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The Punishment
of God for His Viceroys
As reported
from Al-Þumali, he said: I prayed with `Ali ben Al-Husain (PUH) at
dawn time in Medina and it was Friday, then he went home and I was with
him so he called a maid for him called Sakeenah and said to her: no poor
shall pass by my door without feeding him for today is Friday, so I said:
not everyone asks is a poor man indeed, so he answered me: O Þâbit,
I am afraid that some people that do ask us do really deserve to be feeded
and we would not feed him and then shall come unto us what came unto Jacob
and his household, and Jacob used to slay everyday a ram and give the poor
people and eat from it with his children, and then came to his door a stranger
that had faith and high level for God and came to the door of Jacob one
Friday evening while it was the time for him to break his fasting and called
at the steps of the door: feed the hungry poor stranger from what you have
and he did it many times and they could hear him but they did not believe
him, and when he was despaired that they would feed him and night came
over, he came back and complained to God about his hunger and slept with
an empty stomache and with thanks to God, and Jacob with his houseold spent
the night with full stomaches and some of their food is left, so then God
inspired to Jacob in the morning of that night: O Jacob, you've humilated
my servant in such a way that you deserved My punishment with your children,
O Jacob, the most beloved prophets to Me are those who have mercy on My
poor servants and feeded them and made themselves like homes for them,
O Jacob you did not have mercy on My servant Ðimyâl the faithful
when he passed over your door at the time of his fast breaking, and he
shouted upon you to feed the stranger but you did not answer his calls,
so he complained about it to Me and he slept with an empty stomache and
thanked Me and completed his fasting, while you Jacob and your children
were satisfied with plenty of your food left, did you not know O Jacob
that My punishment come to My viceroys in a faster manner rather than it
comes to My enemies, and that is because I love My viceroys, and I let
My enemies gradually follow their doom, I swear by My Exaltation that I
shall reveal upon you My tests and troubles, and I shall make you and your
children a target for My troubles, so get ready for My troubles. Then Al-Þumâli
said to `Ali ben Al-Husain (PUH): when did Joseph saw his dream? He answered:
at that night that Jacob and his children slept with full stomaches and
Ðimyâl slept with an empty stomache, and so when Joseph saw his
dream and told it to his father Jacob, Jacob became sad and God inspired
unto him that he should be ready for the test, so then Jacob said to Joseph:
don't tell your brothers about this dream for I am afraid that they might
trick you, but he did not keep his dream in secret and he told it to his
brothers, and the first trouble that came upon Jacob and his household
was envying Joseph when they heard about his dream, so then Jacob had more
pity for Joseph and he was afraid that what God inspired to him about the
troubles would be in Joseph in special, so he took care of him so much
rather than his brothers, so then when the brothers of Joseph so what Joseph
has of high place for their father, it had been so hard for them and started
to plot for him and said: Joseph and his brother (Benjamin) are more beloved
for our father than us, so kill Joseph or throw him to the ground and you
shall be the interest of your father and you shall become good people after
him, and then they went to their father and said what was told in quran:
O our father! Why wilt thou not trust us with Joseph..etc(Yousof:11), and
his answer to them was: Lo! in truth it saddens me that ye should take
him with you, and I fear less the wolf devour him while ye are heedless
of him(Yousof:13), and the explanation will come later on by God's will.
For Joseph was the most beloved
son to Jacob, his brothers envied him for this, and God did tell their
story in His holy book, and been told by his prophet (PUH) and the story
spread among his nation, and God did take the soul of Jacob in Egypt and
he was one hundred fourty years old, then his son Joseph carried him to
Palestine and buried him there beside Abraham and Isaac, and God also took
the soul of Joseph in Egypt and he was one hundred twenty years old, and
he was put in a tomb made of marble and blocked in lead and then been painted
with paints to protect it from the air and water and then the tomb was
thrown in the Nile towards the city of Manaf, and there lies his mosque
as it was told, and it is mentioned also that Joseph ordered for his body
to be carried out back beside his father Jacob at the mosque of Abraham,
and peace shall be upon our prophet and his Houseold from God, and His
mercy and blessings.
Next: Joseph The Righteous (PUH)