What Mission Did Yusuf Carry Out Even While Imprisoned?
ما المهمة التي قام بها يوسف حتى وهو في السجن؟
Yusuf’s mission was to invite people to worship Allah alone, who has no partner. In his conversation with his companions in prison, he began this call by saying, “This knowledge is from what my Lord has taught me. I have shunned the faith of a people who disbelieve in Allah and deny the Hereafter.” He first began by stating that his interpretation of dreams was a virtue Allah had granted him and taught him. He showed them that his faith was the faith of the descendants of the Prophets Ibrahim, Ishaq, and Yaqoub, and that those who embraced this faith were blessed by Allah’s virtue. “I follow the faith of my fathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Yaqoub. It is not right for us to associate anything with Allah in worship. This is part of Allah’s grace upon us and humanity, but most people are not grateful.” Then he showed them the difference between the worship of one Lord with no partner, under whose authority every creature exists, and the other idols, which are not true gods, but which people have simply called gods. “O my fellow-prisoners! Which is far better: many different lords or Allah, the One, the Supreme? Whatever idols you worship instead of Him are mere names which you and your forefathers have made up, a practice Allah has never authorized.” The lesson learned is that a Muslim should call to Allah and convey Allah’s message wherever they are, in distress or ease, hardship or comfort, for this is the task of the Prophets and messengers that a person is honored to carry. “I have shunned the faith of a people who disbelieve in Allah and deny the Hereafter. I follow the faith of my fathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Yaqoub. It is not right for us to associate anything with Allah in worship. This is part of Allah’s grace upon us and humanity, but most people are not grateful. O my fellow-prisoners! Which is far better: many different lords or Allah, the One, the Supreme? Whatever idols you worship instead of Him are mere names which you and your forefathers have made up, a practice Allah has never authorized. It is only Allah Who decides. He has commanded that you worship none but Him. That is the upright faith, but most people do not know” (Surah Yusuf 12:37-40).
المهمة التي قام بها يوسف هي دعوة الناس إلى عبادة الله وحده لا شريك له. تجد تلك المهمة في حديثه مع صاحبيه في السجن، فبدأ تلك الدعوة بقوله فيما أخبر الله: ذَلِكُمَا مِمَّا عَلَّمَنِي رَبِّي إِنِّي تَرَكْتُ مِلَّةَ قَوْمٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّـهِ وَهُم بِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ كَافِرُونَ. فبدأ أولا ببيان أن تعبيره للرؤى من فضل الله عليه وتعليمه إياه. بيّن لهم أن عقيدته التي يعتنقها هي عقيدة سلالة الأنبياء إبراهيم وإسحاق ويعقوب، ومن اعتنق هذه العقيدة فقد أصابه فضل الله عز وجل. وَاتَّبَعْتُ مِلَّةَ آبَائِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ ۚ مَا كَانَ لَنَا أَن نُّشْرِكَ بِاللَّـهِ مِن شَيْءٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِن فَضْلِ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى النَّاسِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ. ثم بيّن لهم الفرق بين عبادة رب واحد لا شريك له، كل مخلوق فهو تحت قهره وسلطانه، أما الآلهة الأخرى فليست آلهة حقيقية، إنما قد سماها أصحابها آلهة. يَا صَاحِبَيِ السِّجْنِ أَأَرْبَابٌ مُّتَفَرِّقُونَ خَيْرٌ أَمِ اللَّـهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ. مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءً سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّـهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ. الدرس المستفاد من ذلك: أن المسلم يدعو إلى الله ويبلغ رسالة الله حيثما كان، في ضيق أو سعة، أو عسر أو يسر، فتلك هي مهمة الأنبياء والمرسلين يتشرف الإنسان بحملها. إِنِّي تَرَكْتُ مِلَّةَ قَوْمٍ لَّا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّـهِ وَهُم بِالْآخِرَةِ هُمْ كَافِرُونَ ﴿٣٧﴾ وَاتَّبَعْتُ مِلَّةَ آبَائِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَإِسْحَاقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ ۚ مَا كَانَ لَنَا أَن نُّشْرِكَ بِاللَّـهِ مِن شَيْءٍ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ مِن فَضْلِ اللَّـهِ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى النَّاسِ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَشْكُرُونَ ﴿٣٨﴾ يَا صَاحِبَيِ السِّجْنِ أَأَرْبَابٌ مُّتَفَرِّقُونَ خَيْرٌ أَمِ اللَّـهُ الْوَاحِدُ الْقَهَّارُ ﴿٣٩﴾ مَا تَعْبُدُونَ مِن دُونِهِ إِلَّا أَسْمَاءً سَمَّيْتُمُوهَا أَنتُمْ وَآبَاؤُكُم مَّا أَنزَلَ اللَّـهُ بِهَا مِن سُلْطَانٍ ۚ إِنِ الْحُكْمُ إِلَّا لِلَّـهِ ۚ أَمَرَ أَلَّا تَعْبُدُوا إِلَّا إِيَّاهُ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ الدِّينُ الْقَيِّمُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٤٠﴾ (سورة يوسف: 37-40).
1. Da’wah Before the Answer They Actually Wanted | الدعوة قبل الجواب الذي أرادوه
The two prisoners had asked Yusuf a specific, practical question, what their dreams meant, yet he did not answer immediately. He first spoke about Allah’s oneness and his own faith lineage before returning to interpret their dreams at all, a sequencing scholars highlight as a model of prioritizing the greater message over simply satisfying an immediate request.
كان السجينان قد سألا يوسف سؤالا محددا وعمليا، عن معنى حلميهما، لكنه لم يجب فورا. بل تحدث أولا عن توحيد الله ونسب عقيدته قبل أن يعود إلى تفسير حلميهما أصلا، وهو ترتيب يُبرزه العلماء نموذجا لتقديم الرسالة الأعظم على مجرد تلبية طلب فوري.
2. A Faith Traced Through Three Generations | عقيدة تعود إلى ثلاثة أجيال
Yusuf specifically named Ibrahim, Ishaq, and Yaqoub as the source of his creed, the same lineage covered in Who Is the Father of Prophet Yusuf, and What Is His Full Lineage? Grounding his call in an established, multi-generational tradition rather than presenting it as a personal or new idea gave his message an authority his prison companions could recognize and respect.
ذكر يوسف تحديدا إبراهيم وإسحاق ويعقوب مصدرا لعقيدته، وهو النسب نفسه الذي تناولناه في مقال من هو والد النبي يوسف، وما نسبه الكامل؟ وقد منح تأسيس دعوته على تقليد راسخ ومتوارث عبر أجيال، بدلا من تقديمها كفكرة شخصية أو جديدة، رسالته سلطة أدرك رفيقاه في السجن واحترماها.
3. An Argument Built on a Simple Question | حجة بُنيت على سؤال بسيط
Rather than simply declaring idols false, Yusuf posed a comparison, many scattered lords or one supreme Allah, letting the answer’s obviousness make his argument for him. He also pointed out that these idols were merely names invented by people, with no authority sent down from Allah to support them, a rational challenge rather than an appeal to emotion or fear.
بدلا من مجرد إعلان بطلان الأصنام، طرح يوسف مقارنة: أأرباب متفرقون أم الله الواحد القهار، تاركا وضوح الجواب يقيم حجته بنفسه. كما أشار إلى أن هذه الآلهة ليست سوى أسماء اخترعها الناس، دون سلطان أنزله الله يدعمها، وهو تحدٍ عقلاني لا استمالة عاطفية أو تخويف.
Frequently Asked Questions | الأسئلة الشائعة
What mission did Yusuf carry out while in prison?
Calling his two fellow prisoners to worship Allah alone.
Whose faith did Yusuf trace his own belief back to?
His forefathers Ibrahim, Ishaq, and Yaqoub.
What lesson does this teach about calling others to Allah?
That a believer should convey Allah’s message wherever they are, regardless of hardship or comfort.