so as to establish the rights of his religion, but circumstances may
force him or her to live in a non-Muslim land. And Islam, being a
religion thatprovides guidance for all aspects of human life, has
addressed this issue. Numerous texts within Islamic literature have
expounded on the topic ofMuslims living in non-Muslim lands, and
thestory of Prophet Yūsuf ( 'alayhi al-salātu wa al-salām ) serves as
an ideal source of reference for such a discussion. The Prophet Yūsuf
was forced to leave the land of the Prophets, the land where his
father Ya'qūb resided and where the Heavenly Law was being applied.
Due to the betrayal of his brothers, Yūsuf was taken as a slave by a
caravan and eventually purchased by a minister of Egypt known by the
title al-'aziz .
The man in Egypt who bought him, said to his wife: "Make his stay
(among us) honourable: may be he will bring us much good, or we shall
adopt him as a son." Thus did We establish [i.e. give authority to]
Yūsuf in the land..." [Yūsuf (12):21]
The hint within this ayah is that a person may not be able to gain
authority in his own land but may acquire it in another. This brings
us to the question of how Yūsuf conducted himself in this
non-Muslimland.
The most obvious challenge that faces the Muslim in such a
land is how to cope with the non-Islamic values within society that
inevitably led to a prevalence of fawāhish [3] and thus conflict or
clash with one'sfaith. Certainly, falling into this fawāhish is easy,
but itwas just as easy in the time of Yūsuf ( 'alayhi al-salātu wa
al-salām ) as the ayah on Yūsuf's encounter with the wife of al-aziz
illustrates:
And she, in whose house he [Yūsuf] was, sought to seduce him. She
closed thedoors and said, "Come, you." He said, "I seek refuge in
Allah. Indeed, he (your husband) is my master, who has made good my
residence. Indeed, wrongdoers will never prosper." [Yūsuf (12):23]
It is not fitting for the Muslim who believes in Allah and the Last
Day to come near obscenity. The Prophet Muhammad ( sul Allahu 'alayhi
wa salim) mentioned seven people who will be shaded by Allah on the
Day of Judgement; [4] among them is a man who turns away from the
temptationand seduction of a womanwith beauty and status, saying "I
fear Allah." It is upon the Muslim to fear Allah in every gaze and in
every instance he or she is alone. And living in an environment where
the opportunities to sin are manifold, if a Muslim is notcareful, he
or she may not only fall into a sin or two but perhaps may reach a
stage of being immersed in sinning, such that one abandons repentance.
Soon, a love for these sins develops and by this the Muslim leads him
or herself astray.
And Allah would not let a people stray after He has guided them until
He makes clear to them what they should avoid. [At-Tawba (9):115]
The Muslim who abandons having taqwa and does not repel the fawāhish ,
his or her heart may start to see the evil asgood, perhaps even
leading him or herself out of the pail of Islam.
So it is incumbent on the Muslim to strive against the fawāhish and
constantly seek the help ofAllah. The Quran relates how Yūsuf (
'alayhi al-salātu wa al-salām ) sought the help of his lordin his
situation:
And if You do not avert from me their [evil] plan, I might incline
toward themand [thus] be of the ignorant. So his Lord responded to him
and averted from him their plan. [Yūsuf (12):33-34]
The desires and lusts are great and numerous, but they remain trifling
in the eyes of the believer, the one who is sincere to Allahand
trusting in His assistance.
Thus it was, that We might ward off from him evil and lewdness.
Indeed, he was of Our chosen servants. [Yūsuf (12):24]
So if the Muslim turns to Allah in supplication and with sincerity,
seeking refuge in Him, Allah will surely protect Him. Thus, the first
thing a Muslim must do in this society is to confront the fawāhish
that he or she faces and strive to overcome them.
After the Muslim is rendered victorious against his or her desires, it
is upon him or her to exemplify high Muslim morals, manners, and
character while living in this society, as the ProphetMuhammad ( sul
Allahu 'alayhi wa salim) instructed, "Treat the people with good
manners." It has been established that Yūsuf ( 'alayhi al-salātu wa
al-salām ) was innocent of what he was accused of, yet he was
oppressed, accused unjustly and put in jail where he stayed with two
youth.
And there entered the prison with him two young men.
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