In the name of our Creator, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
“There was certainly in their stories a lesson for those of understanding – Surah 12, v111”
I compiled a list from various sources of a few of my favourite lessons from this story…some borrowed from other sources, some old, some new…
1. Jealously, Avoid responding to the feeling and also know how it can be avoided e.g. You don’t need to share everything good that happens to you with everyone. Jealousy divides communities and breaks up families;
2. You can’t always protect the ones you love, you can tie your camel and then trust, the rest is not within your control;
3. Trust/Keep faith, persist with patience. Incident after incident in his life he remained calm, patient, grateful and at peace;
4. Choose the outcome that results in inner peace irrespective the outer struggles, in the end the truth and the right outcomes always prevails. He chose prison over being seduced into that which could have resulted in an outcome more compromising. Nobody can control your inner peace, only you;
5. True power is to have every opportunity yet still choose to say no when it matters, avoiding compromising consequence;
6. Remain steadfast, work on your inner strengths, the inner powers you control…
“I did seek to seduce him but he refused”;
7. The world is filled with opportunities, seize them; we are presented with many opportunities, we will never know the difference we could make. He put his hand up to work for the king and was able to help a nation with calamities and drought…;
8. The lesson that stands out is Forgiveness, no matter how bad it is. Forgiveness is not about the person. You forgive to free yourself. He forgave his brothers without saying a single word…;
9. No matter how you hide something, the truth will always prevail, both the wife and his brothers lies were eventually exposed…;
10. Opportunity to grow with every life lesson, his life was filled with so many struggles, life is filled with ups and downs, in it our lessons, in it our growth, in reflection he realises the wisdom;
11. The best gift that God can provide you is the knowledge which guides you closer to him, being the knowledge which opens your heart, when he reflects back on his challenging life, he realises he has grown closer to Allah swt, he has grown in wisdom, understanding and mercy…
FJ❤
