The statesman continued, "Allah says that there are Ayat, lessons and wisdom to learn from the story of Yusuf and his brothers, for those who ask about their story and seek its knowledge. Surely, their stoiy is unique and is worthy of being narrated. Allah says,
لَقَدْ كَانَ فِي يُوسُفَ وَإِخْوَتِهِ آيَاتٌ لِلسَّائِلِينَ
"Certainly were there in Yusuf and his brothers signs for those who ask." - [QS.12:7]
Yusuf (عليه السلام) was the youngest of the twelve children of prophet Ya'qub (عليه السلام), He was the most preferred to the father and the most beloved to him. Ya'qub would meet Yusuf with a smiling face and a happy heart. He would listen to what he said with interest be it for simple news or Yusuf's needs. His brother, Benjamin, enjoyed the same status with his father although to a lesser degree. The other brothers noticed this preterential treatment from their father. They started holding secret meetings to conspire against Yusuf in a way that increased their motives of envy and hatred.
The ten brothers then decided to kill Yusuf. They based their action upon the belief that their father preferred the younger brothers Yusuf and Benjamin over them. They thought that by getting rid of Yusuf, they would reconcile themselves with their father. Thus, they thought their father's heart would turn to them and their hearts would be cured from remorse and pain caused by Yusuf's preferred status over them.
إِذْ قَالُوا لَيُوسُفُ وَأَخُوهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَى أَبِينَا مِنَّا وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ إِنَّ أَبَانَا لَفِي ضَلالٍ مُبِينٍ
"When they said, "Yusuf and his brother are more beloved to our father than we, while we are a clan. Indeed, our father is in clear error." - [QS.12:8]
اقْتُلُوا يُوسُفَ أَوِ اطْرَحُوهُ أَرْضًا يَخْلُ لَكُمْ وَجْهُ أَبِيكُمْ وَتَكُونُوا مِنْ بَعْدِهِ قَوْمًا صَالِحِينَ
"Kill Yusuf or cast him out to [another] land; the countenance of your father will [then] be only for you, and you will be after that a righteous people." - [QS.12:9]
قَالَ قَائِلٌ مِنْهُمْ لا تَقْتُلُوا يُوسُفَ وَأَلْقُوهُ فِي غَيَابَةِ الْجُبِّ يَلْتَقِطْهُ بَعْضُ السَّيَّارَةِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ فَاعِلِينَ
"Said a speaker among them, "Do not kill Yusuf but throw him into the bottom of the well; some travelers will pick him up - if you would do [something]." - [QS.12:10]
There is an important lesson in this for every Muslim. He should not let his children feel his preference for some of them over the others. He should not have more concern and care to some of them over the others, especially if they are of different sex, male and female, or from different mothers. In my opinion equality between children is a basic condition of justice between wives. This is a matter that one has to make sure or be certain of before thinking about marrying again for the second, third, or fourth time.
When the time of thinking and planning had ended the time for action came. The sons urged their father to send Yusuf with them while they grazed their sheep. They gave him their word that they would take care of Yusuf.
قَالُوا يَا أَبَانَا مَا لَكَ لا تَأْمَنَّا عَلَى يُوسُفَ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَنَاصِحُونَ
"They said, "O our father, why do you not entrust us with Yusuf while indeed, we are to him sincere counselors?" - [QS.12:11]
أَرْسِلْهُ مَعَنَا غَدًا يَرْتَعْ وَيَلْعَبْ وَإِنَّا لَهُ لَحَافِظُونَ
"Send him with us tomorrow that he may eat well and play. And indeed, we will be his guardians." - [QS.12:12]
As a result of their insistence their father agreed reluctantly.
قَالَ إِنِّي لَيَحْزُنُنِي أَنْ تَذْهَبُوا بِهِ وَأَخَافُ أَنْ يَأْكُلَهُ الذِّئْبُ وَأَنْتُمْ عَنْهُ غَافِلُونَ
"[Ya'qub] said, "Indeed, it saddens me that you should take him, and I fear that a wolf would eat him while you are of him unaware." - [QS.12:13]
But the brothers affirmed that they would take care of Yusuf. Their father was pleased when they told him that Yusuf would have a chance to enjoy himself and play. This shows us that playing and having a good time is something that is halal in our religion, if it doesn’t go to an extreme. La‘ib and lahu are two things, and Allah Subhanahu wa Ta'ala mentions both of them and compares this world as being la‘iboon wa lahu. La‘ib means to play, and lahu means pastime and amusement. What is the difference between la‘ib and lahu? La‘ib is something that you do which is not as serious and not as noble as other things but is permissible in moderate quantities. Lahu is a complete waste of time, and there is no benefit whatsoever in it. La‘ib is something that the Prophet (sal Allahu alayhi wa sallam) occasionally did: racing with Aisha, spending time talking with his wives, playing with Hasan and Husayn and putting them on his backs. This is la‘ib, and it is healthy to have la‘ib. Lahu is a complete waste of time and is not something encouraged in our religion.
قَالُوا لَئِنْ أَكَلَهُ الذِّئْبُ وَنَحْنُ عُصْبَةٌ إِنَّا إِذًا لَخَاسِرُونَ
"They said, 'If a wolf should eat him while we are a [strong] clan, indeed, we would then be losers'." - [QS.12:14]
فَلَمَّا ذَهَبُوا بِهِ وَأَجْمَعُوا أَنْ يَجْعَلُوهُ فِي غَيَابَةِ الْجُبِّ وَأَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْهِ لَتُنَبِّئَنَّهُمْ بِأَمْرِهِمْ هَذَا وَهُمْ لا يَشْعُرُونَ
"So when they took him [out] and agreed to put him into the bottom of the well. But We inspired to him, 'You will surely inform them [someday] about this affair of theirs while they do not perceive [your identity]'." - [QS.12:15]
Yusuf ran with his brothers to the pasture. The brothers took from the fearful words of their father, an excuse to implement their plan against Yusuf. A consensus was reached that they would throw Yusuf down a well and leave him to his fate and destiny. Thus they deceived their father.
وَجَاءُوا أَبَاهُمْ عِشَاءً يَبْكُونَ
"And they came to their father at night, weeping." - [QS.12:16]
قَالُوا يَا أَبَانَا إِنَّا ذَهَبْنَا نَسْتَبِقُ وَتَرَكْنَا يُوسُفَ عِنْدَ مَتَاعِنَا فَأَكَلَهُ الذِّئْبُ وَمَا أَنْتَ بِمُؤْمِنٍ لَنَا وَلَوْ كُنَّا صَادِقِينَ
"They said, "O our father, indeed we went racing each other and left Yusuf with our possessions, and a wolf ate him. But you would not believe us, even if we were truthful." - [QS.12:17]
Hence falsehood reveals itself as if the guilty one is saying "come and take me". In the poet's words, "but the eyes of the listener knows from the eyes of the speaker, whether he is a friend or a foe."
Later the sons of Ya'qub returned at night so that the eyes of their father would not see them and the darkness of the night would cover them. The evidence exposed them and revealed their conspiracy. Their deceit could not have been hidden from their father.
وَجَاءُوا عَلَى قَمِيصِهِ بِدَمٍ كَذِبٍ قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنْفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًا فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ وَاللَّهُ الْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَى مَا تَصِفُونَ
"And they brought upon his shirt false blood. [Jacob] said, "Rather, your souls have enticed you to something, so patience is most fitting. And Allah is the one sought for help against that which you describe." - [QS.12:18]
In this there is a call or a lesson not to be hasty in making judgments, but to be deliberate and patient in understanding the situations; to tackle the situation from all angles to find out the truth. There is also a call and a lesson to seek the help of Allah during trials, adversity or problems.
