Set me over the storehouses of the land….

Written by abumuaawiyah on April 9, 2025. Posted in History of Islam, Methodology - 'Manhaj', Morals and Manners - 'Akhlaaq', Pearls of Wisdom, Prophets, Purification of The Soul, Scholars of Islam, Worship - 'Ibaadah'.

In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Allah, The Exalted, said:

وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱئْتُونِى بِهِۦ فَلَمَّا جَآءَهُ ٱلرَّسُولُ قَالَ ٱرْجِعْ إِلَىٰ رَبِّكَ فَسْـَٔلْهُ مَا بَالُ ٱلنِّسْوَةِ ٱلَّٰتِى قَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ إِنَّ رَبِّى بِكَيْدِهِنَّ عَلِيمٌ
قَالَ مَا خَطْبُكُنَّ إِذْ رَٰوَدتُّنَّ يُوسُفَ عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ قُلْنَ حَٰشَ لِلَّهِ مَا عَلِمْنَا عَلَيْهِ مِن سُوٓءٍ قَالَتِ ٱمْرَأَتُ ٱلْعَزِيزِ ٱلْـَٰٔنَ حَصْحَصَ ٱلْحَقُّ أَنَا۠ رَٰوَدتُّهُۥ عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّٰدِقِينَ
ذَٰلِكَ لِيَعْلَمَ أَنِّى لَمْ أَخُنْهُ بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى كَيْدَ ٱلْخَآئِنِينَ
وَمَآ أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِىٓ إِنَّ ٱلنَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌۢ بِٱلسُّوٓءِ إِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّىٓ إِنَّ رَبِّى غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱئْتُونِى بِهِۦٓ أَسْتَخْلِصْهُ لِنَفْسِى فَلَمَّا كَلَّمَهُۥ قَالَ إِنَّكَ ٱلْيَوْمَ لَدَيْنَا مَكِينٌ أَمِينٌ
قَالَ ٱجْعَلْنِى عَلَىٰ خَزَآئِنِ ٱلْأَرْضِ إِنِّى حَفِيظٌ عَلِيمٌ
وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ يَتَبَوَّأُ مِنْهَا حَيْثُ يَشَآءُ نُصِيبُ بِرَحْمَتِنَا مَن نَّشَآءُ وَلَا نُضِيعُ أَجْرَ ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ
وَلَأَجْرُ ٱلْءَاخِرَةِ خَيْرٌ لِّلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ وَكَانُوا۟ يَتَّقُونَ

And the king said: “Bring him to me.” But when the messenger came to him, [Yusuf (Joseph)] said: “Return to your lord and ask him, ‘What happened to the women who cut their hands? Surely, my Lord (Allah) is Well-Aware of their plot. (The King) said (to the women): “What was your affair when you did seek to seduce Yusuf (Joseph)?” The women said: “Allah forbid! No evil know we against him!” The wife of Al-‘Aziz said: “Now the truth is manifest (to all), it was I who sought to seduce him, and he is surely of the truthful.” [Then Yusuf (Joseph) said: “I asked for this enquiry] in order that he (Al-‘Aziz) may know that I betrayed him not in secret. And, verily! Allah guides not the plot of the betrayers”. And I (i.e. the wife of the Aziz) free not myself (from the blame). Verily, the (human) self is inclined to evil, except when my Lord bestows His Mercy (upon whom He wills). Verily, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” And the king said: “Bring him (Yusuf) to me that I may attach him to my person.” Then, when he spoke to him, he said: “Verily, this day, you are with us high in rank and fully trusted.” [Yusuf] said: “Set me over the storehouses of the land; I will indeed guard them with full knowledge” (as a minister of finance in Egypt, in place of Al-‘Aziz who was dead at that time). Thus did We give full authority to Yusuf (Joseph) in the land, to take possession therein, as when or where he likes. We bestow of Our Mercy on whom We please, and We make not to be lost the reward of Al-Muhsinun (the good doers). And verily, the reward of the Hereafter is better for those who believe and used to fear Allah and keep their duty to Him (by abstaining from all kinds of sins and evil deeds and by performing all kinds of righteous good deeds). [Surah Yusuf 50-57]

Yusuf Did Not Merely Request For Leadership Nor Asked to Be Selected By The Masses, Rather, He Was Trusted and Brought Close Due to His Piety and Trustworthiness, Thus When Trusted He Requested for Something He Knew That He Could Rectify In The Land

[وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱئْتُونِى بِهِۦٓ أَسْتَخْلِصْهُ لِنَفْسِى فَلَمَّا كَلَّمَهُۥ قَالَ إِنَّكَ ٱلْيَوْمَ لَدَيْنَا مَكِينٌ أَمِينٌ – And the king said: “Bring him (Yusuf) to me that I may attach him to my person.” Then, when he spoke to him, he said: “Verily, this day, you are with us high in rank and fully trusted].

Meaning: Make him one of my special ones, exclusive confidants. [1] Make him one of my inner circle and a trusted advisor. [2] Make him a cherished companion, one whom I hold dear, and bring him to me with the utmost honor and respect. [3]

[قَالَ ٱجْعَلْنِى عَلَىٰ خَزَآئِنِ ٱلْأَرْضِ إِنِّى حَفِيظٌ عَلِيمٌ – (Yusuf) said: “Set me over the storehouses of the land; I will indeed guard them with full knowledge” (as a minister of finance in Egypt, in place of Al-‘Aziz who was dead at that time)].

Az-Zujaj, may Allah have mercy upon him, said: He (Yusuf) requested this because the prophets are sent with justice (to establish justice), thus he knew that there is none with greater ability to do so besides him. [4]

Imam Ash-Shawkani, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated: Yusuf, peace be upon him, requested this in order to spread justice, remove oppression and use it as a means of calling the people of Egypt to Iman and (so that they) abandon the worship of images. [5]

Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymin, may Allah have mercy upon him, said in his explanation of this Ayah that some of the scholars said that Yusuf, peace be upon him, did not request for such a position for his (own benefit); rather, he requested that out of concern for the corruption he observed. [6]

A warning to those who use this to seek authority and asking for votes

The person who pursues authority and attains it will not find assistance. It is well known that holding authority comes with difficulties, so if one does not receive help from Allah, they will become ensnared by it and consequently lose both their worldly life and the afterlife. Hence, a sensible person refrains from seeking authority. However, if they are deserving and it is bestowed upon them without their request, then the truthful and trustworthy [Messenger] has assured them that Allah will assist them. [7]

Abu Hurairah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said, “You people will crave leadership and it will be a thing of regret on the Day of Resurrection. What a nice wet nurse it is, yet how evil is the weaning!” [Al-Bukhari 7148]

“Leadership” includes the Greater leadership, which is the Khilafah, and the smaller one which is the governorship over some countries. This is information given (by the Prophet about something) before its occurrence, and it has occurred as he stated.

“It will be a thing of regret on the Day of Resurrection” for those who did not act by what is obligated regarding it.

“What a nice wet nurse, yet how evil is the weaning”. Ad-Dawudi said, “A nice wet nurse in this worldly life, yet evil in the hereafter as one will be held responsible. It mirrors premature weaning, resulting in ruin (harm)”. Others said, “A nice wet nurse due to the attainment of status, wealth, influence, and the fulfilment of physical and illusory pleasures (that may lead one to be fully distracted by the material world), yet how evil is the weaning when separated from it by death or other means, and the consequences that follow in the hereafter.” [8]

Abu Musa, may Allah be pleased with him, reported: Two men from my tribe and I came to the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him; one of the two men said to the Prophet, “O Allah’s Messenger! Appoint me as a governor,” and so did the second. The Prophet said, “We do not assign the authority of ruling to those who ask for it, nor to those who are eager to have it.” [Al-Bukhaari 7149]

Al-Allamah Rabee Bin Haadee Al-Mad’khalee, may Allah protect him, stated, “What is the extent of religious violations that occur through elections, such as forming alliances with atheist, communist, and innovated parties?! And what are the consequences of such actions on the erosion of true loyalty and disassociation for the sake of Allah?! Additionally, how much money is being spent and embezzled from Muslims under the guise of Islam?! Muslims spend it to bribe those who will vote for them, lying and falling into sin”. [9]

Al-Allamah Salih al-Fawzan, may Allah protect him, stated, “The well-known elections that are conducted in different nations today are not from the Islamic order. These elections are marred by chaos, personal ambitions, greed, and favouritism. They serve as a foundation for bids (campaigns), and misleading assertions”. [10]

Listen here:https://www.salafisounds.com/question-is-it-permissible-for-muslims-living-in-non-muslim-countries-to-vote-answer-by-abu-khadeejah/

Shaikh Abu Khadeejah’s explanation about voting and the opinions of scholars is quite straightforward. However, avoiding actions that could harm our religious integrity doesn’t mean we should disregard the rights of our non-Muslim neighbors. Imam Muhammad Ibn Salih Al-Uthaymin, may Allah have mercy upon him, stated during a tele-link, on the 28th July 2000:

Likewise I invite you to have respect for those people who have the right that they should be respected, from those between you and whom there is and agreement (of protection) [i.e. Non-Muslims]. For the land which you are living is such that there is an agreement between you and them. If this were not the case they would have killed you or expelled you. So preserve this agreement, and do not prove treacherous to it, since treachery is a sign of the hypocrites, and it is not from the way of the Believers.

And know that it is authentically reported from the Prophet that he said : “Whoever kills one who is under and agreement of protection will not smell the fragrance of Paradise.”

Do not be fooled by those sayings of the foolish people : those who say : ‘Those people are Non-Muslims, so their wealth is lawful for us [i.e. to misappropriate or take by way of murder and killing].’ For by Allah – this is a lie. A lie about Allah’s Religion, and a lie in Islamic societies. So we may not say that it is lawful to be treacherous towards people whom we have an agreement with.

O my brothers. O youth. O Muslims. Be truthful in your buying and selling, and renting, and leasing, and in all mutual transactions. Because truthfulness is from the characteristics of the Believers, and Allah – the Most High – has commanded truthfulness – in the saying of Allah – the Most High – “O you who believe – fear and keep you duty to Allah and be with the truthful”.

And the Prophet encouraged truthfulness and said : “Adhere to truthfulness, because truthfulness leads to goodness, and goodness leads to Paradise; and a person will continue to be truthful, and strive to be truthful until he will be written down with Allah as a truthful person“.

And he warned against falsehood, and said : “Beware of falsehood, because falsehood leads to wickedness, and wickedness leads to the Fire. And a person will continue lying, and striving to lie until he is written down with Allah as a great liar.”

O my brother Muslims. O youth. Be true in your sayings with your brothers, and with those Non-Muslims whom you live along with – so that you will be inviters to the Religion of Islam, by your actions and in reality. So how many people there are who first entered into Islam because of the behaviour and manners of the Muslims, and their truthfulness, and their being true in their dealings. [11]

Set me over the storehouses of the land….

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