The noble one, son of a noble one, son of a noble one, as was related by Ibn Umar in Saheeh Bukhaaree, was Yusuf (Alayhis Salaam). About whom Allaah sent down a long Soorah relating his noble life to us, and its stages, from his childhood to his death, and how his circumctances changed, and the difficulties that he faced, and how he faced everything with the strength of Prophethood and his patient perserverance, wisdom and mildness.
Yusuf (Alayhis Salaam) saw the corrupt outlook of the Pharaohs in Egypt and their oppression, and he knew the beliefs of the nation amongst whom he lived. He knew the corruption of their beliefs and their idolatry, which led them to take Idols and cattle as gods to worship besides Allaah. The story of this noble Prophet (Alayhis Salaam) is long, and from it, we will examine the story of his imprisonment and his da'wah at that time. Allaah says:
And two young men entered the prison along with him. One of them said: 'I saw in a dream that I was pressing grapes,' and the other one said: 'I saw in a dream that I was carrying bread upon my head and birds were eating from it.' 'Inform us of the interpretation for indeed we see that you are one of the doers of good.'He said:
'No food will come to you except that I will inform you about it fully before it comes to you. This is from the knowledge, which my lord has taught me, as I have remained free of the religion of a people who do not believe in the oneness of Allah and who are disbelievers in the hereafter. Rather I follow the religion of my fathers, Ibraheem, Ishaaq and Ya'qoob (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob). It is not fitting that we should worship anything else along with Allaah. This is from Allaahs favour upon us and upon the people, yet most of the people do not give thanks for Allaah's favours. O my two companions in the prison, is it better that you worship mant different Lords, or that you worship only Allaah, the One, who subdues and has full power over everything? You do not worship besides Allaah except idols which you call gods, which you and your forefathers give names to, for which Allaah has sent down no authority. Authority is for Allaah alone. He ordered that you worship none but him, that is the straight and true religion, yet most of the people do not know. -(Soorah Yusuf 12: 36-40)
This noble prophet (Alayhis Salaam) lived in their palaces and was therefore well aware of the corruption of their administration and their rulers. He experienced at first hand their plots, their oppression, their unjust persecution and imprisonment by them. Furthermore, he lived amongst an idolatrous nation who worshipped idols, cattle and stars. So where was correction to begin? What was the starting point?
Did he begin calling to Allaah, whilst he was wrongfully imprisoned along with others who were oppresed like him, by inciting them and rousing them against the despotic and tyrant rulers? This would be without a doubt a political response, and was an oppurtunity open to him. Or did he begin his call from the starting point adopted by his noble forefathers, and at the head of them Ibraheem (Alayhis Salaam), the chosen and beloved friend of Allaah, and the Imaam of the call to Tawheed ; which was the starting point for all the Messengers of Allaah? There is no doubt that the single way of correction and rectification in every time and place is the way of calling to correct 'aqeedah and tawheed and that all worship should be made purely and sincerely for Allaah alone.
Therefore Yusuf (Alayhis Salaam) began from this starting point, following his noble fathers, proud of their 'aqeedah, and deriding and exposing the foolishness of the idolaters and their practice of taking idols, cattle and stars as lords to be worshipped besides Allaah.
So after clearly explaining this, and openly calling to tawheed and to rejection of shirk, he emphasized his call and his argument by saying:
Authority and command is for Allaah alone. (surah Yusef 12:40)
Then he explained this authority and command to mean the tawheed of Allah, and he alone is to be worshipped:
...that is the straight and true religion, yet most of the people do not know (and are people of ).
-(surah Yusef 12:40)
Also, Yusuf (Alayhis Salaam) attained the highest position in this state whilst calling to the tawheed of Allaah and establishing the clear proofs for his call and his prophethood. Allaah, the most high, says, in explaination of this:
The king of Egypt said: 'Bring him to me, I will make him my personal servant.' So when he spoke to Yusuf, he said: 'Verily, this day you have with us a position of rank and full trust.' He said: 'Place me in charge of the storehouses and wealth of the land, indeed I will guard then faithfully and with full knowledge.' -(soorah Yusuf 12:54-55)
And he said, giving thanks to his Lord and protector:
'O my Lord, you have bestowed upon me something of dominion and have taught me the interpretation of dreams. O Originator and Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, you are my Lord and Protector in this world and the hereafter. Cause me to die as a Muslim and join me with the righteous.' -(soorah Yusuf 12:101)
Furthermore Allah says in explanation of his da'wah, upon the tongue of the believer from the family of Pharaoh:And Yusuf came to you previously (before Moosa) with clear signs yet you have not ceased doubting about what he came to you with. Until when he died you said: 'Allaah will not send any messenger after him.' This is the state of those whom Allah leads astray, those who are disbelievers in him and doubt the truthfulness of the messengers.'
-(surah Ghaafir 40:34)
So from the knowledge to be learned from the life story of Yusuf (Alayhis Salaam) which is presented to us in these noble ayaat is that the call to tawheed is something very essential. Furthermore, there is to be no leniency or relaxation in fighting against shirk, it is not permissible to keep silent about it, whatever the circumstances of the caller to Allah; rather it is not permissible for any Muslim to ever accept it or be relaxed about it. So this shows the high station of 'aqeedah, and its importance with Allah, and with the Prophets and his Messenger. It also shows the very great difference and the distance between it and the details of Islaam.It is not permissible for the Muslim, particularly the caller, to take up any position which violates his 'aqeedah or is contrary to it, or that he is a fortune-teller, those that are mushriks, or that he is a custodian of their idols. If he does any of this then he is one of the misguided mushriks. With regard to the legislative aspect, if the Islaamic state is established, it must apply the Sharee'ah of Allaah, otherwise:And whoever does not judge by what Allah has revealed then they are the ones guilty of infidelity (kufr). -(surah al-Maa'idah 5:44)
The unbelief (kufr) here is explained in detail by the scholars of Islaam, from the Companions, and others, that it may be major kufr, when the person disdains the Sharee'ah of Allaah and declares it lawful to judge by something else. And it may be lesser kufr (i.e. that which does not take a person out of Islam) when he does not declare it lawful to judge by other than it, but gives in to his desires and because of that judges by other than what Allaah sent down.However, when the Islaamic state has not been established, then Allaah does not burden a soul with more than it is capable of. So the Muslim may take up a position in a non-muslim state with the condition that he established justice, and that he does not judge by other than what Allah sent down. This was what the Prophet of Allaah, Yusuf, did. He took up a position as a deputy for an unbelieving king, and he did not judge according to his laws:
He could not have taken and kept his brother according to the king's law. -(soorah Yusuf 12:76)
Furthermore, he established justice between the subjects and called them to the tawheed of Allaah. So this contains a decisive reply to those who give little importance to the 'aqeedah of tawheed. Those who gloss over and accomodate when it comes to the shirk which has filled the world, and they regard the callers to tawheed and the enemies of shirk with comtempt and scorn. They turn up their noses and are too proud to 'lower' themselves to the level of the callers to tawheed, and they are very wily and astute concerning political affairs, but nothing is more burdensome and disagreeable to their hearing and their hearts than listening to or saying a word regarding tawheed or shirk. These types of callers have caused themselves to fall into a deep abyss, while they think that they have reached the highest peaks. Can a people ever prosper whose stance with regard to the call of the Prophets is like this, unless they sincerely repent to Allaah from what they are upon?
written by: Shaykh al-Madkhalee
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