THE BEST STORY

A Believer A believer is one who is not beguiled by the outward splendour of worldly things. When in Egypt, he never created any problems for his master or the king. The King of Egypt did not enforce his religion on others. Prophet Joseph did not clash with the polytheists in Egypt at that time. Following the principle of avoidance of conflict, he availed of the opportunity given to him by the Egyptian ruler. He accepted the political position of the king and worked under him governing the ministry of agriculture for a long period, serving the people of his country and of the other countries around the area. Each prophet in the Quran has a different lesson for mankind. The ‘deen’ (religion) that the prophets are given are the same. But they are given different situations due to which they react giving us different lessons. The Quran says: ‘Follow the ways of the previous prophets.’ The lesson from Prophet Joseph’s example however is: Do not stand against the rulers and confront them in the political field. Accept their position and avail of the opportunities that arise in other non-political spheres. The Quran refers to this story of Joseph as ‘the best story’. Why does the Quran refer to this story as ‘the best story’? In Chapter Joseph (Yusuf), you will not find any reference to any joyous moments of Prophet Joseph’s life that might make his story ‘the best story’. However, you will surely find excellent examples for emulation in Prophet Joseph’s personal, social and political life. In this respect, Chapter Joseph in the Quran can be considered as ‘the best story’ in terms of the methodology and not just as a story. o You will surely find excellent examples for emulation in Prophet Joseph’s personal, social and political life.