Prophet Yusuf

Prophet Yusuf meets his brothers
As Prophet Yusuf(alayhis salam) had predicted, seven years of famine
followed seven years of good harvest, but the storehouses of Egypt
were full because ofProphet Yusuf's skillful management. People from
all over flocked to Egypt to buy grain duringthe 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 they had come to buy
butwarned 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 convince their father to let them take their younger
brother with them the next time they came. Then Prophet Yusuf (alayhis
salam) had his servants put their money which they had used to
purchase the grain back 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 generouslyProphet Yusuf (alayhis
salam) had treated them.
Ya'qub (alayhis salam), who still felt deeply the loss of his son
Prophet Yusuf (alayhis salam), wasreluctant to let the brothers take
his other young son. He made them pledge in the name of Allahthat they
would bring him back home unless they were made physically powerless
to do so. He also cautioned them to enter the city in Egypt by
different gates, perhaps so they wouldn'tlook like a gang of
troublemakers. However, he knew that their fate depended on Allah's
will and no precautions couldgo against what was willed by Allah.
When the brothers had returned to Prophet Yusuf (alayhis salam) for
more provisions, ProphetYusuf (alayhis salam) lodged his younger
brother with himself, andrevealed his identity to him. But he had to
think of a way in which to keep his younger brotherwith him when the
others returned home. Allah inspired him with the following plan.
When the brothers' camels had 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 theyhad stolen anything. When asked what
should happen if 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 big brothers said that it wasn't really 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 askedthat one of them be allowed to
stay in the younger brother's place, so that their father would not
grieve, but Prophet Yusuf (alayhis salam) replied that it would be
unjust to keep back anyone except him in whose 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 Prophet Yusuf (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 doneto 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.