A story
Prophet Yaqub and the Beautiful Patience
In the green hills of Canaan, where olive trees grew and flocks of sheep wandered over the grass, there lived a prophet named Yaqub, peace be upon him. In English he is called Jacob. Yaqub was the son of Prophet Ishaq and the grandson of Prophet Ibrahim, peace be upon them all. He was also known by another name, Israel.
Yaqub had twelve sons. They were shepherds. Every morning they took the sheep out to the hills, and every evening they brought them home to drink from the family well.
Two of the sons were the youngest. Their names were Yusuf and Binyamin. Yaqub loved all his children, but he gave special care to these two little ones, and he saw something very special in Yusuf.
One morning, young Yusuf came to his father with wide eyes. "O my father," he said, "I saw eleven stars, and the sun, and the moon. I saw them bowing down to me" (Surah Yusuf, 12:4).
Yaqub was a prophet, and Allah had given him wisdom. He understood that this was a true dream. It meant that Allah would choose Yusuf for something great.
"O my son," said Yaqub gently, "do not tell your dream to your brothers, or they may plan something against you" (Surah Yusuf, 12:5). Yaqub knew that the older brothers sometimes felt jealous.
And sadly, he was right. The older brothers whispered to each other. "Our father loves Yusuf and his brother more than us," they said. Their jealousy grew and grew.
One day, the brothers came to their father. "Father," they said, "why don't you trust us with Yusuf? Send him with us tomorrow, so he can play and enjoy himself. We will take good care of him."
Yaqub felt worried. "It makes me sad to send him away," he said. "And I fear a wolf might come while you are not watching him."
"We are a strong group," they said. "No wolf will hurt him while we are there." So, at last, Yaqub let Yusuf go.
That evening, the brothers came home crying. They held up Yusuf's shirt. There was a red stain on it, but it was not Yusuf's blood. "Father," they said, "we went racing, and we left Yusuf with our things. A wolf came and took him away!"
But Yaqub looked at the shirt closely. It was not torn at all. A wolf would have torn it. Yaqub knew that his sons were not telling the truth. They had made up the story.
Yaqub did not shout. He did not lose control. He said, "Rather, you have made up a story. So patience is most fitting. And Allah is the One whose help is sought" (Surah Yusuf, 12:18).
In Arabic, Yaqub said "sabrun jamil," which means "beautiful patience." Beautiful patience means being patient without complaining to people, and turning only to Allah.
Many years went by. Yaqub missed Yusuf every single day. But he never stopped trusting Allah. He prayed. He taught his family. He took care of Binyamin.
Then a hard time came. No rain fell, and the crops did not grow. There was very little food in all the lands. But people said that in Egypt there was a wise minister who had stored grain. Yaqub's sons traveled to Egypt to buy food.
When they came back, they had grain, but they also had a request. The minister of Egypt wanted them to bring their youngest brother, Binyamin, next time. Otherwise, they would get no more grain.
Yaqub did not want to let Binyamin go. He remembered what had happened to Yusuf. But the family needed food. So Yaqub made his sons promise, in the name of Allah, that they would bring Binyamin back safely. Then he said, "Allah is the One who watches over what we say" (Surah Yusuf, 12:66).
But when the sons returned, Binyamin was not with them. They said that he had been kept in Egypt, because the king's cup was found in his bag. The eldest brother had stayed behind too, too ashamed to come home.
Now Yaqub had lost Yusuf, and Binyamin, and another son too. His heart was very heavy. He turned away and said, "Oh, how sad I am for Yusuf." He cried so much that his eyes became white and he could not see clearly (Surah Yusuf, 12:84).
His sons said, "Father, will you keep remembering Yusuf forever?"
But Yaqub answered, "I only complain of my sorrow and grief to Allah. And I know from Allah what you do not know" (Surah Yusuf, 12:86).
Then Yaqub said something full of hope. "O my sons, go and search for Yusuf and his brother. And do not lose hope in the mercy of Allah" (Surah Yusuf, 12:87).
Even after so many years, Yaqub still had hope!
So the brothers went back to Egypt. And there, something wonderful happened. The minister of Egypt told them who he really was. He was their brother, Yusuf! Yusuf forgave them. Then he gave them his shirt and said, "Take this shirt and put it over my father's face. He will be able to see again."
As the caravan left Egypt, far away in Canaan, Yaqub said, "I can smell the scent of Yusuf." The people around him thought he was just remembering the past.
Then the messenger arrived. He placed Yusuf's shirt over Yaqub's face. And by the will of Allah, Yaqub could see again!
"Did I not tell you," said Yaqub, "that I know from Allah what you do not know?"
His sons were very sorry. "O our father," they said, "ask Allah to forgive us. We were truly wrong." And Yaqub, with a kind heart, said that he would ask his Lord to forgive them (Surah Yusuf, 12:97-98).
The whole family traveled to Egypt. Yaqub saw Yusuf again after so many long years. They hugged, and they thanked Allah. And Yusuf's childhood dream came true.
Many years later, when Yaqub was very old, he gathered his sons around him. He asked them, "What will you worship after I am gone?" They answered, "We will worship your God, the God of your fathers Ibrahim, Ismail, and Ishaq, One God. And to Him we submit" (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:133). Yaqub's heart was at peace.
Prophet Yaqub, peace be upon him, shows us beautiful patience. When we are sad, we can tell Allah everything. And no matter how long we wait, we must never lose hope in the mercy of Allah.
Yaqub had twelve sons. They were shepherds. Every morning they took the sheep out to the hills, and every evening they brought them home to drink from the family well.
Two of the sons were the youngest. Their names were Yusuf and Binyamin. Yaqub loved all his children, but he gave special care to these two little ones, and he saw something very special in Yusuf.
One morning, young Yusuf came to his father with wide eyes. "O my father," he said, "I saw eleven stars, and the sun, and the moon. I saw them bowing down to me" (Surah Yusuf, 12:4).
Yaqub was a prophet, and Allah had given him wisdom. He understood that this was a true dream. It meant that Allah would choose Yusuf for something great.
"O my son," said Yaqub gently, "do not tell your dream to your brothers, or they may plan something against you" (Surah Yusuf, 12:5). Yaqub knew that the older brothers sometimes felt jealous.
And sadly, he was right. The older brothers whispered to each other. "Our father loves Yusuf and his brother more than us," they said. Their jealousy grew and grew.
One day, the brothers came to their father. "Father," they said, "why don't you trust us with Yusuf? Send him with us tomorrow, so he can play and enjoy himself. We will take good care of him."
Yaqub felt worried. "It makes me sad to send him away," he said. "And I fear a wolf might come while you are not watching him."
"We are a strong group," they said. "No wolf will hurt him while we are there." So, at last, Yaqub let Yusuf go.
That evening, the brothers came home crying. They held up Yusuf's shirt. There was a red stain on it, but it was not Yusuf's blood. "Father," they said, "we went racing, and we left Yusuf with our things. A wolf came and took him away!"
But Yaqub looked at the shirt closely. It was not torn at all. A wolf would have torn it. Yaqub knew that his sons were not telling the truth. They had made up the story.
Yaqub did not shout. He did not lose control. He said, "Rather, you have made up a story. So patience is most fitting. And Allah is the One whose help is sought" (Surah Yusuf, 12:18).
In Arabic, Yaqub said "sabrun jamil," which means "beautiful patience." Beautiful patience means being patient without complaining to people, and turning only to Allah.
Many years went by. Yaqub missed Yusuf every single day. But he never stopped trusting Allah. He prayed. He taught his family. He took care of Binyamin.
Then a hard time came. No rain fell, and the crops did not grow. There was very little food in all the lands. But people said that in Egypt there was a wise minister who had stored grain. Yaqub's sons traveled to Egypt to buy food.
When they came back, they had grain, but they also had a request. The minister of Egypt wanted them to bring their youngest brother, Binyamin, next time. Otherwise, they would get no more grain.
Yaqub did not want to let Binyamin go. He remembered what had happened to Yusuf. But the family needed food. So Yaqub made his sons promise, in the name of Allah, that they would bring Binyamin back safely. Then he said, "Allah is the One who watches over what we say" (Surah Yusuf, 12:66).
But when the sons returned, Binyamin was not with them. They said that he had been kept in Egypt, because the king's cup was found in his bag. The eldest brother had stayed behind too, too ashamed to come home.
Now Yaqub had lost Yusuf, and Binyamin, and another son too. His heart was very heavy. He turned away and said, "Oh, how sad I am for Yusuf." He cried so much that his eyes became white and he could not see clearly (Surah Yusuf, 12:84).
His sons said, "Father, will you keep remembering Yusuf forever?"
But Yaqub answered, "I only complain of my sorrow and grief to Allah. And I know from Allah what you do not know" (Surah Yusuf, 12:86).
Then Yaqub said something full of hope. "O my sons, go and search for Yusuf and his brother. And do not lose hope in the mercy of Allah" (Surah Yusuf, 12:87).
Even after so many years, Yaqub still had hope!
So the brothers went back to Egypt. And there, something wonderful happened. The minister of Egypt told them who he really was. He was their brother, Yusuf! Yusuf forgave them. Then he gave them his shirt and said, "Take this shirt and put it over my father's face. He will be able to see again."
As the caravan left Egypt, far away in Canaan, Yaqub said, "I can smell the scent of Yusuf." The people around him thought he was just remembering the past.
Then the messenger arrived. He placed Yusuf's shirt over Yaqub's face. And by the will of Allah, Yaqub could see again!
"Did I not tell you," said Yaqub, "that I know from Allah what you do not know?"
His sons were very sorry. "O our father," they said, "ask Allah to forgive us. We were truly wrong." And Yaqub, with a kind heart, said that he would ask his Lord to forgive them (Surah Yusuf, 12:97-98).
The whole family traveled to Egypt. Yaqub saw Yusuf again after so many long years. They hugged, and they thanked Allah. And Yusuf's childhood dream came true.
Many years later, when Yaqub was very old, he gathered his sons around him. He asked them, "What will you worship after I am gone?" They answered, "We will worship your God, the God of your fathers Ibrahim, Ismail, and Ishaq, One God. And to Him we submit" (Surah Al-Baqarah, 2:133). Yaqub's heart was at peace.
Prophet Yaqub, peace be upon him, shows us beautiful patience. When we are sad, we can tell Allah everything. And no matter how long we wait, we must never lose hope in the mercy of Allah.
