Yusuf 68: When they entered from the place that their father had ordered them to enter, this (precaution) could not have prevented anything that would come from Allah. But Jacob revealed a wish from him. Verily, he was knowledgeable because We had taught him. But most people don’t know.
Contents
Explanation
Translation
When they entered from the place that their father had ordered them to enter, this (precaution) could not have prevented anything that would come from Allah. But Jacob revealed a wish from him. Verily, he was knowledgeable because We had taught him. But most people don’t know.
Tafsir
The sons of Hadrat Ya'qub 'alaihis-salâm' obeyed the command of Ya'qub 'alaihis-salâm'. They did not deviate from the words of their father and entered the city through separate gates. This order of Hadrat Ya'qub 'alaihis-salâm' was a precautionary measure over his sons.
Even if the sons of Ya'qub had followed their father's precaution, nothing from Allah would have been able to ward off anything from his sons. However, Ya'qub 'alaihis-salâm revealed a wish within him. Since Allah knows the unseen and Allah (swt) has made a covenant with each and every human being, while no human being can know the covenant, i.e. the destiny of any human being, not even their own destiny, it is only a wish of human beings that they should be cautious towards each other or take precautions by advising each other. If these wishes are part of people's destiny, they live their destiny within these desires and wishes. They will also benefit from the measures they have taken.
If people's precautionary measures are to experience the calamities that will befall them in their destiny, then the precautionary measures are useless. People's precautions here are only their desires and wishes. People who wish for good towards people are still rewarded in terms of giving good wisdom to those who are to be protected, because Allah commands goodness. People who take precautions, even if calamities befall them, will still be rewarded in the sight of Allah for the precautions they have taken. They will also increase in rank because of their patience in afflictions and their consent to what comes from Allah (swt).
So Ya'qub 'alaihis-salâm' had knowledge because Allah taught Ya'qub 'alaihis-salâm' knowledge. In this respect, when Ya'qub 'alaihis-salâm' said in the previous verse (but I cannot ward off anything from you that will come from Allah), it means that after Allah (swt) made a covenant with the people, within their destiny that He gave them, no one can change anyone's destiny, no one can change anyone's destiny, and since no one knows the destiny of anyone, not even of themselves, no one can prevent what will happen to them within their destiny, no one can prevent the calamities that will come to them. The knowledge of this is reserved for Allah. This is what Hadrat Ya'qub 'alaihis-salâm' wanted to tell his sons.
Since Hazrat Ya'qub 'alaihis-salâm knew this point very well, he would take precautions, leave the discretion to Allah and consent to what came from Allah. This is a trait that comes only from the trust in Allah of people who have perfected their souls.
What is said in the video
Now, to verse 68 of Surah Yusuf we have come. When they entered through various gates, as their father had commanded them — what was Jacob saying to his sons? In the previous verse: My sons, do not enter through the same gate, enter through separate gates. But Allah's decree — turn it back from you, let's say, we say. We are in no position to turn it back either. Yes. Allah Almighty will probably make that known in this verse anyway. When they entered through various gates, as their father had commanded them, they carried out his command. They carried out their father's command. Entering Egypt, they went in through separate gates, from separate places.
Well, but this precaution could not avert from them anything that would come from Allah. Yes. Of course, whatever is in people's destinies, people will live it. Because Allah Almighty — people — did you think you would die without proving what kind of person you are? According to the verse, within their destinies, with their lives, their wealth, with calamities He tests them. If within their own destiny they had the covenant they gave Allah Almighty, that is, their wish, written as destiny, then our Lord too, to him (?) he will prove what kind of person he is. With what? With the calamities He gives, with mercy, with good, with bad, people will prove their stance towards Allah Almighty through their actual deeds, they will prove it. Yes. It could not avert from them anything that would come from Allah.
But Jacob had revealed a wish within him. What is the wish within him? You know, take good care of my child, that is, Benjamin. Do not abandon him like Joseph — that.
He knows that something will befall him too. He knows that something will befall Benjamin too. But this time he trusts his sons. He trusts him. Now, how do we understand that? Indeed he was a possessor of knowledge, says Allah Almighty. That is, about Jacob (peace be upon him): he was a possessor of knowledge. Where does this knowledge come from? Now He tells that too. Because We had taught him, says Allah Almighty. So, a knowledge our Lord made known — if Allah Almighty everything in the universe, without lack, fully and in its proper place knows, then from what He knows, that is, from what He created and programmed, to Jacob (peace be upon him) too He makes it known, of course.
Through inspiration. Yes. But most people do not know, it says. What? That Allah Almighty speaks with the human heart. People do not know that He speaks by way of communication. Revelation comes to their prophets. They believe in that. Their prophets. Jacob (peace be upon him) is also a prophet. We believe it; He speaks with him. But He also speaks with ordinary people. What does it say? Most of inspiration — people do not know inspiration, it says. Most people do not know inspiration. So what is inspiration? Allah Almighty's speaking, in return for verses, into people's hearts by the communication He gives, or His informing him of some events that will happen.
These are inspiration, the inspiration Allah gives to man.
The sons of Jacob (peace be upon him) carried out Jacob's command. Not stepping outside their father's words, they entered the city through separate gates.
This command of Jacob (peace be upon him) was a precaution for his sons.
Yes.
The sons of Jacob (peace be upon him) — even if the precaution their father spoke of, the precaution they carried out, it could not avert from his sons anything that would come from Allah. He knows this. And how does he know it? By a knowledge that Allah Almighty gave him. What does it say? We taught it to him, it says. Yes, and when Joseph (peace be upon him) was thrown into the well, although they had lost hope, saying Joseph (peace be upon him) had died, 20 years, maybe 25 years; that at (?) years of age he was thrown into the well is most likely. That at 17 he was slandered, stayed 7 years in prison, and after that there were 7 years of drought — that makes 32-33 years. Yes, if we subtract 9 years from this, 24 years perhaps, close to 25 years — Joseph (peace be upon him) — search for Joseph, he says, Joseph (?), he says.
Because he knows he will be a prophet, and he also knows he will be protected by our Lord. And since Allah Almighty taught him this knowledge, above people's mental makeup, beyond it, because he was subject to his Lord's inspiration or to His raising him, by a knowledge Allah gave him or by glad tidings he knows that he survived, but longing — there it is. Because he is far away, he longs for him.
Yes, the sons of Jacob (peace be upon him) — even if the precaution their father spoke of they carried out, it could not avert from the sons anything that would come from Allah. But Jacob (peace be upon him) had revealed a wish within him. Since Allah knows the unseen, and when Allah Almighty made a covenant with each person, while no person can know any person's covenant, that is, destiny — indeed while a person cannot know even his own destiny — people's being cautious towards one another or getting one another to take precautions by advising each other is only a wish of people.
If these wishes are also from his Lord, that is, if he knows and accordingly speaks thus to his sons, then that is bringing a wish within him out into the open. If these wishes are in people's destinies, within these desires and wishes they live their destinies. And they benefit from the precautions they took. But if, in the precautions people take, within their destinies, the calamities that will befall them they are to live, the precaution is of no use. Take as many precautions as you like. If a calamity is going to befall you, it will not help you. Then let's not take precautions, Hodja. You will take precautions, because you do not know the unseen.
La gaybi illallah. The keys of the unseen are with Allah. That's why you will take precautions and leave the decree to Allah. Yes.
People's precaution here is only people's desire and the wishes passing through them. Yes.
If these wishes are in people's destinies, within these desires (?) they live their destinies. And they benefit from the precautions they took. But if, in the precautions people take, the calamities that will befall them within their destinies they are to live, the precaution is of no use. People's precaution here is only people's desire and the wishes passing through them. People who wish good for others, for giving good counsel to those to be protected — since Allah has commanded goodness — still earn a reward. Because goodness is commanded, they still receive a reward. Because against the precaution, if a calamity is coming, the calamity it cannot prevent, he still gets a reward for having taken the precaution.
He also gets a reward for his advice to people. Allah Almighty has tied people's actual deeds, that is, their actions, to their intentions.
People who take precautions, even if calamities befall them, still for the precautions they took attain a reward in Allah's sight. Also, through their patience in calamities and showing contentment with what comes from Allah Almighty, they raise their ranks. When Allah Almighty gives people a calamity, the person says: O Allah, You do not lay a burden people cannot bear upon their backs. I am content with what comes from You. Do not load on me anything beyond my strength, O Allah, he says, and prays to Allah. When a calamity comes to a person — notice some people. Did I deserve this? O Allah, what have I done to bring this upon me — so they start complaining. These are people who chase the feelings of the nafs.
Whereas a person who has reformed his nafs, what will he say?
O Allah, You do not lay on our backs a burden we cannot bear. You do not intend injustice to Your servants. Surely this is a test of mine. I am content with what comes from You. And be You content with me, O Allah, he will say, and get through the calamity in the best way. Yes. In this case the person both raises his own rank and, with this patience and good character, becomes an example to other people; in the hereafter He will show it. Allah Almighty: look, I gave this one more. To whom? He gives more calamities to people who have reformed their nafs. Yes. Then, Hodja, let's not reform our nafs — the calamities increase.
The more they increase, and the more you have reformed your nafs, the more peace you get. You know it is from your Lord. Just as you talk with a friend across from you, face to face as you talk, so in the realm of the heart you speak with Him in peace. You speak with your Lord. That's why Allah Almighty gives those of high rank the most calamities, and at the same time, in the hereafter, to those to whom He gave a light calamity and who raged even at that light calamity, He will show them. Look, these too were My servants. These too were human beings like you. Look at these — what I did, what I gave, and look what they said to Me, how content they were with what came from Me, He will say, and Allah Almighty those people, those righteous servants, in His gardens beneath which rivers flow, from whose ground rivers flow, will settle. Yes.
So Jacob (peace be upon him) was a possessor of knowledge. Because Allah had taught the knowledge to Jacob (peace be upon him). Therefore even Jacob (peace be upon him) — perhaps in the verse too — saying: but anything that will come from Allah I cannot avert from you; because after Allah Almighty made a covenant with people, within the destinies given to them, just as no one anyone's destiny will change, so too no one knows anyone's or even his own destiny, so within these destinies, whatever will befall them, the calamities to come no one can prevent. The knowledge of this belongs to Allah alone.
That is what Jacob (peace be upon him) wanted to tell them. Since Jacob (peace be upon him) knew this point very well, he would take precautions, leave the decree to Allah and be content with what comes from Allah. This is a trait that comes only from the reliance on Allah of people whose nafs has become perfect. Yes.