Kamāl al-Dīn wa Tamām al-Niʿma

وأما غيبة يوسف  عليه السلام فإنها كانت عشرين سنة لم يدهن فيها ولم يكتحل ولم يتطيب لم يمس النساء حتى جمع الله ليعقوب شمله وجمع بين يوسف وإخوته وأبيه وخالته، كان منها ثلاثة أيام في الجب، وفى السجن بضع سنين، وفي الملك باقي سنية. وكان هو بمصر ويعقوب بفلسطين، وكان بينهما مسيرة تسعة أيام فاختلفت عليه الأحوال في غيبته من إجماع إخوته على قتله ثم إلقائهم إياه في غيابت الجب، ثم بيعهم إياه بثمن بخس دراهم معدودة، ثم بلواه بفتنة امرأة العزيز، ثم بالسجن بضع سنين، ثم صار إليه بعد ذلك ملك مصر، وجمع الله - تعالى ذكره - شمله وأراده تأويل رؤياه.

The period of the occultation of Prophet Yusuf (as) was that of twenty years. During this time he never applied oil to his hair, did not use Kohl and perfume and didn’t touch a woman till the time the Almighty Allah once more gathered the scattered family of Yaqoob and brought together Yusuf, his brothers, his father and maternal aunt. Of these twenty years he was in the well for three days and in the prison for some years. And for the remaining years he was the ruler. He was in Egypt while Yaqoob (as) was in Palestine and the distance between them was only nine days of travel. He passed through various circumstances during the period of his occultation. Sometimes his brothers united to eliminate him and later changed the plan and decided to throw him down the well. Then they sold him as a slave for a minor sum of money. After that he was involved in the deceit and plot of the wife of the Egyptian king. Then he was forced to live in imprisonment for some years. After that he became the ruler of Egypt and in this way the Almighty Allah reunited his family and fulfilled the vision he had seen.

حدثنا محمد بن علي ماجيلويه - رضي الله عنه - قال: حدثنا محمد بن يحيى العطار، عن الحسين بن الحسن بن أبان، عن محمد بن أورمة، عن أحمد بن الحسن الميثمي، عن الحسن الواسطي، عن هشام بن سالم، عن أبي عبد الله  عليه السلام قال: قدم أعرابي على يوسف ليشتري منه طعاما فباعه، فلما فرغ قال له يوسف: أين منزلك؟ قال له: بموضع كذا وكذا: فقال له: فإذا مررت بوادي كذا وكذا فقف فناد: يا يعقوب! يا يعقوب! فإنه سيخرج إليك رجل عظيم جميل جسيم وسيم، فقل له: لقيت رجلا بمصر وهو يقرئك السلام ويقول لك: إن وديعتك عند الله عز وجل لن تضيع، قال: فمضى الاعرابي حتى انتهى إلى الموضع فقال لغلمانه: احفظوا على الإبل ثم نادي: يا يعقوب! يا يعقوب! فخرج إليه رجل أعمى طويل جسيم جميل يتقى الحائط بيده حتى أقبل فقال له الرجل: أنت يعقوب؟ قال: نعم فأبلغه ما قال له يوسف قال: فسقط مغشيا عليه، ثم أفاق فقال: يا أعرابي ألك حاجة إلى الله عز وجل؟ فقال له:نعم إني رجل كثير المال ولي ابنة عم ليس يولد لي منها وأحب أن تدعو الله أن ير زقني ولدا، قال: فتوضأ يعقوب وصلى ركعتين ثم عا الله عز وجل، فرزق أربعة أبطن أو قال ستة أبطن في كل بطن اثنان. فكان يعقوب  عليه السلام يعلم أن يوسف  عليه السلام حي لم يمت وأن الله - تعالى ذكره - سيظهره له بعد غيبته وكان يقول لبنيه: " إني أعلم من الله ما لا تعلمون " وكان أهله وأقرباؤه يفندونه على ذكره ليوسف حتى أنه لما وجد ريح يوسف قال: " إني لأجد ريح يوسف لولا أن تفندون * قالوا تالله إنك لفي ضلالك القديم * فلما أن جاء البشير (وهو يهودا ابنه وألقى قميص يوسف) على وجهه فارتد بصيرا * قال ألم أقل لكم إني أعلم من الله مالا تعلمون "

Narrated to us Muhammad bin Ali Majilaway (ra) that: Narrated to us Muhammad bin Yahya al-Attar Husain bin Hasan bin Aban, from Muhammad bin Uramiya from Ahmad bin Hasan al-Muthanna from Hasan al-Wasiti from Hisham bin Saalim from Abi Abdullah (as) that he said: “A Bedouin came to Prophet Yusuf (as) to purchase rations from him and the latter sold it. When the transaction was over Prophet Yusuf (as) asked, “Where do you live?” He said, “At such and such place.” The narrator says: Yusuf said: So you halt at such and such desert and call out: O Yaqoob! O Yaqoob! And a tall and handsome man will come to you. You tell him that you met a person in Egypt who has conveyed salutations to him. He would say: This trust of yours will not be wasted with Allah, the Mighty and Sublime. The narrator says: Thus that Bedouin reached to the place. He told his servants to take care of his camel. Then he began to call out: O Yaqoob! O Yaqoob! A tall and handsome man emerged walking with the support of a wall. The Bedouin asked if he was Yaqoob. When he replied in the positive he conveyed to him all that Prophet Yusuf (as) had said. Yaqoob (as) fell down in a swoon and when he regained consciousness he said, “O Bedouin, do you have wish from Allah?” The man said, “I am an affluent person and my wife is the daughter of my paternal uncle. But I don’t have a son from her. I request you to pray that I may have a son. The narrator says that Yaqoob (as) performed ablution, prayed two units of prayer and then supplicated to Allah, the Mighty and Sublime. This man’s wife gave birth to twins, four times. Thus Yaqoob (as) knew that Yusuf was alive and comfortable and that the Almighty Allah will bring him out after his occultation. He used to say the same thing to his sons: «I know from Allah what you do not know?» (12:96) His family members and relatives used to criticize him for remembering Yusuf (as). Till the time he perceived the fragrance of Yusuf (as) he said: «Most surely I perceive the fragrance of Yusuf, unless you pronounce me to be weak in judgment. They said: By Allah, you are most surely in your old error. So when the bearer of good news came he cast it on his face, so forthwith he regained his sight. He said: Did I not say to you that I know from Allah what you do not know?» (12:94-96)

حدثنا محمد بن علي ماجيلويه - رضي الله عنه - قال: حدثنا محمد بن - يحيى العطار قال: حدثنا الحسين بن الحسن بن أبان، عن محمد بن أورمة، عن محمد بن إسماعيل بن بزيع، عن أبي إسماعيل السراج، عن بشر بن جعفر، عن المفضل - الجعفي أظنه عن أبي عبد الله  عليه السلام قال: سمعته يقول: أرتدي ما كان قميص يوسف  عليه السلام؟ قلت: لا قال: إن إبراهيم  عليه السلام لما أوقدت له النار أتاه جبرئيل  عليه السلام بثوب من ثياب الجنة وألبسه إياه فلم يضره معه حر ولا برد، فلما حضر إبراهيم الموت جعله في تميمة وعلقه إسحاق، وعلقه إسحاق على يعقوب، فلما ولد ليعقوب يوسف علقه عليه، وكان في عضده حتى كان من أمره ما كان، فلما أخرج يوسف القميص من التميمة، وجد يعقوب ريحه، وهو قوله: إني لأجد ريح يوسف لولا أن تفندون " فهو ذلك القميص الذي انزل من الجنة، قال: قلت: جعلت فداك فإلى من صار ذلك القميص؟ قال: إلى أهله ثم قال: كل نبي ورث علما أو غيره فقد انتهي إلى (آل) محمد صلى الله عليه وآله.  فروي " أن القائم  عليه السلام إذا خرج يكون عليه قميص يوسف، ومعه عصا موسى، وخاتم سليمان عليهم السلام ".

Narrated to us Muhammad bin Ali Majilaway (ra) that: Narrated to us Muhammad bin Yahya al-Attar who said: Narrated to us Husain bin Hasan bin Aban, from Muhammad bin Uramiya from Muhammad bin Ismail bin Bazee from Ismail Sarraj from Bashir bin Ja’far from Mufaddal - (perhaps) al-Jofi - from Abi Abdullah (as) that he said: “Do you know what the garment of Yusuf was? ‘No,’ replied I. He said, “When fire was lit for (burning) Ibrahim (as) Jibraeel brought a garment of Paradise for him and dressed him in it. That garment protected him from heat and cold and when his death approached, he made it into an arm band and tied it to Ishaq; Ishaq in turn tied it to Yaqoob and when Yusuf was born Yaqoob tied it on him. And it was tied to his arm till those circumstances befell him. Thus when Yusuf removed it from the arm band in Egypt, Yaqoob perceived its fragrance and it is about the same thing that Allah quotes him saying: «Most surely I perceive the fragrance of Yusuf, unless you pronounce me to be weak in judgment» (12:94) It is the same garment that had come down from Paradise.” I said: May I be sacrificed on you, whom did this garment reach after him? He replied, “To the one deserving of it. And the garment is with our Qaim, when he would reappear. Then he said: All knowledge or things inherited by every prophet have reached to [the progeny of] Muhammad (sw).”  It is narrated that when the Qaim reappears he will reappear wearing the shirt of Yusuf (as) and will also have the staff of Musa (as) and the ring of Prophet Sulaiman (as).

والدليل على أن يعقوب  عليه السلام علم بحياة يوسف  عليه السلام وأنه إنما غيب عنه لبلوى واختبار: أنه لما رجع إليه بنوه يبكون قال لهم: يا بني لم تبكون وتدعون بالويل؟ ومالي ما أري فيكم حبيبي يوسف؟ " قالوا يا أبانا إنا ذهبنا نستبق وتركنا يوسف عند متاعنا فأكله الذئب وما أنت بمؤمن لنا ولو كنا صادقين "هذا قميصه قد أتيناك به، قال: ألقوه إلى، فألقوه إليه وألقاه على وجهه فخر مغشيا عليه، فما أفاق قال لهم: يا بنى ألستم تزعمون أن الذئب قد أكل حبيبي يوسف؟ قالوا: نعم، قال: ما لي لا أشم ريح لحمه؟! ومالي أري قميصه صحيحا؟ هبوا أن القميص انكشف من أسفله أرأيتم ما كان في منكبيه وعنقه كيف خلص إليه الذئب من غير أن يخرقه، إن هذا الذئب لمكذوب عليه، وإن ابني لمظلوم " بل سولت لكم أنفسكم أمرا فصبر جميل والله المستعان على ما تصفون " وتولى عنهم ليلتهم تلك لا يكلمهم وأقبل يرثي يوسف ويقول: حبيبي يوسف الذي أوثره جميع أولادي فاختلس منى حبيبي يوسف الذي كنت أرجوه من بين أولادي فاختلس منى، حبيبي يوسف الذي أوسده يميني وأدثره بشمالي فاختلس منى، حبيبي يوسف الذي كنت أونس به وحدتي فاختلس منى، حبيبي يوسف ليت شعري في أي الجبال طرحوك، أم في أي البحار غرقوك، حبيبي يوسف ليتني كنت معك فيصيبني الذي أصابك.  ومن الدليل على أن يعقوب  عليه السلام علم بحياة يوسف  عليه السلام وأنه في الغيبة قوله: " عسى الله أن يأتيني بهم جمعيا " وقوله لبنيه " يا بني اذهبوا فتحسسوا من يوسف وأخيه ولا تيأسوا من روح الله إنه لا ييأس من روح الله إلا القوم الكافرون " . وقال الصادق  عليه السلام: إن يعقوب  عليه السلام قال لملك الموت: أخبرني عن الأرواح تقبضها مجتمعة أو متفرقة؟ قال: بل متفرقة قال: فهل قبضت روح يوسف في جملة ما قبضت من الأرواح؟ قال: لا، فعند ذلك قال لبنيه: " يا بني اذهبوا فتحسسوا من يوسف وأخيه " فحال العارفين في وقتنا هذا بصاحب زماننا الغائب  عليه السلام حال يعقوب  عليه السلام في معرفته بيوسف وغيبته وحال الجاهلين به وبغيبته والمعاندين في أمره حال أهله وأقربائه الذين بلغ من جهلهم بأمر يوسف وغيبته حتى قالوا لأبيهم يعقوب: " تالله إنك لفي ضلالك القديم ". وقول يعقوب - لما ألقى البشير قميص يوسف على وجهه فارتد بصيرا -:    وقول يعقوب - لما ألقى البشير قميص يوسف على وجهه فارتد بصيرا :" ألم أقل لكم إني أعلم من الله مالا تعلمون " دليل على أنه قد كان علم أن يوسف حي وأنه إنما غيب عنه للبلوي والامتحان.

And what proves that Yaqoob (as) was aware that Yusuf was alive and had disappeared as a divine test is that when the other sons returned in the evening weeping and wailing he asked them: «Why are you crying and wailing? And why don’t I see my dear Yusuf among you? They said: O our father! surely we went off racing and left Yusuf by our goods, so the wolf devoured him, and you will not believe us though we are truthful» (12:17) This is his shirt that we have brought back for you. Yaqoob (as) told them to throw the shirt to him and they handed it over to Yaqoob (as). He rubbed it on his face and immediately became unconscious. After regaining consciousness he told his sons, “O my sons, do you think that the wolf has eaten up my dear Yusuf?” When they replied in the positive he said, “Then tell me why I cannot perceive the smell of Yusuf’s flesh? And why do I find his shirt undamaged? Even if you grant that the shirt is open from below, did the wolf not need to tear it in order to reach to the shoulders and neck of Yusuf? It is only an allegation on the wolf and indeed my son is oppressed. Nay, your souls have made the matter light for you, but patience is good and Allah is He Whose help is sought for against what you describe. That night Yaqoob (as) kept away from them and he did not speak to them. He began to recite an elegy for Yusuf (as) and said again and again: O my dear Yusuf whom I preferred over all my sons; he has been taken away from me! O my dear Yusuf! Of all my children I had hope only in him. And he is snatched from me. O my dear Yusuf! I used to make him sleep on my right and left arm. He is taken away from me. O my dear Yusuf! By whom I filled the emptiness of my loneliness. He is taken away from me. O my dear Yusuf! On whom have you left me or where shall I search for you? O my dear Yusuf! If only I had been with you, so that I could have also borne what you had to bear. O my dear Yusuf! If only I had known on which mountain they have abandoned you or in which river they have thrown you. O my dear Yusuf! If only I had been with you and had suffered the same calamities that you had to suffer.”  Among the points proving that Yaqoob (as) was aware that Yusuf (as) was alive and in occultation is that he said: «Maybe Allah will bring them all together to me» (12:83) And he said: «O my sons! Go and inquire respecting Yusuf and his brother, and despair not of Allah’s mercy; surely none despairs of Allah’s mercy except the unbelieving people» (12:87). Imam Ja’far Sadiq (as) said: Prophet Yaqoob (as) asked the Angel of death: Tell me whether you capture the souls together or you capture each of them separately? He replied: Separately. Then Yaqoob (as) asked: Is the soul of Yusuf there among the souls that you have captured? “No,” said the angel. Thus after this Yaqoob (as) told his sons, “O my sons, go out and search for Yusuf and his brother.’ Thus the condition of the people of our time who know about the Master of the Time living in concealment and those who have his recognition is the same as the condition of Yaqoob (as) regarding Prophet Yusuf and his concealment. And those who are ignorant and foolish, they behave in the same way as did the family members and relatives of Yaqoob (as). They were so ignorant about Yusuf and his occultation that they used to tell their father: “By Allah, you are most surely in your old error."  And the saying of Yaqoob when the bringer of good news rubbed the shirt of Yusuf on his face and he regained his eyesight that: “Did I not say to you that I know from Allah what you do not know?” This proves that he knew that Yusuf was alive and that he had to go into occultation by way of test.

حدثنا أبي، ومحمد بن الحسن - رضي الله عنهما - قالا: حدثنا عبد الله بن جعفر الحميري، عن أحمد بن هلال، عن عبد الرحمن بن أبي نجران، عن فضالة بن أيوب، عن سدير قال: سمعت أبا عبد الله  عليه السلام يقول: إن في القائم سنة من يوسف، قلت كأنك تذكر خبره أو غيبته؟ فقال لي: وما تنكر هذه الأمة أشباه الخنازير أن إخوة يوسف كانوا أسباطا أولاد أنبياء تاجروا يوسف وبايعوه وهم إخوته وهو أخو هم فلم يعرفوه حتى قال لهم: " أنا يوسف وهذا أخي " فما تنكر هذه الأمة أن يكون الله عز وجل في وقت من الأوقات يريد أن يستر حجته عنهم لقد كان يوسف يوما ملك مصر وكان بينه وبين والده مسيرة ثمانية عشر يوما فلو أراد الله تبارك وتعالى أن يعرفه مكانه لقدر على ذلك والله لقد سار يعقوب وولده عند البشارة في تسعة إيام إلى مصر، فما تنكر هذه الأمة أن يكون الله عز وجل يفعل بحجته ما فعل بيوسف أن يكون يسير فيما بينهم ويمشي في أسواقهم ويطأ بسطهم وهم لا يعرفونه حتى يأذن الله عز وجل له أن يعرفهم نفسه كما أذن ليوسف  عليه السلام حين قال لهم: " هل علمتم ما فعلتم بيوسف وأخيه إذ أنتم جاهلون * قالوا إنك لأنت يوسف * قال أنا يوسف وهذا أخي".

Narrated to us my father; and Muhammad bin Hasan - may Allah be pleased with them - they said: Narrated to us Abdullah bin Ja’far al-Himyari from Ahmad bin Hilal Isa from Abdur Rahman bin Abi Najran from Fadala bin Ayyub from Sadeer who said: I heard Aba Abdullah (as) say: “The Qaim is also having a similarity to Prophet Yusuf (as).” The narrator says: I said: Perhaps you want to tell us abut him or his occultation. He told me: “In this Ummah, the opponents who resemble swine, don’t oppose that Yusuf’s brothers were among the children of prophets but they sold away Yusuf while all of them were his brothers and he was also a brother to them, yet when they met they could not recognize him till Yusuf introduced himself and said: “I am Yusuf and this is my brother.” Thus how can this Ummah deny if the Almighty Allah wants to keep His Proof concealed from them in a period of time? And one day Yusuf became the king of Egypt and the distance between him and his father was only of 18 days’ travel. When Allah, the Blessed and the High wanted that his status and value be recognized, by Allah, the people of his house covered this distance in nine days after getting the glad news. Thus how can this Ummah deny that Allah, the Mighty and Sublime can do with His Proof the same as what He had done with Yusuf? His Proof should walk among them, pass by them in the markets and sit among them and they could not recognize him. Until Allah, the Mighty and Sublime permits the Divine Proof to introduce himself as He had permitted Yusuf (as) to do so when he said: «Do you know how you treated Yusuf and his brother when you were ignorant? They said: Are you indeed Yusuf? He said: I am Yusuf and this is my brother» (12:89-90)