Tests from Al Latif
We are fortunate to witness Ramadan again. It feels like yesterday we were last here; the days run very quickly. May Allah enable us to recognise His favours by being grateful to Him and by Him not taking them away.
Lessons from Surah Yusuf
There are many lessons to learn from Surah Yusuf – with the main one of course being Prophet Yusuf’s (peace be on him) story, the longest continuous story in the Quran. We are all familiar with his story: being thrown in the well by his brothers due to their jealousy, then them claiming to their father that a wolf had eaten him.
There is discussion among scholars of how old Yusuf (peace be on him) was when he was thrown in the well. Most say he was around 10-12 years old. Some say 17, but I doubt this as he would have been stronger and more able to fight his brothers or climb out of the well.
The most righteous people have the biggest tests
The story continues with Yusuf (peace be on him) being sold into slavery, and in the end Allah eventually rewarded him for his taqwa with a very special position. But before getting that position, Yusuf (peace be on him) was tested to the extreme. He went to prison, most likely for around 7-8 years, though we don’t know the exact number.
We know he spent a long time in prison, and eventually Allah sent two people there to ask him about some dreams. The interpretation of dreams that Allah taught Yusuf (peace be on him) was his way out. Ironically it was also what got him into trouble in the first place, with his first dream at the start of the surah:
يَـٰٓأَبَتِ إِنِّى رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًۭا وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِى سَـٰجِدِينَ
Yusuf said to his father, “My father, I saw (in dream) eleven stars and the Sun and the Moon; I saw them all fallen prostrate before me.’’ [12:4]
His father told him not to tell anyone else about this, but his brothers were probably spying or trying to see what he was talking about with their father, and ended up wanting to get rid of him because of this.
In the midst of Yusuf (peace be on him)’s test, he interpreted dreams for these two men who were with him in prison, and one of them later came back to ask him to interpret the dream of the king. The rest of the story is well known, but let’s pause on the test. Of course, Yusuf (peace be on him) was a prophet of Allah, as was his father, but even prophets are tested. In fact, they are tested the most. This is the core of the story.
Don’t think that you are immune to tests because you do salah and siyam. The opposite: because you’re doing good deeds, you will be tested. This is to improve your imaan and show you the qualities you have, as well as gaps and flaws to work on and improve.
Allah is al-Latif
Towards the end of the story, Yusuf tells his father that:
إِنَّ رَبِّى لَطِيفٌۭ لِّمَا يَشَآءُ
Indeed my Lord is subtle in fulfilling what He wills. [12:100]
He uses Allah’s name al-Latif, the Most Kind and Subtle. It means that the subtlety of His kindness comes from places you never expect. Yusuf (peace be on him) never expected to get out of prison because of a dream, he thought his innocence would be proven – but no, Allah works in His own ways. And this name is not just applicable for Yusuf, but for all of us. Whenever you go through any difficulties, call upon al-Latif.
There is even a poem called al-Latifiyya, which is filled with the name of al-Latif. Whether you are going through difficulties or not, the name gives your heart peace and your family and home peace.
May Allah with His kindness forgive all of us our sins and make this the best Ramadan we have ever witnessed.
Ramadan 2026 – Night 1
Delivered by Shaykh Haytham Tamim
Transcribed by Hana Khan