Why You Shouldn’t Tell People about Your Plans & Dreams? By Mufti Menk

Summary

The video script discusses the stories of previous prophets as a source of comfort and strength for Prophet Muhammad, highlighting the challenges they faced. It delves into Surah Yusuf, emphasizing the significance of dreams, the importance of discretion, and the lessons from Prophet Yusuf's (Joseph's) life, including jealousy among siblings, false accusations, and the ultimate triumph of good. The script also touches on the roles of family members, the dangers of mixing roles, and the importance of controlling one's gaze. The overarching theme is the timeless wisdom and guidance found in these stories.

Takeaways

• 📖 The stories of previous prophets serve as a source of comfort and strength for Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), showing that earlier messengers faced similar challenges.
• ⚠️ The deeds that led to the destruction of previous nations will have the same result if repeated today, emphasizing the importance of learning from past mistakes.
• 🌙 Surah Yusuf is highlighted as one of the most beautiful chapters of the Quran, directly affecting many lives through its powerful lessons.
• 🤫 The advice to be discreet about good news and plans to avoid jealousy and negative influences is emphasized.
• 👀 The story of Yusuf (Joseph) being thrown into a pit by his jealous brothers and later becoming a minister in Egypt teaches that wrongful acts will be ultimately rectified by Allah.
• 🏠 The metaphor of the sun, moon, and stars in Yusuf's dream represents the roles of a father, mother, and children in a family, highlighting their respective qualities and responsibilities.
• 💔 The destructive nature of jealousy within families is illustrated through the story of Yusuf and his brothers.
• 👔 A warning against making inappropriate advances, especially in the workplace, is drawn from the incident involving Yusuf and the wife of the Egyptian minister.
• 👐 The example of false accusations and the eventual clearing of one's name, as seen in Yusuf's story, assures that truth will prevail.
• 💡 Mixing roles within a family leads to chaos, similar to an eclipse, and it's important for each member to fulfill their designated responsibilities to maintain harmony.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of mentioning the stories of previous prophets in the script?

The main purpose is to provide comfort and strength to Prophet Muhammad (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) by showing that previous messengers faced similar challenges.

What lesson can be learned from the example of mixing petrol with firewood?

The lesson is that actions which led to destruction in the past will have the same destructive outcomes if repeated in the future.

Why is Surah Yusuf considered one of the most beautiful surahs?

Surah Yusuf is considered one of the most beautiful surahs because it relates the best of stories, affecting almost everyone's life directly or indirectly.

What advice does Yaqub (AS) give to his son Yusuf (AS) about sharing his dream?

Yaqub (AS) advises Yusuf (AS) not to share his dream with his brothers to avoid their jealousy and potential plotting against him.

What is the significance of keeping certain plans and successes private according to the script?

The significance is to protect oneself from envy and the evil eye, as sharing too much information can lead to jealousy and negative consequences.

What does the story of Yusuf (AS) teach about handling accusations and false allegations?

The story teaches that those who are falsely accused will have the opportunity to clear their names, either in this life or the hereafter.

What lesson can be learned from Yusuf (AS)'s refusal to succumb to the advances of the minister's wife?

The lesson is to maintain integrity and avoid haram (forbidden) sexual advances, especially in the workplace, as it can lead to significant consequences.

What does the script suggest about the relationship between barakah (blessing) in wealth and avoiding sins?

The script suggests that avoiding sins and haram activities can bring barakah in wealth, making it last longer and be more fulfilling.

How did Yusuf (AS) handle the jealousy and plotting of his brothers?

Yusuf (AS) maintained patience and trust in Allah, eventually forgiving his brothers and reuniting with them in a position of honor and authority.

What analogy does the script use to describe the roles of fathers and mothers in a family?

The script uses the analogy of the sun and moon, where the father is like the sun providing security and sustenance, and the mother is like the moon reflecting the father's light and providing beauty and care.

Outlines

00:00

📖 Comfort from Stories of Prophets

This paragraph discusses how the stories of previous prophets serve as a source of comfort and strength for Muhammad (peace be upon him), reminding him that other messengers faced similar challenges. It emphasizes the importance of learning from past nations' mistakes to avoid repeating them and highlights the valuable lessons that can be drawn from these narratives.

05:00

🛡️ Protecting Against Envy

This paragraph focuses on the dangers of envy and the evil eye, advising caution in sharing good news. It suggests that people should be discreet about their successes to avoid provoking jealousy. The example of Prophet Yaqub (peace be upon him) instructing his son Yusuf (peace be upon him) to keep his dream secret from his brothers is highlighted, along with the importance of seeking protection through prayers like 'Masha'Allah'.

10:02

🕊️ Handling Temptation and False Accusations

This paragraph delves into the story of Yusuf (peace be upon him) and the challenges he faced, including being falsely accused by the minister's wife in Egypt. It emphasizes the importance of maintaining integrity and avoiding sinful behavior, particularly in professional settings. The narrative illustrates how Allah's protection and eventual justice can prevail, even when one is wrongfully accused.

15:04

🌞🌙 Parental Roles and Family Dynamics

This paragraph explains the symbolic representation of the sun, moon, and stars in Yusuf's (peace be upon him) dream. It compares the qualities of the sun to a father's role, the moon to a mother's role, and the stars to children. It underscores the importance of maintaining these roles to ensure family harmony and warns against role confusion, which can lead to familial and societal chaos.

Keywords

💡Prophets

The prophets mentioned in the script refer to the messengers of God, who were sent to guide people according to divine teachings. The video emphasizes how the stories of these prophets serve as a source of comfort and strength for Prophet Muhammad, indicating that the struggles he faces are not unique and have been experienced by his predecessors.

💡Comfort

Comfort in the video refers to the solace and strength provided to Prophet Muhammad through the stories of previous prophets. These narratives help him understand that the difficulties he faces were also faced by past messengers, reinforcing his resilience and patience.

💡Surah Yusuf

Surah Yusuf, a chapter in the Quran, is highlighted as one of the most beautiful surahs, containing the story of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph). This story is considered the best due to its universal lessons and profound impact on people's lives, illustrating themes of patience, trust in God, and eventual triumph over adversity.

💡Dreams

Dreams play a significant role in Surah Yusuf, with the narrative beginning and ending with dreams and their interpretations. Prophet Yusuf's dream of eleven stars, the sun, and the moon bowing to him symbolizes future events and divine messages, showing how dreams can convey important spiritual truths.

💡Jealousy

Jealousy is depicted through the actions of Yusuf's brothers, who plot against him due to their envy. The video underscores the destructive nature of jealousy, warning against harboring such feelings and highlighting the importance of managing envy to prevent harmful actions.

💡Evil Eye

The evil eye is a concept where someone's envy can cause harm to another. The video mentions how Prophet Yaqub (Jacob) was concerned about the evil eye affecting his sons. This reflects a belief in the tangible effects of envy and the need to be cautious about revealing good fortune.

💡Deception

Deception is a recurring theme in the video, exemplified by the actions of Yusuf's brothers who deceive their father by faking Yusuf's death. It also highlights the broader human tendency towards deceit and the moral and spiritual lessons learned from such actions.

💡Sexual Advances

The video discusses the inappropriate sexual advances made by the wife of the Egyptian minister towards Prophet Yusuf. This highlights the moral lesson of resisting temptation and maintaining integrity, regardless of the circumstances or pressures one might face.

💡Trust in God

Trust in God is a central theme in Surah Yusuf, as demonstrated by Prophet Yusuf's unwavering faith despite his trials. His story shows that maintaining trust in God through hardships can lead to eventual relief and success, reinforcing the importance of faith in one's life.

💡Family Dynamics

Family dynamics are explored through the relationships between Yusuf, his brothers, and their father. The video illustrates how envy and deceit can disrupt familial harmony, but also how repentance and forgiveness can eventually restore it, offering lessons on maintaining healthy family relationships.

Highlights

The stories of previous prophets serve as a point of comfort and strengthening for Prophet Muhammad, emphasizing that they went through similar problems.

The mention of past stories in the Quran is to strengthen the heart of Prophet Muhammad, showing that those before him faced similar challenges.

The lesson from past nations: if their deeds resulted in destruction, similar deeds in the present will lead to similar outcomes.

Surah Yusuf is highlighted as one of the most beautiful surahs in the Quran, directly or indirectly affecting almost everyone's life.

The surah starts with a dream and ends with its interpretation, with another dream and its interpretation in the middle.

Prophet Yaqub's advice to Yusuf about not sharing his good news with his brothers to avoid their jealousy teaches discretion and caution.

It is not necessary to inform everyone about one's plans or achievements, especially if it might invite jealousy or the evil eye.

The surah teaches the reality and potential harm of the evil eye and the importance of seeking protection from it.

Jealousy among Prophet Yaqub's children led them to plot against their brother Yusuf, showing the destructive potential of envy even among close family.

Yusuf's experience in the well and being sold as merchandise teaches about the unpredictability of life's trials and the resilience needed to overcome them.

The story of the minister's wife making sexual advances towards Yusuf teaches the importance of resisting immoral advances and maintaining integrity.

Yusuf's refusal to yield to the minister's wife's advances and his subsequent imprisonment illustrate the virtue of patience and righteousness.

Yusuf's rise from prisoner to minister highlights the theme of divine justice and the eventual reward for patience and righteousness.

The reconciliation and forgiveness between Yusuf and his brothers demonstrate the power of forgiveness and the restoration of family bonds.

The interpretation of dreams in the surah underscores the importance of understanding and interpreting divine messages correctly.

The analogy of the sun, moon, and stars representing the family structure in Yusuf's dream provides a profound lesson on the roles and relationships within a family.

The surah teaches the importance of maintaining clear and distinct roles within a family to avoid confusion and chaos.

The concept of 'social eclipse' when family roles are mixed up is a powerful metaphor for understanding the balance and harmony needed in family dynamics.

Transcripts

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that you see

these stories that we are mentioning of

the previous prophets for you o muhammad

sallallahu

alaihi wasallam it is a point of comfort

it is a point of strengthening for you

so that you know that your brethren the

messengers who are before you

they went through similar problems just

like you are facing today

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we have mentioned the stories of those

before you oh muhammad sallam

it is there so that your heart can be

strengthened as a point of comfort for

you

knowing that those before you have also

been through similar to what you are

going through

may allah in the same way that he has

granted a lesson for muhammad sallallahu

alaihi wasallam and the point of comfort

may he give us also lessons by reading

the stories of the past nations

seeing what they were involved in and

they were destroyed you know

if petrol mixed with

firewood makes a huge flame

or it made a huge flame last year

do we think that 10 years down the line

the one who mixes that petrol

with the same firewood will not get a

huge flame

that is being upset so if two things put

together

resulted in a huge inferno the same two

things put together a hundred years

later

will result in the same inferno the same

applies

if deeds of the previous nations

resulted in their destruction do you

think if we

engage in the same deeds it will not

result in our destruction

allahu akbar think about that example

then allah commences one of the

most beautiful surahs in the world or in

the quran

one of the most beautiful surahs that

have ever been mentioned on this globe

or in creation

we are now relating to you the best of

stories why the best of stories

why because almost everyone's life is

directly or indirectly affected by surah

yusuf

let's start drawing examples allah

starts off with a dream and he ends with

the interpretation of that dream

and in the middle there is another dream

that is mentioned and its interpretation

is also there

so the dream is is

i have seen 11 stars the sun and the

moon prostrate to me

that was good news the father was

he knew that this is some goodness this

means allah will gather

us all together one day but he did not

tell that to his son

rather he told his son knowing that this

is a great gift

don't relate this good news to your

brothers

because they might plan and plot against

you they might become jealous

of you what do we learn from this those

were the children of a nabi

and something good he told his son don't

tell the others

when something good happens to us

we don't even have to tell our family

members sometime

until we've achieved something sometimes

we're planning to go somewhere

who says that you have to inform

everyone no it depends on how important

that

journey is you don't have to always

inform everyone

of your next move you don't have to tell

them about your business deals

you don't have to tell them about

anything

you should seek assistance in fulfilling

your

needs by being secretive to a certain

extent

you don't have to tell everyone

everything because shaytan is bad

they might be good

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is an outright clear enemy against man

so

even if a person does not want to be

jealous you find that sometimes

shaytan puts in a spear an arrow

interferes and makes a person jealous

may allah not make us jealous when a

person has a child for example a little

baby

for those who are newly married who have

children alhamdulillah

if the baby sleeps all night you don't

have to tell the whole world you know

what that baby mashallah sleeps all

night

from that night on the baby might not

sleep because i'm and the evil eye

might attack that baby you can say look

that's a normal child you know they

sleep you know how children sleep so you

haven't lied

alhamdulillah at the same time when it

when something good happens

you don't have to tell everyone and if

you tell them make sure they say

masha'allah

in front of you don't be shy to say say

masha'allah let them say

so what alhamdulillah we will save

ourselves in fact even in the surah we

will see how yaakov

salatu was worried about the evil eye

befalling the fact

that he had children huge beautiful

handsome children all walking together

united

he didn't want people to see that so

when they were entering egypt later on

he told him enter separately why

so that people can't affect you with the

evil eye allahu akbar the evil eye is

true the hadith says

it is true it can affect a person may

allah protect us but remember one thing

not every sickness that you have is the

evil eye sometimes everything we have

people say you know someone did magic on

me man

you know i i don't understand that

someone is jealous of me man

sometimes it's just a health ailment

maybe you've eaten a bit too fast and

some

gastric movements in the stomach and you

think there is jado or you think there

is

a little bit of magic that someone has

engaged in may allah protect us

a little bit of enos will do the trick

inshallah

so allah subhanahu wa is informing us

here in surah yusuf that we need to know

who to talk to and how to talk what to

tell who to tell

then this nabi had these children and

these children subhanallah

they were the children of the ambiya

nabiya

salaam do you think he gave them an

upbringing that was anything less than

perfect

oh it was a perfect upbringing but on

top of that

they planned to kill their brother

imagine that means sometimes jealousy

levels which between brothers and family

and blood

can get to the point of wanting to to

eliminate someone may allah protect us

it is haram it is prohibited so one of

the older brothers felt a little bit

you know a little bit remorseful and he

felt a bit shy he says

don't kill him throw him into a pit and

someone will pick

him up and maybe they'll take him to

afar of land so what they did is they

hatched the plan they went to their

father

they told their father that

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what's wrong with you they're telling

their father why don't you release

release him with us tomorrow and we will

go we will graze the

flock and so on we will play and we will

come back you know what the father says

i fear if i send him with you it will

make me sad number one

because he will be away from me you'll

take him for the whole day and there is

a possibility that whilst you're not

watching

a wolf might eat him they used the same

plan they took him

they released him into that pit and they

came back with the false blood on a

shirt

and they said you know what a wolf ate

him whilst we weren't watching

imagine the same thing the father

suggested

they took it up and they actually came

back with the same words how many of us

are fooled by our children sometimes

it's there is a possibility if a nabi

could be told that by his own children

do you think our children don't lie to

us

they come to us from madrasa later on in

the afternoon and say you know what

today that sheikh that imam the teacher

he did this and that we roll our sleeves

and we want to beat up that imam

by believing a child five years old

imagine

yet we don't realize that that could be

a lie go out

defend the teacher say look if that's

what he did that's your teacher why did

you engage in something bad

may allah protect us all there's so many

examples that we could actually give but

let's move on

then allah tells us that he was thrown

into this

bit and they picked him up when they

picked him up what does allah say

they regarded him as merchandise and

they said no this we'll make money out

of this

you know sometimes when we pick up lost

property what do we do very valuable

you pick up a blank check it tells you a

million rands what do you do

very tempting

from amongst those who can hand it back

you know what happens sometimes like

what we read in the newspapers

in countries like these you find you

hand back a large amount of money to the

cop shop to the policeman

sometimes it disappears from there but

don't worry so long as you didn't steal

it may allah subhanahu wa

safeguard us so the same applies here

these people

what do we learn from them they looked

at an innocent boy

very handsome man they said no we'll

make money out of this come bring him

into this they sold him at the next

market

someone bought him a very wealthy man

bought him and in a nutshell what had

happened

the wife of this minister of egypt had

an evil intention when she saw this

handsome man handsome yusuf alayhi

salatu wasalam

she says you know what he's a worker for

us he works for us

let me advance sexually how many of us

are guilty of making sexual advances at

the workplace let's be honest

this lesson comes from surah yusuf

whether it is male or female is besides

the point the lesson is

don't ever make sexual advances that are

haram especially at the workplace

if someone is working for you and don't

think that this person here is actually

under me so let me try my luck allahu

akbar may allah say

look at the example who would have

guessed that we learned this from the

surah

so surah yusuf the nabi of allah was

actually

someone attempted to lure him

and allah protected him and thereafter

this lady became so upset

so angry that then the people the other

ladies

obviously everyone speaks about that

lady because she is the minister's wife

she's supposed to have been a role model

for everyone the other ladies began to

speak and they said you know

this lady here she actually wants to do

something with her own workers

imagine allah protect us all

so she said let me fix these ladies they

don't know how handsome this man is

so she prepared a little sitting for

them and gave each one of them an apple

with a knife

a fruit with a knife and she told you

was salaam because he was a worker he

had to obey the instructions i want you

to pass from here when they're all

seated

as he passed they were so engrossed in

looking that they cut their hands

allahu akbar imagine how handsome he

must have been they were so engrossed in

looking

that they cut their hands and they said

mahadabashara

this is no ordinary human being this is

an angel this is an angel allahu akbar

what do we learn from this

let's draw a jewel from it we learn from

it that whenever

our eyes and our gaze is not controlled

and we happen to look at the opposite

sex more than what we are allowed

in that case it will result in

destruction of one way or another

let me give you an example sometimes

you're driving your motor vehicle

and someone happens to pass quite good

looking and you turn

you might bump the car in front of you

it can happen why

it's similar to cutting the hand it will

cause bodily harm material harm it will

cause lots of harm

it's a fact sometimes if you engage in

an

act you might end up with a huge disease

may allah subhanahu wa

safeguard us so this is a lesson to say

anyone who wants to follow that path

there is destruction coming your way do

you know that we are taught by

rasulullah

that when you have wealth a salary at

the end of the month or wealth

and there is no barakah in it no barakah

at all ask yourself

you probably engaged in a sin you're

probably oiling some of your bad habits

maybe casino maybe gambling maybe

drinking maybe nightclubs maybe drugs

maybe a woman maybe someone of the

opposite sex you need to pay money

you need to look after someone more than

what allah has shouldered upon you

how can they be barakah in your wealth

so if you find your money is running

away quickly

leave the sins and you will find that

500 will last the whole month

you'll still have 450 inshallah may

allah grant us baraka in our wealth

this is a very important lesson we learn

from in sura yusuf as well

so from the jail term he was made a

minister

and he was given a chance to cleanse

himself because he refused to become the

minister until

he was allowed to ask the ladies a

question who was guilty me or you

and they actually had to confess to say

you know what we were the guilty ones

you were innocent

so whoever is accused falsely allah will

give you the opportunity to clarify your

name

one day inshallah if not today then in

the

thereafter allah wa'ta'ala speaks about

how the brothers had come to him begging

him

begging him for food now look

what lesson do we learn from this those

who plan the downfall of others

allah subhanahu wa ta'ala will drop them

lower than those whom they are planning

the downfall of

to the degree that one day they might

come begging to the same person

that they had planned and plotted

against at some point

so two lessons one is we should not plan

and plot against someone else leave it

to allah

and two is when someone plans and plots

against us don't stress

don't grieve the story of use of allah

is there as an example for myself and

yourselves

so alhamdulillah when they came a long

story occurred

and thereafter it resulted in them being

united with

the whole family and there are many

stories in fact use

yakub had lost his eyesight and yusuf

alayhi salaam says

take my shirt and go and drop it go and

give it to my father his sight will come

back thereafter allah speaks about how

the parents came together and everyone

came together and then the statement was

made

by yusuf

[Applause]

oh my father this is the interpretation

of the dream that i had in the very

beginning

of the sun the moon and the eleven stars

so the sun was depicting the father of

the house

the moon was depicting the mother of the

house and we've got to listen to this

carefully

and the stars were depicting the 11

children if you take a look at the

qualities of the sun

strong powerful it shines everyone feels

secure in the presence of the sun we go

out we work we earn sustenance we come

back

we feel so secure that is those are the

qualities of the sun

every father in every home needs to have

the qualities

that the sun outside has he needs to

present give the warmth in the house the

sense of security bring in the

sustenance

make everyone feel secure and make them

feel

well don't we feel so good when the sun

is out we run around

without any fear alhamdulillah those are

the qualities that allah has kept in the

sun they are supposed to be in every

successful father

of every home the moon beautiful you can

look at it mashallah you can admire it

the moon the light of the moon is solely

derived from the sun

do we know that the brighter the sun the

more you see of the moon

so allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has kept

the example of the moon the example of

the successful mother in the house the

stars who are the children you don't see

them during the daylight

if you look at the sun you won't be able

to see it directly

you will probably need some glasses that

is the respect of the father in the

house not to say we shouldn't look at

him but we respect him

but when the moon is out the stars are

twinkling masha'allah

it shows the closeness of relation

between the children and the mother

alhamdulillah let's try and understand

this example it's a very deep example

and allah subhanahu wa'ta'ala is telling

us successful mothers

amazingly they should be having the

qualities of the moon

can i give you one more jewel that we

extract

the moon goes through a 28-day cycle

precisely some days it's not there some

days it's there

the same applies to a woman she goes

through a 28-day cycle

some days she's there some days she's

not there may allah grant us the true

understanding

when allah gives an example it is a

perfect example that fits

and if we think that it is not a perfect

example we need to revisit our intellect

because the creator cannot make a

mistake

the stars alhamdulillah we've seen now

let me tell you and we want to end with

this inshallah i might mention one verse

of surat

seeing that i've taken a little bit more

time because it's an interesting surah

today

very interesting allah subhanahu wa

gives us yet another example when we mix

the roles when father wants to play role

of mother and mother wants to play a

role of father

what happens there is chaos and

confusion they are fighting the children

lose the most

don't we agree the children suffer the

most because these two have now confused

their roles

so when the sun goes into the place of

the moon the moon goes into the place of

the sun

we have an eclipse where you can see

neither of them

amazing and what happens the stars are

nowhere to be seen when there is an

eclipse the same way

when we mix up our roles that allah has

given us

we have what is known as a social

eclipse chaos in the house

allahu akbar may allah save us from that

sign of qiyamah

in the same way that an eclipse is a

sign of qiyamah we are supposed to be

engaging in salah and still

when the eclipse is there outside when

there is a social eclipse in the house

that is also a sign of qiyamah we need

to be engaging in istighfar and tawba

and salah

until the condition returns to normal

that is surah yusuf may allah subhanahu

wa

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you