Not Until My Innocence Is Known

This was conveyed to the king, and the king was impressed. He wanted to make use of this expertise.

And the king said: bring him to me. The messenger went to convey this news to Yūsuf. He told him: the king is offering to let you leave prison. You are free — free to leave. And not only are you free to leave: the king wants to have you as one of his advisers. Look at this honour. Not only was he going to leave prison after years; he was going to be an adviser to the king.

But the response of Yūsuf (peace be upon him) was amazing — it amazed even the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Yūsuf said: no, I am not going to leave. You are being offered your release; the doors are open; leave — and you can be an adviser to the king. And he said: I will not leave. Yūsuf said to the messenger: return to your lord and ask him what happened to the women who cut their hands. Surely my Lord is well aware of their plot.

Yūsuf (peace be upon him) did not want to leave prison until his innocence was established. He had been put in prison while innocent, and he did not want to leave prison as a favour granted to him by the king. No — he wanted to leave prison with everyone knowing that he was innocent.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: may Allah have mercy on Yūsuf — if it had been me, I would have rushed to the door and answered the call. To stay in prison for years, then be offered your release, and say: no, I am not going to leave until my innocence is established! But the story of Yūsuf is an example from beginning to end — an example of patience, ṣabr. That is the essence of the story of Yūsuf. Go and ask the king: what is the story of the women who cut their hands? He wanted his case opened again.