Islamic stories for kids are filled with valuable lessons and teachings from the Quran and Hadith. These stories often feature prophets like Prophet Yusuf (AS), Prophet Musa (AS), and Prophet Muhammad (SAW), teaching children about faith, courage, kindness, and patience. Read full story of Yusuf (AS) in English. The story covers the following phases of Hazrat Yusuf’ s life.
- The Early Life and Dream of Prophet Yusuf (AS)
- Plot Against Prophet Yusuf (AS) by His Brothers
- Prophet Hazrat Yusuf (AS) in Egypt
- The story of Yusuf (AS) and Zulaikha in the Quran
- Unjust prison of Hazrat Yusuf (AS) in Egypt
The early life and dream of Prophet Yusuf (AS)
Prophet Hazrat yusuf (AS) was the son of Hazrat Ya’qub(AS). The Holy Qur’an recounts his story in a beautiful chapter called “Surah Yusuf”. Prophet Yusuf (AS), one of the youngest among his eleven brothers, was known for his excellent character and manners. His father loved him dearly. Prophet Yusuf (AS) once had a dream in which he saw eleven stars, as well as the sun and the moon, bowing down to him. He shared the dream with his father, Prophet Ya’qub (AS), who recognized it as a sign of his son’s future greatness and destiny. Prophet Ya’qub (AS) then advised him not to disclose the dream to his brothers.
قَالَ یٰبُنَیَّ لَا تَقْصُصْ رُءْیَاكَ عَلٰۤى اِخْوَتِكَ فَیَكِیْدُوْا لَكَ كَیْدًاؕ-اِنَّ الشَّیْطٰنَ لِلْاِنْسَانِ عَدُوٌّ مُّبِیْنٌ(5)
Plot against Prophet Yusuf (AS) by His brothers
Jealous of the favor he enjoyed from their father, his brothers planned to get rid of him. His brothers said to their father, “Send him with us tomorrow so that he may enjoy some fruits and play. Surely, we will take good care of him.” Their father, Prophet Ya’qub (AS), responded, “It would truly sadden me if you take him away, and I fear that a wolf might devour him while you are unaware.” Reluctantly, their father agreed to let them take him along. After traveling far from home, they found a well. They took off Prophet Yusuf’s (AS) shirt and threw him into the well.
On their return journey, they slaughtered a sheep and stained Prophet Yusuf’s (AS) shirt with its blood. They returned home crying and told their father that while they were tending to their sheep, a wolf had attacked and eaten their brother.
قَالُوْا یٰۤاَبَانَاۤ اِنَّا ذَهَبْنَا نَسْتَبِقُ وَ تَرَكْنَا یُوْسُفَ عِنْدَ مَتَاعِنَا فَاَكَلَهُ الذِّئْبُۚ-وَ مَاۤ اَنْتَ بِمُؤْمِنٍ لَّنَا وَ لَوْ كُنَّا صٰدِقِیْنَ(17)
He did not believe their tale and could only endure patiently, trusting in Allah to reunite him with his beloved son. Meanwhile, a caravan of traders passing by the well paused to draw water. They were amazed to see Prophet Yusuf (AS) come up holding the bucket. They concealed him among their goods and sold him to slave traders for a few coins.
Prophet Hazrat Yusuf (AS) in Egypt
Thus, Prophet Yusuf (AS) arrived in Egypt. The Aziz (Governor of Egypt and Chief Officer of the King), whose name was Potiphar, offered an unmatched price to purchase Yusuf. He brought Prophet Yusuf (AS) home and told his wife Zuleikha that they would adopt him as their son.
The story of Yusuf and Zulaikha in the Quran
Zuleikha was captivated by Prophet Yusuf’s (AS) beauty and tried to have a wrongful relationship with him. However, as a Prophet of Allah, Yusuf (AS) refused and distanced himself from her advances. As he rushed towards the door, she tore his shirt from behind. At the door, they encountered the Aziz. Upon seeing her husband, Zuleikha attempted to accuse Yusuf (AS), alleging that he had made advances towards her. Before the Aziz could express his anger towards Prophet Yusuf (AS), a baby spoke from the cradle. The Holy Qur’an narrates:
قَالَ هِیَ رَاوَدَتْنِیْ عَنْ نَّفْسِیْ وَ شَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّنْ اَهْلِهَاۚ-اِنْ كَانَ قَمِیْصُهٗ قُدَّ مِنْ قُبُلٍ فَصَدَقَتْ وَ هُوَ مِنَ الْكٰذِبِیْنَ(26)
وَ اِنْ كَانَ قَمِیْصُهٗ قُدَّ مِنْ دُبُرٍ فَكَذَبَتْ وَ هُوَ مِنَ الصّٰدِقِیْنَ(27)
“And a witness from her own household testified, ‘If his shirt is torn from the front, then she is telling the truth, and he is of the liars. But if his shirt is torn from behind, then she has lied, and he is of the truthful.'”
Zuleikha falsely accused Prophet Yusuf (AS) of wrongdoing, but the evidence showed she lied. This made the Aziz angry with her. The women in the city heard about Zuleikha’s behavior and started gossiping about her. To justify her attraction to Yusuf (AS), she invited forty women to the palace for a meal. When Yusuf (AS) entered the room, the women were so captivated by his beauty that they accidentally cut their fingers while slicing fruit and exclaimed that he seemed angelic. Zuleikha, furious at being mocked, wrongly accused Yusuf (AS) of assault and had him imprisoned out of spite.
Unjust prison of Hazrat Yusuf in Egypt
Because of pressure from his wife Zuleikha, the Aziz of Egypt unjustly imprisoned Prophet Yusuf (AS), even though he was innocent. The Aziz hoped people would forget about his wife’s actions while Yusuf (AS) was in prison, restoring her honor.
Read The Story of Prophet Yusuf (A.S) (Part-2) , included the following topics:
- 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
- Yusuf’s (AS) Plot to Detain Binyamin
- Reunitetion of Yusuf (AS) with his brothers and father in Egypt
