Yusuf (AS) was a young boy and the son of Prophet Ya'qub (AS). One morning he said, "Father, I saw eleven stars, the sun and the moon bowing down to me in a dream." Ya'qub knew this meant Allah had chosen Yusuf for something special. He said, "My son, don't tell your brothers about this dream, or they may plan something against you."
Yusuf's ten older brothers were jealous because their father loved Yusuf and his younger brother very much. They made a plan. They said to their father, "Send Yusuf with us tomorrow to play. We will look after him." Ya'qub was worried, but in the end he let him go.
When they were far from home, the brothers threw Yusuf into a deep well and left him there. Allah comforted Yusuf and told him that one day he would remind his brothers of what they had done.
That night the brothers came home crying. "A wolf ate Yusuf while we were racing," they lied, and showed their father Yusuf's shirt with fake blood on it. Ya'qub knew they were not telling the truth. He said, fa sabrun jamil, "Beautiful patience is best, and Allah is the One whose help I seek."
Meanwhile, travellers stopped at the well to get water. When they lowered a bucket, they found a boy! They took Yusuf with them to Egypt and sold him for a few coins.
Where this story comes from
Qur'an 12:4–20 · Yoosuf
إِذۡ قَالَ يُوسُفُ لِأَبِيهِ يَٰٓأَبَتِ إِنِّي رَأَيۡتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوۡكَبࣰا وَٱلشَّمۡسَ وَٱلۡقَمَرَ رَأَيۡتُهُمۡ لِي سَٰجِدِينَ 4 قَالَ يَٰبُنَيَّ لَا تَقۡصُصۡ رُءۡيَاكَ عَلَىٰٓ إِخۡوَتِكَ فَيَكِيدُواْ لَكَ كَيۡدًاۖ إِنَّ ٱلشَّيۡطَٰنَ لِلۡإِنسَٰنِ عَدُوࣱّ مُّبِينࣱ 5 وَكَذَٰلِكَ يَجۡتَبِيكَ رَبُّكَ وَيُعَلِّمُكَ مِن تَأۡوِيلِ ٱلۡأَحَادِيثِ وَيُتِمُّ نِعۡمَتَهُۥ عَلَيۡكَ وَعَلَىٰٓ ءَالِ يَعۡقُوبَ كَمَآ أَتَمَّهَا عَلَىٰٓ أَبَوَيۡكَ مِن قَبۡلُ إِبۡرَٰهِيمَ وَإِسۡحَٰقَۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمࣱ 6 ۞ لَّقَدۡ كَانَ فِي يُوسُفَ وَإِخۡوَتِهِۦٓ ءَايَٰتࣱ لِّلسَّآئِلِينَ 7 إِذۡ قَالُواْ لَيُوسُفُ وَأَخُوهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَىٰٓ أَبِينَا مِنَّا وَنَحۡنُ عُصۡبَةٌ إِنَّ أَبَانَا لَفِي ضَلَٰلࣲ مُّبِينٍ 8 ٱقۡتُلُواْ يُوسُفَ أَوِ ٱطۡرَحُوهُ أَرۡضࣰا يَخۡلُ لَكُمۡ وَجۡهُ أَبِيكُمۡ وَتَكُونُواْ مِنۢ بَعۡدِهِۦ قَوۡمࣰا صَٰلِحِينَ 9 قَالَ قَآئِلࣱ مِّنۡهُمۡ لَا تَقۡتُلُواْ يُوسُفَ وَأَلۡقُوهُ فِي غَيَٰبَتِ ٱلۡجُبِّ يَلۡتَقِطۡهُ بَعۡضُ ٱلسَّيَّارَةِ إِن كُنتُمۡ فَٰعِلِينَ 10 قَالُواْ يَٰٓأَبَانَا مَا لَكَ لَا تَأۡمَ۬نَّا عَلَىٰ يُوسُفَ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَنَٰصِحُونَ 11 أَرۡسِلۡهُ مَعَنَا غَدࣰا يَرۡتَعۡ وَيَلۡعَبۡ وَإِنَّا لَهُۥ لَحَٰفِظُونَ 12 قَالَ إِنِّي لَيَحۡزُنُنِيٓ أَن تَذۡهَبُواْ بِهِۦ وَأَخَافُ أَن يَأۡكُلَهُ ٱلذِّئۡبُ وَأَنتُمۡ عَنۡهُ غَٰفِلُونَ 13 قَالُواْ لَئِنۡ أَكَلَهُ ٱلذِّئۡبُ وَنَحۡنُ عُصۡبَةٌ إِنَّآ إِذࣰا لَّخَٰسِرُونَ 14 فَلَمَّا ذَهَبُواْ بِهِۦ وَأَجۡمَعُوٓاْ أَن يَجۡعَلُوهُ فِي غَيَٰبَتِ ٱلۡجُبِّۚ وَأَوۡحَيۡنَآ إِلَيۡهِ لَتُنَبِّئَنَّهُم بِأَمۡرِهِمۡ هَٰذَا وَهُمۡ لَا يَشۡعُرُونَ 15 وَجَآءُوٓ أَبَاهُمۡ عِشَآءࣰ يَبۡكُونَ 16 قَالُواْ يَٰٓأَبَانَآ إِنَّا ذَهَبۡنَا نَسۡتَبِقُ وَتَرَكۡنَا يُوسُفَ عِندَ مَتَٰعِنَا فَأَكَلَهُ ٱلذِّئۡبُۖ وَمَآ أَنتَ بِمُؤۡمِنࣲ لَّنَا وَلَوۡ كُنَّا صَٰدِقِينَ 17 وَجَآءُو عَلَىٰ قَمِيصِهِۦ بِدَمࣲ كَذِبࣲۚ قَالَ بَلۡ سَوَّلَتۡ لَكُمۡ أَنفُسُكُمۡ أَمۡرࣰاۖ فَصَبۡرࣱ جَمِيلࣱۖ وَٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمُسۡتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ 18 وَجَآءَتۡ سَيَّارَةࣱ فَأَرۡسَلُواْ وَارِدَهُمۡ فَأَدۡلَىٰ دَلۡوَهُۥۖ قَالَ يَٰبُشۡرَىٰ هَٰذَا غُلَٰمࣱۚ وَأَسَرُّوهُ بِضَٰعَةࣰۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمُۢ بِمَا يَعۡمَلُونَ 19 وَشَرَوۡهُ بِثَمَنِۭ بَخۡسࣲ دَرَٰهِمَ مَعۡدُودَةࣲ وَكَانُواْ فِيهِ مِنَ ٱلزَّٰهِدِينَ 20
Read and listen in the surah →
💬 What did you learn?
Talk about these together. There is no right or wrong answer.
- How did jealousy make the brothers do something terrible? What can you do when you feel jealous?
- Ya'qub was very sad but chose "beautiful patience". What does patience look like when you are sad?