Moses 3

(28-15-28)

       One day, Moses, who was living outside the city in royal palaces, was passing through the city; it was the time when the residents of the city closed work due to excessive heat and reclined in their houses.  He saw two men fighting vigorously with each other; one was an Israeli and the other an Egyptian.   Moses was well aware of the segregation and discrimination between the two nations. He took it for granted that the Israeli was innocent and tried to help him by separating the two fighting persons.  In order to do that he struck the Egyptian with his fist, but it hit him at a delicate place and he died on the spot.

          Moses was full of remorse for helping an Israeli without probing into the matter.  He prayed to God for forgiveness; since it was an accident and not a cold blooded murder, God forgave him.  Moses took an oath not to help any cruel oppressors in his life.  He was fully aware of the consequences of his action.  The dominant Egyptians could not tolerate the death of an Egyptian.   Moses knew they would not investigate the event to find out the truth; it was enough for them to condemn him unheard because he had showed the courage to stand against an Egyptian.

      The next day, Moses left the palace in fear and came to the city to find out how the incident of an Egyptian death was viewed by the common folks.  As he entered the city, he saw the same Israeli fighting with another Egyptian.  When the Israeli saw Moses he called for his help.  Moses said, “Are you always picking rows with people?  Indeed you are a very quarrelsome person.”  However, this time the Israeli was right and the Egyptian was wrong, so he raised his hand to separate them.  However, the Egyptian cried out loudly, “Do you want to kill me as you killed yesterday.  I think you are doing this to establish your superiority over the Egyptians.  Moreover, you are unable to do any correct thing.”

      Suddenly Moses saw a highly placed Egyptian who had been working on the council of the pharaoh.  This Egyptian was a great admirer of Moses and his sense of justice.  Moses explained to him that he was not helping an Israeli because he belonged to his nation; he was helping a poor miserable person who had done no wrong.   The highly placed person listened patiently and then advised Moses to run away because a royal council had decreed his death.  The royal council did not care to probe into the matter; for them it was enough that an Egyptian man was killed while fighting an Israeli.   “Where shall I go so that the pharaoh cannot punish me,” thought Moses.  The only suitable place was Midian.   Although he was afraid of the pharaoh‘s men following him, still he traveled to it.

       Moses’ first stop was a well where shepherds came to water their flocks.  He saw two girls there who were stopping their sheep from drinking water.   “Why are you stopping your sheep from drinking water?” he asked.  One girl said, “We are stopping our sheep because these shepherds are strong men and we are girls who have no one to help us; therefore, we have to wait until their sheep finish drinking.  Our father is very old and he cannot help us.” Moses quietly left his place and drew water for their sheep.  The shepherds saw the strong physique of Moses and offered no resistance.

      When the girls reached home early, their father said, “Why have you returned home so early today?” 

     “Father, there was a man at the well who helped us draw water for our sheep,” they replied. 

     “Do I know the man you are talking about?” asked the father.

     “I don’t think so.  He looked like a stranger in this place,” said one of the girls.

     “If he is a stranger and no one knows him, then run and invite him to our house.  Tell him that I want to reward him for his good deed.”  Moses was sitting under a tree near the well.  He was thinking that wherever he went the same story of oppressors and oppressed was repeated.  Was there no safe place in this wide world for weak creatures?  No one has created water.  It is a free gift from God, but still the thirsty sheep of the girls were not allowed to drink water along with the sheep which belonged to powerful chiefs. 

      He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn't notice the shy girl walking towards him.  “Come with me to my house because my father wants to see you and reward you for the good you have done,” she said, trying hard to control her bashfulness.   Moses quietly followed the girl, and told his story to her father.                     According to some historians the old man was the prophet Shuaib.  Moses and Shuaib were busy talking when the girl said to her father, “Why don’t you hire this man; he is strong and honest.”

         The father said to Moses, “Young man, I want to make a bargain with you.  If you stay with me as an employee for eight years and look after my flocks, I will marry you to one of my daughters.  After completing the agreed time you can leave with your family.  However, if you would like to work for ten years, it will be considered a good gesture on your part, but I will not insist on it.  Moses and Shuaib made a contract and Almighty God was declared as their sole witness.

Moses 2

(28-14-28)

Moses’ birth was a blessing for his mother and elder brother.  His elder brother Aaron used to go to the pharaoh’s palace with his mother.   In this way they familiarized themselves with the customs of Egyptian civilization.  In the ancient Egyptian civilization, the king was the only important person.  The kings of many dynasties had complete control over the lives of common folks.  They forced common folks to dig big blocks of stone for building pyramids for them.  The theory behind this exploitation was that because kings were descendants of either the moon or sun god, the average man should help them to have a comfortable place in the next world. Pharaoh was not a name; it was a title given to the ruling king.  The people of Egypt used to worship their pharaoh.  

Moses grew to be a very handsome, strong, and upright youth.  Some high-up Egyptian dignitaries admired and liked his sense of justice and fair play.  Unlike other princes, he had a thirst for wisdom and knowledge.  Moses learned the secrets of the pharaoh’s politics by living with him in his palace.  He realized that the pharaoh was afraid of the Israelite.  Four hundred years before Moses, in the time of Prophet Joseph, these people were a small group.  Jacob’s twelve sons and their families were allowed to settle in Egypt.  During the period of four hundred years, these few families multiplied in great number. 

The Israelite were living in Egypt, but they were extremely different from Egyptians.  They had a different religion, language, and culture.  Their increase in number frightened the pharaoh, who visualized them transforming into a great force and damaging the Egyptians.   For centuries the pharaohs of Egypt were worshiped as gods, whereas these Israelite had a God whom they thought to be the creator of everything.

(28-76-82)(40-24)(29-39)(28-6-8)

The other two pillars of support for the despotic rule of the pharaoh were Haman and Korah.   Haman, the head priest of Egypt, was a right hand man of the pharaoh. Some historians of Egyptian dynasties place him as a co-worker with the pharaoh.  The king had given him a big piece of land, and he had a large income from it.  He spent all his revenue on building temples for the sun god.   Pharaoh was supposed to be the descendant of the sun god, so the worship of the deity strengthened his power and his hold on the common people.

Korah, who was the representative of capitalism, was an Israeli.   He had accumulated so much wealth that a group of strong men were required to hold the keys of his treasures.  According to some historians, he was the cousin of Moses.  His family was as respected as Moses’.  He was appointed the head of the Israelite by the pharaoh because he was very rich.  Korah used to go out with great pomp and show, displaying his great wealth.  The show was so spectacular that many Israelite wished to be like him.

Some learned Israelite advised him not to exult.  They told him that since God had given him so much wealth he should enjoy it in this world; but he must use it to do good to the needy and poor.  He must not spend his money for the oppression of poor Israelite.  The only answer they got was, “I have earned this money due to my knowledge and skills.  Nobody has any right to advise me how to spend my money.”  

Moses declared his prophethood; people started following him because his message was based on reason and truth.  Korah opposed Moses because he thought that he was more worthy than Moses to be a prophet.  He said, “I am equal to Moses in every aspect; my family is as respected as Moses’ and I am older than him.  According to the law of the Israelite the eldest should have the honor of being a prophet.”  Korah had amassed gold and silver, but no one followed him as people followed Moses.  He became very jealous of Moses and refused to accept his message as the truth.

The Quran says that the policy of Pharaoh was to divide and rule.  He used to divide Israelite into many parties who were busy in quarreling among themselves.  The Quran uses a metaphor to describe the situation.  The words used here are that the pharaoh used to kill their sons and leave their women to live. This is a literal translation.   Those who, like me, take this as a metaphor do not agree with this literal translation.  Their argument is that if the pharaoh was killing all the men, the nation of Israelite could not grow to such big numbers.  The meaning of this metaphor is that the pharaoh used to encourage the timid and weak people, and humiliate and discourage those who had courage and strength to stand against him, or he made them ineffective.

Moses 1

(28-7-14)

Moses

The night was quiet, the wind was calm, and the moon was full and bright.  In this pleasant weather, the boats of Pharaoh were swimming like ducks in the blue water of the river Nile.   The Pharaoh and his queen were celebrating a moonlit party on the river.  For a short time, the great king was forgetting all the administrative worries.  He looked at his queen with admiration, and asked the captain to row the boats slowly so that he could enjoy the night in a complacent mood.

On the other side of the river, in a hut a mother was facing a great dilemma.  Her daughter was urging her to act according to the advice given to them. 

“I have no heart to do it.  My courage fails me,” she blubbered in a whisper which was more like a suppressed wail.

“This is a direct command (revelation) from God, and we cannot disobey it,” the daughter said firmly.

“Why are you asking me to do this cruel act? I cannot put my newly born baby into the river,” she said, sobbing slowly.

“Just be reasonable, mother.  You very well know the result of disobeying an order of God,” the daughter repeated.

The mother dragged herself to a box, opened it with a suppressed lament, placed the properly wrapped baby in it, and put the box into the river.  Her eyes swelled with tears and she sank into the sand of the beach.

“He will come back to you,” said the girl, “as it is prophesied.”  She further added, “I am going to walk on the bank of the river Nile alongside the box to keep an eye on the baby.  I am going to pretend I am a person who habitually walks on the bank of the river at sunrise. No one will know my real intention.”

All these soothing words had no consoling effect on the grief-stricken mother.  With eyes full of tears, she tried to stifle her sobs and returned to the hut.

The pharaoh and his queen were busy enjoying the sunrise when suddenly the queen spotted something bobbing on the waves of the river Nile.  “What is this object which is visible on the waves? It was not here before,” she exclaimed.  The moment she uttered these words, many swimmers jumped into the river to fetch the object of curiosity for the queen.  The swimmers presented the box in front of the king and queen.  When it was opened, the queen saw the face of a beautiful child fast asleep.  The pharaoh frowned at the discovery, but the queen’s heart was full of affection for this innocent babe.  She looked imploringly at the pharaoh. “Please do not throw this child back into the river.  We can adopt him as our own son.  He may prove very useful for us,” she said.  The king was in an excellent mood after a night of festivity.  He saw no danger in the baby, and he disliked the idea of rejecting the queen’s request for a harmless favor, so he consented.  The baby was adopted by the queen and taken to the palace.

The first few hours of the baby’s arrival were full of merrymaking.  He was named Moses, but when the time of feeding came he refused to drink milk.  Many wet-nurses were called from all around the area, but the child did not drink milk from them.  Moses had gone weak and pale with hunger and withered like an unopened bud.  The queen was upset with this new development, and her grief made the pharaoh furious.  “I am the mighty king of Egypt, and I am unable to provide milk for a baby.  This is entirely unacceptable,” he said and announced a big reward for anyone who could feed the child. 

Moses’ sister, who had been following the box, entered the palace and sought an audience with the queen.  She informed the queen that she could bring a woman to nurse the child.  The queen in ordinary circumstances might have not allowed a common woman to enter the palace, but the gravity of the event forced her to give permission.

When Moses’ sister entered the hut of her mother, she found her sitting in a corner sobbing bitterly.  Her eyes were swollen with constant weeping, and she was looking at the empty bed of her child with a blank face.  It was apparent from her behavior that she could not hold the secret for a long time.   “Mother, mother,” the daughter said and shook her violently.  “Please wash your tear-stricken face and come along with me to see your child.”

“Is it possible?” she said.  Suddenly God’s promise, which she had forgotten in her grief, came back to her.  A new hope awoke in her heart when her daughter informed her of the situation.  She washed her face, changed her clothes, and both mother and daughter hurriedly walked towards the king’s palace.  In ordinary circumstances, no Israeli woman was allowed to enter the palace, but it was an unprecedented situation and they entered the palace without facing any hindrance.        

Moses, pale and withered, was lying in his crib.  The queen disappointingly pointed towards him.  Moses’ mother walked towards the crib, her heart throbbing loudly with hope and fear, and picked up the child.  Moses opened his eyes as he felt her touch and drank milk.  The queen’s face lit up with joy, and she immediately appointed Moses’ mother as wet-nurse to look after him.  In this way, Moses grew in the pharaoh’s palace, ate the best food, and gained the best education, which he could not have in his own house. The queen and king were quite oblivious to the fact that they were bringing up their worst enemy with great care. 

      

   

The Dense Forest Dwellers 2

(11-84-87)(7-84-90)

          Shuaib further elaborated his position and said, “You want us to join you in your ancient ways, but this would amount to telling lies about Allah and fabricating stories about the Almighty. This daring step we cannot take. Once the guidance comes to us and we have accepted it, we cannot turn back.  I do not tell other people to do something and then refuse to do it myself.  I see that you are enjoying prosperity. God has given you many bounties, so don’t change these bounties into doom by defrauding people and not giving them their due.

          The stiff-necked chieftains refused to accept Shuaib’s advice. Since the guidance was clear and based on facts, they were unable to give a reasonable answer. Like most powerful and mean people, they took refuge in violence.  The proud leaders went to the members of Shuaib’s party and threatened them with the dire consequences of their choices.  With the help of money and power, they blocked every road that led to righteous living.  Shuaib also reminded them about the painful end of those who denied God’s laws.

          All of Shuaib’s sympathy and compassion for the nation bore no fruit.  The leaders blankly refused to accept Shuaib’s advice.  They said, “We do not understand what you are saying. One thing we do understand: you want us to leave the gods of our forefathers. Moreover, the worship of gods according to us is: to pray in the temple, sing praises for various gods, do some charity in their name, and help in maintaining the structure of the temple. But you are telling us that we cannot spend our money in any way we like.  Your salath (prayer) is covering every aspect of our behavior.  You say we have to surrender ourselves completely to the laws of God. This concept is beyond our comprehension, and we do not believe in it.”

          (11-92)(26-186-188)(7-91-92)

          Shuaib’s only answer was, “I have received the light of guidance from God, and I am calling you towards it.  I am not afraid of you because I depend on God for my protection and food.  The greatest difficulty you face in understanding my message is that you comprehend God not as all powerful sovereign. You use the Almighty God as a dhriah (extra).”

          In ancient times, people used to travel on camels.  Sometimes the camel could fall sick or meet an accident. In order to safeguard such an eventuality, Midians used to take an extra camel with them, so they could use it in the time of emergency.  Otherwise this extra camel had no use; it was a burden for the caravan.  What Shuaib pointed out was their use of God as a last resort, or an excuse.  In reality, the people of Midian and the Dwellers of the Dense Forest did not believe in God.

          When Shuaib pointed out the weakness in their concept of God, the leaders became furious and said, “You are not a powerful man in our nation.  We place you among the weak folks.  We are not doing any harm to you because we have regards for your community.  You want to rob us of our prosperity by introducing your new way of living. You had better be more careful about what you say.  We think you are either a liar or bewitched.  Ask your God to cut a piece of sky and throw it upon us; then we will believe in you.  At present, you are posing as though you are the only kind and righteous person in the nation.”

          “Shame on you! You are not afraid of God Almighty; you are afraid of my community,” said Shuaib.  “You have called me a liar. Let us wait and see what God will decide between us because He is the best judge, and I put all my trust in Him.  Be careful because no one can repel the doom when it comes.  The retribution for your acts will definitely come to you.  It is the law of God and your feeble tricks cannot alter it.”

          The stiff-necked chieftains of Midian and the Dense Forest Dwellers did not pay any heed to Shuaib’s advice. Ultimately, an earthquake seized them. The next morning found them lying lifeless in their homes. The bustling city of trade and commerce had changed into a silent ruin when Shuaib and his companions left it.  

           

The Dense Forest Dwellers 1

 

 

The Dense Forest Dwellers

 

(7-85-86) (26-176-178)

          According to some historians, the prophet Shuaib and the prophet Moses were contemporaries. Moses was sent to Israel, and Shuaib was sent to the Dense Forest Dwellers and Midian. Some historians proclaim that the Dense Forest Dwellers and Midian were two different nations.  Other scholars maintain that these were two different tribes of the same origin, living in two different locations.  Shuaib was sent to both of them because they came from the same origin and had similar characteristics.

          These people were living near a well-known trade-route which runs from Arabia to Syria. Their land was fertile and covered with thick forest.  Along with having lush green wood and fertile land, these people were great experts of commerce.  Their caravans went to many countries and nations, carrying the local goods. The business of buying and selling goods in many countries made them very rich and powerful.  

          The peace and prosperity in the land helped to increase their number, which was a great asset in those times.  Wealth, number, and prosperity made them very proud.  The money they earned lit an insatiable fire of greed in their hearts.  They were not content to enjoy their material goods; the lurking lust in their hearts led them to the unfair practice of giving short measures in business.  The greed for wealth had such a strong grip on their minds that they forgot all decency and morality, and occasionally took refuge in robbery.

          Many prophets were sent by God to these people, warning them about the ill consequences of their foul deeds.  But they were intoxicated with power and money, so they paid no attention to these warnings.  Near the end of their glory, the prophet Shuaib came to them with the message of God.  He told them that there is no sovereign in the universe except God, and that he was his messenger to warn them about the lurking doom.  In addition to this, he declared, “Obey the laws of God.  You have been given the guidance of the Almighty, so give full measures to those who buy from you.  Do not upset the established law of the land; this is the best course of action for you.  I am an honest messenger of God, so believe in me, and obey the laws of God.”

          A small minority believed in Shuaib, but the majority of people were with the strong leaders.  These leaders were very proud of their prosperity and business.  They were convinced that no one could do any harm to them.  All the powerful leaders were against Shuiab and his movement, so they openly declared, “Shuiab, one thing is definitely going to happen.  We are going to force you, and the people who believe in your message, to come back into the fold of ancient traditional ways, or we are going to throw all of you out of the city.”

          Shuaib reminded the nation that once they had been few in number. God had given them peace, prosperity, and increased their number. In addition to these blessings, He had given them many bounties, so they had to obey his laws and not create confusion and disorder after the establishment of order in the land.  Their habit of being stingy when they were selling things could bring doom upon them.   They had to give full measures for the money they received from the customers, not withhold from the people the things that were their due.  This is the right way.  Moreover, Shuaib clarified his position and said, “It was my duty to tell you the truth; it is up to you to follow my guidance or reject it. I am not sent as a watchman over you.”           

 

           

        

The Prophet Joseph 5

          The new shock ripped open the old wound about Joseph. Jacob started crying and lamenting loudly.  It appeared the sons had not forgiven Jacob for loving Joseph and his brother. Instead of sympathizing with him they said, “Old man, you are sticking to the story of Joseph. If you do not stop dwelling on the past, you will kill yourself with the grief.”  Jacob’s only reply was, “I am not saying anything to you.  I am putting my sorrow and grief in front of almighty God. He has given me insight about which you do not know.” Jacob’s eyes were white with constant crying and his heart was a permanent abode of sadness.

          Jacob was not convinced about the death of Joseph, so he ordered his sons to go back to Egypt and look for him and his brother. The sons went to Egypt, but the financial condition of their family had gone from bad to worse. They were unable to pay for the grain, so they said to Joseph, “Our financial condition is very bad. We won’t be able to pay the full price for the grain; please accept this little money from us and give us full measure as charity.  God helps the charitable people.”

          Joseph’s heart was moved with this appeal. He said, “Do you remember what you have done to Joseph and his brother due to ignorance?”

          “Are you really Joseph?” the brothers said with gaped mouths. It was an excellent chance to take revenge.  The enemy was completely helpless, begging for charity, in an alien land, without any support or help. But Joseph was on the pinnacle of character, where taking personal revenge was beneath human dignity. 

          He replied, “Yes, I am Joseph, and this is my brother. God has been very kind to us. For all those who do not disobey the laws of God in times of adversity and remain steadfast, their rewards are never lost.”

          The brothers said, “By God, you are superior to us; we are to be blamed for all that has happened.”

          “Do not fear any retribution today. I pardon you,” said Joseph. “I will seek your protection from Allah also. He is the best forgiver. Now take my shirt to my father. He will understand my position and status. Come back to me with all your families.”

          The brothers returned to Jacob as Joseph had ordered them. The caravan reached Cannon, and the brothers with Joseph’s shirt ran to see their father. Suddenly, Jacob said, “You may think I have gone senile, but I smell the scent of Joseph. I am quite sure of it.” The people around him said, “You are sticking with your old craziness. There is no sign of Joseph and you smell his scent.”

          In the meanwhile, the man with the shirt arrived, and put the shirt in front of Jacob.  It was the second time the shirt of Joseph was presented to Jacob. The first time, it was a harbinger of doom, sprinkled with false blood; the sons were telling a concocted story of Joseph’s death, and it took all hope and joy from his life.  This time, Joseph’s shirt was conveying a fact about his high status and position.  It was a message of hope and a better future for the entire family. Jacob immediately understood the situation, and said to the people around him, “Did I not tell you that I understand a lot of things that you do not know?”

          The brothers came to the father with bowed heads and eyes lowered with shame. They said to the father, “Please ask Joseph to forgive us because we tried to do harm to him and his brother.”

          Jacob replied, “I will ask Joseph to forgive you.”

          The whole family left for Egypt.  Joseph came out of the city to welcome them.  He made his parents sit at a place of honor, and they bowed to him, as was the custom of the land.  At that time Joseph remembered his old dream of eleven stars, the moon and the sun bowing to him and exclaimed with delight, “This is like the dream which I had when I was a child!”  His heart was so full of gratitude as he remembered his troubled past, when he served as a prisoner. He prayed to God to continuously pour his blessings on him as He had done when He taught him to decipher data and draw correct conclusions. With the help of this knowledge, he was able to rule. God was his real protector and he hoped He would let him die as a believer, so he would join the group of virtuous people in the next life.  Joseph was overwhelmed by the new happy changes in his life. He lodged his parents with him, and the brothers were settled elsewhere in Egypt.

          In the continuous story of Joseph in the Quran, there is no mention of his preaching, but in (40-34) it is mentioned that he preached the law of God.  As is the way of people, some believed in him, and some remained doubtful about his message.

           

The Prophet Joseph 4

(12-57-102)

          The events took place as Joseph had predicted. The people of Egypt enjoyed the seven years of prosperity. In these seven years, the crops were copious, and the yield from the grapes and fruits were abundant.  After these seven years, the demon of famine attacked Egypt.  The farmers, for months and years, looked hopefully at the sky for clouds. The sky never gave a drop of water to the parched, thirsty earth.  The demons of famine jeered at the devastated land, leafless trees, and dry river.

          The hope for life clustered around the granaries which Joseph had built.  The grain he preserved in abundance was useful for this hard time.  There are always some members in a society who want to be rich at the expense of others.  When they saw that staples were scarce in the market, these members started to raise the price of grain.  These capitalists did not mind exchanging the misery of people for gold.

          When the news of this black market trend reached Joseph, he established an inquiry department.  The purpose of this department was to ascertain the real number of people and then give them grain according to their needs.  Joseph announced throughout the country that each citizen could purchase grain from the government, up to the load of a camel, at a controlled price based on family size.  In case of false or exaggerated claims no grain would be given.  Joseph himself supervised this department.

          Return of the brothers

          One day Joseph saw ten of his brothers in the line buying grain.  He recognized them but they were not aware of his presence.  It was beyond their wildest imagination to think that Joseph had acquired such a powerful status.  At the inquiry, they said that they were eleven brothers.  At the time of their departure, Joseph told them, “You see I am a good host; I give full measures, so next time when you come bring your other brother also.  Otherwise your claim will be considered false. I will neither talk to you nor give you any grain.”  He ordered his employees to put the money the brothers had paid for the grain back in their sacks.   

          The brothers reached home and told the whole story to their father. “We cannot buy more grain without Joseph’s brother,” said one of them.  As they opened the sacks, and found the money they had paid returned to them, they were pleased.

          The grain lasted for a short period of time.  The brothers urged their father to send the younger brother with them.  Jacob was old; there was no grain to eat so, he succumbed to their wish.   He allowed them to take the young boy with them after taking an oath in the name of God.  Jacob also advised them to enter the city by different doors so that the people would not become suspicious of them.

          The brothers entered the Egyptian city and went to the granary to buy grain.  In the meanwhile Joseph told his brother about himself. “Do not take to heart their behavior.  I am with you.”  As the brothers were busy buying grain, one of them put the royal cup in Joseph’s brother’s sack.  He thought that if they were successful in smuggling the royal cup, they would have a valuable item.  In case they were not successful, Joseph’s brother would be blamed for theft and earn a bad name.

          On their journey back home, the caravan was stopped by the people who were looking for the royal cup.  “Stop the caravan! You are thieves!”

          “What have we stolen that you are calling us thieves?” said one of them.

          “The royal cup has disappeared.  The king has announced one camel load of grain for the one who retrieves it,” said the officer.

          “We came here before and we have done no misdeed,” said one of the brothers.

          “What is the punishment for the one who has committed such a crime according to your law?” asked the officer.

          “He himself is the penalty for the crime,” they said.    

          When the sacks were opened, the officer found the royal cup in Joseph’s brother saddle-bag.  Seeing this, one of the brothers said, “It is not strange he stole the royal cup; his real brother was a thief like him.”  This remarked pierced the heart of Joseph, who had come there to investigate the matter.  Joseph did not utter a word in his defense. He only declared, “You all belong to one family. Although Joseph was your step-brother, still he was your brother.  What you are saying about him is applicable to you also.  Only God knows the truth about your fabrications.” After saying this he left the place.

          The brothers followed him and begged him to take one of them in place of Joseph’s brother. “Our father is very old,” said one of them. “He is very fond of him.  Please keep one of us and leave him,” they implored.  Joseph refused the request and said, “I cannot set free the criminal and keep an innocent person in his place.”

          After Joseph’s refusal, the brothers got together to discuss and solve the problem.  The eldest one said, “I am not going back with you. I have no courage to face my father. He took an oath from us to protect Joseph’s brother.  We made a mistake about Joseph before.  I am going to stay here until my father calls me back or God decides something else for me.  You all go and tell my father that his beloved son committed a theft in a foreign country. We were unable to do anything.  He can ask the fellow travelers.”

          The brothers reached home and told the story to their father.  Jacob said, “What are you saying? He committed a theft?  You are very pleased with this concocted story, but I will remain patient as I was in Joseph’s case.”

         

 

 

 

 

The Prophet Joseph 3

(12- 36-54)

     Two other young men were sentenced to prison along with Joseph.  One was the wine-bearer of the king; the other was head butler. They were impressed by Joseph’s personality and said to him, “Each one of us has had a dream and we want you to interpret our dreams for us.  We are asking you because we think you are a very sensible man. ”

     The first man said, “I dreamt that I was squeezing grapes for the king.”  The other man said, “I saw that I was carrying a basket of bread on my head; birds were picking at it and eating from it.”  

“I will interpret your dreams for you before the time for luncheon arrives,” said Joseph.  “I want to tell you about myself before I interpret your dreams for you.  I do not belong to any prevailing religion.  I am a follower of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, my forefathers.  I believe in one God and his laws only.   I will further illustrate my belief with an example.  One man is a servant of one master and he works according to his orders. Another is a servant of many masters and they order him to do errands for them. The poor servant is always confused.  He does not know which one to obey.  Don’t you think that one master is better than many masters? The many gods you obey are nothing but names without power which you and your forefathers have coined for yourselves. Sovereignty only belongs to Allah. There is no justification or reason for making partners with God.  Sovereignty is only for Allah.”

     “As for the interpretation of your dreams,” he continued, “I think the first one will be restored to his duty as wine-bearer.  The second one is going to be crucified and birds will eat from his head.”  Then he turned to the one he thought would rejoin the king and said, “When you see the king, mention me.”

      The wine-bearer was restored to his duty; the other was crucified. The cup-bearer was so happy to continue his routine that he completely forgot about Joseph. Joseph stayed in prison for several years.

     One night the king saw a strange dream: seven fat cows were gobbling seven thin cows, and he saw seven green ears of corn and seven withered ones. The king went to his court and nobles.  He told them about his dream and demanded an interpretation from the courtiers.  The courtiers said, “This is not a dream. This is a hodgepodge of nightmares. We cannot interpret nightmares.”  The wine-bearer was present in the court. Suddenly he remembered Joseph and said to the king, “Sire, permit me to go to the prison and I shall bring the interpretation of your dream.”

          The permission was granted. The cup-bearer of the king entered the prison and said to Joseph, “Truthful Joseph! Give me the interpretation of the king’s dream.”  If Joseph had been less magnanimous of heart, he might have said, “Now you have come to me when you need me. What about the request that I made? If the king is desirous of an interpretation, let him come and I will give it to him.  Why should I give you a chance to oblige the king?”

          Joseph was too generous to come to this level of selfishness, so he said, “I am going to interpret the dream of the king and the method by which he can cope with the coming calamity.  Tell the king that the coming seven years are going to be years of prosperity and copious crops; but after those, seven years of famine will follow them.  In the years of prosperity, the king should use only a small amount of grain, and let the rest of the grain stay in the ears so it will not rot. The saved grain should be used in the years of famine, and for the cultivation of new crops.  The following year is going to be a year of plenty in which people will have good crops, and they are going to squeeze the juices of grain and grapes.”

          The king was pleased to hear the interpretation and the advice on how to face the coming devastation.  He said, “I want to see the man who has interpreted my dream. Remove him from the prison and bring him in front of me.”

          When the king’s messenger with the order of release for Joseph came to the prison, Joseph said, “I do not want to come out of the prison as a matter of grace from the king. I want to prove my innocence. For that, the king should reopen my case and do an investigation.”

          The king acted as he was requested and the case against Joseph was retried by the king himself. This time it was not a helpless man verses high-society women; it was a powerful monarch of Egypt who had the power to uproot these women and their families from the land.  They were so afraid of the consequences of telling a lie that they admitted the greatness of Joseph’s character without much persuasion.  One by one, all the women witnesses of the case told the king about his integrity.

          Seeing this, Aziz’s wife also blurted out the secret: “As the realty is revealing itself, I must admit my crime.  It was I who wanted to seduce Joseph, but he declined.  The point blank rejection of my wishes by a slave threw me into a fit of fury.  I was completely in the grip of baser passions, and they made me do such a mean thing.”   

          Before leaving the prison, Joseph sent a message to his previous mentor, Aziz, informing him about the case and his exoneration.  He wanted to prove that he was not dishonest about his wife in his absence, and he had not breached his mentor’s trust.

          The king of Egypt met Joseph and talked with him.  The king liked his honesty and intelligence. He declared, “Today I single you out only for myself; you will be given a high place of honor with responsibility.  What type of work would you like to take in my administration?”  Joseph replied, “Sire, Egypt’s economy is an agricultural economy; put me in charge of the resources of land so that I may increase the produce and preserve it.”

          Joseph’s request was granted; in this way God established him in Egypt. He was given the power to do his work without being accountable to anyone except the king.  The shepherd-boy of Cannon, a slave sold for a few coins in a slave- market, and a prisoner who spent many years in prison, was given full control of the Egyptian economy.  He was allowed to act in any way he desired without being answerable to anyone.  This was the result of controlling his passions and acting in accordance with the law of God. God never wastes good actions, and His rewards are bountiful.

The Prophet Joseph 2

                                                          (12-20-40)

     The man who bought Joseph was a governor. He took Joseph to his wife and said, “Look after this boy properly. He seems to me from a good family; if he proves himself worthy of our attention we may adopt him as our son or he may be beneficial to us in some other way.” The governor treated Joseph with kindness. In spite of his young age, Joseph worked so diligently and honestly that he was able to win his master’s admiration for himself. Aziz (the governor) became his mentor and opened the doors of knowledge for him.  In this manner, God gave knowledge and wisdom to Joseph and established him in a powerful Egyptian house, where he got the best education and training.

     Egyptian civilization was one of the most powerful and important civilizations of Joseph’s time. It was a cradle of science, art and knowledge.  Aziz, who bought Joseph from the slave-market, was the governor at that time, and his house was the center of information. Joseph learned the technique of deciphering data and drawing correct conclusions from it in this house.  Moreover, he was very diligent: instead of wasting his time in useless activities, he occupied himself in acquiring knowledge.

      With the help and guidance of the governor, he quickly learned all the useful skills. His character was one thing which distinguished him from the youth of his age.  He led a very pious and clean life; he was always loyal and grateful to Aziz, who made it possible for him to acquire knowledge and learn the prevailing method of administration. In Cannon, Joseph was a shepherd-boy, and it was not possible for him to learn the cultural manners of a civilized nation.  In Egypt, he acquired the best knowledge which he could not gain in Cannon.

     Joseph’s physical development was as astonishing as his mental achievements. He turned out to be a charming youth, with bewitching beauty and graceful enchanting manners.  Aziz’s wife wanted to seduce him and tried everything in her power to attract him.  Joseph remained firm on the path of virtue.  Aziz’s wife was frustrated by the lack of a positive response. One day, she closed all the doors and made a sexual advance towards Joseph. Joseph did not relent; he refused her bluntly and told her, “You cannot pull me down from the high place which God has granted me.  I shall always remain conscious of his laws.”   Aziz’s wife was a perfect coquette; she was completely in the grip of her passions. Without taking any notice of what Joseph was saying, she tried to manhandle him.  In the scuffle, they both ran for the door, each trying to reach it before the other.  In her madness of passion, she tried to stop the running Joseph but was only able to tear his shirt from behind.

     When they reached the door Aziz was standing there.  She quickly changed her position after seeing him and said to her husband, “What do you think should be the punishment of the person who attacks your wife in your absence? Imprisonment or a more severe punishment than that?”

     Joseph said, “She is telling a lie; she was trying to seduce me.  I ran to escape her trap.”

     This unexpected event changed the usual course of things.  Aziz was devastated with the shock.  All the members of his and his wife’s clan came to see them.  Joseph and Aziz’s wife both stuck to their points of view. This state of affairs lasted for some time, till a member of the woman’s family, who was well known for his wisdom and common sense, was appointed as a judge to decide the case.  The wise judge declared, “Look at the shirt; if it is torn from the front, the woman is innocent and Joseph is the culprit.  If, on the other hand, the shirt is torn at the back, Joseph is right and the woman is a liar.” Everyone agreed that it was a fair and impartial decision.  The shirt was seen and it was torn at the back.

      Aziz, who had been reluctant to pronounce the judgment up to this time, said to his wife, “This was an act of guile.  Your cunning and tricks are very dangerous.  You should ask Joseph to forgive you.”

     Then he turned back to Joseph and said, “Overlook this matter; women are like this—foolish and weak.

     The news of this unsuccessful love affair between the governor’s wife and a slave spread like wildfire in the higher society.  Many women criticized Aziz’s wife.  “What type of a woman is she? She cannot allure a mere slave,” said one woman.

     Another remarked, “I think something is wrong with her methods. The right approach could have yielded better results.”     

     When this criticism of her poor methods and failed attempt to allure a mere slave reached Aziz’s wife, she became indignant.  She invited the ladies from the upper class who were talking about sly methods to a party.  The party was luxuriously arranged, with abundant fruits, candy, wine, and many other nice eatables. Each person was allotted a brocade-cushioned seat and table.  On the table a knife was placed beside other utensils.

     Joseph was called.  The invited women were astounded to see his grace and charm.  They tried all their sly methods to seduce him, but Joseph did not budge an inch.  Some women hurt their hands to make it appear that Joseph had attacked them.  In the end Aziz’s wife declared, “This is the slave-boy you were taunting me about; if he will remain obstinate and not comply with my wishes, he cannot work in the palaces as he has been doing.  He has only two options: one is to comply with my desires, and the other is to leave this life of comfortable luxury and go to prison.”

     Joseph prayed to God, “Oh God save me from the guiles of these women. I will prefer prison than what these women are asking from me.” God accepted Joseph’s prayer.

     A new case was registered against Joseph.  This time it was not one man against one woman.  The highly placed women in society were launching a complaint against a friendless, alone man.  The judges knew the worthlessness of the case, but in order to appease the tumult and commotion in the high circle of society, they decided against Joseph and sent him to prison.

The Prophet Joseph 1

The Prophet Joseph

After the great prophet Abraham settled in Cannon with his son Isaac, he had a grandson, Jacob. Jacob had twelve sons, but he was very fond of one—Joseph. Joseph’s brothers were jealous of him; they thought that their father was unfair in showing so much regard for him. Jacob saw in Joseph uncommonly sharp intelligence, as well as an ability to quickly discern the underlying reality and draw correct conclusions. These qualities made Joseph the apple of his father’s eye.

(12-4-20)

One day Joseph came running to his father in the morning. He said, “Father I have had a dream. I saw eleven stars, the moon, and the sun bowing to me.” His father replied, “Do not tell your brothers about your dream. They may start scheming against you. Jealousy and envy can blind people into doing evil deeds. I interpret your dream as a sign from God Almighty. I think God will choose you for a great purpose; he will teach you how to discern the data and draw correct conclusions from it, and through you will pour his blessings on my family, as he has done in the past for our father and grandfather, Isaac and Abraham.”

Jacob had his twelve sons by different wives. Joseph and his younger brother were from one wife. Jacob’s excessive indulgence for Joseph was unbearable to his other sons. They were so furious that they called a meeting to discuss the matter.

 In the meeting, all the brothers got together, and one of them said, “Our father loves Joseph more than all of us. Joseph is only an individual, whereas we are greater in number. Our father is making a grave mistake in neglecting all of us and bestowing his favor on a single one.”

“What measures can we take to rectify the situation?” asked one of the brothers.

“Kill Joseph or make arrangements to banish him in a very far off country. After his removal, Jacob’s attention will remain focused on us without any discrimination.”

One brother said, “Don’t kill Joseph. Throw him in a dark, deep well so that any caravan may pick him up and carry him away. In this way we will get rid of him for good.” All the brothers agreed with this plan.

In order to execute this plan, the brothers went to their father and said, “Why don’t you trust us about Joseph? You don’t allow him to go with us. Send him with us in the morning to the meadow, so that he can eat, play, and enjoy in the open atmosphere. We are his well-wishers, not his enemies.”

“It is not a matter of distrust,” replied Jacob. “I fear that you may become careless about his safety and some wolf may come and eat him.”

“What are you saying? How can a wolf devour Joseph in the presence of a group of men like us? Do you think we are completely worthless?” they all said in one voice. “Surely we will take good care of him.”

 Jacob used to keep Joseph with him for educational purposes. His other sons looked after the sheep. This was one of the causes of their jealousy. However, Joseph was not familiar with the wildlife of a shepherd.  Attacks on sheep by wolves were routine occurrences in the life of a shepherd. Jacob was justified in expressing his fears for Joseph, who was not accustomed to this type of living. But the brothers of Joseph convinced their father and took Joseph away. As they had planned before, they threw him in a deep, dark well. During that period God sent a message to Joseph for his consolation: “Don’t be afraid. One day you will remind your brothers about their actions and they will not have any clue about your identity.”

In the evening, the brothers came to their father weeping and wailing. “Oh, father we left our belongings with Joseph and went to run a race. In our absence, a wolf came and devoured Joseph. We know that you will not believe us, but we are telling the truth.” They had brought a shirt of Joseph with false blood on it to show to the father.

“What! Joseph is killed?” cried Jacob. “This is a story which your desires have concocted for you.” Jacob was sure that Joseph was alive, but he had no proof of it. So he said, “I am going to bear this catastrophe with patience, and I am going to ask God’s help to bear with your concocted story.”

A caravan was passing near the well in which Joseph had been thrown. A man was sent to draw water from the well. As he lowered his bucket into the well and peeped in, he saw a boy in it. The man shouted with glee, “Look, there is a boy in the well!” The folks in the caravan hid Joseph because they wanted to sell him in the market. Human trafficking was very common in those days. They sold Joseph in Egypt’s slave market for a few coins, without trying to get more money from this bargain. They were afraid that someone might recognize Joseph and put them in trouble.