thereto.
4. Those who work together in obeying Allah, and when they depart from one another, the spiritual bond of their unity remains firm.
5. Those who when they hear Allah's name mentioned, have tears in their eyes because of their sense of responsibility before Allah or for fear of their sins.
6. The man who says that he is in awe of Allah when he is invited to consort with a beautiful woman and he refuses to commit sin.
7. A man who assists those who are in need and provides charity for them in such a way that his left hand does not know what his right hand has done.
Some Narrations Regarding Fear of Allah
1. The Prophet of Allah(p.b.u.h.) said:" He who stops committing sins for the fear of Allah, He, the High, provides him with satisfaction on the Day of Judgment. "(1)
2. Once Zayd ibn S uh an asked Amir- ul- Mu'minin(a.s.) : "Which man is superior with Allah, the Almighty, the Glorious " He answered: "He who is more in awe of Allah, more aware of piety and morality, and is less inclined to worldliness. "(2)
3. The Messenger of Allah(p.b.u.h.) said: "The highest ranking man before Allah is he who is the most in awe of Allah. "(3)
4. Amir- ul- Mu'minin(a.s.) said: "How fortunate is he who finds it necessary to be Allah fearing and obeys Allah both in private and in public. "(4)
5. The Prophet of Allah(p.b.u.h.) said:" How fortunate are those whose fear of Allah prevents them from fearing others. "(5)
(1) Bihar- ul- 'Anwar, vol. 67 p. 498
(2) Bihar- ul- 'Anwar, vol. 74, p. 378
(3) Bihar- ul- 'Anwar, vol. 74, p. 180
(4) Ghurar ul Hikam, vol. 4, p. 239
(5) Bihar- ul- 'Anwar, vol. 74, p. 126
Some Narrations Regarding Treason
1. The Prophet of Allah(p.b.u.h.) said: "The believer accepts all inherent traits and characteristics, except treason and lying. "(1)
2. Amir- ul- Mu'minin(a.s.) said: "Abstain from betraying others which is the most heinous of sins, and truly, a traitor will be caught in the torment and torture of the Fire because of his own treachery. "(2)
3. The Messenger of Allah(p.b.u.h.) said: "There are four characteristics, when each of which appears in a house it causes for the destruction of that house, and blessings do not make headway in that house because of those circumstances. They are; treason, theft, drinking alcoholic beverages, and fornication(or adultery). "(3)
4. Amir- ul- Mu'minin(a.s.) said: "The ultimate in betrayal is betraying a friend and breaking vows and promises. "(4)
5. Imam Baqir(a.s.) said: "It is certain that a true believer never betrays(anyone). "(5)
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(1) Kanz ul- 'Ummal, vol. 3, p. 468
(2) Ghurar ul- Hikam vol. 1, p. 150
(3) Bihar- ul- 'Anwar, vol. 76, p. 125, The Amali of Tusi
(4) Ghurar ul- Hikam, vol. 2, p. 505
(5) Bihar- ul- 'Anwar, vol. 100, p. 175
(34) فَاسْتَجابَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ فَصَرَفَ عَنْهُ كَيْدَهُنَّ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّميعُ الْعَليمُ
34. " So his Lord answered him and He turned away from him their guile; verily He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing. "
Commentary :
According to the Divine promise, Allah always accepts the supplications of the pious. Those sincere fighters for a holy cause(whether it be against one's self, or an outward enemy)and those who assist others in goodness will always get a Divine response to their requests. Yusuf was not left alone in such a dangerous situation. Allah answered his prayer. Indeed, as the Qur'an says, Allah is the Hearer, the Knower. The verse says:
" So his Lord answered him and He turned away from him their guile; verily He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing. "
He hears the prayers and supplications of His subjects. He is completely aware of their inmost secrets, and He knows the solution to all their problems.
Some commentators reject that while Yusuf knew that Allah would protect him and return away their snare, why did he pray The answer is that the prayer of Yusuf to Allah was that he could overcome their hearts so that they would dispense with their guile, and Allah answered him either.
As a result of his supplication, the women lost all hope in achieving their objectives and all the tricks that were within their means proved to be of no benefit to them, so, in despair, they stopped chasing him. It was then that Yusuf felt tranquility.
Zulaykha, after seeing the hopelessness of her attempts, was ready to send him to prison.
(35) ثُمَّ بَدا لَهُمْ مِنْ بَعْدِ ما رَأَوُا الْآياتِ لَيَسْجُنُنَّهُ حَتَّى حينٍ
35. " Then it seemed to them, after they had seen the signs(of his innocence), to imprison him till a time. "
Commentary :
From Palace to Prison:
The strange meeting between the Egyptian women and Yusuf in the palace of the 'Aziz, with its particular tumult, ended. The fear of the increasing damage the sex scandal was causing to the prestige of his family. In the view of people, it was becoming more and more every day. The 'Aziz and his advisors thought that the only way to rescue the situation was to remove Yusuf from the scene entirely, and the best way to do that was to send him to prison. This would not only help the people forget about the situation, but would also make it seem that real culprit had been Yusuf himself. The Qur'an in this holy verse says:
" Then it seemed to them, after they had seen the signs(of his innocence), to imprison him till a time. "
In such morally decrepit environments, apparently freedom only belongs to those who are corrupt and so does everything else, whereas the pure and God- fearing individuals, like Yusuf, must be isolated and imprisoned. However, such a situation never lasts forever.
Explanations:
1. Only a person with a distracted mind would engage in a fruitless act causing trouble for everyone, like throwing an important needle into the bottom of a well which could not be found and taken out by a hundred wise men.
2. Love is such a distraction. A woman fell in love and although many men and high- ranking officials of a country joined together to solve the problems caused by that woman, they were unable to find a solution.
3. Trials and courts are held in default of a person aften as ceremonial gestures in palaces where despots and dictators live, assure the condemnation of the innocent.
4. Those people who dwell in luxurious palaces are usually reckless and brash. Despite all the reasons in his favour, Yusuf was still convicted and sent to prison.
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Section 5
Yusuf Preaches Unity of Allah
in the Prison
Joseph preaches Unity of Allah to his fellows in the prison and interprets the dreams of his two fellow- prisoners
(36) وَ دَخَلَ مَعَهُ السِّجْنَ فَتَيانِ قالَ أَحَدُهُما إِنِّي أَراني أَعْصِرُ خَمْراً وَ قالَ الْآخَرُ إِنِّي أَراني أَحْمِلُ فَوْقَ رَأْسي خُبْزاً تَأْكُلُ الطَّيْرُ مِنْهُ نَبِّئْنا بِتَأْويلِهِ إِنَّا نَراكَ مِنَ الْمُحْسِنينَ
36. " And with him there entered into the prison two youths. One of them said( unto Yusuf): 'I saw(in dream)myself pressing wine' The other said: 'I saw(in my dream)myself carrying on my head bread from which the birds were eating. ' Tell us its interpretations, verily we see you of the righteous ones'. "
Commentary :
Among those who entered into prison with Yusuf, there were two young men, as the verse says:
"And with him there entered into the prison two youths. ..."
Man's other senses usually become more active in obtaining information when his direct channels of communication and direct access to information are obstructed. In such cases his dreams can provide him with an alternative means.
It is for this reason that it is said that the two men, one of whom was the man responsible for the ruler's buffet, and the other, for his catering services. They approached Yusuf in the prison to describe the wonderful dreams they had seen the previous night.
It is important to note that they were imprisoned because of the false accusations of their enemies who claimed that they were about to poison the king.
Each one of the two prisoners recalled his dream to Yusuf for his interpretation in a manner as the verse says:
"... One of them said(unto Yusuf): 'I saw(in dream)myself pressing wine' The other said: 'I saw(in my dream )myself carrying on my head bread from which the birds were eating. ' ..."
Then, they added to their statement unto Yusuf:
"... Tell us its interpretations, verily we see you of the righteous ones'. "
Some Issues to Remember:
1. An Islamic tradition denotes that the reason why they called Yusuf a truly righteous person was because he used to always take care of the sick and the needy in the prison and find accommodation for others.(1)
2. We must take dreams seriously, for there are secrets hidden in some of them.
3. Once the people have confidence in someone, they tend to share all their secrets with him.
4. Enlightened people also leave their impact and influence upon others even when they are confined in prison.
5. Even guilty people tend to have a high esteem for those who are truly righteous.
(1) Tafsir Nour- uth- Thaqalayn. Mizan ul Hikmah
(37) قالَ لا يَأْتيكُما طَعامٌ تُرْزَقانِهِ إِلاَّ نَبَّأْتُكُما بِتَأْويلِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَأْتِيَكُما ذلِكُما مِمَّا عَلَّمَني رَبِّي إِنِّي تَرَكْتُ مِلَّةَ قَوْمٍ لا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَ هُمْ بِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ كافِرُونَ
37. " He said: 'There shall not come to you the food with which you are fed but I will inform you both of its interpretation before it comes to you. This is of what my Lord has taught me. Verily, I have abandoned the religion of a people who do not believe in Allah and they are disbelievers in the Hereafter'. "
Commentary :
In the first part of the verse, it is probable that the Qur'an is hinting that Yusuf said he also knew from the side of Allah what kind of food that would be served to them, and that he could also interpret their dreams just as easily. In this case, the implication would be that in addition to interpreting dreams, Yusuf also knew about other things as well, which he used to foretell. This ability is similar to that of Had rat Isa(a.s.) who used to read the minds of those around him regarding what they used to eat or what they had stored in their houses.
Question: Why did Had rat Yusuf(a.s.) not interpret their dreams then and there but postpone their interpretation for later
Fakhr Razi provides the answer to this question as follows:
1. He wanted to make them wait so that he could advise, admonish, and convert them, perhaps that person might believe before his execution.
2. He wanted to build up their confidence by foretelling the kind of food before the food had been served.
3. He wanted to tantalize them so that they would lend their ears more carefully to what he had to say.
4. As the interpretation of one of the dreams was that that person was going to be executed, Yusuf was postponing the issue so that that person might not lose heart too suddenly.
At any rate, Yusuf, who would not miss any opportunity to provide guidance and counseling, made the most of the two prisoners' requests for the interpretation of their dreams, and used them as a means for introducing and explaining important facts which were helpful not only for their lives, but also for all human beings.
At first, in order to build their confidence, he told them that he would tell them the meanings of their dreams before their food had arrived. The verse says:
" He said: 'There shall not come to you the food with which you are fed but I will inform you both of its interpretation before it comes to you. ..."
Then, the faithful and theistic Yusuf, whose whole entity was filled with Monotheism, made it quite clear that this knowledge of interpreting dreams was among those things taught him by Allah and that nothing could take place without His Will. The verse continues saying:
"... This is of what my Lord has taught me. ..."
To counter any misconception that the Almighty would give anything to anyone without conditions, he added that he had abandoned the way of those who did not believe in Allah and the Day of Resurrection, alluding to the idol worshipping people of Egypt and Kan'an, and that it was this enlightening faith and virtue which made him deserve such a blessing. The verse says:
"... Verily, I have abandoned the religion of a people who do not believe in Allah and they are disbelievers in the Hereafter'. "
The Messages Conveyed in this Verse;
1. In order to impress others more deeply, it is sometimes necessary to show one's scientific ability and knowledge and one's perfections and virtues.
2. He who escapes the dark shadows of polytheism, arrives at the enlightenment of knowledge and Truth.
3. Belief in monotheism and resurrection along with other doctrines is a requirement in all religions.
4. The basis of faith rests upon distancing oneself from polytheism and unbelief/ tabarri/ and reliance upon the saints of Allah, as is mentioned in the verse quoted above and the next verse, saying:
"... Verily, I have abandoned the religion of a people who do not believe in Allah ..." "And I have followed the religion of my fathers, 'Ibrahim, ..."
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