Volume 10 Surah 12 - 15 - Enjoy Islam

Yūsuf (Joseph) | FACING UP TO TRIAL
Egypt where he was sold as a slave. However, the man who bought him felt that the
boy was a good person. Such feelings may be sensed from a person’s looks,
particularly if they are coupled with good manners. Hence the man recommends his
wife to take good care of the boy. Here begins the first thread in how his dream
comes true.
But another trial of a totally different type was awaiting Joseph when he reached
his prime. Prior to this, he would have been given wisdom and knowledge which
would help him confront the forthcoming trial, one which only those on whom God
bestows His grace can stand up to and resist. It was a trial of seduction in palaces
where the aristocratic environment is often characterized by loose morality. Joseph
emerged unscathed from it in his moral and religious values.
Settling in Egypt
The man from Egypt who bought him said to his wife: Be kind to him. He may well be
of use to us, or we may adopt him as our son. Thus We established Joseph in the land,
and We imparted to him some understanding of the real meaning of statements. God
always prevails in whatever be His purpose; though most people may not know it.
(Verse 21)
The sūrah does not as yet reveal the identity of the person who bought him. After a
long time we learn that he is a person in a very high position, perhaps Egypt’s chief
minister. But for now we only know that Joseph has reached a safe place, and that his
first trial is over, and that bright prospects await him.
“Be kind to him.” (Verse 21) This is how most translators of the Qur’ān render the
first statement said by the man who bought Joseph. Literally the man says: “Be
generous in his place of abode.” Although this is meant to be an instruction to treat
him kindly, the expression signifies greater kindness to be contrasted with his stay in
the well and all the fears that were associated with that experience.
But the man goes further and tells his wife of what he hopes for the boy’s future:
“He may well be of use to us, or we may adopt him as our son.” (Verse 21) Perhaps they
did not have any children, as some reports suggest. Hence, the man started thinking
that should the boy prove himself to be up to his master’s expectations, with regard
to intelligence, character and good looks, he might adopt him as his own.
At this point in the narrative, the sūrah pauses a little to state that all this was
God’s arrangement. It was through His design that Joseph was established in the
land. This began with him occupying a firm position in the man’s heart and in his
home. The sūrah then says that Joseph would continue along the same road, and that
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