(1) The believer is concerned for his or her family and his or her children.
(2) True dreams are a blessing that Allāh gives. The interpretation of dreams is a science that only Allāh can teach you.
(3) The wise and intelligent person does not flaunt his or her blessings.
(4) Shayṭān is every eager to cause problems between believers, especially between family members.
(5) Good household produces good offspring.
(6) The importance of being fair, equitable, and just to all people.
(7) Jealousy drives a person insane.
(8) Repentance before committing the sin is not a true repentance. If you commit a sin and say, “Oh, I know I'm guilty. May Allāh forgive me,” that is not a true repentance.
(9) Giving an excuse to someone whom you don't trust may backfire on you.
(10) The believer's firāsa is true. Firāsa means intuition and a gut instinct.
(11) The permissibility of using secondary evidence.The first time this comes up is when Ya'qūb is being told that his son has been killed by a wolf, but he sees the shirt untorn. He sees the shirt that has been bloodied but with no tear in it. This is a secondary evidence.
(12) No matter how evil the crime, you should always advise the criminal to fear Allāh first.
(13) Patience is of different types.
- First type is patience during a calamity. This means that we don't say things that should not be said.
- The second type of patience is patience in restraining yourself from committing sins.
- The third type is to persevere in the worship of Allāh. To pray regularly. To remember Allāh regularly.
- The best type of patience is "Sabrun jamīl". You seek Allāh's blessings only. You expect your reward from Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta'āla) and you don't try to get the sympathy from other people.
(15) Without Allāh saving you, you are not going to be saved.
(16) Evils of gossip, slander, and backbiting.
(17) Inner beauty also plays a role along with outer beauty.
(18) If you protect your faith and chastity in your youth and young life, Allāh will protect you in your old life.
(19) The dangers of interacting with the opposite gender when there is temptation.
(20) Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta'āla) saves the righteous when they most need him. Without Allāh saving you, you are not going to be saved.
(21) A believer must call out to Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta'āla) to help and overcome any sin.
(22) Actions precede words when it comes to calling people to Islam.
(23) When we do call to Islam, we should call to tawḥīd and monotheism. This is the gist of our religion: la ilāha illa Allāh.
(24) The necessity to use the means to get to the goals. Yūsuf wanted to be free. Yūsuf wanted to get out of jail. He didn't just sit down and say, “Allāh will free me when He desires.” He did what he could. What could he do? A person was going to be freed and next to the king, so Yūsuf tells him, “Mention my case to your lord.”
(25) Hastiness does not bring about good. Patience brings about that which is best. The fruits of patience are always going to be sweet.
(26) You will not succeed until you have failed, and you will not rise until you have been debased and humiliated. This is a prophet of Allāh born in the household of a prophet – what a high point – and then thrown in the well to die, a low point. He was sold into slavery. SubḥānAllāh. He gets to a palace and they treat him nicely – a high point. Thrown into jail – what a low point. Then what happens? He becomes the minister.
(27) The perfection of being generous with one's guests. This is something that our religion prides itself on.
(28) The permissibility of using ḥalāl tricks to get to ḥalāl goals. Yūsuf wanted to keep Binyamin in the country, but there was no law of the land that would allow him to keep Binyamin, so what did he do? Allāh told him of a ḥalāl trick. The goal was ḥalāl: he wants to protect his brother, and there is nothing ḥarām in that.
(29) We have full legal (Sharri') permissibility to fight for our rights in the court system and take advantage as long as what we are asking for is permissible. Yūsuf ('alayhi'l-salām) participates in the system of the king in order to get to the conclusion of keeping his brother. Allāh says in the Qurʾān: “He could not have kept his brother according to the laws of the king” unless Allāh worked this trick out for him. He worked with the system in the system to keep his brother.
(30) The believer is always cautious. When the brothers come to Ya'qūb and say, “Hand over Binyamin. We are going to take him as well.” Ya'qūb is not a fool and says, “Do you think I am going to hand him over just like I handed his brother over?” The believer acts cautiously. Our Prophet (ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) said in a beautiful parable, “The believer is never stung from the same hole twice.”
(31) Generosity and good manners is the best way to get to someone's heart. Being kind, hospitable and generous will work miracles. Ya'qūb would never have given up his son unless Yūsuf (and he did not know it was his son) had demonstrated his gentleness and kindness. If you want to get to somebody's heart, good manners will win and not harshness and miserliness.
(32) Wisdom in planning. Yūsuf ('alayhi'l-salām) has planted the cup in the sack of his brother, and now he wants to open up those sacks. He begins with the sacks of the older brothers and works his way to the younger one. This shows us the believer, once again, is not naïve.
(33) Even evil people have streaks of good in them. Even the worst sinner can eventually repent if he turns over. This is learned from the brothers of Yūsuf.
(34) It is a sign of īmān to always think the best of Allāh 'azza wa jall and to have the best thoughts of Allāh and to never lose hope. At least thirty or forty years have gone by and Ya'qūb has gone blind in his grief, but his faith in Allāh only increases and never goes down.
(35) Complaining to Allāh is actually a sign of īmān if it is done properly, and complaining to the people is not a sign of īmān. Ya'qūb says, “I complain of my situation to Allāh.” When the most difficult situation in his life ever happened, which was Ṭā'if by his own testimony – 'Ā'ishah said, “Was there any day worse than Uḥud?” He said, “Yes, there was the day of Ṭā'if.” What was the du'ā' of Ṭā'if? “O Allāh, to You I complain…
(36) The believer always ascribes good to Allāh and evil to the Shayṭān. Notice in the end of the sūrah Yūsuf ('alayhi'l-salām) says, “How generous my Lord has been when He saved me from the prison and caused you to leave the bedouin lifestyle and come into the city.” At the end of the sūrah, Yūsuf says, “Allāh has granted us His blessings.” All blessings are described to Allāh. A problem happens: “it was Shayṭān who caused problems between my brothers and I.”
(37) It is a sign of perfection of one's īmān to not hurt the feelings of other believers. Yūsuf exemplifies this in a manner that is unbelievable. He bends over backwards to never mention the crime.
(38) To forgive when you have power is the height of excellence; therefore, how much more so should you forgive when you don't have power? You have to forgive. To forgive when you have power is what Yūsuf did.
(39) Asking people's forgiveness for wrongs that you have done and publicly announcing your public sins is a part ofīmān. The general rule is that your sins are private. If you have made a public mistake, then you need to issue a public apology.
(40) Our religion tells us to treat our parents with honor and respect. We know this for a fact. Yūsuf demonstrates this many times. When they enter Egypt, Yūsuf goes out to meet them, and he makes a du'ā' for them. He puts them on the throne. Physical, mental, spiritual exaltation. No human being is more worthy of your veneration other than your parents.
(41) Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta'āla) can always bring about reconciliation between two people who are fighting and enemies of one another. The brothers of Yūsuf and Yūsuf. Imagine how much hatred much have existed in the brothers' of Yūsuf hearts, and imagine how much pain in Yūsuf's heart. Yet, in the end, what happens? All is forgotten and forgiven.
(42) What is important in the eyes of Allāh is the state that you die in. The state that you die in dictates your place in the hereafter and not the state that you began in.
Of the blessings of this sūrah is the whole page conclusion is the miracle of the Qurʾān. This is a powerful tool that we don't utilize to the extent that we should. A powerful tool to talk about our religion is to talk about the Qurʾān. Where did it come from, the style, the recitation, the beauty, the melody. Everything about the Qurʾān is miraculous. In the last two lessons we talked about the beauty of the Qurʾān.
(18) If you protect your faith and chastity in your youth and young life, Allāh will protect you in your old life.
(19) The dangers of interacting with the opposite gender when there is temptation.
(20) Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta'āla) saves the righteous when they most need him. Without Allāh saving you, you are not going to be saved.
(21) A believer must call out to Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta'āla) to help and overcome any sin.
(22) Actions precede words when it comes to calling people to Islam.
(23) When we do call to Islam, we should call to tawḥīd and monotheism. This is the gist of our religion: la ilāha illa Allāh.
(24) The necessity to use the means to get to the goals. Yūsuf wanted to be free. Yūsuf wanted to get out of jail. He didn't just sit down and say, “Allāh will free me when He desires.” He did what he could. What could he do? A person was going to be freed and next to the king, so Yūsuf tells him, “Mention my case to your lord.”
(25) Hastiness does not bring about good. Patience brings about that which is best. The fruits of patience are always going to be sweet.
(26) You will not succeed until you have failed, and you will not rise until you have been debased and humiliated. This is a prophet of Allāh born in the household of a prophet – what a high point – and then thrown in the well to die, a low point. He was sold into slavery. SubḥānAllāh. He gets to a palace and they treat him nicely – a high point. Thrown into jail – what a low point. Then what happens? He becomes the minister.
(27) The perfection of being generous with one's guests. This is something that our religion prides itself on.
(28) The permissibility of using ḥalāl tricks to get to ḥalāl goals. Yūsuf wanted to keep Binyamin in the country, but there was no law of the land that would allow him to keep Binyamin, so what did he do? Allāh told him of a ḥalāl trick. The goal was ḥalāl: he wants to protect his brother, and there is nothing ḥarām in that.
(29) We have full legal (Sharri') permissibility to fight for our rights in the court system and take advantage as long as what we are asking for is permissible. Yūsuf ('alayhi'l-salām) participates in the system of the king in order to get to the conclusion of keeping his brother. Allāh says in the Qurʾān: “He could not have kept his brother according to the laws of the king” unless Allāh worked this trick out for him. He worked with the system in the system to keep his brother.
(30) The believer is always cautious. When the brothers come to Ya'qūb and say, “Hand over Binyamin. We are going to take him as well.” Ya'qūb is not a fool and says, “Do you think I am going to hand him over just like I handed his brother over?” The believer acts cautiously. Our Prophet (ṣallallāhu 'alayhi wa sallam) said in a beautiful parable, “The believer is never stung from the same hole twice.”
(31) Generosity and good manners is the best way to get to someone's heart. Being kind, hospitable and generous will work miracles. Ya'qūb would never have given up his son unless Yūsuf (and he did not know it was his son) had demonstrated his gentleness and kindness. If you want to get to somebody's heart, good manners will win and not harshness and miserliness.
(32) Wisdom in planning. Yūsuf ('alayhi'l-salām) has planted the cup in the sack of his brother, and now he wants to open up those sacks. He begins with the sacks of the older brothers and works his way to the younger one. This shows us the believer, once again, is not naïve.
(33) Even evil people have streaks of good in them. Even the worst sinner can eventually repent if he turns over. This is learned from the brothers of Yūsuf.
(34) It is a sign of īmān to always think the best of Allāh 'azza wa jall and to have the best thoughts of Allāh and to never lose hope. At least thirty or forty years have gone by and Ya'qūb has gone blind in his grief, but his faith in Allāh only increases and never goes down.
(35) Complaining to Allāh is actually a sign of īmān if it is done properly, and complaining to the people is not a sign of īmān. Ya'qūb says, “I complain of my situation to Allāh.” When the most difficult situation in his life ever happened, which was Ṭā'if by his own testimony – 'Ā'ishah said, “Was there any day worse than Uḥud?” He said, “Yes, there was the day of Ṭā'if.” What was the du'ā' of Ṭā'if? “O Allāh, to You I complain…
(36) The believer always ascribes good to Allāh and evil to the Shayṭān. Notice in the end of the sūrah Yūsuf ('alayhi'l-salām) says, “How generous my Lord has been when He saved me from the prison and caused you to leave the bedouin lifestyle and come into the city.” At the end of the sūrah, Yūsuf says, “Allāh has granted us His blessings.” All blessings are described to Allāh. A problem happens: “it was Shayṭān who caused problems between my brothers and I.”
(37) It is a sign of perfection of one's īmān to not hurt the feelings of other believers. Yūsuf exemplifies this in a manner that is unbelievable. He bends over backwards to never mention the crime.
(38) To forgive when you have power is the height of excellence; therefore, how much more so should you forgive when you don't have power? You have to forgive. To forgive when you have power is what Yūsuf did.
(39) Asking people's forgiveness for wrongs that you have done and publicly announcing your public sins is a part ofīmān. The general rule is that your sins are private. If you have made a public mistake, then you need to issue a public apology.
(40) Our religion tells us to treat our parents with honor and respect. We know this for a fact. Yūsuf demonstrates this many times. When they enter Egypt, Yūsuf goes out to meet them, and he makes a du'ā' for them. He puts them on the throne. Physical, mental, spiritual exaltation. No human being is more worthy of your veneration other than your parents.
(41) Allāh (subḥānahu wa ta'āla) can always bring about reconciliation between two people who are fighting and enemies of one another. The brothers of Yūsuf and Yūsuf. Imagine how much hatred much have existed in the brothers' of Yūsuf hearts, and imagine how much pain in Yūsuf's heart. Yet, in the end, what happens? All is forgotten and forgiven.
(42) What is important in the eyes of Allāh is the state that you die in. The state that you die in dictates your place in the hereafter and not the state that you began in.
Of the blessings of this sūrah is the whole page conclusion is the miracle of the Qurʾān. This is a powerful tool that we don't utilize to the extent that we should. A powerful tool to talk about our religion is to talk about the Qurʾān. Where did it come from, the style, the recitation, the beauty, the melody. Everything about the Qurʾān is miraculous. In the last two lessons we talked about the beauty of the Qurʾān.
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