Islamic Foklore The Wolf of Prophet Joseph Yusuf

Book excerpt: Prophet Yaqub also known as Jacob, is a prophet in Islam who is mentioned in the Qur'an. He is acknowledged as a patriarch of Islam. Muslims believe that he preached the same monotheistic faith as did his forefathers: Ibrahim, Ishaq and Ismail. Yaʿqūb is mentioned 16 times in the Qur'an. In the majority of these references, Jacob is mentioned alongside fellow Hebrew prophets and patriarchs as an ancient and pious prophet who remained in the "company of the elect". Muslims hold that Jacob was the son of Isaac and that he preached the Oneness of God throughout his life. As in Christianity and Judaism, Islam holds that Prophet Jacob had twelve sons, each of which would go on to father the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Jacob plays a significant role in the story of his son, Joseph, and is referenced around twenty-five times throughout the narrative. The Qur'an further makes it clear that God made a covenant with Jacob and Jacob was made a faithful leader by God's command. Prophet Joseph or Yusuf ibn Yaqub is an Islamic prophet found in the Qurʾān, the scripture of Islam, and corresponds to Joseph (son of Jacob), a character from the Jewish religious scripture, the Tanakh, and the Christian Bible. It is one of the common names in the Middle East and among Muslim nations. Of all of Jacob's children, Joseph was the one given the gift of prophecy. Although the narratives of other prophets are mentioned in various suras, the complete narrative of Joseph is given only in one sura, Yusuf, making it unique. It is said to be the most detailed narrative in the Qur'an and bears more details than the Biblical counterpart. Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) is believed to have been the eleventh son of Jacob (Yaʿqūb), and, according to many scholars, was his favorite. According to Ibn Kathir, “Prophet Jacob (Yaqub) had twelve sons who were the eponymous ancestors of the tribes of the Israelites. The most noble, the most exalted, the greatest of them was Joseph." The story begins with Joseph revealing a dream to his father, which Jacob recognizes as a vision. {He [Ya'qub (Jacob)] said, 'Truly, it saddens me that you should take him away. I fear lest a wolf should devour him, while you are careless of him.' They said, 'If a wolf devours him, while we are 'Usbah (a strong group) (to guard him), then surely, we are the losers.’} (Quran Yusuf (Joseph): 13-14) Perhaps you do not know, but the life of a wolf is not an easy one. Just because we wolves have long, sharp fangs and deadly claws, does not mean that we always get what we want. That is just a part of being a wolf. All creatures have fangs and claws just like us. But in some cases their fangs and claws are hidden behind a sweet smile. Often, people take such a smile to heart and attack the fangs and claws as they are clear to the eye. I am often a target for humans. You know, they often persecute me. They say bad things about me and my kind. Humans say that a wolf has no morals! And when they speak of the evil one from their own kind, they call him "A wolf!" This is an insult to us wolves. The human, who is called a "wolf' is often accused of having girl friends but the wolf is a stable and family minded creature. In fact, other species of animals envy our cozy family life and emotional stability. I do not want to speak so much about myself. I am telling you these things because I feel really angry. I suffer because of the injustice of this world and I hate to find myself in a situation where I am being oppressive. But I also dislike to be in the situation where a human being uses his intelligence to oppress us wolves. I am an oppressed wolf. "Yusuf’s wolf!" Yes, that is what they call me. This is the name that made me famous throughout history. But I swear that I did not see Prophet Yusuf (Joseshp) even once in my life. I did not see him, eat him, rip his clothes or even come close to him. It was simply a tragedy from beginning to end....