بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Compassionate
Surah Yusuf of the Quran teaches us four attributes of Allah that should run in our minds in times of difficulty.
Allah is Ghaalib. He is in complete control. Every single uncontrolled situations, Allah is in complete control of them.
وَٱللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرِهِۦ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٢١ ...
And Allah is predominant over His affair, but most of the people do not know. [Quran, Yusuf 12:21]
Allah is 'Aleem. Allah is Hakeem. He knows what He is doing and He knows what you are going through. There is not a single component in the affairs that is happening that He is not aware of. Not only He knows about it, whatever He is allowing to happen and whatever He is controlling, all of it is part of a plan that is full of wisdom.
At three critical junctures of the story of Yusuf alayhissalaam, عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ were mentioned as if they are like the chain that holds the Surah together. The first time was when Ya'qub talked to his son, Yusuf, and his aspiration for the son's great future. Ya'qub alayhissalaam described Allah 'Alimun Hakeem. At that moment those words are words of hope.
وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَجْتَبِيكَ رَبُّكَ وَيُعَلِّمُكَ مِن تَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ وَيُتِمُّ نِعْمَتَهُۥ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَىٰٓ ءَالِ يَعْقُوبَ كَمَآ أَتَمَّهَا عَلَىٰٓ أَبَوَيْكَ مِن قَبْلُ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ ﴿٦
And thus will your Lord choose you and teach you the interpretation of narratives and complete His favor upon you and upon the family of Jacob, as He completed it upon your fathers before, Abraham and Isaac. Indeed, your Lord is Knowing and Wise." [Quran, Yusuf 12:6]
When the worse was over for Yusuf, again Ya'qub mentioned ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ. These are words of acknowledgment of his trust in Allah
قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرًا ۖ فَصَبْرٌ جَمِيلٌ ۖ عَسَى ٱللَّهُ أَن يَأْتِيَنِى بِهِمْ جَمِيعًا ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ﴿٨٣
[Jacob] said, "Rather, your souls have enticed you to something, so patience is most fitting. Perhaps Allah will bring them to me all together. Indeed it is He who is the Knowing, the Wise." [Quran, Yusuf 12:83]
Towards the conclusion of the Surah when the family reunion happened, Yusuf mentioned ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ . Those were statements of gratitude.
وَرَفَعَ أَبَوَيْهِ عَلَى ٱلْعَرْشِ وَخَرُّوا۟ لَهُۥ سُجَّدًا ۖ وَقَالَ يَـٰٓأَبَتِ هَـٰذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُءْيَـٰىَ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّى حَقًّا ۖ وَقَدْ أَحْسَنَ بِىٓ إِذْ أَخْرَجَنِى مِنَ ٱلسِّجْنِ وَجَآءَ بِكُم مِّنَ ٱلْبَدْوِ مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَن نَّزَغَ ٱلشَّيْطَـٰنُ بَيْنِى وَبَيْنَ إِخْوَتِىٓ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى لَطِيفٌ لِّمَا يَشَآءُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ﴿١٠٠
And he raised his parents upon the throne, and they bowed to him in prostration. And he said, "O my father, this is the explanation of my vision of before. My Lord has made it reality. And He was certainly good to me when He took me out of prison and brought you [here] from bedouin life after Satan had induced [estrangement] between me and my brothers. Indeed, my Lord is Subtle in what He wills. Indeed, it is He who is the Knowing, the Wise. [Quran, Yusuf 12:100]
Allah is Lateef. He is subtle in whatever He does. In this ayah Allah's dominance is implied.
إِنَّ رَبِّى لَطِيفٌ لِّمَا يَشَآءُ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ﴿١٠٠
Indeed, my Lord is Subtle in what He wills. Indeed, it is He who is the Knowing, the Wise. [Quran, Yusuf 12:100]
The four attributes (Ghaalib, 'Aleem, Hakeem, Lateef) come together make the real relationship with Allah. These are the attributes of Allah that should run in our minds in times of trouble. On one hand of this relationship is Allah and on the other hand of this relationship is your own qualities-- the qualities that a beleiver should have that are going to help him navigate himself in times of struggles.
Allah compliments Yaqub that he is a possessor of knowledge.
وَلَمَّا دَخَلُوا۟ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَمَرَهُمْ أَبُوهُم مَّا كَانَ يُغْنِى عَنْهُم مِّنَ ٱللَّهِ مِن شَىْءٍ إِلَّا حَاجَةً فِى نَفْسِ يَعْقُوبَ قَضَىٰهَا ۚ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَذُو عِلْمٍ لِّمَا عَلَّمْنَـٰهُ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٦٨
And when they entered from where their father had ordered them, it did not avail them against Allah at all except [it was] a need within the soul of Jacob, which he satisfied. And indeed, he was a possessor of knowledge because of what We had taught him, but most of the people do not know. [Quran, Yusuf 12:68]
He used to keep telling his sons "I know from Allah that which you do not know."
قَالَ إِنَّمَآ أَشْكُوا۟ بَثِّى وَحُزْنِىٓ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَأَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ﴿٨٦
He said, "I only complain of my suffering and my grief to Allah, and I know from Allah that which you do not know. [Quran, Yusuf 12:86]
What does he know? Knowing those four attributes of Allah. His ilm was being highlighted. No matter how impossible the situation he felt, he was not going to let go hope. However, knowledge by itself is not enough. It is the quality that runs parallel with knowledge--tawakkul (trust, reliance).
If in times of trouble a person can really know who Allah is, and also have trust in Allah, he has the two elements that a person need to reach greatness. This is ihsan. Yusuf was described with the words ihsan over and over again.
وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُۥٓ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ حُكْمًا وَعِلْمًا ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٢٢
And when Joseph reached maturity, We gave him judgment and knowledge. And thus We reward the doers of good. [Quran, Yusuf 12:22]
وَدَخَلَ مَعَهُ ٱلسِّجْنَ فَتَيَانِ ۖ قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَآ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰنِىٓ أَعْصِرُ خَمْرًا ۖ وَقَالَ ٱلْءَاخَرُ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰنِىٓ أَحْمِلُ فَوْقَ رَأْسِى خُبْزًا تَأْكُلُ ٱلطَّيْرُ مِنْهُ ۖ نَبِّئْنَا بِتَأْوِيلِهِۦٓ ۖ إِنَّا نَرَىٰكَ مِنَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٣٦
And there entered the prison with him two young men. One of them said, "Indeed, I have seen myself [in a dream] pressing wine." The other said, "Indeed, I have seen myself carrying upon my head [some] bread, from which the birds were eating. Inform us of its interpretation; indeed, we see you to be of those who do good." [Quran, Yusuf 12:36]
وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ يَشَآءُ ۚ نُصِيبُ بِرَحْمَتِنَا مَن نَّشَآءُ ۖ وَلَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٥٦
And thus We established Joseph in the land to settle therein wherever he willed. We touch with Our mercy whom We will, and We do not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good. [Quran, Yusuf 12:56]
قَالُوا۟ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْعَزِيزُ إِنَّ لَهُۥٓ أَبًا شَيْخًا كَبِيرًا فَخُذْ أَحَدَنَا مَكَانَهُۥٓ ۖ إِنَّا نَرَىٰكَ مِنَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٧٨
They said, "O 'Azeez, indeed he has a father [who is] an old man, so take one of us in place of him. Indeed, we see you as a doer of good." [Quran, Yusuf 12:78]
Practically when someone has knowledge and trust in Allah, the two qualities that highlight in the Surah is taqwa and sabr.
إِنَّهُۥ مَن يَتَّقِ وَيَصْبِرْ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ ﴿٩٠
Indeed, he who fears Allah and is patient, then indeed, Allah does not allow to be lost the reward of those who do good." [Quran, Yusuf 12:90]
This one ayah summarizes the life of Yusuf.
In the character of Ya'qub alayhissalaam we learn another balance. Human being still has to act. We have to take our own precautions. Human planning and human effort is part of what Allah blessed the human being with. Allah complimented Ya'qub's knowledge. We still have to find the balance between our own efforts and Divine help. And if our plan fails and the Divine Will is not parallel to our effort, that's the time to go to the attributes of Allah.
Sometimes we plan and Allah lets us execute our plan. Sometimes our plans and Allah's plan is in conjunction. That's the time to be grateful. When our plans and Allah's plans are not in conjunction, Allah's plan is going to come to the top. That's the time to remember who is predominant and who is not. No matter how good we think our plan is, Allah's plan is definitely better whether we get it or not.
May Allah grant us knowledge of Him. May Allah grant us wisdom and good in this life and the next. Aameen.
Allahumma salli 'ala Muhammad wa 'ala aalihi wa sahbihi wasallam.
And Allah knows best and is Most Wise, and He alone grants success, and to Him is the final return of all.
Wassalaam
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