The Prison Is More Beloved to Me

There is also what is learned from Yaʿqūb (peace be upon him) in particular, and what verse 33 shows. Verse 33 is the same principled matter touched upon just above — that he would rather be in prison. It must be remembered that she had told him that if he did not do what she told him, he would go to prison. So he said:

My Lord, the prison is more beloved to me than that to which they invite me. And if You do not protect me — if You do not turn their plotting and planning away from me — I might incline in that direction, and might be among those who are unaware. So when a man is in such a situation, let him not begin to take pleasure in it; let him pray to Allah (swt) to protect him. And Allah answered him and turned it away — turned their plotting away from him. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

One of the lessons drawn from it, then, is that a muʾmin, whenever he has a difficulty, or a trial, or a fitnah of that sort, should always turn to Allah (swt). It is a matter of remembering Allah (swt) at that moment, when we are casting about for someone else who might help us — who can help me, whom should I call? Remember Allah first; make a duʿāʾ. Then call whomever you wish; there is nothing wrong in that. This teaches that also.

And from the fact that he was in prison — that he was willing to go to prison rather than commit the unlawful act — this is what we learn. Many another would think: this is free; this is free pleasure for me. But it is dangerous. Rather than that, he chose to go to prison. And hence there is a Persian poem, of which the translation is: it is all gratitude to Allah that I may be in hardship — that I may be in a muṣībah, and not in a maʿṣiyah. All praise to Allah that I may be in muṣībah and not in maʿṣiyah. Muṣībah means hardship; maʿṣiyah means disobedience. Al-ḥamdu li-llāh, I am not disobeying; I would rather be in a muṣībah than in disobedience. SubḥānAllāh, considered rightly, that is entirely true: hard though it may be now, it will be far better afterwards.

And then it is understood that although he is in prison, he does not sit there and sulk. He does his work: he teaches people, he deals with people, and he gives the daʿwah of tawḥīd. And they became Muslim — at least one of them became Muslim, it appears. So we learn that.

Another thing is that anyone of repute, of position, of principle, must be especially careful to keep away from places of suspicion, as Yūsuf (peace be upon him) did — choosing to go to prison rather than remain outside and take the risk. He preferred the prison.

And the tenth tells us, subḥānAllāh, that once a man exercises ṣabr, patience, sufficiently, the faḍīlah of it may be understood from here. First, see the patience Yūsuf (peace be upon him) extends: through the well, through the business of his brothers, and all the rest; and then what Allah gives him. And then, of course, Yaʿqūb (peace be upon him) and his patience throughout: he gets Yūsuf (peace be upon him) back, where in those days there could have been no possibility of it, there being no system of tracking or of communication. And, subḥānAllāh, his brothers are brought to him rather than he being brought back. SubḥānAllāh.