RECORD OF YUSUF’S REQUEST AND HIS FATHER’S COMPLIANCE THEREWITH. HIS DEPARTURE WITH HIS BRETHREN, AND THEIR THROWING HIM INTO THE WELL, AND NARRATIVE OF SOME EVENTS WHICH HAPPENED AFTER THAT DREADFUL INCIDENT.
Whilst the conversation between Ya’qûb and the [future] fathers of the tribes was being protracted to extreme lengths, Yusuf entered his father’s assembly, and after uniting his prayers to those of his brothers, and promising to return speedily, Ya’qûb still desired to refuse him, but Yusuf began suddenly to weep and to be much distressed; thereon his father’s heart was so touched that he consented to let him go, on condition that his brothers would return in his company; so that Ya’qûb made his sons happy by complying with their desires. They left their father, and returned to their houses so full of joy that they were the whole night counting the stars with their eyes, until the sun rose, and the moon set in the deep well of the West. When the herald of morning invited them to separate, the sons of Ya’qûb hastened to wait upon him, and assured him that they would keep the promise exacted from them. The old man called Yusuf, contemplated his august person for awhile, and wept for an hour on account of the approaching separation from his fortune-boding physiognomy, and after having expended the sorrow of his mind upon his symmetrical stature, he dressed him in a robe of white wool, placed the turban of the prophet Esahâq on his head, with the cloak of Sheth on his back, gave him the sandals of Adam the pure, and the staff of Nûh the confident. Thus he surrendered him to his brothers, and escorted him for awhile.
It is said that near the gate of the town there was a high tree under which friends were in the habit of taking leave of each other. When Ya’qûb had reached this spot with his sons, he halted, took Yusuf into his arms, and bidding him farewell in a very touching manner, he said to Yahuda: ‘I entrust Yusuf to thy care, hoping that thou wilt guard him and not fail to watch over him.’ The cause of the subsequent separation of Ya’qûb from Yusuf during many years was, because he had recommended his son to another than the Sovereign Guardian, in accordance with the traditions, in which we read that God—w. n. b. e. —sent a revelation to Ya’qûb, of the following purport: ‘Knowest thou why I have separated thee from Yusuf?’ He said: ‘No, my Lord.’ God—w. n. b. e.—continued: ‘Because thou hast feared the wolf, and hast not feared Me; hast looked at the heedlessness of Yusuf’s brothers, and hast not considered the prayers due to Me, and hast selected another, instead of Me, to guard him.’
After Ya’qûb had recommended his darling son to Yahuda, he turned to Yusuf and said: ‘My son, listen to my injunctions, for we may be separated longer than thou expectest. Forget not thy father, and laugh not with anyone until thou hast again seen my face, because thy father will not smile before he has again beheld thy pleasant countenance.’ After these words Ya’qûb wept bitterly, shedding abundant tears. Then he once more embraced Yusuf, and recommended him to the protection of God. Fariâbi has related in the ‘Noâdir-ul-qasas’ that after Yusuf had walked several paces with his brethren, Ya’qûb uttered an exclamation of grief, and fainted. When his sons perceived this, they returned and assembled around him. After recovering he again took Yusuf into his arms and once more inhaled the perfume of love from the fresh rose-leaves of his beauty, fetched a deep sigh from his grief-stricken breast, and said: ‘This is the odour of separation’; and supporting his head on the shoulder of the apple of his eye, he wept so much that Yusuf’s robe was moistened.
Distich: Would that I had lived in Nûh’s time ‘
I might have bemoaned severance from the Friend.
After this scene, Ya’qûb left Yusuf in the company of his brothers, and deplored the separation from his beloved son in the following strains:
Verses: How could my heart stand up in the ranks of love
Since thy departure has broken the army of my heart?
The cypress of my heart trembles like a willow
From the fear of thy separation, O cypress-heart!
Thou art that auspicious, high-soaring Homâi.*— From love to thee the dove of the heart lowers its flight.
When the brothers departed with Yusuf, they vied with each other in showing him civilities, but as soon as they were out of the sight of their father, they folded up the carpet of friendliness and began to insult him. Sometimes they struck his cheeks, and at others they made him run before themselves with all his might. When Yusuf was drowned in perspiration from the excessive heat, and drops of sweat were trickling down his beauteous cheeks, he became overpowered with the feebleness engendered by thirst, turned the face of weakness and of helplessness towards his brethren, and asked them for some water, but as they had strewed the dust of hardheartedness into the eyes of kindness, they refused. Then he asked for a little food, because he had become very hungry, but they listened not, and when Yusuf’s lamentations and restlessness exceeded all bounds, one of his brothers said, ‘Well, dreamer of false dreams!’ Another thus addressed him: ‘Ask aid from the fixed and the moving stars, which were on that night [of thy dream] alert in thy service, that they may protect thee?’ It is related that Ya’qûb had put into a drinking vessel a little water, mixed with a quantity of milk, and had entrusted it to Shima’ûn, who was to give it to Yusuf when he felt thirsty. The latter asked the former for some water, but Shima’ûn spilled it all on the ground, and severing the relations of consanguinity replied: ‘Why complainest thou so much of thirst? This moment I shall with the scissors of vengeance cut through the strings of thy life!’ When Yusuf heard this news of death, he began to tremble like a slender cord suspended in a well and commenced to pray thus: ‘O helper of those who implore Thee, have mercy upon my weak and helpless condition, and deliver me from the vortex of destruction!’ Then he turned his blessed face to Rubil and said: ‘O brother, thou art more kind and humane than all my other brothers, and I hope thou wilt quench the flames of my thirst with a drop of water.’ Rubil, however, gave him a repulsive answer, and poured an insalubrious beverage into the throat of his soul. When Yusuf had despaired of Rubil, and perceived his brothers’ intentions of slaying him, he stretched forth his hands towards the skirts of Yahuda’s mercy, and said: ‘O brother, my father has entrusted me to thy care, and has confided in thy kindness. Say what is my sin, and what is my offence.’ His brother replied: ‘O Yusuf, thy existence itself is a sin, which cannot be counterbalanced by another sin.’ Yusuf’s unhappy position, nevertheless, moved the vein of Yahuda’s fraternity, and the lion [of Yahuda’s affection] raised the fangs of [Yusuf’s] defence. Yahuda was a man whose hair bristled up on his body like thistles whenever his face was reddened by the fire of anger, and every time his voice of thunder was heard, pregnant women were, in consequence of their fright, suddenly delivered of their children. When he discovered the evil intentions of his brothers towards Yusuf, he resisted them, and exclaimed: ‘O Yusuf, be at ease, and discard thy apprehensions; for as long as one spark of life remains in me, no one shall attempt thy life.’ Thereupon the brothers withdrew the hand of enmity into the sleeve of civility for fear of Yahuda, and consulted with him what they ought to do with Yusuf. Then Yahuda said: ‘I cannot allow Yusuf to be killed, nor agree with you in murdering him, because an unjust death is a great sin and an enormous transgression. If you like we will return and surrender him to our father.’ They continued: ‘It is impossible to take Yusuf to Ya’qûb, since he has become aware of our intention, and knows the secret of our minds, which he will reveal to his father as soon as he returns.’ After some hesitation Yahuda said: ‘It will be best to throw him into a well, where he will either surrender the deposit of his life to the requisites of fate, or some one will draw him out and take him away; so we shall at any rate attain our object without the agency of death.’ All approved of this advice, and they discovered at a distance of three Farsakhs from Kana’an a well, which was four hundred, and according to another tradition, seven hundred, cubits deep, but according to the most correct opinion its depth was seventy cubits. It is said that this well was one of the works of Sâm, the son of Nûh, and was called ‘The Well of the Good.’ When they had taken Yusuf to the well they desired to besmear his body with loam. He adjured them, by the old age of his father, and by his own youth, not to do so. His brothers, however, took no notice of his entreaties, and stripped off his robe, also tying his hands and legs. Yusuf besought them to leave him at least his garment, so that he might not be in a state of nudity in that fearful place; but they replied: ‘Tell the stars of heaven to bestow upon thee a dress of their own texture. Call upon the sun and the moon to place in this locality a diadem of glory and magnificence upon thy head.’ Yusuf only wept on hearing their jibes, and his grieved heart was roasted by the fire of sorrow:
Verses: That despite the hardheartedness of those people
It did not rain stones from heaven is wonderful.
That after this dreadful catastrophe the spheres
Still revolve, the sky is bright, and the sun shines.
Then the jealous brethren of Yusuf threw him into the well, which they covered with a heavy stone. Yusuf, however, had not yet reached the middle of the well when Jebrâil left his heavenly mansion by the command of God, approached Yusuf, and seated him on a white stone, which had risen from the water. When the reptiles of the water perceived him sitting on the stone, they said to each other: ‘Remain quiet in your places, for one of the great men of the age has become our guest.’ They accordingly did not move as long as Yusuf remained there. On that occasion Jebrâil taught Yusuf the prayer of the cup* mentioned in histories and traditions, and enjoining him to persevere therein, he left him.
When the time drew near for the greatest luminary to conceal itself behind the dark curtains of night, Yahuda turned the attention of the brothers in another direction, and watching the opportunity, he approached the brim of the well and exclaimed: ‘O brother Yusuf, art thou alive or dead?’ The latter replied: ‘I am neither alive nor dead. Who art thou to care for a helpless one, and fearest not to be injured by my brothers?’ Yahuda answered: ‘I am thy brother. Say how thou art, and how thy time passes.’ Yusuf continued: ‘How could he be, who has lost his mother, is separated from his father, against whom his brothers harbour evil intentions; who is naked, hungry, thirsty, imprisoned, alone in a dark well, and afflicted with a hundred miseries?’ At these words Yahuda lost his self-possession, and wept bitter tears. Yusuf again called out from the well: ‘O brother, every dying person makes his will, and my last will is this: that thou mayest behold no youth without remembering my youth, nor an orphan without recollecting my helpless condition, nor a stranger without thinking of my exile.’ When Yahuda heard these words he began to moan and to weep so loudly that all the other brothers approached him, blamed him, fixed a larger stone upon the well, and went away. Hereon Yusuf grew quite helpless, and his noble mind became more contracted than the ring of the letter mim. He despaired of his life, and raising the standard of distress and petition towards the mansion of the Bestower of all good gifts, sent the messenger of lamentation up to the palace of heaven. When the painful sobs of Yusuf reached the gilded mirror of the sphere, Jebrâil was ordered to leave his station in paradise and to keep company with Yusuf for an hour. He accordingly left the celestial vaults and descended into the hexagonal area of the terrestrial world; and having shown himself to Yusuf in the depth of the well, he first placed before him the tablet of favours, and then presented him with the beverage of kindness. After that he produced the robe which Ebrahim had worn by the command of the Glorious Sovereign during [his exposure to] the fire of Nimrud, and of which Ya’qûb had made an amulet for the arm of Yusuf, out of its envelope, and adorned his blessed body therewith. He also gladdened and exhilarated the luminous mind of the Lord Yusuf in that dark well with joyful news, saying: ‘Quickly the envy manifested towards thee will abate, and soon the dark night of thy misery will be changed into days of abundant pleasure and amenity. Thou wilt lean against the throne of royalty, and thy tyrannical brothers will stand ranged as servants on the carpet of humiliation, when thou wilt rehearse to them their past acts, and they will confess their wickedness, as God has said: “Thou wilt upbraid them with these their works, and they will not know [what to reply?].”’
When the brothers had left Yusuf in the well, they returned to their tent, slaughtered a kid, besmeared Yusuf’s robe with the blood thereof, and after it had become dry they wended their way homeward. As it had been customary with the brothers always to return from hunting and roaming before sunset, and they were on this occasion tarrying after it, Ya’qûb became uneasy, and said to a bondmaid of the name of Safra: ‘Take my hand. I shall go to meet my children, and see what is the reason of their delay.’ After walking awhile Ya’qûb ascended a hill, looked forward, and despatched the courier of hope to meet the beauty of Yusuf, waiting for the apple of his eye to return, and the departed soul again to unite with the body. After a long time had elapsed in expectation, and the obscurity of night had terminated, Ya’qûb said in the height of his melancholy to Safra: ‘Girl, call my children aloud. Perhaps I may hear their voices before I meet them, and be consoled by their life-increasing answer.’ Safra therefore exclaimed: ‘O sons of Ya’qûb, your noble father is waiting here for you; make haste to come.’ The brothers heard the calls of Safra, and began to vociferate like the chanticleers of morning. They cunningly lacerated their clothes, strewed dust on their heads and shouted: ‘Alas for Yusuf! Alas for our darling!’ Ya’qûb asked: ‘What wailings and lamentations are these? What has happened?’ Safra explained what they were saying, and when he understood it he fainted.
| Verses: | What shall I do without thee to this burnt heart, And to this life, pierced by the arrow of separation? Be just. For it will be extremely difficult Without thee to keep life and heart, which are accustomed to thee. |
Meanwhile the sons arrived and beheld their father prostrated on the ground. Yahuda made haste to wait upon him, took the blessed head of Ya’qûb into his arms, and began to revile his brothers, saying: ‘How have we acted? how have we sifted the dust of cruelty and poured it on our heads by throwing our brother into the well, ruining our father, forfeiting our good characters, and burning our souls with the fire of shame? What wise persons will commit such acts, and what prudent individuals have ever perpetrated similar deeds?’ They took up their father and conveyed him to his domicile, but Ya’qûb remained all night in a state of unconsciousness. When the matutinal zephyr commenced to blow, he recovered himself a little, glanced at his children and said: ‘O my sons, where is the light of my vision, and what has become of the apple of mine eye, that he is not here?’ Hereupon all of them unanimously exclaimed: ‘O father, we were running races with each other; we left Yusuf with our baggage and a wolf has devoured him.’ When Ya’qûb heard these words he again fainted, but after some time he asked his sons: ‘My children, where are we? and why are we so confused?’ They replied: ‘Thou art in thine own domicile, and thou reposest in the place of thine own grandeur.’ He continued: ‘Where is my Yusuf?’ They rejoined: ‘He is absent.’ Ya’qûb asked: ‘If he be absent, then who is present?’
| Verses: | In my hands his two ringlets I wish. All this is nothing; only him I wish. The whole world, beauteous as his face, I wish. From the rose-bush the union of colour and odour I wish. |
Rubil now came forward from among the brothers and said: ‘May Allah reward you, with reference to Yusuf, with the best of rewards! We were shooting arrows and racing horses, and left Yusuf with our baggage, when a wolf suddenly approached that innocent one and devoured his tender body.’ Ya’qûb uttered a shout of lamentation at these words, and began to tremble like an epileptic—
Distich: What my poor unfortunate heart
Dreaded, that happened to it.
When he asked for Yusuf’s dress, which was bespattered with blood, it was given to him, and he exclaimed: ‘It must have been a strange wolf that tore him to pieces, and left his dress entire.’ Then he ordered his sons to produce the wolf. Accordingly they went to the desert, captured a wolf, smeared blood on his mouth, showed him to Ya’qûb, and said that he had killed Yusuf. Then Ya’qûb turned towards the wolf asking: ‘Hast thou devoured my darling and the apple of mine eye?’ The wolf, however, replied in elegant language as follows: ‘Salutation to thee, O prophet of Allah! God forbid that I should have perpetrated that criminal deed. As we have not even the power to approach thy sheep, and to ravage thy flocks, how could we hurt thy beloved son? The eating of the flesh of prophets and of saints is prohibited to us rapacious beasts. To hurt their excellencies is a great sin in our religion and a terrible crime.’ After that the wolf addressed the sons of Ya’qûb as follows: ‘Have you seen me devour Yusuf?’ When they witnessed the eloquence of the wolf they became apprehensive of their own ignominy, and said: ‘We have not seen thee devour him, but as we knew that a wolf had done so, and caught thee prowling about in that direction, we concluded that thou hadst committed that foolish [sic] act.’ Then the wolf kissed the ground of servitude and said: ‘O prophet of Allah, I am a stranger and come from the region of Egypt.’ Ya’qûb queried: ‘Why hast thou undertaken this journey, and undergone so much trouble and toil?’ He continued: ‘For the purpose of visiting a brother whom I have at Sana’a, I have journeyed towards that country, and have felt the pains of travel and the afflictions of exile. To-day when I reached this Vâdi thy sons captured me, tied my feet and neck, brought me to thy holy presence, and accused me of having devoured thy son.’ Ya’qûb was moved by these words, and turning to his sons said: ‘A wolf undergoes hardships and travels to Sana’a for the purpose of visiting his brother; but you have with your own hands destroyed your beloved brother, and have neglected to guard him.’ After this Ya’qûb asked the wolf: ‘Is my son dead or alive?’ The wolf rejoined: ‘Why hast thou not asked Jebrâil about this?’ Ya’qûb answered: ‘I have inquired, but have not obtained a categorical reply.’ The wolf continued: ‘If Jebrâil has not the power to reveal the state of the case, how could I be able to disclose that secret?’ After this conversation Ya’qûb added: ‘O wolf, remain thou in this neighbourhood and associate with me, that I may deplore the separation from my son, while thou bemoanest the absence of thy brother.’ The wolf then placed the face of submission upon the ground of humility, and said: ‘O prophet of Allah, to be in thy service is felicity, but I have children who cannot live without me.’ Therefore Ya’qûb dismissed the wolf, who departed and turned his face towards Egypt.
The author of the ‘Al-lutâif’ has stated that when the wolf left Ya’qûb, he ascended a hill, and exclaimed: ‘O ye who are of the same race with me, woe be unto you if you have destroyed the son of Ya’qûb! Woe upon you who have injured one of the inspired prophets! Should you, however, be innocent of this suspicion, hasten quickly to the mansion of Ya’qûb, excuse yourselves, and cleanse the area of your circumstances from the dust of this crime.’ The chronicler informs us that several thousand wolves assembled around the house of Ya’qûb, raising their voices in lamentation and wailing. He then came out, whereon all the wolves became silent, fell at the feet of his lordship, placing their heads upon the ground, and saying with the tongue of the circumstances:* ‘God forbid that we should have hurt thy beloved darling, or that we should in any way have injured him. Neither could such a thing happen, since our lives depend upon the blessing of thine existence, and our subsistence is connected with the benefits of thy liberality.’ Ya’qûb accepted their excuses, and turning towards his sons said: ‘Your evil disposition has induced you to perpetrate a strange act, and has decoyed your minds to undertake an extraordinary business.’ Then suddenly looking towards the valley, he exclaimed: ‘O Yusuf! O my child! O my darling! O thou apple of my eye! Into what well have they thrown thee? in what sea have they drowned thee? With what sword have they killed thee, and in what land have they buried thee?’
| Verses: | Thou hast left, but thy image has not left my heart; Thy love has not abandoned my saddened heart; That life which now passes is bitterness— Alas, was not spent when we were united. |
During this lamentation and wailing Jebrâil descended and said: ‘O prophet of Allah, thou hast moved to tears the dwellers in the upper regions, and thou hast caused those who abide in the sublimest place to moan. Affairs are managed with patience, and haste soon terminates.’ Ya’qûb replied: ‘O brother, hereafter I shall fly to the refuge of patience, and shall beseech the Lord of it to grant me endurance. Because patience is best, and God will assist us against what they machinate.’
| Verses: | Be patient, O my heart, in the pain of inward grief. For all thou knowest, it may become of use to thee. Knowest thou that it affects no one but thee? There is hope that one day it will have done with thee. |
In short, Yusuf is said to have remained three days and nights at the bottom of the well, during which time Jebrâil came every day to give him the consolations of the invisible world, and informed him of future hopes, which pacified Yusuf till time elapsed and his delivery took place. By a lucky accident, or, rather, good fortune, a company of merchants were travelling from Madayn* to Egypt. Their chief was Mâlek, the son of Za’r, of the tribe of Khoza’a. They happened, however, to lose their way, and the director of fate turned the bridle of their caravan on that occasion towards that well, and the guide of the reins of destiny moved their intention towards that source of felicity [sic]. When they arrived near the well, Mâlek ordered the people to alight and to encamp there, so as to prevent the necessity of suffering from thirst. After they had reposed in the place and spent the night, Mâlek Bin Za’r sent two slaves to the well for the purpose of drawing water. The name of one of them is said to have been Basheer, and historians agree that the other was called Bashar. When Basheer lowered the bucket, Yusuf thought that his brothers had come to draw him out of the well, and to overturn the noble building of his existence. At that moment Jebrâil informed Yusuf of the command of the Lord of Glory—whose name be magnified—saying: ‘O Yusuf, sun of meeting. Arise and take thy seat in this bucket, because we have made a caravan go astray for thy sake. Be of good cheer. This caravan has been put to some trouble and affliction for the purpose of delivering thee.’ Then, by the command of the Most Wise Sovereign, that full moon entered the mansion of the bucket,* attached himself to the strong cable of divine grace, and Jebrâil assisted Basheer, who drew the bucket up with ease. When the slave perceived Yusuf he was in an ecstasy of joy, and exclaimed: ‘This is good news. Here is a youth.’
| Distich: | See! One day the parrot of my soul towards his lips Went, by the odour of a pistachio, but found sugar. |
It is said that the brothers of Yusuf had kept a man near the well, to see whether the earth would give forth the pledge entrusted to it, to observe whether it would reveal the secret confided to it, and to inform them so as to enable them to take the necessary steps. When the watchman perceived what was taking place he went in all haste and informed the brothers that Yusuf was being rescued. The sons of Ya’qûb no sooner heard this news than they jumped up like maniacs, performed the journey in the twinkling of an eye, arrived near the well, quarreled with the people of the caravan, and said: ‘This is our fugitive slave; it is several days since he fled and was lost. We could not get any news about him, though we searched much.’ The people of the caravan replied: ‘God forbid that this man should be a slave! This jewel appears to come from the mine of a noble and ancient race, and this scion is endowed with the characteristics pertaining to an exalted [genealogical] tree.’ The brothers rejoined: ‘No. He was a slave, but born in an opulent family, and the nurse of an ancient lineage has suckled him with the milk of education. It is some time since he turned the tables of his affairs against us, and drew the line of injury through the index of contents of all fidelity.’ The veracious one [i.e. Joseph] heard all these words, kept the seal of taciturnity upon his lips, and moved them not to refute their assertions. After that the brothers said to the people of the caravan: ‘We shall sell this slave with this fault. If you like to purchase him, do so, or else restore him to us.’ After the merchants had pondered over the behaviour of the sons of Ya’qûb and the silence of Yusuf, they believed the former. Moreover, when they asked Yusuf concerning the true state of the case, the veracious one shook his blessed head, and said: ‘Yes, I am a slave, and slave-born; and at any rate I consent to be a slave.’ He spoke thus because he feared that in case he should reveal the true state of the case something worse might ensue. Mâlek Bin Za’r accordingly desired to buy him, asked the brothers about his price, and they said: ‘O Mâlek, we shall not be particular with thee about the price of this slave, and we shall take whatever thou thinkest proper to give.’ Mâlek then purchased Yusuf for some uncurrent dirhems which he had in his bag. Historians, however, differ about the number of those coins, and their statements vary from ten to one hundred and twenty dirhems;* but Allah is most wise. It is said that the brothers accepted the base coins from Mâlek and divided them amongst themselves, taking, after that, Yusuf by the hand and surrendering him to Mâlek. The purchaser also desired to possess a contract of sale of that solar face, which was accordingly written by Shima’ûn, and the clause inserted that Mâlek was to keep this slave in fetters, and not to open them before they had arrived in Egypt. On this occasion Yusuf looked with great sadness upon his brothers, and wept on account of their hard hearts; wherefore we jot down the following verses to commemorate the separation of friends:
| Verses: | We departed, and thus we mentioned not to each other The meeting which made us bloom, like roses, with each other. Alas, that we should be separated from each other! For we shall again meet each other. |
It is said that when the brothers sold Yusuf to Mâlek they said: ‘Besides the fault of running away, this slave is also addicted to stealing, and you must not neglect to watch him.’ These and similar warnings prompted Mâlek to place heavy fetters on the legs of Yusuf, and to appoint an ill-humoured slave to take care of him. Then the merchants struck the drum of departure with the sticks of travel, and Yusuf requested Mâlek to allow him, according to the usual custom, to see his sellers once more, and to take leave of them; but Mâlek replied: ‘Boy, since they have no affection or mercy towards thee, what is the use of so much regard on thy part for them?’ Yusuf replied: ‘Every one spends what he possesses.’
Distich: I cannot wish evil to anyone,
For the good and evil of this world are but transient.
By Mâlek’s permission Yusuf dragged his chain towards his brothers, whose hands and feet he kissed, after embracing each of them. Though he entreated them much, they showed no sign of compassion, and manifested no kindness of feeling. Yusuf therefore returned with a broken heart and worn-out mind to the caravan, where he was placed on a camel and carried at full speed towards Egypt. His lordship submitted to the toils of exile and to the humiliation of servitude, but deplored the separation from his father, and tears flowed from his eyes like rain. Meanwhile the caravan arrived near the sepulchres of Ya’qûb’s family, where Yusuf beheld the tomb of his mother, threw himself from the camel, and hastened to visit it. There he burst into the following strain:
| Verses: | O thou who art gone, and hast taken with thee our glory, Hast made a fire-temple of my sorrow-courting heart. I strew dust on my head and I say: Where is the breeze that will bring thine odour to me? |
The slave who guarded Yusuf perceived that he was not on the camel, but after looking for him he beheld him sitting on a heap of earth and weeping. In his folly he struck the tender face of Yusuf, and, believing the allegations of his brothers, insulted him, became impetuous and scattered salt over the recent wound. His lordship, indignant at this behaviour and incivility, turned his face towards heaven and complained to the wisest of judges and refuge of the oppressed. His petition having that very moment been stamped with the seal of response, a violent storm arose, and black clouds appeared, the compactness whereof, combined with the blowing of the winds, produced such confusion and darkness that the people of the caravan were unable to see each other, and despaired of life. When Mâlek, the son of Za’r, saw this state of affairs, he said: ‘O companions, consider well what unworthy deeds and what opprobrious acts you have committed —repent, and ask pardon, since the blackness of our crimes has influenced the atmosphere. For God does not change towards a people until they themselves change.’ The men of the caravan replied: ‘We are not aware of any of our sins which may have brought upon us this punishment.’ At last, however, the [above-mentioned] ill-fated slave came forward and said: ‘All this trouble has overtaken us on account of what I have perpetrated, and this hardship has been inflicted upon us on account of my impudence; for I have this hour struck the face of the Kana’anitish slave, who then wept, looked up to heaven, and moved his lips in prayer. Therefore this commotion of the earth and weather has taken place, as you see.’ The chief of the caravan, with all the people of it, as well as the slave, then approached the veracious one [i.e. Joseph]; they prostrated themselves at his feet and craved his pardon. Yusuf accepted their excuse, looked towards the Qiblah of prayer, and besought the Almighty—w. n. b. e.—to deliver them. The motion of the atmosphere then suddenly ceased, the bridegroom of the sun removed the veil from his face, and the weather assumed its normal state. When Mâlek had experienced this blessing he took the hand of the slave, brought him to Yusuf, whom he requested to punish the fellow according to his own pleasure. Yusuf replied: ‘What need is there of these words? I am one of those who are beneficent and forgiving, and I do not requite evildoers with anything but pardon.’ He accordingly forgave the transgression of the slave, and drew the line of oblivion over the volume of his sin. After this event the fetters were taken off from Yusuf, and he was treated not only with respect, but with awe. The caravan continued its journey, but after travelling for some time arrived in the vicinity of Egypt, and the people, happening to discover a pleasant locality, all alighted near a fountain. As Yusuf had been affected by the fatigues of the journey, and the rust of dust had settled upon the mirror of his beauty, Mâlek ordered him to enter the fountain and to wash off the impurities of the road. When Yusuf approached the fountain, Jebrâil the faithful brought the cupola beneath which Adam and Eve had sheltered themselves before their fall, and placed it over the fountain, so that Yusuf’s august body might remain protected from the sight of strangers, and preserved from the evil eye. The author of the ‘A’in-ul-ma’ani’ states that after Yusuf had remained for some time in that bath, Mâlek Bin Za’r became apprehensive of his safety, and despatched messengers to bring him information about that source of felicity and excellence. They accordingly separated in the desert; but no one could tell them where he was, concealed as he happened to be under the dome of magnificence, and veiled by the curtain of purity. Shortly afterwards, however, the people of the caravan beheld Yusuf arriving in a form, the aspect of whose beauty awed the wise; and the face of the moon appeared dark in comparison to the brightness of his countenance. Mâlek asked: ‘O Yusuf, where hast thou been, as we were unable to find thee?’ But the discriminating intellect replied: ‘How could every eye glance at the fountain of light, and how could each vision behold the figure of the soul?’
After Yusuf had rejoined the caravan, it proceeded to the city. When the rumour of that bright moon, or rather the splendour of that all-conquering sun, had shed its rays over the whole of Egypt, all the inhabitants of that country endeavoured to catch sight of the beauty of Yusuf, and desired to meet him. They accordingly paid a visit to the caravan, and everyone recited the following lines:
Verses: This city is full of good news about him,
The hearts of the inhabitants are attached to him.
We endeavour and others endeavour [to know]
Who will have the felicity to be his friend.
The author of the ‘Zubdat-ut-tovârikh’ states that the Almighty—w. n. b. pr.—had bestowed upon the world-adorning beauty of Yusuf a light, which shone to a distance of one day’s journey, and wherever his lordship went, that splendour radiated like the sun, and advanced before him one stage. On the day of his arrival in Egypt, the weather happened to be cloudy, therefore the world-illuminating countenance of the sun was invisible; and before the solar disc had opened its veil, a reflection had fallen from Yusuf’s night-like ringlets into that country. In short, when the light of his brilliant countenance began to scintillate, it illuminated the world like the intellect of the pure, of the sagacious, and of the acute. The news of Yusuf’s beauty spread over Egypt, whereon the hearts of the anxious, and the souls of the noble-minded, ascended to their lips from longing for his august arrival.
When the inhabitants issued from the city to meet the caravan, the king likewise sent his agent and confidant, who was called the A’ziz of Egypt,* to purchase Yusuf. When the agent had met the caravan, and begun to converse with Mâlek, the latter said: ‘Wait a little till we enter the city, and rest ourselves for three days from the fatigues of the road and the toils of the journey; then we shall act according to the command of him to whom obedience is due.’ The A’ziz assented, whereon they entered the city in full pomp on the tenth of the sacred month of Muharram. After the expiration of three days a chair was erected according to the usage of the Egyptians, Yusuf was seated thereon, and a herald proclaimed: ‘Who will buy this lovely boy? Who will buy this intelligent boy?’ But Yusuf forbade him to use such words, and told him rather to shout: ‘Who will buy this sad boy? Who will buy this foreign boy?’ Intending purchasers became numerous, and enhanced the price of Yusuf every moment. The veracious one perceived this state of affairs; he tore the zone of endurance, and suspended, from the conch of his eyes, strings of pearls upon the surface of his countenance,* and having become saddened and depressed at the spectacle of this transaction, he withdrew his head into the tunic of meditation. At that moment Jebrâil the faithful arrived, and conveyed to him the following message from the Lord of both worlds: ‘Beloved one, be not sad or of an anxious heart, for I swear by My magnificence and glory, that I shall not take thee out of this town before I have placed the mark of servitude and obedience to thee upon the foreheads of the fortunes of these persons who have at present come to look at thee to purchase thee.’ When the herald exclaimed the fourth time: ‘Who will purchase this lovely boy?’ Yusuf lost the thread of patience, and turning to him, said: ‘If thou meanest to speak the truth, say, “Who will buy the veracious one of God, the son of the Esrâil of God, the son of the sacrifice of God.”’ When the people heard these words they began to shout, and Mâlek asked: ‘What mean these words? and who is alluded to by the name of the Veracious?’ Yusuf replied: ‘The veracious one is he who is a slave and a prisoner.’ Mâlek said: ‘O Yusuf, why hast thou not informed me of this before, that both of us might have been spared this shame and insult?’ Yusuf continued: ‘I kept the true state of the case concealed, because I feared the evil intentions of my brothers, and my life was in danger.’ Mâlek asked: ‘Thou art perchance the son of that old man whom I saw in the vicinity of Kana’an when I arrived there, and who was weeping and saying, “O Lord, restore to me my son, the darling of my heart?”’ Yusuf said: ‘O Mâlek, in what state have you left that old man?’ Mâlek replied: ‘Dear friend, how can I explain the condition of a man who has been separated from one like thee?’ At these words Yusuf became sad, began to weep, and said: ‘That old man is the Esrâil of God, and my beloved father.’ Mâlek then apologised, and continued:
Verses: What remedy is there now
When dry lips and eyes are no more?
What help have I since inundation overflowed me?
‘Now that I have exposed thee for sale, I fear that I shall injure only mine own soul.’ Yusuf replied: ‘O Mâlek, be of good cheer, since compliance with fate is one of the distinguishing marks of the righteous, and one of the good qualities of the pious:
Distich: Invite either to desire, or give news of peace.
Whatever is thy wish, is my wish also.
Judgment belongs to God, and He is the best of judges.’
Let it not remain unknown to the discerning minds of the intelligent that whatever has been recorded in these pages concerning Yusuf has been taken from the book entitled ‘Jâmi’ Aa’zim,’ which contains the history of the world. In several of these narratives and traditions Muhammad Bin Jarir-ut-Tabari, Hâfez Abru, and all the other historians disagree; but as the author of this work will be excused by scholars and by critics from rehearsing various opinions with reference to this subject, he has consulted all the chief historians, and has compiled the real narrative in an abridged manner, and relates it as follows:
All chroniclers who have written about this matter agree that one day O’mar Farûq—u. w. b., etc.—was discussing the superiority of the blessed volume [i.e. Qurân] over all the other celestial books* with a company of Jews, who maintained that the narrative of the beauteous youth of Kana’an was one of the most popular stories among them. They said that it is narrated in the Pentateuch, and asked how the Qurân could be preferable to other books, inasmuch as it is not mentioned therein? O’mar therefore brought this objection of the enemies of the Faith to the cognisance of the Prince of Prophets, upon the speculum of whose luminous mind—which was the promulgator of the verses of the Merciful [i.e. revealer of the Qurân]—the dust of vexation settled when he heard what the Jews had said. On that occasion Jebrâil the Faithful arrived, and communicated this narrative to his august ear in the words of the evident verses [of the Qurân]. Some are of opinion that when the Muhâjers* emigrated to Madinah they were occasionally subject to melancholy on account of the calamity of exile and the misery of separation, and that they said: ‘Would to God that the Qurân contained a story which resembles the flight of the companions [of Muhammad]! so that by the perusal thereof our sorrowful minds and depressed hearts might be comforted and relieved, and it might become a subject of pleasure and of joy to those who have suffered troubles and difficulties;’ [and in consequence hereof the narrative of Joseph was incorporated in the Qurân]. There are also other opinions about the cause of the ‘Chapter of Yusuf’ being sent down [from heaven], the rehearsal of which would only protract this narrative.
At any rate, it is said that when, on account of the love which Ya’qûb bore to Yusuf, and on account of the recitals of the true dreams of that veracious one, the flames of envy were kindled in the bosoms of his brethren, they consulted about the means of removing him. They intended either to slay him or to exile him to a distant land, so as to obtain for themselves alone the love of their father. Yahuda, however, who was the most intelligent of them, but according to other opinions Shima’ûn or Rubil, would by no means agree to murder Yusuf, and said: ‘Do not kill Yusuf, but rather throw him into a well, so that the people of some caravan may take him out.’ One day the brothers had assembled in the private apartment of their father, which was his oratory, and said to him: ‘O father, how comes it that thou trustest us not more than Yusuf, though we are his well-wishers? Send him to-morrow with us to the desert, that he may enjoy himself, play, and shoot arrows. We shall take good care of him, and not lose him.’ Ya’qûb replied: ‘I shall be sorry if you take him away. I fear a wolf might devour him without your knowing anything about it.’ They replied: ‘If a wolf devours him and we surrender him, we shall be weak indeed.’ At last, however, Ya’qûb consented, whereon the brothers took away Yusuf and threw him into a well; but Yahuda, who loved him most, brought every day some food, let it down into the well, and consoled him, saying: ‘I shall request my brothers to deliver thee from this misery and trouble.’ The brothers, on the other hand, were watching for travellers to take Yusuf out of the well and to convey him to a foreign country, but he remained three days in it.
| Distich: | On the fourth day the youth of this victorious mansion, Yusuf, came up, who was in the darkness of the well. |
A caravan which had lost its way halted near that spot, and Mâlek Bin Za’r went with a slave to the well for the purpose of drawing water, and let the bucket down:
| Verses: | In the obscurity of the night, he who was like Khizar*
Letting down the water-measuring bucket. Jebrâil the Faithful said to Yusuf: Arise! Pour the clear water of mercy upon the thirsty. |
Yusuf, whose countenance resembled the moon, arose from the stone, and took his seat in the bucket, which Mâlek drew up with the assistance of his slave.
Distich: When the world-adorning moon arose,
From his soul he shouted: Good news!
Mâlek asked Yusuf, ‘Who art thou? and how hast thou fallen into this place?’ He replied: ‘I am a Kana’anite, and from an excess of envy my brothers have thrown me into this well.’ Then Mâlek ordered his slave to keep the true state of the case secret from the caravan, and to say: ‘A numerous company arrived at the well and sold us this slave. Because, if the people know the truth,’ continued Mâlek, ‘and convey the boy to Egypt and sell him, they will claim a share in the price.’ Mâlek accordingly took Yusuf to his own place, but the brothers, who were extremely watchful, ascertained what had happened, immediately approached the caravan, and said: ‘This is a slave who has fled from us.’ At last, however, they sold Yusuf to Mâlek Bin Za’r for a few uncurrent dirhems. Afterwards the caravan continued its journey, and in course of time reached Egypt. When three days had elapsed, and his lordship, the veracious one, had rested himself from the fatigues of the journey, Mâlek exposed him for sale.
There are books full of narratives relating to Qatfirnâi, who was the treasurer of the King of Egypt, and surnamed A’ziz. He had a beautiful wife in his house, whose name was Râa’il, known by the appellation of Zuleikha. Others, however, state that her name was Anka, the daughter of Banûs; but his lordship, the refuge of virtues and tribunal of theology, my lord the Qâzi A’bd-ur-rahman-ajjâmi—may Allah perfume his utterances—has strung that costly pearl [i.e. narrative] with his diamond nature in the following manner:
| Verses: | Thus spoke that discriminating orator Who had in his magazine a treasure of gems: That in the western country there was a famous king Proclaimed by the royal drum as Timûs; He had a beauteous daughter Zuleikha by name, With whom he had joy besides the whole world. |
In short, when the price of Yusuf had been driven up to a very high sum [in the auction], Zuleikha, who had been informed of the amenity and beauty of the veracious one, incited her husband to purchase Yusuf. A’ziz replied: ‘My property in cash and goods does not equal his price.’ Zuleikha continued: ‘Whatever ornaments there are on my ears and neck, and whatever is in my treasury, I shall surrender to Mâlek.’ A’ziz said: ‘In this way thy desire may be gratified, but Riân, the son of Alvalid, namely the King of Egypt, is on the point of buying him.’ When Zuleikha heard this news, she hastened on the wings of celerity to wait upon the king, and returning to the house, after she had obtained permission to purchase Yusuf, she brought forth everything she possessed, and gave it joyfully to A’ziz as the price for her [coveted] darling.
| Monostich: | If thou askest for our head, we bring it in the twinkling of an eye. |
The A’ziz of Egypt then purchased Yusuf from Mâlek Bin Za’r, who accordingly abandoned the pearl of the conch of prophecy and the gem of the mine of apostleship, but when he had become aware of his high descent and of his perfect behaviour, he fell down at his feet and offered excuses, which his lordship, the veracious one, accepted, but asked for the deed of sale, which he might use as an argument when opportunity served for putting his brothers to shame. Mâlek granted the request of Yusuf, took leave of him, and left Egypt. When the A’ziz had bought Yusuf, he enjoined Zuleikha to treat him well, and to assign to him a good place. ‘For,’ said he, ‘it is possible that he will be a gain to us, and we may adopt him for our son.’ When Zuleikha heard the injunction that she was to assign to him a good place, she thought there could be none better than her own heart, and became extremely anxious to see him:
Verses: The jewel which the brothers threw into mud
A stranger gave it a place in her heart;
They sold him for uncurrent money,
But Zuleikha received him in her bosom.
When Yusuf’s intellect became mature, the unrequited Bestower adorned him with the decorations of wisdom and knowledge, with meekness and innocence, and the banner of his good qualities was raised [i.e. his praises were sounded] by the company of the beneficent with pleasure and cheerfulness. ‘And when he had attained his age of strength, We bestowed on him wisdom and knowledge; for thus do we recompense the righteous.’* Theologians differ in expounding the signification of the words ‘age of strength.’ Qotâda and Mujâhad allege that by the ‘age of strength’ thirty-three years are meant, which is the limit of the years of growth; from that age to forty is the stationary term, and after that the period of decay sets in, which some have likened to the state of meekness. Zohâq says it means the age of twenty years, but the most current and correct opinion of the discerning is that Yusuf the veracious —u. w. b., etc.—was seventeen years old when his brothers executed their project; and when one year had elapsed after that event, the Lord of Glory—w. n. b. pr.—distinguished him by the evidences of His unbounded favour and His infinite bounty; adorned the penetrating mind of Yusuf with the jewels of knowledge and wisdom, and with the evidences of the lights of science and learning; therefore the words ‘age of strength’ in the blessed verse mean eighteen years.
When Zuleikha had been enjoined by the A’ziz of Egypt to treat Yusuf well, she took good care to obey and to act as Qatfirnâi had commanded her. She accordingly caused seventy robes of various colours to be prepared to adorn his Tuba-like* stature, which was so symmetrical; she also procured a gilded diadem, worthy of a mighty king, and placed it upon his noble head. She also obtained a necklace of pure gold adorned with precious stones, and threw it joyfully on his neck. The more she adorned Yusuf in the sight of the people, the more did the handmaid of love display his beauty to the heart of Zuleikha, and the handsomer Yusuf appeared, the more loving became Zuleikha’s heart:
Distich: His beauty increased day by day,
And he beguiled hearts more and more.
All the desires of Zuleikha were concentrated in the wish to keep him, who excited the jealousy of the large-eyed hûris, constantly in the house and present to her sight. Yusuf, on the other hand, always wished to roam about in the desert, so that he might obtain news of his beloved father and of the dweller in the abode of mourning. When Zuleikha discovered his inclination to move about, she appointed a legion of confidential slaves to accompany that royal cavalier, like the stirrup of his foot, wherever he might choose to proceed, and not to neglect attending upon him, even for one moment. Whenever Yusuf wandered about in the deserts and fields, and his servants ran on both sides, he used to go to the road of Kana’an, and was in the habit of addressing the matutinal breeze, and so touchingly to give vent to his longings that the breathings of the horizon were moved by them, and sometimes the fire of his anguish was burning so brightly that it was not easy to extinguish it with the water of patience. The narrator says that one day Yusuf was out according to his usual custom, and was looking towards the road to Kana’an, when all of a sudden a man riding a camel appeared, whom Yusuf immediately questioned where he was coming from. The man replied, ‘From Kana’an.’ ‘From what direction?’ ‘From the Jordan.’ ‘From what pastures?’ ‘From the pastures of the family of Ya’qûb.’ When Yusuf heard the name of his father he fainted, and lay for a long time on the ground in a state of insensibility. The Arab alighted from his camel, took Yusuf’s head in his arms, and waited until he had recovered himself. The veracious one then asked him: ‘Owner of the camel, knowest thou the Esrâil of God?’ He replied: ‘Yes.’ Yusuf continued: ‘Hast thou seen his beauty with these two narcissi,* and hast thou with these two world-seeing eyes drawn in the collyrium of his acquaintance?’ He said: ‘Yes; he is the fruit of the tree of Esahâq, and the product of Ebrahim’s heart.’ Yusuf asked: ‘How hast thou left him?’ He said: ‘Burning and weeping; drowned in the unfathomed sea of grief and separation.’ The veracious one sent a burning groan to the top of the uppermost sphere, and said: ‘I wish Rahil had never given birth to me.’ Yusuf further queried: ‘Wilt thou convey a message from me, who have tasted the poison of absence, to that aged man who suffers affliction?’ The Arab agreed, and Yusuf continued: ‘Friend, my instructions to thee are, that when thou arrivest in the land of Kana’an, to alight in the vicinity of the habitations of the family of Ya’qûb, and so wait until one watch of the night has elapsed, till the affairs of the busy world are settled, and till Ya’qûb has finished his orisons. Then enter his oratory, relate to him how the days of separation appear long to me, and how I am tormented by the desire of seeing him, and say: “O melancholy one, this is the message of thine unhappy son. O sorrowing one, this is the message from thine exiled son.” O Arab, look well at me, and impress the aspect of my person upon thy mind. Relate all thou hast seen and heard to Ya’qûb, and inform my noble parent of all my circumstances.’
When the Arab had terminated his business he left Egypt, and after performing the journey he arrived at the domicile of Ya’qûb, and when the night had well set in he proceeded to the house of the grief of Ya’qûb to deliver his message. The latter ran out from the cottage and exclaimed: ‘Welcome! Welcome, O A’bdullah. Where art thou coming from?’
Verses: Is it [the joy of] the garden of paradise,
Or a message from the friend?
Is it the perfume of paradise,
Or a breeze from the friend?
Having heard the message, Ya’qûb fainted, and when he recovered the Arab asked a benediction for his reward. Ya’qûb accordingly raised the hands of petition and said: ‘May Allah invest thee with the robe of prosperity, and make thee one of my companions in paradise!’ Ya’qûb thereon intended to communicate the news to his family, but Jebrâil descended and said: ‘It is not proper for thee hereafter to mention anything about Yusuf, nor to reveal his secret to anyone.’ Therefore Ya’qûb withdrew his tongue into the palate of silence, and placing the seal of muteness upon his lips, he concluded henceforth to fold up the carpet of gossiping and to conceal that precious treasure in the corner of his heart. Sometimes when he slept he beheld Yusuf in his dreams, and thought that the matutinal zephyr of meeting him was wafting, and that the dark night of separation had vanished. But although his discerning mind was pacified by visions of the beauty of Yusuf, the dreams again fled from his blessed eyes, and when he opened them he did not perceive the apple of his eye. Then he shouted from grief and called for Yusuf; his solid judgment, however, instantly checked and reproved him for speaking against the command of God, and not keeping his promise. He therefore repented, and filled his pearl-dropping mouth with a handful of earth. That very moment Jebrâil descended and said: ‘The Almighty—w. n. b. pr.—swears by His glory and magnificence that for the sake of the respect thou hast manifested for His command He would resuscitate Yusuf to life again, if he were dead, in order to kindle thine eye with the lamp of his face, and to transmute thy cottage into a rose-grove by the aspect of his Tuba-like stature.’ Ya’qûb, hearing these tidings that he would again meet his lost son, began to praise and to thank God. His days, nevertheless, passed in bitterness and doubt until he heard an invisible herald exclaim:
Distich: The lost Yusuf will return, Kana’an; be not sad.
The hut of grief will become a rose-grove; be not sad.
Thereon his misery was changed to peace, and his grief to tranquillity.