In regards to Prophet Yusuf (as)...

In regards to Prophet Yusuf (as), we see that all of the necessary requirements for sinning were at his disposal, however he renounced sins and said: قَالَ رَبِّ السِّجْنُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا يَدْعُونَـنِي إِلَيْهِ وِ إِلاَّ تَصْرِفْ عَـنِّي كَيْدَهُنَّ أَصُبْ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَ أَكُنْ مِنَ الْجَاهِلِينَ “He said: 'My Lord!

The prison is dearer to me than that which they (the women) invite me towards and if You do not turn their wicked plots away from me, I will yearn towards them and become (one) of the ignorant (sinners).”[^4] From this, we learn that Prophet Yusuf (as) believed that: I know that if I renounce sinning, I will be thrown into prison, however the prison is much better for me than that which these women are calling me to do. O' Allah! I resign myself completely to Your will.

In addition, Asiyah, the wife of the Pharaoh, had all of the material needs at her disposal and was able to become a polytheist and live along side her husband in comfort, however she too renounced sinning: قَالَتْ رَبِّ ابْنِ لِي عِنْدَكَ بَـيْتاً فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَ نَجِّـنِي مِنْ فِرْعَونَ وَ عَمَلِهِ… “My Lord! Build for me a house with You in the garden and deliver me from Pharaoh and his doings…” People such as these are granted the status of a martyr!

The proof of this statement is that since the greatest Jihad is the Jihad with the soul and the person who is in the battlefield of the major Jihad is just like the person who is in the battlefield of the minor Jihad - rather, he is greater than them - thus he too must be a martyr just as the one who takes part in the minor Jihad!

The path of Allah (SwT), reaching to closeness to Allah (SwT), attaining the rank of the righteous people and the status of witnessing (Shuhud) is a clear path, however it is very difficult to traverse. We must resign ourselves entirely to Allah (SwT), especially while living in this day and age in which the ways to sin are many and close within reach. We must strive to ensure that ourselves, our families and our society are all protected from this evil!

[^1]: Nahj al-Balagha, Short Saying 474 [^2]: Surat ale Imran (3), verse 169 [^3]: al-Kafi, vol. 2, pg. 348 [^4]: Surat Yusuf (12), verse 33 Previous…

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