Messenger
Yusuf peace be upon him
Al-Siddiq the truthful one
The son of Ya'qub, given great beauty and the knowledge of interpreting dreams. Betrayed by his brothers, sold into slavery and imprisoned, he rose to manage the treasuries of Egypt and forgave his brothers.
Rasul (messenger): a prophet sent with a message to a people. Marked here when the Quran explicitly calls him a messenger; scholars also count others, such as Dawud, who was given the Zabur. Nabi (prophet): one who receives revelation from Allah. Every messenger is a prophet, but not every prophet is a messenger.
- Sent to
- The people of Egypt
- Region
- Canaan, then Egypt
- Named in the Quran
- 27 times by name
Key events
- Dreamed of eleven stars, the sun and the moon prostrating to him (12:4).
- Thrown into a well by his jealous brothers and sold into slavery in Egypt (12:15-20).
- Refused the advances of the wife of al-'Aziz and chose prison over sin (12:23-33).
- Interpreted the king's dream of seven fat and seven lean cows, saving Egypt from famine (12:43-49).
- Asked to be put in charge of the storehouses of the land, and Allah established him there (12:55-56).
- Reunited with his family and forgave his brothers: "No blame upon you today" (12:92).
Lesson
Patience and chastity lead to honour; forgiveness is true greatness.