In Part 1 of Hazrat Yusuf’s (AS) story, we learned about his early life, his special dream, evil Plot Against Prophet Yusuf (AS) by His Brothers and the sale of Hazrat Yusuf as a slave in Egypt. We saw him end up in Egypt, face false accusations from Zulaikha, and get imprisoned despite being innocent. In Part 2, we will see what happens to Prophet Yusuf (AS) in prison and how he eventually rises to power in Egypt. This part of the story teaches us about patience, faith, and how good eventually triumphs over evil. It covers the following phases of Hazrat Yusuf ‘s (AS) life:
- Dreams of prisoners and Interpretations of Hazrat Yusuf
- Prophet Yusuf (AS) , A dream interpreter and leader in Egypt
- Arrival of Prophet Yusuf’s (AS) Brothers in Egypt
- Meeting with Binyamin
- Yusuf’s (AS) Plot to Detain Binyamin
- Reunitetion of Yusuf (AS) with his brothers and father in Egypt
Dreams of prisoners and Interpretations of Prophet Yusuf
In prison, Yusuf (AS) met two men who had also been jailed: one who served the king wine and another who was the royal cook, accused of plotting against the king. Both men had dreams they wanted interpreted. Yusuf (AS) explained that interpreting dreams was a gift from Allah and used this opportunity to preach about monotheism and the Day of Resurrection.
Yusuf (AS) predicted that the wine-server would be released and reinstated, and the cook would be executed with birds pecking at his head. When the predictions came true, Yusuf (AS) asked the wine-server to mention his innocence to the king, but the wine-server forgot, leaving Yusuf (AS) in prison.
Prophet Yusuf (AS), A dream interpreter and leader in Egypt
The king had a troubling dream that none of his wise men could explain. The Holy Qur’an narrates that the king dreamt of seven lean cows consuming seven fat ones, and also of seven green ears of corn alongside seven dry ones. When the wine-server remembered Prophet Yusuf (AS) from prison and his ability to interpret dreams, he sought permission from the king to bring Yusuf (AS) forward.
Yusuf (AS), using the knowledge granted by Allah, interpreted the dream: Egypt would have seven years of plentiful crops followed by seven years of famine. He advised storing surplus grain during the good years to prepare for the famine. Impressed by the interpretation, the king summoned Yusuf (AS) to help manage the impending crisis and benefit from his wisdom.
When the king met Prophet Yusuf (AS), he recognized him as a wise and open-minded man. Yusuf (AS) was appointed as the Aziz of Egypt and immediately began his new responsibilities.
Meanwhile, a famine affected Palestine and Canaan, where Prophet Ya’qub (AS) and his sons lived. To obtain food, Ya’qub (AS) instructed his sons to go to Egypt, where the Aziz was known for his kindness and fairness. Ya’qub (AS) asked them to leave Binyamin with him for company.
Arrival of Prophet Yusuf’s (AS) Brothers in Egypt
When his brothers arrived in Egypt, Prophet Yusuf (AS) was happy to see them, though they didn’t recognize him and thought he was dead. Yusuf (AS) was saddened not to see his younger brother, Binyamin, and asked his brothers to tell him about themselves.
They introduced themselves and shared about their family, including their father Prophet Ya’qub (AS) and mother. Yusuf (AS) was relieved to hear his father was alive and warmly welcomed his brothers. He gave them wheat for their needs and secretly returned their money to their bags. Yusuf (AS) requested they bring their younger brother next time as proof of their truthfulness.
Meeting with Binyamin
On their return, the brothers told their father about their encounter with Prophet Yusuf (AS), praising his kindness and returning of their money. When they ran out of grain, they wanted to return to Egypt, but needed to bring Binyamin. Their father, Prophet Ya’qub (AS), initially refused due to fear they would harm Binyamin as they did Yusuf (AS).
After many promises, Ya’qub (AS) allowed Binyamin to go with them. In Egypt, they presented Binyamin to Prophet Yusuf (AS), who was overjoyed to see his younger brother. Yusuf (AS) invited them to dine and hosted them in his home, assigning Binyamin to stay in his room. That night, Yusuf (AS) revealed his true identity to Binyamin, explaining how Allah had raised him from slavery to power. He asked Binyamin to keep their conversation secret from their brothers.
Prophet Yusuf’s (AS) Plot to Detain Binyamin
After getting their wheat, Prophet Yusuf’s (AS) brothers prepared to leave for home. Following Allah’s command, Yusuf (AS) had a plan to detain his brother Binyamin. He ordered a royal gold cup to be placed in Binyamin’s bag. The Quran describes it as:
“After he had furnished them with provisions, he put the drinking cup into his brother’s saddlebag. Then a crier called out, ‘O caravan! You are indeed thieves!'”(Surah Yusf ayat 70)
Not long after they left, they were stopped and accused of theft. They denied it, offering to leave the guilty one as a slave to Yusuf (AS). When the cup was found in Binyamin’s bag, they were brought back to Yusuf (AS). They pleaded to keep Binyamin, explaining their father’s frailty. Yusuf (AS) insisted on keeping Binyamin, so they left for Canaan without him. Judah, the eldest, stayed in Egypt rather than face their father without Binyamin.
Reunitetion of Yusuf (AS) with his brothers and father in Egypt
When Yusuf’s (AS) brothers returned to Canaan and told their father Ya’qub (AS) what happened, he was devastated. Already blind from crying over Yusuf (AS), he now faced the loss of Binyamin. Ya’qub (AS) sent his sons back to Egypt to bring both Yusuf (AS) and Binyamin home. In Egypt, the brothers pleaded with the Aziz (Yusuf, AS) for Binyamin’s release and grain. Yusuf (AS) revealed himself to them, reminding them of how they had treated Yusuf (AS) years ago. They were shocked and asked if he was Yusuf. He confirmed and forgave them, urging them not to fear.
They returned to Canaan with Yusuf’s (AS) shirt to heal Ya’qub’s (AS) eyesight, which it did. Ya’qub (AS) decided to move to Egypt, where he reunited joyously with Yusuf (AS) and his family. They prostrated in gratitude to Allah. Yusuf’s (AS) dream of the sun, moon, and stars bowing before him came true. He rose from slavery to a high position in Egypt. Ya’qub (AS) lived in Egypt for 17 years and died at 147. Yusuf (AS) passed away at 110. His family, the Bani Isra’il, settled in Egypt.
