Assalamualaikum
wbt.
Last week, my Naqibah shared her
favorite surah in the al-Quran which is Surah Yusuf. This surah is unique as
the verses in this surah were arranged chronically and beautifully about the Prophet
Yusuf from the moment when his brothers threw him into the bottom of the well,
being seduced by an upper class woman until he became a person who is highly
trusted by the King of Egypt. Allah described him as a handsome man in the
Quran but people attract to his manners more than his face. However, we are not
going to discuss about the whole verses, instead we focus on one simple but has
deep meaning verse which is
[Joseph] said,
“Appoint me over the storehouses of the land. Indeed, I will be a knowing
guardian.” (12:55)
This is one of the Prophet Yusuf’s
character that Allah mentioned in the Quran for us to learn which is know your
strength. When the King of Egypt wanted to appoint him to a higher position,
Prophet Yusuf volunteered himself to guard the storehouses of the land. After
that, he is known among the Egyptians as a fair and knowing guardian. He is
actually using his strength to benefit other people instead using it to
accumulate his wealth for his own. He is able to be corrupted and take the
properties inside the storehouses because he is the guardian. But he didn’t.
This story reminds me to one of the hadith about people are like gold and
silver.
Abu Hurayrah
(radi Allahu anhu) reported: I heard Messenger of Allah (S.A.W) saying, “People
are like gold and silver; those who were best in Jahiliyyah (Pre-Islamic Period
of Ignorance) are best in Islam, if they have religious understanding; and the
souls are like recruited soldiers, they get mixed up with those similar with
them in qualities and oppose and drift away from those who do not share their
qualities.” [Sahih Muslim]
Well, generally we know that metals
differ from each other. Some of them are precious and others worthless. People
are like gold and silver, both of them are precious metals. There are times
when gold is a better investment, and there are times when silver is a better
investment. Based on this hadith, Rasulullah S.A.W said the person who was the
best and high skill before converting into Islam, if he has strong religious
understanding, Allah S.W.T will increase his prestige and there will be no
reduction with his status.
So, how to find our own metal? Do we
have to create it? Do we have to chase for it? I believe some people are born
with it, some people got it from their family, and some people struggle so hard
to get it. For example, a person that has talent to paint beautiful pictures
use his talent as his strength to deliver his meaningful message to the other
people via his painting. Or a person who was born in a rich family uses his
wealth as his strength to contribute for many charity organizations. Last
example, a medical student that study day and night sacrificing his youth not
like others. He uses his medical knowledge that he gain through blood and
sweat, work more than 10 hours a day to save people’s life as a doctor.
Allah doesn’t create His creature
without purposes. Even a worm and a fly has their purposes in life cycle.
Prophet Yusuf volunteered himself to go to jail after being accused seducing
the wife of King Egypt even he was not guilty. He was blessed by Allah S.W.T to
be able to interpret dreams and life in prisons gave so much meaning to him.
Allah created every different episodes in our life so that we can discover our
metal. A metal that will help to conduct kindness, malleable to all kind of
challenges and stay solid to one true faith. Find your metal, chase it and work
hard for it. You want to be gold or silver, it’s up to you!
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