The Story of Prophet Yusuf (peace be upon him) and His Brother Benjamin

Salim was eleven, and his little brother Zayd was seven. That evening they quarrelled over the games console, and Salim shouted, "You always take my things! Mama and Baba love you more than me!" Zayd burst into tears and ran to his room. Their father heard the shouting, came and sat them both on the sofa, and said calmly, "I'm going to tell you a story about brothers who were jealous of their brother, and what happened after that. It is the best of stories."

Salim said, "The best of stories?" Their father said, "Yes, that's what Allah called it in the Quran: 'We relate to you the best of stories in what We have revealed to you of this Quran' [Yusuf 12:3]. It is the story of Allah's prophet Yusuf, peace be upon him, and his brother Benjamin, and it is told in full in one surah, Surah Yusuf."

Their father said, "Ya'qub, peace be upon him, had twelve sons. Yusuf and Benjamin were the youngest. Ya'qub loved Yusuf very much. His older brothers said: 'Yusuf and his brother are more beloved to our father than we, while we are a strong group' [Yusuf 12:8]." Salim looked at the floor; he had said the very same thing a little while ago.

Their father went on, "Jealousy entered their hearts, and Satan whispered to them, so they agreed to get rid of Yusuf. They took him with them into the wilderness and threw him into a deep well. But Allah did not abandon him. He revealed to him while he was in the well: 'You will surely inform them about this affair of theirs while they do not perceive' [Yusuf 12:15]. In other words: a day will come when you tell them what they did."

Zayd said, "How did he get out of the well?" Their father said, "A caravan of travellers came by, and they sent one man to fetch water. He let down his bucket, and Yusuf held on to it. The man was delighted and said: 'Good news! Here is a boy' [Yusuf 12:19]. They took him and sold him in Egypt for a small price. An important man called al-Aziz bought him and said to his wife: 'Make his residence comfortable. Perhaps he will benefit us, or we will adopt him as a son' [Yusuf 12:21]."

Then their father said, "Yusuf grew up in al-Aziz's house, and Allah gave him knowledge and wisdom. He was very handsome; the Prophet ﷺ told us in Sahih Muslim that Yusuf was given half of all beauty. But his greatest beauty was in his character. The wife of al-Aziz wanted to make him disobey Allah, and he firmly refused, saying: 'I seek refuge in Allah. Indeed, he is my master, who has made good my residence' [Yusuf 12:23]. He stayed firm in obeying Allah, so much so that he chose prison over sin and said: 'My Lord, prison is more dear to me than that to which they invite me' [Yusuf 12:33]."

Salim said in surprise, "He preferred prison?!" Their father said, "Yes, because Allah's pleasure was more precious to him than anything. So he went to prison unjustly, though he was innocent. But he didn't sit there sad and complaining. Instead he began calling his fellow prisoners to worship Allah. He said to them: 'O my two companions of prison, are separate lords better, or Allah, the One, the Prevailing?' [Yusuf 12:39]. And he interpreted their dreams, for Allah had taught him the interpretation of dreams."

Then their father said, "Years later, the king of Egypt saw a strange dream: seven fat cows being eaten by seven lean cows, and seven green ears of grain and others that were dry. No one could understand it. Then one of the men who had been in prison with Yusuf remembered that he interpreted dreams, so he went to him. Yusuf explained it: seven years of rain and plentiful crops will come, so plant, and store the grain in its ears; then seven years of drought and hunger will come, and you will eat from what you stored."

Zayd said, "Yusuf is so clever!" Their father said, "Yes, and look at his character: he helped them even though they had forgotten him in prison. When the king asked for him to be brought out, Yusuf refused to leave until his innocence was made clear in front of everyone. His innocence was shown, and the king honoured him. Yusuf said: 'Appoint me over the storehouses of the land. Indeed, I will be a knowing guardian' [Yusuf 12:55]. So he became responsible for the food of all Egypt."

Then their father said, "The years of drought came, and hunger reached the land of Canaan, where Ya'qub and his sons lived. So Yusuf's brothers came to Egypt to buy food. Yusuf recognised them, but they did not recognise him. He gave them the food and said to them: If you come again, bring me a brother of yours from your father, meaning Benjamin. And he secretly put the money they had paid back into their bags."

Salim said, "Why did he give them their money back?" Their father said, "So that they would come back again, and so that they would know his generosity. When they returned with Benjamin, Yusuf took his brother Benjamin aside and said to him: 'Indeed, I am your brother, so do not despair over what they used to do' [Yusuf 12:69]. That means: I am your brother Yusuf, so don't be sad."

Zayd said happily, "He met his little brother!" Their father said, "Yes. Then Yusuf wanted Benjamin to stay with him, and Allah arranged it for him. He put the king's measuring cup in Benjamin's bag, then a caller announced: You are thieves! They searched the bags and found it with Benjamin. Their rule was that whoever had the cup would stay behind. So Benjamin stayed with his brother Yusuf. Benjamin was not a thief; it was a plan so that he could stay with his brother."

Then their father said, "The brothers went back to their father, sad. Ya'qub sent them again to search for Yusuf and his brother. When they stood before Yusuf, tired, asking for food and charity, he asked them: 'Do you know what you did with Yusuf and his brother when you were ignorant?' [Yusuf 12:89]. They were astonished and said: 'Are you indeed Yusuf?'"

Their father said in a moving voice, "He said: 'I am Yusuf, and this is my brother. Allah has certainly favoured us. Indeed, whoever fears Allah and is patient, then indeed, Allah does not allow the reward of those who do good to be lost' [Yusuf 12:90]. The brothers were ashamed and admitted their mistake."

Salim asked quietly, "Did he punish them?" Their father said, "This is the most beautiful part of the story. Yusuf could have punished them; he was the one with power. But he said: 'No blame will there be upon you today. Allah will forgive you, and He is the most merciful of the merciful' [Yusuf 12:92]. That means: there's no blame on you today; I forgive you, and I ask Allah to forgive you."

Then he gave them his shirt to cast over their father's face, and his sight returned. The whole family came to Egypt. Yusuf raised his parents onto the throne, and his parents and his eleven brothers bowed down to him in greeting. That was allowed in their law, but in our law there is no prostration except to Allah. Yusuf said: 'O my father, this is the explanation of my vision of before. My Lord has made it reality' [Yusuf 12:100]. The eleven stars were his brothers, and the sun and the moon were his parents!

Then their father said, "And look at Yusuf's good manners. He didn't mention the well, so as not to embarrass his brothers. Instead he said: 'And He was certainly good to me when He took me out of prison and brought you here from bedouin life after Satan had caused strife between me and my brothers' [Yusuf 12:100]. He blamed Satan for the mistake and didn't blame his brothers. Then he prayed to his Lord: 'Cause me to die a Muslim and join me with the righteous' [Yusuf 12:101]."

Then their father said, "Allah ended the surah with His words: 'There was certainly in their stories a lesson for those of understanding' [Yusuf 12:111]. That means these stories aren't just for entertainment; they're for us to learn from: that jealousy hurts, that patience raises you up, and that forgiveness is more beautiful than revenge."

The two brothers were silent. Then Salim got up, fetched the games console and gave it to Zayd, saying, "Sorry, Zayd. No blame on you today. It was Satan who caused strife between us." Zayd laughed, hugged his brother and said, "I'm sorry too. You're my brother, like Yusuf and Benjamin!"

Their father smiled and said, "This truly is the best of stories: whoever fears Allah and is patient, Allah does not let the reward of those who do good be lost. And brotherhood is more precious than any game." And the two brothers sat and played together, taking turns, while their father listened to them laughing.