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

Allah, The Most High, said:

وَلَا يَحِيقُ الْمَكْرُ السَّيِّئُ إِلَّا بِأَهْلِهِ ۚ

But the evil plot encompasses only him who makes it. [Fatir 43]

We ask Allah for Ikhlas and Sidq when dealing with everyone, especially when dealing with the people of Taqwah, lest we are afflicted by what our own hands devise.

والله المستعان

The text we are about to quote was shared with me by one of our younger teachers in the Maraakiz, may Allah protect him and all of us. The quote is from “Ighatha Al-Lahfan 2/833” onwards By Imam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy upon him.

ليس في قصة يوسف عليه السلام شبهة، فضلا عن الحجة لأرباب الحيل.

فإنا إنما تكلمنا في الحيل التي يفعلها العبد، وحكمها في الإباحة والتحريم، لا فيما يكيد الله سبحانه وتعالى لعبده، بل في قصة يوسف عليه  السلام تنبيه على أن من كاد غيره كيدًا مُحَرَّمًا فإن الله سبحانه وتعالى لابد أن يكيده، وأنه لا بد أن يكيد للمظلوم إذا صبر على كيد كائده، وتلطف به، فالمؤمن المتوكل على الله إذا كاده الخلق فإن الله تعالى يكيد له، وينتصر له، بغير حول منه ولا قوة.

Paraphrasing: There is no Shubha (1) in the story of Yusuf, peace be upon him, let alone a (justification) for those who employ trickery, but rather we are speaking about the trickery that a servant (of Allah) does (commits, employs) and its rulings regarding permissibility and prohibition, and not what Allah, Glorified be He, free from all imperfections, the Most High, plans for His servant,  but in fact in the story of Yusuf, peace be upon him, there is a (cautionary) notification that whoever plots against another with a forbidden plot, then indeed, Allah, Glorified be He, free from all imperfections, the Most High, will surely plan against him. And that (certainly) Allah will plan for the oppressed one if he exercises patience in facing the plot of the plotter against him and shows him kindness. (This is) because the believer – who relies on Allah – when plotted against by the people, then indeed, Allah, The Most High, will plan for him and aids (grants him victory, or the upper hand) without any might or power on his part.

(1) Shubhah: Meaning a doubtful matter, something ambiguous; or something made to resemble the truth but it is falsehood in reality. It is usually employed to establish dubious views or as an excuse to enter into something unlawful or blameworthy, or something mixed up to the extent that its truth and falsehood cannot be immediately distinguished. Its different angles can be found in the definitions. [Refer to “Lisan Al-Arab 13/503”. “Al-Hawi 13/467” by Al-Mawardee. “Al-Qawa’id Al-Kubra” by Al-Iz Bin Abdus Salaam 2/109-110]

We ask Allah:

اللهمَّ كما حسَّنتَ خَلقي فحسِّنْ خُلُقي

“O Allah! Just as you have made my external form beautiful, make my character beautiful”.