Narrated to us Muhammad bin Ali Majilaway رضي الله عنه 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 عليه السلام that he said: “A Bedouin came to Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام to purchase rations from him and the latter sold it. When the transaction was over Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام 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 عليه السلام had said. Yaqoob عليه السلام 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 عليه السلام 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 عليه السلام 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 عليه السلام. Till the time he perceived the fragrance of Yusuf عليه السلام 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)