followed seven years of good harvest, but the storehouses of Egypt
were full because of Prophet Yusuf's skillful management. People
fromall over flocked to Egypt tobuy grain during the famine. Among
them wereProphet Yusuf's (alayhis salam) brothers.
Prophet Yusuf (alayhis salam) knew his brothers at once but they did
not recognize him. He gave them the grain which theyhad come to buy
but warned them that they would get no more unless they brought a
brother of theirs to him from their father. They agreed that they
would try to convincetheir father to let them take their younger
brotherwith them the next time they came. Then Prophet Yusuf (alayhis
salam) had his servants put their money which they had used to
purchase the grainback into the saddlebags of their camels so that
they would find it when they returned home and would be sure to return
for more grain when they saw how generously Prophet Yusuf (alayhis
salam) had treated them.
Ya'qub (alayhis salam), who still felt deeply the loss of his son
Prophet Yusuf (alayhis salam), was reluctant to let the brothers take
his other young son. He made them pledge in the name of Allah that
they would bring him back home unless they were made physically
powerless to do so. He also cautioned themto enter the city in Egypt
by different gates, perhapsso they wouldn't look like a gang of
troublemakers. However, he knew that their fate depended on Allah's
will and no precautions could go against what was willed by Allah.
When the brothers had returned to Prophet Yusuf (alayhis salam) for
more provisions, Prophet Yusuf (alayhis salam) lodged his younger
brother with himself, and revealed his identity to him. But he hadto
think of a way in which to keep his younger brother with him when the
others returned home. Allah inspired him with thefollowing plan.
When the brothers' camelshad been loaded with grain, Prophet Yusuf
(alayhis salam) had a cup placed in his younger brother's saddlebag.
Then a cry was raised that someone had stolen the king's cup. The
brothers denied that they had stolen anything. When asked what should
happenif it were to prove otherwise, they said that they would hand
over the person in whose possession the cup was found. A search of the
saddlebags revealed the cup in the younger brother's bag. Then the
bigbrothers said that it wasn'treally surprising, because the boy's
brother (i.e. Prophet Yusuf (alayhis salam)) had also been a thief.
But still Prophet Yusuf (alayhis salam) did not reveal his identity to
them. The brothers asked that one of them be allowed to stay in the
younger brother's place, sothat their father would notgrieve, but
Prophet Yusuf (alayhis salam) replied thatit would be unjust to keep
back anyone except him inwhose possession the cup had been.
The brothers returned to their father with the story of the theft, and
his eyes turned white with grief from suppressing his sorrow. He sent
them away to search for ProphetYusuf (alayhis salam) and his brother,
so they returned to Prophet Yusuf (alayhis salam) and asked for more
grain, although they had but little money left. Then Prophet Yusuf
(alayhis salam) revealed his identity to them and forgave them and
asked Allah's forgiveness for all the wrong they had done to him and
his brother. Then he gave them his shirt to place over his father's
face to recover his sight. He told them to go home and return to Egypt
with all of their families.
Prophet Yusuf reunited with his family
As their caravan was leaving Egypt, Ya'qub (alayhis salam), still at
home, smelled the perfume of Prophet Yusuf (alayhis salam), but his
household said he was getting senile. When the caravan arrived home
withthe shirt, Ya'qub's (alayhis salam) sight was restored. Then the
entire family moved to Egypt. Prophet Yusuf (alayhis salam) raised his
parents up on the throne to sit with him and they all bowed down in
obedience to him. In this way, Prophet Yusuf's (alayhis salam)
childhood vision of the eleven planets and the sun and the moon
prostrating themselves before him came true. This is how the
Israelites came to settle in Egypt and lived there for many
generations. The entire story of Prophet Yusuf (alayhis salam) can be
found in Surah 12 of the Qur'an.
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