One of the Jewish prayers says: “Ah, what is man that you should keep him in mind, the son of man that you care for him. Yet you have made him little less than a God you have crowned him with glory and splendour” (Psalm 8:4-5).

Each human life indeed, is meaningful and precious in God’s eyes. Life matters. The tragedy of life today is that human beings have lost sense of the divine. This gives rise to various crimes, wars and killing happening almost every day in different corners of our planet as depicted in media headlines. If only we would rediscover the dignity and value of human life through the lens of our Creator, our world would have been a paradise where the sound of weapons and bombs of all kinds are not heard. But only the sound of peaceful music and cheerful dance!

In one of his books, Anselm Grün says: “God wants to pronounce something into this world that He can only make known by me, as I have been made and have become. Each human person is unique. He or she is an image of that which God desired for him or her. And my calling is to allow that unique particular image of God to shine forth in this world” [1]. 

The story of Joseph is quite enriching and embarrassing at the same time. It is related in such a way that it captures the attention of everyone who is interested in learning about the meaning of life and the truth contained in the dreams. The main personage in this story is Joseph, the son of Jacob. It is worth noting that the Qur’an recognizes both Joseph and Jacob as Prophets. However, the focus of my reflection is on the role played by the shirt of Joseph as his story is related in the Qur’an. Surprisingly, the story of Joseph upon him be peace, revolves around three types of shirts which play different roles in the Qur’an. However, in the Bible, Joseph is presented with one tunic which is brought to his father Jacob with false blood on it as a proof of Joseph’s death (see Gen. 37:31).

Shirt 1: The shirt returned with false blood

In an actual sense, the shirt of a person symbolises his dignity. It is an outer garment; it covers the nudity of a person, it protects the person against cold, and other dangers. It is essential for the body as well as being intimate to the body.

This means that Joseph is deprived of his human dignity by his own blood brothers. With this deprivation he stands on behalf of all those human beings, whose dignity has been constantly violated – victims of human trafficking, domestic abuse, harassment of all forms, victims whose dignity is often taken away by their fellow kinsmen, and their fellow women for their selfish interests, pleasure and satisfaction.

Taking off a person’s dignity is equal to taking a person’s life. Joseph’s brothers tried to strip him of his shirt, to reduce him to the state of nature, “état de nature.”

The action of Joseph’s brothers expresses their intention. In fact, they had planned to kill him as we read in verse 15 of Surah Yusuf: “and so they went away with him and decided to put Joseph in the depth of the well.” Likewise, in the Bible, it is stated that his brothers upon seeing Joseph said to themselves: “Here comes this dreamer, come now let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits, then we shall say that a wild beast has devoured him and we shall see what will become of his dreams” (Genesis 37:19-20).

A similar verse is found in the Qur’an stating that Joseph’s brothers said: “Our father! We went off racing with one another, and left Joseph behind by our things, then a wolf devoured him. But we know that you will not believe us even though we speak the truth” (Qur’an 12:17).

This murderous intention of Joseph’s brothers explains the aspect of the false blood on the shirt of Joseph which they take to their father Jacob. To support their lie, they dumped the shirt in goat blood.

The false blood on Joseph’s shirt

Etymologically, the word “blood” is from proto- Germanic word, “blodam.” Blood is a fluid which circulates in the arteries and veins. It goes without saying that blood is the symbol of life. Several countries across the globe where valiant citizens and heroes fought for the independence up to the shedding of blood, have adopted the colour red in their flags as a vivid symbol of honouring those who gave up their lives for the freedom of their countries. Hence Joseph’s brothers bring a message of his death to their father Jacob. In doing so, they implicitly killed themselves as well in the heart of their father who was an old man, for a popular adage says, “blood is thicker than water.”

Similarly, the Bible portrays this episode of false blood, stressing the fact that Joseph’s brothers lied to their father about the death of his beloved Joseph: “Then they took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a goat, and dipped the robe in the blood” (Genesis 37:31).

Furthermore, Joseph’s brothers wanted to kill the love of Joseph in their father’s heart through bringing him the shirt with false blood. But instead, they killed themselves in their father’s heart. They wanted to kill the name for Joseph and cut it off from their family and father’s mind, instead, they made it more known far beyond their family and country not less far than Egypt.

The fact is that Joseph’s brothers through their evil conspiracy made him known to the Ishmaelites, to the Midianite and later to the Egyptians, as reported in Genesis 37:27-28. A similar verse in Surah Yusuf captures the same message that: “God had full knowledge of what they were doing” (Qur’an 12:19). Hence, God is always in control of time in history. He’s the Omniscience, the All-Seer, the Omni-Present.

Nevertheless, the love Jacob had for Joseph did not die. Regardless of the envy, jealousy, malice and hatred of Joseph’s brothers to kill him, he remained alive in the heart of his father Jacob, he still had the same place and love he had before in the heart of Prophet Jacob, upon him be peace. Hence, love is stronger than death; nothing can kill love not even death of the beloved.

Shirt 2: The shirt torn from the back

In the Qur’an it is quoted that Joseph was so handsome that the woman of his master desired to lure him. Moreover, other ladies upon seeing Joseph would cut their fingers as the Qur’an portrays: “She gave to each of them (ladies) a knife and said to Joseph: ‘come out before them!’ When they saw him they were so stricken with admiration of him that they cut their hands exclaiming: ‘God save us! this is no human mortal; he is but a noble Angel’” (Qur’an 12:31). Prior to this episode, we have the story of the woman of his master who in trying to force Joseph to have relations with her ended up tearing his shirt as we read: “So they raced to the door, and she tore his shirt from the of back, and they met her master (husband) by the door” (Qur’an 12:25).

This metaphor of Joseph’s shirt torn from the back is very fascinating. I suggest two possible kinds of interpretations from what happened: lust of the woman and the honesty and faithfulness of Joseph.

The danger of lust

Lust is a very disordered desire. If it is not well channelled, lust can lead one to cause scandals. In fact, in Catholic tradition, lust is listed among the capital sins along with (envy or jealousy, anger, sloth, gluttony, pride and greed) [2]. The incident of the woman of Joseph’s master captures well the danger of lust. Just like the brothers of Joseph, the wife of his master wants to take the dignity of Joseph by stripping him of his shirt. Lust for someone cute and attractive is the expression of human reality, human nature. Actually, lust for the opposite sex is one of the three powers that God has equipped humankind with. As human beings, we have lust for the opposite sex, lust for earning, lust for the comforts of life, and lust for offspring.

Three major powers human beings have

Every human being is endowed with three powers inherent to our human nature: “the power of lust; the power of anger to protect yourself and one’s values; and the power of the intellect” [3].

These three powers are by nature fallible, forgetful, neglectful, fond of disputing, obstinate, selfish, and envious. They need to be disciplined and channelled into virtues in order to attain happiness as social beings, both in the individual and collective life, in the world and in the hereafter, and to rise to higher ranks of humanity. For instance, obstinacy can be channelled into steadfastness, in right and truth, and envy into the feeling of competition to do good things.

It is noteworthy that the key to happiness and the perfection of individuals lies in their effort to overcome the negative aspects of their nature. This involves either limiting these negative traits or transforming them into virtues, along with cultivating positive qualities. By doing so, individuals can evolve into virtuous, worshipping servants of God, and useful members of society.

Honesty and faithfulness

There are good qualities for one to cultivate in life. An honest and faithful person is never afraid of anything, not even their opponents. Joseph is saved by his shirt having been torn from the back, against the accusation from the wife of his master. Joseph is honest in saying the truth. Honesty sets a person free. It makes one trustworthy. Honesty saves and consoles the owner. Hence, the shirt torn from the back saves the life of Joseph. It saves him from the malice and evil plan of the woman, wife of his master as she exclaimed: “What should be the recompense of him who purposes evil against your household, except imprisonment or a grievous punishment” (Qur’an 12:25).

However, God was in control of everything, and Joseph was a God-fearing man. Following the false accusation by the wife, one of those who was witnessing the event observed the torn shirt at the back of Joseph and said: “But if it is torn from the back, then she is lying, and he is truthful” (Qur’an 12:27). Unlike the first incident where a shirt declared Joseph dead, this torn shirt at the back becomes the evidence that saves Joseph’s life.

Shirt 3: The healing power of Joseph’s shirt [4]

After the brothers of Joseph had come to Egypt to look for food and met with Joseph who had made himself known to them and forgave them, he commissioned with his own shirt the healing power of restoring sight to his old father, Prophet Jacob, upon him be peace. “Go with this shirt of mine and lay it over my father’s face, and he shall recover his sight; and come to me with all your people” (Qur’an 12: 93).

There are three things to single out from this episode: first and foremost, Joseph gives and sends his shirt to his father out of his own free will. Secondly, this shirt of Joseph carries the healing power of recovering his father Jacob’s sight, and lastly, the shirt of Joseph brings about the redemption of the entire household of Jacob.

When his father Jacob smells the shirt, he will soon discover that his beloved Joseph is alive. Through this shirt, Joseph sends back his dignity to his beloved father. In contrast to the first shirt given to his father by his brothers, which conveyed a message of Joseph’s death, this third shirt is offered willingly by Joseph with the intent of rectifying the damage caused by the initial garment. Unlike the bloody first shirt, this one carries with it the healing power of restoring Jacob’s sight.

The healing power of the third shirt: Jacob’s recovery of sight

Prophet Jacob, upon him be peace, who had been waiting patiently and trustingly to see his beloved son Joseph one day, as soon as he received the shirt, “laid it over his face and he regained his sight.” (Qur’an 12:96)

Here, once more, the omniscience, omnipresence and omnipotence of God is revealed and confessed by Jacob: “Did I not tell you that I know from God what you do not know? (Qur’an 12:96). Indeed, the prophet Jacob, upon him be peace, had been actively patient, waiting for this day. His patience and serenity amidst challenges and frauds brought about by his children gained him the sight to see his son Joseph, fully alive and a master of all Egypt.

The redemption of the household of Jacob

From that moment onward, Jacob and his entire household departed from their land to Egypt, where Joseph graciously provided them with a comfortable dwelling. It is recounted in Genesis 47:11 that “Joseph settled his father and his brothers and granted them a holding in the land of Egypt, in the best part of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had instructed.”

Conclusion

Life is sometimes full of challenges of many kinds. Some of these challenges may come from those closest to us. We usually find ourselves being let down by the events that occur in our life depending on how we have placed our confidence in them. Like the brothers of Joseph, envy and jealousy can push people to destroy you in life. Reflecting on the story of Joseph’s reported death, Jacob took the time to meditate and consider, sensing that something was amiss. He remained calm, trusting that one day the truth about Joseph would be revealed.

What is important is to fight our ego and try to go beyond our limitations to overcome the complexities of human relationships.

Therefore, it is up to each individual to find out the hidden meaning of his or her own life and be useful to your family, your society and to the whole of humanity like Joseph did. The way to reach this new reality, as Joseph did to his brothers, is forgiveness that heals, that is tolerant and builds up new relationships. In fact, Fethullah Gülen remarks, “the greatest gift that the generation of today can give their children and grandchildren is to teach them how to forgive. Forgive even when confronted by the worst behaviour and the most disturbing events” [5].

Notes

1. Marcel G. Neels, Come closer to yourself, (UK: AuthorHouse, 2013), 10.
2. These are referred to as capital sins because when they aren’t overcome in ones’ life, they easily lead to other sins.
3. Ali Ünal, The Qur’an with Annotated interpretation in Modern English, (USA: New Jersey, 2006), 477.
4. This designation is a personal title given to the shirt that Joseph sends to his Father through his brothers. In fact, this marks the shirt 3 of Joseph just after the two previous ones. The designation “Healing power of Joseph’s shirt” is inspired by the Qur’an 12:93 “Go with this shirt of mine and lay it over my father’s face, and he shall recover his sight; and come to me with all your people.”
5. Fethullan Gülen, Toward a Global Civilization of love and Tolerance, (USA: New Jersey, 2006,) 29.

The slight drizzle hitting the dry ground and dead grass was the highlight of my day. It’s been over three months since the last glimpse of rainfall, the drizzle dropped and filled the cracks and crevices of the tarnished ground. I could see the amazement and feel the excitement of the grass, as it was enveloped in water. But all good things have to come to an end, and the slight drizzle stopped as quickly as it started.

(Camera Clicks) “We’re recording in, 3…2…1… Hello, my name is Joseph and I am a 15-year-old in the year 2060. To many, this year has no significance, but to me, I see it as the 40-year anniversary of the last normal year on Earth. I woke up this morning and looked outside through my glass window to see the barren wasteland that I live in, the sun’s destructive rays continue to deplete the ground of any moisture left. But like a miracle, a cloud covered the sun and it began to rain. The sight was astonishing. I ran out of my motion detecting doors as they quickly swung open to grab my camera and record. But when I came back it was all over. I put the camera down, and here I am talking to you about the rather unpleasant world that I live in.”

“Joseph! I’ve made your breakfast. Come on, or you’ll be late for school.”

“Ugh, Grandpa! I was in the middle of something very important.”

Joseph forgets to turn off the camera and takes it with him to the kitchen, where he sees his food resting on the automatic stove top. The camera catches a glimpse of his Grandpa with his robotic replacement arm. Joseph places the camera on a book, facing towards him, and takes a seat at the table.

“Thanks for the food, but I am not that hungry.”

“What’s wrong, Joe, are you okay? I made your favorite, bacon and eggs. I know it is severely outdated but I tried my best.”

“Gramps… did you know it rained this morning?” Joseph looks up from his plate, and his eyes meet with his Grandpa’s. The old man’s eyes widen.

“Really? That’s the first time this year.” He walks towards the one way, sun protective glass window and looks outside at the slightly damp ground. “You know… back in my day, during this time of year it always rained, and not just a slight drizzle. Some days there were the normal routine rainfalls, and other times there were worries of too much rain and homes would flood…”

Joseph cannot help but interrupt his grandfather out of astonishment. “Floods? Grandpa, that sounds way better than what we are living through right now. What caused everything to change?”  he blurts out.

“… however,” Grandpa continues, “as I grew older and older, nature as I once knew it began to change into what it is today.” Joseph gets up abruptly, and quickly turnes the camera so that it directly faces his Grandpa, and continues recording the conversation. He walks towards his Grandpa.

“Can you tell me more about how life was when you were a kid?”

“Well, as you know, we live in New Jersey. Back then, it was known as the Garden State, which is ironic since there aren’t any plants or grass in a 10-mile radius of the state as of now. But I remember going to parks and playing football in the grass with my friends. Smelling the fresh air in the spring mornings and feeling the cold splashes of rain in the afternoon were some of the best moments of nature during those spring months. But as time progressed and America continued to modernize, changes began to occur in nature, Joseph.”

Joseph’s gaze is so fixated on his Grandpa that he doesn’t notice the notification from his school on his phone stating that school is going to start in 30 minutes. “Keep going Grandpa.”

“Technology began to advance, the government and even some people in the public began to stop caring for the environment. Gasoline and oil began to run out quickly, and thankfully, scientists were able to find more forms of energy, but that didn’t solve the problems that had already begun. The hole in the ozone layer began to increase, which is the reason for these reinforced windows, and the temperature began to gradually increase. It’s almost as if as the need for improved technology and futuristic things got greater, the environment of our world got destroyed more and more.”

Grandpa looks down at his right robotic replacement arm and strokes it. His voice is strained. “I wonder if people would’ve still disregarded the health of nature if they knew that it would lead to the environment that we have today…” Joseph’s Grandpa clears his throat. “Joe, it is getting late. Go get your jacket so that you won’t be late for school. We will talk later kiddo.” His Grandpa walks into the room and the sliding doors close.

Joseph runs to his room and comes back with his jacket, which is visible in the camera frame. The logo stated “UV Ray Protective Suit.” He gazes at the image for a moment, then clicks the red button once more.

“Hello guys, I didn’t realize that I had left the camera on… I learned a lot this morning, the world has changed a lot, and it looks like it’s too late for a change. I can’t believe that there was a time where nature was beautiful.” Joseph takes time to stare out the window, and his slightly happy expression fades into dread. He looks back into the camera.

“Well, I have to head to school. I’ll talk to you guys later. This is Joseph signing out.” 

Isn’t it strange, but also vividly true, that sunk in the deepest agony, some people lose their faith in God, the absolute sustainer? And yet others do exactly the same at the height of utmost pleasure. They forget that God is the sole provider. Either way, this entrenches the “in medio stat virtus” universal rule, which means virtue stands in the middle. This is what constitutes the dividing line between man’s meaningful living module (modus vivendi) for the Hereafter and the mistaken lifestyle “causing people to claim absolute independence and ownership of their self … leading one to imagine a realm of personal dominion,” as observed by Said Nursi in The Fourth Treatise in The Seedbed of the Light (pg 87).

Linking the initial paradox and Said Nursi’s soul searching words, brings to light one of the most interesting and captivating stories to appear in both the Bible and the Quran. This is none other than the story of Joseph – blessings and peace be upon him—and his brothers. Their riveting story cuts across humanity as it paints an almost unimaginable life of someone who never parted ways with His Creator – come rain when he was a slave and come shine when he was leading a palace life.

While the Quran devotes a whole chapter (Surah 12 Joseph) and 111 verses to Joseph’s story with his brothers, the Bible tells it in 13 Chapters (37-50) and a total of 395 verses in Section Four of the Book of Genesis.

The story begins with Joseph, as the last child in the family of Jacob, born of Isaac, the son of Abraham, living in Moses’ promised land of Canaan (blessings and peace be upon them). Joseph draws envy from his brothers because of the special treatment he receives from his father, exemplified by a special dress.

His brothers also disprove of his chain of dreams, which they believe is Joseph assuming leadership; one particular dream sends chills even down his father’s spine. He talks of seeing, “the sun, moon and eleven stars bowing before him.” His brothers’ envy rages, but his father keeps this to his heart.

Lesson One: Did Jacob discriminate against his children? Very unlikely. As a prophet, he must have noticed something special in Joseph’s destiny and thus exercised extra caution to ensure the delivery of a sound and wise judgment. In the world of journalism, it is said “when in doubt, leave out.” In matters of faith in God, we ought to do what is expected of us while exercising enduring patience. No complaints. We must have pure sincerity and clean intentions.   

Lesson Two: What is in a dream? In dreams, all our five senses are virtually non-functioning. The dream drive – borrowing from the IT language – is external. That is why we travel distances above the speed of light from our bed pillows, as a friend told me.

At the same time, we cannot rule out cases of Divine warning about what is coming or ought to be done. Examples abound in the scriptures. In parts of Africa, dreams were originally taken for communication between gods and human beings, whereby the former made their wishes known. But an interpreter had to be there.

Lesson Three: Joseph’s brothers’ envy derives from prejudice, which is a vice to be fought against; it led them to treat their young brother unfairly. First they plot to kill him. Then they settle for dipping him into a waterless well and finally sell him to a caravan of Egyptian merchants, who resell him to Pharaoh’s Chief Steward Potiphar. He starts a slave’s life.

The brothers take his garment and soak it in goat blood. They send it to their father claiming to have bumped into it. Jacob laments. He goes into mourning. His children come to express their empathy. He takes no heed and keeps on mourning.

Through God’s providence, Joseph wins the trust of his “master” and is made steward of his household. He resists the temptation of his master’s wife. He chooses jail to breaking God’s and his master’s trust.

Again, he builds trust: the warden places him in charge of prisoners. There, he meets Pharaoh’s chief baker and cup-bearer. He interprets their dreams: the baker was going to hanged and the latter would be reinstated to his job as the Pharaoh’s cup-bearer.

Pharaoh himself is troubled by dreams. Egyptian interpreters fail to deliver. The cup-bearer remembers Joseph, who is called and manages to decipher Pharaoh’s dreams into seven years of good harvest and seven of famine on its heels. Joseph is made Pharaoh’s Chancellor. He helps the country store its food. When famine strikes, many people, including his brothers, come to Egypt for food supplies. He notices them. He sells food to them and orders their money stuffed back into their bags. He asks them to come back with their young brother as a condition for getting further supplies and orders one of them to remain behind as a surety.

Lesson Four: The Roman’s “natura humana ad mala inclinatur” observation – meaning human nature is inclined to do bad things, becomes evident. The Chief Steward’s wife shows lust and anger. The chief-baker and cup-bearer display the fact that power corrupts. Man is forgetful. Men were busy looking for power and riches while women indulged in gossip, banquets, arranging amusements, and competing for worldly things.

Lesson Five: God never guides unbecoming behavior (Quran 12:52). For every holder of knowledge, there is (always) One more knowledgeable: the All-Knowing (Quran 12:76).

From all that has taken place in the fate of Joseph, it becomes evident that Destiny wills good for the believer. Although he was a slave at the palace, Joseph (blessings and peace be upon him) rejects the invitation of the noble, rich, and beautiful woman. He willingly prefers prison to committing sin.

Lesson Six: After introducing himself to them, his brothers start to feel guilty, which is the start of the process of reconciliation.

Lesson Seven: When hunger strikes again, Jacob releases Benjamin and orders the collection of an assortment of gifts and the return of the money which was stuffed back into their bags. He prays for God’s protection. Upon arrival in Egypt, they are received but have to undergo another session of questioning.

After Joseph ascertains the presence of Benjamin, he is overwhelmed and takes a short leave. He sheds tears, washes his face, and returns. A grand reception is held.

Joseph orders bags stuffed to everybody’s carrying capacity. He orders to secretly place his special cup in the bag of the youngest, Benjamin. After they left, Joseph summons the supervisor and orders him: “Stop those people and ask them why they have returned bad for good?”

They deny any knowledge, let alone involvement in such unbecoming behavior. They pledge their innocence and that whoever would be found with the cup should face death, while they are ready to remain slaves forever. The supervisor differs with them. The one on whom the cup is be found will remain behind while the rest will be allowed to leave.

Benjamin turns out to be the culprit. In disbelief they tear their clothes and mount their donkeys back to town. Down on their knees, the entire entourage goes to Joseph’s residence.

He asks them: “What is this you have done? Don’t you think a person like me can prophesy?

“The one to whom the cup was traced becomes my slave. The rest can return to your father in peace.”

“My Lord”, says Yuda, “may your anger not befall on your servant because indeed you are like the Pharaoh!” He goes on to narrate conditions under which Jacob may release Benjamin, listing the fatal family consequences of detaining him in Egypt.

Joseph is touched by the plea of Yuda. He loses control of himself. He orders the removal of all people. He tells his brothers: “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” They fail to answer. They are astonished.

He goes on to tell them: “Come near me.” They move closer. He adds: “I am Joseph, your brother whom you sold to be taken to Egypt. But don’t grieve now. Nor feel bad because you sold me to be brought here, because God placed me ahead of you to save your lives. Quickly go up to my father and tell him. Your son Joseph says: ‘God has made me the Lord of the entirety of Egypt. Come down without delay. You will settle in the land of Goshen near me; you and your children, grandchildren, sheep, cows and whatever you possess.’”

Lesson Eight: The entire story is one of affection and portrays the qualities of being keen, pure, and having sincere feeling with no ulterior motives and without seeking any return. Said Nursi puts it better in the 23^rd Letter (2:86-87), where he points out that the story encourages us to strive for the other side of the grave where we will find real happiness and pleasure. It also shows Joseph’s exalted truthfulness and announces that even the most joyful and brightest conditions of the worldly life could not captivate him; rather it led him to ask for death and the other life.

Lesson Nine: Via Jacob’s life, we learn that for believers who follow God’s ways without deviation and with pure intention, when things start to worsen, this means the happy end is approaching. The dawn of light is the end of darkness.

Note: The story of Prophet Joseph, peace be upon him, is narrated with some differences in both the Bible and the Qur’an. The author quotes from both sources in this essay.

“When we are being told a story … [n]ot only are the language processing parts in our brain activated, but any other area in our brain that we would use when experiencing the events of the story are too.”

This comment on storytelling, by Leo Widrich, sets a useful framework as to why our kids love listening to stories before going to bed. It is also probably why Holy Scriptures present us with many stories from past nations and prophets. The story of Prophet Joseph is one such story. It’s one we learn from our early childhood years. Describing it as “the best of narratives,” the Qur’an has a full chapter dedicated to the story of this messenger of God, whose name is still one of the most popular names, with some linguistic variations, across the Abrahamic traditions. The following article details how this story is told in the Islamic and Christian traditions, and what moral lessons, especially on abuse of power, can be drawn from it.

Both the Bible and the Qur’an narrate the story of Joseph extensively. While the story in the Bible is in the Book of Genesis, the Qur’anic account is in the chapter of Yusuf. It is an exception in the Qur’an: while the different aspects of the stories of other Prophets are told in more than one chapter, the entire story of Joseph is told in a single chapter.

What to learn from the story of Joseph: A Muslim perspective

Suleyman Cifci

Though both the Biblical and Qur’anic accounts agree on much of the core elements, there are minor differences in the details. Joseph is one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Jealous of Joseph, his brothers plot to get rid of him. They throw him in a well, and he is sold in slavery to a top official in Egypt. Attracted by his beauty, the official’s wife tries to seduce him, and failing to do so, she slanders him. Joseph spends years in prison. He interprets the dreams of two inmates. When the ruler of Egypt has a dream, Joseph is released to interpret it. He is made a minister, and Egypt is saved from years of famine. His parents and brothers come to Egypt and show their loyalty to him.

Ethical messages

1. Jealousy leads to evil: When Joseph is a child, he has a dream. Joseph says to his father, “O my father! I did see eleven planets and the sun and the moon: I saw them prostrate themselves to me” (Qur’an, 12:4). He (Jacob) says, “O my son! Do not relate your dream to your brothers, lest (out of envy) they devise a scheme against you. For Satan is a manifest enemy to humankind (and can incite them to do such a thing)” (Qur’an, 12:5).

Jacob worries that Joseph’s brothers will become jealous of him. His fears prove true, as Joseph’s brothers turn against him once they learn about the dream.

2. Acting wisely: Jacob says to Joseph “O my son! Do not relate your dream to your brothers.” It is not easy to keep to oneself what seems to be a fantastic phenomenon, especially a dream, which one would hardly imagine it may cause trouble. Jacob is teaching Joseph to act wisely and be cautious in this matter, so that his brothers are not provoked to committing something wrong.

3. Patience: Joseph’s brothers come to their father and say, “Our father! We went off racing with one another and left Joseph behind by our things, then a wolf devoured him” (Qur’an, 12:17). Jacob says, “Rather, your (evil-commanding) souls have tempted you to do something evil. So (the proper recourse for me is), a becoming patience (a patience that endures without complaint)” (Qur’an, 12:18).

The virtue of patience is asserted in a later verse: “Surely whoever keeps from disobedience to God in reverence for Him and piety, and is patient, surely God will not leave to waste the reward of those devoted to doing good as if seeing God” (Qur’an, 12:90).

4. Resisting carnal desires and remaining faithful: One of the most difficult tests for a teenager is the stimulation of sexual desires. Joseph (imploring God) says, “My Lord! Prison is dearer to me than what they bid me to. If You do not avert their guile from me, I might incline towards them and become one of the ignorant (those who succumb to such temptations)” (Qur’an, 12:33). Joseph upholding faithfulness, maintaining his dignity, and restraining himself despite women desiring him – and the threats of prison – epitomizes the best of virtuous character – for all times and for every individual.

5. Accepting one’s mistakes and repenting: In the story of Joseph, the wife of the minister (Zuleikha) and Joseph’s brothers understand their mistakes. The Surah of Joseph tells us: “(The king had the woman assembled before him, and) he said: ‘What happened (between you and Joseph) when you sought to enjoy yourselves by him?’ They said: ‘God save us! We perceived no evil at all on his part!’ And the wife of the minister said: ‘Now the truth has come to light. It was I who sought to enjoy myself by him. He was indeed truthful (in all he said, and true to his lord)’” (Qur’an, 12:51).

(Similar to Zuleikha’s confession, Jacob’s sons also confessed what they had done) They said: “O our father! Ask God to forgive us our sins; surely we have been sinful.” (Qur’an, 12:97). Accepting one’s mistakes and asking for forgiveness relieves people from intrinsic problems. It is much easier to confess and ask for forgiveness than to live with the mistake.

6. Forgiveness: Forgiving those who wronged us is an exceptional virtue. It is a quality that manifests as an attribute of God. Muslims believe forgiving others can be a means for our own forgiveness. Joseph chooses the way of forgiveness: “No reproach this day shall be on you. May God forgive you; indeed, He is the Most Merciful of the merciful” (Qur’an, 12:92).

7. Being hopeful: After losing Joseph many years before, Jacob almost loses Benjamin, too. Yet, he never loses faith in God and always seeks His help. And he says to his other sons: “O my sons! Go forth and seek earnestly for Joseph and his brother; and do not despair of God’s Mercy, for none ever despairs of God’s Mercy, except people who disbelieve in Him” (Qur’an, 12:87).

8. Being thankful: Joseph is clearly aware of the grace of God. When Joseph’s story ends with a happy ending, Joseph turns to God and expresses his gratitude in the following way: “My Lord! You have indeed granted me some important part of the rule and imparted to me some knowledge of the inner meaning of all happenings (including dreams). O You, Originator of the heavens and the earth, each with particular features! You are my Owner and Guardian in this world and in the Hereafter. Take my soul to You as a Believer, and join me with the righteous” (Qur’an, 12:101). Joseph prays to return to his Lord even when he has finally reunited with his family and at the height of worldly status and reputation. This exemplifies the attitude of a believer who is aware that all worldly titles are temporary and real success is attaining full faith in God.

9. Meritocracy: In order for a nation to progress, it is necessary to give administrative positions to people who are competent. As a good example, the Egyptian king gave ministry of the country to Joseph, who was not Egyptian but still possessed great wisdom and knowledge. Joseph said, “Place me in charge over the store-houses of the land, for I am a good custodian, a knowledgeable one” (Qur’an, 12:55). A lesson to take is that it is important to be equipped with skills to provide quality service while holding public interest on the frontline.

The Biblical accounts indicate that the name Joseph means, “The Lord will add” (Genesis 30:24). It was a very common name in Biblical times. Although there are many different Josephs mentioned in the Bible, there is one Joseph whose story stands out — that of the son of Jacob. Despite facing many difficult circumstances and evil people, Joseph remains true to God and generous to other people. As a result, God makes him extremely successful and uses him to save the whole Hebrew race.

Joseph is somewhat of an unusual figure in the Hebrew Bible. He is one of a few figures in which his story is told from birth to death (Genesis 37:1-44:9). Joseph is especially important because his relationship with God starts at an early age. From the beginning of his story, God seems especially interested in him and begins to communicate with him, by way of dreams, at a very early age. Joseph, for his part, believes, trusts, and has faith in his God.

As the story is told in the Hebrew Bible, as Joseph grows and develops from later adolescence to early adulthood and then to middle adulthood, he will face trials, tribulations, and, eventually, triumphs.

However, through it all, Joseph remains faithful, honest, and true to the principles established by God. Thus, he serves as an almost perfect role model for young – and old! – adults.

The story

The story begins with Rachel, the mother of Joseph, who is unable to have children (Genesis 30:24). She is not a young woman, but she is of childbearing age. She herself serves as a role model, because in her hardship she turns to God for help. Joseph will be the eleventh son to Jacob. However, Joseph was special: he was the first born to Rachel. Then Rachel prays to have another son, “May the Lord add to me another son!” (Genesis 30:24) who was going to be Benjamin.

Joseph and his jealous brothers

After his birth, in Chapter 30 of Genesis, Joseph does not appear in the Hebrew text again until he is 17 years of age. At this time, he has no power, authority, or status within the family structure. He, for the most part, is the second man from the bottom. He is eligible for responsibilities, but there are eight others ahead of him.

Nevertheless, he has status: he is the favorite son of his father, Jacob. The Hebrew text does not provide any explanation as to why he is Jacob’s favorite, and Jacob does not seem to hide the fact Joseph is his favorite.

There is a message here. Although power and authority can be sought after, they must be granted by someone who is in a position of authority. However, status can be earned by the individual, without help from anyone.

We must consider that Joseph always had status with God, but no earthly power and authority until later in life. By the end of his story, Joseph will have power and authority on earth among men and status with God, which in the Hebrew text does not happen often. As power and authority are granted to him, Joseph could use them in ways that are inappropriate. However, he does not, and he keeps his status with God until his death. Some other figures, like David and Solomon, receive God’s favor at an early age, but are unable to sustain it later in their lives. It is Moses, the next chosen deliverer of the people after Joseph, who will be the example. Moses will have status, power, and authority within his relationship with God, and all these will come to him when he is an older adult.  

Next stage of development: Family betrayal

As young adults, individuals must learn self-control and self-reliance during hardship. In many cases, young adults may feel that a bad situation is out of their control. During these times, young and early adults must begin to trust in God. It is the faith they develop during these times that will become the foundation of good moral and ethical behavior toward others when, and if, they have power and authority.

Joseph is placed in this situation at the age of 17, when the very people he should be able to trust betray him. They place him in a situation where he is totally powerless. He is completely at their mercy and, in the end, is shown no mercy. Joseph, later in life, will place his betrayers in a very analogous situation of being totally powerless and totally at the mercy of another. However, Joseph will not treat them as he was treated. No, he will exercise the proper authority and control over others and will be merciful toward them.

As stated earlier, Joseph is the favorite of his father, and because of this favoritism, Joseph’s brothers hate him. Their envy towards Joseph only gets worse when Jacob gives Joseph a ground-length, long-sleeved, multicolored robe (Genesis 37:3-4). The animosity of his brothers increases even more when Joseph reveals to them he is having dreams where his brothers will one day bow down before him.

Because of this, when Jacob sends Joseph to check on his brothers and the flocks near Shechem, his brothers attack him, place him in a well, and sell him to a caravan of traders going down to Egypt. Genesis 37:25-28 states: “While Joseph was in the well, the brothers sat down to eat. When they looked up, they saw a group of Ishmaelites traveling from Gilead to Egypt. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh. Then Judah said to his brothers, ‘What will we gain if we kill our brother and hide his death? Let’s sell him to these Ishmaelites. Then we will not be guilty of killing our own brother. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood.’ And the other brothers agreed. 28 So when the Midianite traders came by, the brothers took Joseph out of the well and sold him to the Ishmaelites for eight ounces of silver. And the Ishmaelites took him to Egypt.”

Joseph’s brothers then take his robe, dip it in goat’s blood, take it back to Jacob, and claim that Joseph has been killed by wild animals (Genesis 37:31-35). It is very important that we point out that the Hebrew text does not describe Joseph putting up a fight, complaining in any way, or even trying to escape. However, you can only imagine how Joseph must have felt or what he must have been thinking while his own brothers attacked him for his coat, dropped him in a well, then sold him into slavery.

Joseph displays a level of emotional and spiritual control for a seventeen-year-old that is far beyond his years. This amount of self-control and self-restraint will not be displayed by a young person again in the Hebrew text.

Joseph should serve as a model and example of having control over yourself even when events are out of your control. Joseph’s nature comes from his reliance on God. Joseph knows, by way of his dream, that greatness awaits him if he just trusts in God, no matter what the situation.

Imprisoned in Egypt: the final stage of development before leadership

Joseph is 17 years old when he is sold to Potiphar (Genesis 37:36) and he is 30 years old when he becomes ruler of Egypt (Genesis 41:53-56). For 13 years, God works on Joseph’s moral, ethical, and spiritual character, preparing him for leadership. However, Joseph does not get his education from a formal institution, but from the school of hard knocks. It seems that he is placed in situation after situation after situation where one event is worse than the next. Only one other person in the Hebrew text faces as many trials and tribulations as Joseph. That person, of course, is Job.

When Joseph arrives in Egypt, God arranges for him to be bought by an Egyptian officer who needs someone to manage his home. Joseph, who has never had power and authority over anything, is blessed by God to start out small, with a single home and a small staff. Joseph’s story can serve as an illustration to young adults that power and authority do not have to be gained all at once. Sometimes, God will take you from one situation to another, moving slowly forward while preparing you for the greater blessings.

However, trouble soon arises for Joseph because of Potiphar’s wife, who is attracted to Joseph and tries to seduce him (Genesis 39:6-10). Joseph persistently resists her advances, saying that to comply with her wishes would be a disservice to his master and a sin against God (Genesis 39:9). One day, however, Potiphar’s wife grabs Joseph’s coat; Joseph runs away, but leaves his coat behind. With Joseph’s coat as her evidence, Potiphar’s wife puts the blame on Joseph, and Potiphar believes her (Genesis 39:19). Joseph is put in the king’s prison (Genesis 39:20). However, God again arranges for Joseph to find favor in an awful situation. Joseph has lost his freedom, but he has gained status among individuals who, according to society, have no status. Genesis 39: 20-23 states: “But the Lord was with Joseph and showed him kindness and caused the prison warden to like Joseph. The prison warden chose Joseph to take care of all the prisoners, and he was responsible for whatever was done in the prison. The warden paid no attention to anything that was in Joseph’s care because the Lord was with Joseph and made him successful in everything he did.”

In the Hebrew text, we learn the Pharaoh’s butler and baker are also confined there. While in prison, Joseph, with God’s help, interprets these men’s troublesome dreams. As Joseph predicts, the baker is executed and the butler restored to royal favor (Genesis 40:21-22). Two years later, Pharaoh has dreams that his magicians and wise men cannot interpret. The butler, remembering Joseph, has him summoned from prison. God reveals to Joseph that the dreams foretell seven years of abundance in Egypt, followed by seven years of great famine (Genesis 41:25-36). Pharaoh, impressed with Joseph’s interpretation, makes him ruler of Egypt, second only to himself (Genesis 41:39-44). Joseph is given a new name, Zaphenath-paneah, and a wife, Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera (Genesis 41:45).

Exercising your spiritual gifts

In the Hebrew text, God will often place individuals in dreadful situations so they will come to find and use the talent that he has placed inside them. These hidden talents are called spiritual gifts.

Joseph has a special relationship with God because God has a purpose for his life. God makes sure that young Joseph understands this by communicating with him in his dreams.

Conclusion

Joseph was 30 years old when he became ruler of Egypt. Success had come to him at a young age, even by today’s standards. Joseph’s life can be used as an example to young adults: to teach them that a relationship with God can begin early and that power and authority are gifts granted to a person by Him. Joseph’s story teaches that trust in God during the worst times can lead to better times if you believe and keep His commands.

In a time of darkness and ignorance, we must challenge our preconceived notions, seeking answers in education and trust.

It is another season of service. Our love-filled hearts are longing for Joseph but as desolate as Zaliha,^[1] and we are crying the lamentations of Jacob. Yet, we are waiting for glad tidings to arrive soon to open our eyes and lift our feelings.

It is impossible not to feel the pain of our people when we witness their heart-breaking state while being dragged along under the debris, destructions, and disasters of these dead, dark years.

Now please go! Go and visit all those countries that share a similar fate! I am sure you will not be able to come back without feeling painful sorrow for them! From the biggest cities to the smallest town centers; from the most crowded urban areas to the most remote villages; there are countless places that have been suffering under the dominance of ignorance and social problems. This combination is like a vortex that swallows whole communities – and sometimes whole countries. In these countries, you will witness such serious social, spiritual, and economic sicknesses. They were not healed in the first place and became chronic, and now they have become incurable.

Among all these, however, the most irremediable illness is ignorance. Ignorance is such a chronic disease that it corrodes an entire nation and gnaws away at our existence. Ignorance is the deprivation of knowledge; it is the inability to define proper goals in accordance with the acquired knowledge; it is a life deprived of Truth and righteous thinking. Ignorance has been a calamity that has existed in every time period. As has been the case with every nation, it is necessary to dry out this stagnant swamp, illuminate the minds of the masses with knowledge, guide young people to a proper and sound state of thinking and historical awareness, and prevent the negative trends that conflict with the quintessence of humanity; otherwise it will be impossible to remove ourselves from the crises this illness causes. We will find ourselves in a vicious circle.   

Was it not ignorance that caused us to fail to cultivate our fertile lands, to foster the growth of crops and fruits on our lush plains, to benefit from our gushing rivers? Was it not ignorance that turned our paradise-like world into ruin? We have lived completely unaware of our beauties and treasures, which are like the gardens of Eden; we have not been able to reap the benefits from our fields or from our minerals. Worst of all, by drowning ourselves in the illusion that we were not capable of doing anything with our own resources, we sacrificed our hope and willpower. And ignorance, which slowly ruined our people’s abilities, has reached its darkest depths today…

In this new era, at a time when scientific and technological thinking have rapidly developed and a flash of hope appeared, indicating that we could be pulled through these calamities, people have been drawn into another vortex: completely overwhelmed and dazzled with an inferiority complex, some assumed that crushing national awareness and conscience, destroying moral values, and shedding our high virtues was the only way to reach the level of developed civilizations. They’ve committed serious blows upon our national spirit and identity instead of embellishing the hearts with faith and equipping the minds with science and wisdom, which would bring prosperity to every corner of the world with art and trade.

In a way, this second type of ignorance has been even more destructive and caused greater danger. The previous ignorance melted away when confronted with knowledge and science, but this next-generation ignorance has been able to penetrate everywhere, purporting to spread in the name of knowledge and civilization. It has been approved and applauded by everyone. While the previous ignorance turned the world into ruins and brought joy only to those who like darkness, the ignorance that emerged later swept away all virtuous qualities, including spiritual nobleness, selflessness, and altruism. It left the masses dumbfounded.

Nevertheless, mentors and educators who have undertaken the role of building the future will wage war against these two types of ignorance. They will, and must, spare no effort and no legal means to elevate people to an era of enlightenment. In order to achieve this, it is essential to announce a mobilization of culture. We must turn all parts of our world – from homes to schools, coffeehouses to barracks – into learning centers. A general mobilization should be launched against ignorance, thoughtlessness, artificialness, and unawareness of national culture and merits; while decisions made under preconceived opinions should be criticized. Answers should be sought in science and scientific research; a new and fresh perception should be acquired.

There is no doubt that the forerunners of this blessed duty can only be teachers and educators – fortunate educators who treat their students in a wholesome manner, caring for both their physical and moral attributes. They must consider the human position and relations within the universe as a whole. They must inspire and invigorate their hearts in line with the purpose of their creation. They must be teachers who grasp the physical and metaphysical worlds as two sides of one reality!

Yes, denying the physical aspects of the human, as is the case in some monastic ways of life and some forms of mysticism, and considering the human with only his bodily and physical aspects, as in the case in some philosophical systems, has proved harmful to humankind.

Is it at all possible not to realize that humankind is an exceptional being, who holds a prominent position within the whole universe and is charged with very sublime missions, and hence, is a candidate for various ranks and positions?

How can a creature, who possesses an ability to benefit from all kinds of science and knowledge, who is granted the capability of intervening in events, who is equipped with skills to perceive, comprehend, and accept all types of beauty, who can distinguish many types of delights and pleasures, and who is insistently longing for “eternity,” be without a duty and ongoing future? Regarding the human as a being who is without any duty or responsibility, and thereby deprived of an endlessly long and happy future, means to lower this estimable being to the level of most primitive creatures; to deny all their physical and mental abilities and emotions; and to push him or her to the most bitter and stressful path and turn their world into misery. I do not know whether any other cruelty or grievance could be bigger than this!

A real teacher and a true mentor is the fortunate person who teaches his or her students – who have been sent to the world with limitless possibilities – the righteousness and unerring ways of thinking. A real teacher invigorates their emotions, triggers their eagerness and willpower, and elates their spirits. A real teacher wipes out all darkness and iniquities that block students’ ways, and delivers them towards luminescent sources. In due time, everything touched by these blessed, trustworthy, and truthful teachers will gain the highest value; things regarded worthless will become like gold; the most darkened souls will reach the dawn; individuals who are completely bound to serve their carnal desires will explore and discover their own souls and become kings of their selves.

How blessed are those teachers who devote themselves to guiding, certifying, declaring, and manifesting the truth through all disciplines of science! Who follow their pupils in every stage of their development and always carry the vigor of elevating their students to the level of real humanity! Who sometimes become tense as a lightning bolt, but soften and calm down into gentle beams of light, illuminating the hearts and minds of their students!

^[1] Zaliha is the wife of the prominent person in Egypt who bought the Prophet Joseph (pbuh) as a slave. According to the story, both in the Qur’an and the Bible, she fell desperately in love with Joseph and tried to seduce him, yet Joseph rejected her at the cost of being imprisoned for many years. Her name is not recorded in the scriptures; however, she is popularly called as Zaliha in Islamic sources.

We are a small group of women of Turkish-Muslim and Catholic origins who became acquainted in the Spring of 2009 and immediately recognized our soulful connection with one another. Since that time, we have been meeting regularly to share our faith and love of God. During our studies we discovered that Mary holds a unique place of reverence in both our traditions. For instance, she is the only woman mentioned by name in the Holy Qur’an, and is mentioned in twelve chapters throughout the Qur’an, a total of thirty-four times, (The Fountain Magazine, Issue 72, pg 46ff). One chapter in particular, Sura 19, (Maryam), is named after her. In addition, within the Catholic tradition the honors given to Mary are innumerable. Litanies composed in her honor and prayed at various times throughout the year reveal such titles as: Mother of our Redemption, Mother of Comfort and Understanding, Immaculate Conception, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, just to name a few!

But why did we actually choose Mary to begin our more formal studies together? Perhaps on a more unconscious level the need for the universal, open-hearted Mother is keenly felt by many of us at a time when other sources of grounding and spiritual nourishment are so troubled in our world. Perhaps it was because we intuitively understood that Mary reveals to us a sublime expression of what it means to be truly human; to be incomparably holy, yet void of any judgment or dualism; of strong Jewish culture and spirituality, yet universally receptive to all of God’s people.

The conception and the birth of the Messiah

Christianity and Islam each teach that Mary was chosen to be the mother of the Messiah Jesus/Isa, and that her conception was accomplished by God’s miraculous intervention, and not by human intimacy. Both traditions record that the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary announcing to her that she had found favor with God:

“Mary, full of Grace, blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb.” (Luke 1:26ff)

“Mary, God gives you the glad tidings of a Word from Him, to be called the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, highly honored in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those near-stationed to God.” (Sura 3:45)

When Mary questioned the angel as to how this could be accomplished, since she “did not know man,” Gabriel once again responded very similarly in both Holy Scriptures.

“The Power of the Most High will over shadow you so that the Holy One to be born shall be called, the Son of God.” (Luke 1:34-36)

“God creates whatever God wills. He does but say to it ‘Be’ and it is.” (Sura 19:35);”We breathed onto her out of our Spirit and We made her and her son a miraculous sign.” (Sura 21:91)

Although the Qur’an makes no direct mention of Mary’s visit with her cousin Elizabeth, as recorded in the New Testament, the encounter is well-known among Muslims and is tenderly represented in a beautiful Muslim film depicting the life of Mary.[1] Further, both the Qur’an and the Bible make mention of Zachariah’s three days without speech during these events, as a consequence of his having asked God for a “sign” (Luke 1:18ff; Sura 19:10).

Christianity and Islam agree that Mary was alone when the angel Gabriel appeared to her. Islam, however, also holds that at the actual moment in which Mary gave birth to Isa in Bethlehem, she was again without human companionship. The Qur’an records that Mary was alone in the desert and that during moments of great distress, just prior to Isa’s birth, God comforted and reassured her. He provided nourishment to her from a nearby sacred date palm tree, as well as refreshment from a rivulet which miraculously appeared. Shortly after his birth, the infant Isa/Jesus spoke reassuring and comforting words to his mother who vowed to remain in silence that day and “enter into no talk with any human being” (Sura 19:26).

The Christian image of the birth of Jesus differs on several accounts. In the New Testament, Mary is betrothed to Joseph who assumes the role of her chaste companion, and the guardian and protector of her and her child. It is usual for Christians to visualize Mary and Joseph together in a stable or cave with the babe Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger; indeed this is the scene described in the Gospel account by St. Luke. However, the precise moment of Jesus’ birth is not revealed to us, only the setting following his birth. It is actually later that night or perhaps the following day that is described by St. Luke in the Gospel account when the shepherds arrive and “marvel,” in the company of Mary and Joseph, at the sight of the infant Messiah wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger (Luke 1:8ff). It is interesting to note that in contrast to the “marveling” of the shepherds, Luke uses the phrase, “but Mary kept all these things in her heart.” Might we consider this notation a subtle reference to the vow of “silence” Mary may have been keeping that day, which the Qur’an more explicitly makes reference to?

It is also worth noting that accounts of Jesus’ actual birth, revealed in both the writings of Mary of Agreda and Catherine Emmerich, [2] indicate that Mary was alone in the company of the Divine during the moments in which she gave birth to the Messiah. Catherine Emmerich, a Catholic nun and mystic of the seventeenth century, for instance states that Joseph noticing the supernatural light surrounding Mary, “went into his little cell and threw himself on his face in prayer.” Similarly, Mary Agreda, also a Catholic nun and mystic of the fourteenth century, records that Joseph had retreated to another section of the cave and kept prayerful vigil through the night. Reminiscent of the scene in the Qur’an, she writes that shortly after his birth the infant Jesus actually spoke comforting words to his mother![3]

Of further interest is an account given by Catherine Emmerich of what happened just hours before the Nativity, in which Mary and Joseph take a walk through the valley behind the Cave, and visit the “tomb of Mahara (Abraham’s nurse).” This tomb was situated near a “sacred tree.” While at this site, Joseph and Mary spent time in prayer together. At one point it was decided that Joseph would go into the city of Bethlehem to obtain some provisions, leaving Mary by herself. This image of Mary being alone on the outskirts of the city and near a sacred tree shortly before the birth of Jesus bears a remarkable resemblance to the scene recorded in the Qur’an where Mary, just prior to Isa’s birth, is alone in a remote area of Bethlehem and near a sacred date palm tree. Catherine Emmerich records that when Joseph returned with their provisions he accompanied Mary back to the cave and shortly thereafter she gave birth to Jesus.[5] Muslims believe that Mary gave birth to her child at this sacred tree (Sura 19:23ff).

We would like to make one last observation regarding Mary’s conception and the birth of the Messiah. As clearly noted in the Qur’an, but only alluded to in the Gospels, Mary is scorned by those who judged the birth of Jesus to be the product of an adulterous relationship. This may account in part for the distress she experienced recorded in Sura 19 above when God comforted her moments before giving birth. Other passages in the Qur’an make reference to a confrontation between Mary and her own people regarding Isa’s birth. They exclaim to her, “O Mary! Assuredly you have done unexpected and strange things. O sister of Aaron, your father was never a wicked man, nor was your mother unchaste” (Sura 19:27-28). In comparison, one may examine a subtle reference made in the Gospel of John. In chapters seven and eight St John describes a setting in which Jesus was confronted by a few false religious leaders. In the course of their taunting, they infer that Jesus was the “son of a Samaritan.” Though more subtle in its inference, the judgment being made regarding Mary’s reputation and the implication that Jesus was the product of an illicit relationship is apparent. Jesus’ response to them, “you dishonor me” is particularly appropriate in light of this. Hence, the Qur’an seems to convey more clearly the painful experience which Mary in particular underwent in this matter.

Although not completely identical in their details, these accounts of Mary’s experience regarding the conception and birth of Jesus contain many astounding parallels. Perhaps what seems at a first reading to be irreconcilable differences presented in the Gospels and in the Qur’an are in reality only partial glimpses of a more total picture. This more “total” picture is not absent in the sacred writings of each tradition, but merely some aspects are hidden. If we ponder them with an open heart perhaps they will allow us to enter something much greater and more profound.

Mary – the “Kli” of Jewish mysticism:

Although the virgin birth of Jesus by Divine intervention is not honored in Judaism as it is in Christianity and Islam, it is interesting to note a comparable theme revealed in the spiritual teachings of Jewish mysticism, known as “Kabbalah.” Though complex in theory at times, an aspect of Kabbalah teaching may be applied to Mary and perhaps thus more easily understood.

Essential to the teachings of Kabbalah is the understanding that God, the Divine Creator, is in His very essence the “Will to Bestow.” In other words, God is God because He is continually in the act of Self-Giving, and possesses no other desire than to Bestow His Abundance onto His Creation. By contrast, the created were created and designed to receive God’s Abundance. This is known in Kabbalah as the “Will to Receive.” Thus, God created His creation in order to receive of His goodness and thereby accommodate his Desire to Give and Bestow. The created’s will to receive is compared to an empty cup or vessel waiting to be filled by God’s abundance. This vessel is known in Kabbalah as “Kli.” Kabbalah teaches that although God’s Will to Bestow is continually and perfectly being manifested, the created’s will to receive is limited and marred by egocentric needs.[6]

If one takes a quantum leap of association one may use the teachings of Jewish mysticism to perceive Mary as the ultimate model of “Kli,” (i.e. the human receptivity to God, totally emptied of the self-serving ego). In her pristine human desire to please God and receive God’s Will, referred to in the Gospel’s as her Fiat – “Be it done unto me according to your Will” – Mary perfectly fulfills the essence of her existence. By way of her selfless love for God, her unwavering trust in His Benevolence, and complete receptivity to His Will to Bestow, Mary, the perfect “Kli,” becomes a means that God brings forth through her what has been previously unrealized – the fullness of His own Divine bliss manifested in the soul and humanity of Jesus.

Just as we are discovering through quantum sciences that our own thoughts or intentions will eventually be manifested on the physical plane in some form or other, so too, a thought or word or intention that exists in the “mind” of God – so to speak – will ultimately be realized in physical reality as well. It is interesting to note that Jesus is known and referred to as the “Word” of God in both Islam and Christianity (Qur’an 3:45; John 1:1-3,14).

On the mundane and practical level, the human mind has difficulty grasping Mary’s miraculous conception and the virgin birth of Jesus, but in the mystical realm of Kabbalah, for instance, we may come to acknowledge Mary’s experience as the receptivity to God as we were all created to be and the manifestation of His Love as we were all meant to bring It forth into the world.

From the heart – how Mary has personally touched us Who is Mary in my life?

by Ayse

When we first started to come together and share our faith with each other, I realized how much more I needed to learn about my own faith. I had always been told that my faith brings together all Abrahamic religions and the name of my faith stood for peace: Islam. I could understand it in my mind. But as we came together, as we studied the Bible and the Qur’an and found how God loved diversity and thus created us in different shapes, colors, nationalities and so on, my heart started to agree with what my mind had been saying. That is when my heart began to work with my mind. Now, I feel God in my heart.

As time passed and as we studied Abraham, Jesus, the Night Journey, and Mary, my own faith started to get stronger. Mary was Jesus’ mother and one of the most praised female characters in the Qur’an; I knew this before we started to study Mary in both traditions. Now Mary represents how much God loves women as His own creation, as He gives her name to a large section of His own sacred book. In my country I was asked so many times about the women rights in Islam. Now I think I know the answer. Mary is obedient to God’s order, she stands strong in her community and is proud of her baby, while being very humble in her relationship with God, as pure as an angel. In this way, Mary (may God be pleased with her) has taught me: I am obedient, I am humble, I refrain from sins and I am still standing as a woman of my time in my community; as I do these I become closer to God. I would love to spend my whole life in this way. I would like to thank all my friends who worked together on this article and who helped me to understand Mary in my mind and feel her in my heart.

Mary in my life

by Hulya K.

First of all, during our meetings I learned how important the interfaith dialogue is. God loves diversity and created us so different from one another. At the same time, He created us with common values. Yes, we all have eyes, ears, fingers, and even fingerprints but they are also all different from each other. Similarly, our faiths have the same values, like Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Mary. The discussion of Abraham, Jesus, and Mary in Christianity and Islam makes my faith stronger and deeper.

In addition, I have learned many things about the life of Mary. I am inspired by her trust in God. It is not important how bad the situation you are in or what people say about you. Just trust God. Just do what He wants. Just accept what He gives you. Do not say a word. Be silent and trust God. He knows and gives the best for you. In Turkey, she is known as “Mother Mary.” Now, I can understand why this is so… Thank you my dear friends and thank you Fethullah Gulen for your ideas which encourage us to come together.

Another dimension of awareness of Mary

by Clare

As present as Mary has been these many years in my life, the depth of my awareness and love for her has grown even more deeply during these weeks of our inter-faith study of her. As a Christian I am particularly blessed by exposure to aspects of Mary’s life found in the Qur’an but generally absent in the Gospels. They have opened up for me another dimension of Mary’s great heart and soul. I think of Mary as a key to true peace among people. When she is revealed in the heart, the heart grows to love her, but also feels it is loved and welcomed unconditionally by her. In the Catholic tradition one of her titles is, “Our Lady of all the Nations.” Through the “virgin point” in her heart and soul, which she never abandoned, I am led into further depths of knowing and loving Jesus, and through her universal motherhood and love of all people, I am led into further depths of knowing and loving my sisters and brothers of all faiths.

My feelings towards Mary

by Hulya T.

My feelings towards Mary began when I watched a movie about her during my pregnancy. Later, I started reciting Sura Mary from the Qur’an and also read the translation of it many times. When I was in difficulty, I remembered her. I thought how she coped with so much trouble. How brave she was, how self-confident she was. How powerful her faith was. In our meetings, a different window opened for me. I learnt the perspective of different faiths of Mary. I learnt their respect towards her. The more I learnt, the more I loved. Most importantly, I saw the whole picture. Actually, the similarities between our faiths are much greater than the differences. These sentences are just an example of what I feel. Last but not least, I would like to thank my dear friends.

Conclusion

Relating to one another and learning from one another in a spirit of trust and love is the most precious gift. As Rumi, the beloved Sufi mystic of the thirteenth century expressed, “There was a dawn I remembered when my soul heard something from your soul.” This “dawn remembered” is nothing less than our common oneness in God’s “heart.” What appears to our mind at times as irreconcilable differences may be transformed and integrated into a greater perspective when we open it to God’s grace. This is what we experienced in our study of Mary.

In the Catholic tradition, it is believed by many that Mary has been appearing to visionaries in Medjugje, Bosnia since 1981. Her continual message to the world has been to “Pray, Pray, Pray.” During the early years of apparitions, it was recorded that her message also included admonition to respect the beliefs of all people. “God is One and Indivisible,” she said and cautioned against the dreadful divisions being created in the world. Around this same time, Mary made special mention of a holy and humble woman named Pasha and asked that we try to become more like her. It was discovered that Pasha was a Muslim woman who lived in the nearby city of Sarajevo. [7] Mary’s message that day reveals a profound wisdom and all-inclusive love for us to ponder. In the context of apparitions considered to be “Catholic,” the Blessed Virgin Mary admonished her children to be more like a holy Muslim woman.

The Qur’an states that no one knows the true meaning of the Book (i.e. the Qur’an, the Torah and the Gospels) except God and those of true understanding, (Sura 3:7) and that He will one day make clear our misunderstandings. “Whatever you differ on, the final judgment about it is with God. Such is God, my Lord: in Him I put my trust, and to Him I turn in devotion” (Sura 42:10). These words reassure us that God Himself will bring into clarity what is now dimly understood, as the apostle Paul also states in his letter to the Corinthians, “Now we see through a mirror dimly, but then we shall see face to face (1Cor. 13:12ff).

Mary has given us a great gift on this journey. We praise and thank her for it. There is still a great distance yet to go. In trust we wait for God to show us more.

A former member of a Catholic Contemplative Order, Clare Julian is a licensed clinical social worker who currently lives and works in SLC. She has a deep passion for the potential of healing through inter-spiritual dialogue and friendship, and has been greatly blessed by both. Meryem Tuz is a dialogue activist in USA. She graduated from Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey, with a major in chemistry.

Notes

1. “St. Mary” directed by Shahriar Bahrani, 2007.

2. Catholic nuns of the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries who received divine revelation of Mary’s life.

3. Catherine Emmerich. The Life of the Blessed Virgin Mary; p. 197.

4. Mary Agreda. Mystical City of God, p. 231.

5. Emmerich, pp. 195–197.

6. See B’nei Baruch Kabbalah, kabbalahlearningcenter.info.

7. Mary Craig. 1988. Spark from Heaven: Mystery of the Madonna.

This story has been related in all the major monotheistic faiths, indicating a deeper allegorical meaning of a universal example transcending all times and cultures.

It is well worth analyzing the psychological, social and moral aspects of such stories to shed light on events in our lives and times.

In this story, Joseph represents the human conscience that enables us to be sincere, responsible and accountable, as well as altruistic and generous. The brothers of Joseph represent the carnal self which deafens, blinds, and silences the human soul in the face of spiritual and material oppression. The carnal self suppresses the sensitivity to overcome oppression and injustice as well as appreciating beauty and benefaction.

Joseph’s brothers threw him into a well in their jealousy towards him. This is allegorical to an ineffective human conscience that has been made to fall prey to passing whims and desires. It is like falling down into a pit that has only one way for escape, as opposed to rising up to overcome the challenges of humanity. In a similar perspective, Joseph represents the characteristics of the noblest men in history. These include dedication, devotion, love, responsibility, and generosity.

Joseph is then rescued from the well by people from a passing-by caravan, coming from a long distance, where otherwise there is no one that stops at this well. This brings to mind the thought that, at a certain point in history, human conscience and good-will will be lost and forgotten to such a degree that it will be ignored and left on its own. It will be like a piece of jewel deep in the earth or a small amount of water in the vast dessert, extremely precious yet inaccessible and undiscovered by the masses.

The entrapment of Joseph in the well represents the downturns of human history, where darkness and a kind of hopelessness rule over societies, in a similar vein as it is manifested in our own personal lives. There are points in our lives when we seem lost in the dark and most often in some sort of depression and despair. However, these dark points in our lives are constantly followed by some sort of guidance and enlightenment. The wisdom behind this dark-light principle clarifies to us that we are under constant trial in our lives. They call for us to learn who we are and where we are heading to in life.

The rescue of Joseph from the well represents the bright and enlightened times of human history, as well as in our personal lives. In these times there is a relief from hardship, suffering or depression for some. A sense of expansion, understanding and enlightenment surrounds us and increases our appreciation for the endless numbers of provisions we are given. In our lives and in the lives of societies, this principle points to a time of justice, peace, understanding and great spiritual development.

The crying Jacob, soft-hearted, compassionate yet dominant, and enduring in the face of adversity, represents the great spiritual and material mentors of humanity. For years they persevered patiently and consistently, while sipping the anguish of separation until humanity re-unites with the long-lost Joseph. People who represent Jacob will learn to live under conditions where they will not be understood or appreciated, possibly even by their own children. Hence, the greatest prayer of Jacob is “I only disclose my anguish and sorrow to God” (Qur’an 12:86).

After being rescued by the caravan and taken to Egypt, Joseph was sold as a slave, where he later became a King. Although a ruler with great power in his hands, he does not forget his father Jacob or his brothers. Wealth and power does not change him, nor does it make him oblivious of his responsibilities or degrade his character. In fact his prayer “Take my soul to You as one who submitted unto You, and join me with the righteous” (Qur’an 12:101) shows us very clearly how concerned he was about the state in which he would die, since the one who does not fear the consequences of his/her actions is someone who cannot be trusted.

This story also brings to mind the recurring presence of certain principles in our lives.

Joseph was thrown into a well, then later was given the opportunity (as a King) to call to account the oppression of his brothers towards him, who ultimately asked him to forgive them. This indicates that events revolve in a circular manner; while it is daylight for some it is nighttime for others. Likewise, today many suffer in agony and their identities are smeared and blotched, while others live in oblivion and recklessness. A time will come when those who are oppressed will call to account those who thought they are not accountable to anyone.

It is not known how long Joseph remained in the well and how he survived there; however, from this story we can see that the Creator, closer to all more than they are to themselves, enabled the caravan to be a means to rescue Joseph from a situation in which there was no hope for escape. This is a poignant reminder that we are never alone, or constantly at a loss, and although we are in essence fragile and powerless, the Most Gracious Creator creates a way of exit from the harshest of situations.

As a young man, Joseph was not only physically attractive but, more essentially, he had a strong spiritual magnetism and aura. His immense loyalty, sincerity and faith were the pillars of his character and the reason why his father loved him so dearly. Jacob also knew through his gifted foresight that Joseph was a beloved of the Creator; hence, this would mean that the trials and tribulations he would face would be much stronger than those most others faced.

The modesty and chastity of Joseph was equally as great as his captivating aura. This was manifested when he was working as a servant in Egypt after he was sold as a slave there. The wife of the King was powerful, young and attractive and wanted to abuse the good looks of Joseph and seduce him. At this point, we see the great will-power and chastity of Joseph, where he is protected and saved from committing a great mistake, as he says, “God forbid!” (Qur’an 12:23). Thus, the protection and help of the Creator becomes manifest under the direst conditions. The other reason why Jacob cried and was so worried and concerned for Joseph was maybe that he knew he would face great trials in his life and therefore constantly asked the Lord to protect, guide and help him under these conditions.

A final lesson to be learnt from Joseph’s strong personality and unique character is that he did not punish his brothers when they came to request from him some provisions after he became King. If he had wanted to take revenge, he could have easily done so, but he chose not to. On the contrary, he demonstrated how generous and forgiving he was. After the hypocrisy, the deception and the treachery of his brothers towards him, he finally says to them, “No reproach this day shall be on you. May God forgive you; indeed He is the Most Merciful of the Merciful” (Qur’an 12:92). Hence, Joseph teaches a lesson by forgiving his brothers who wanted him to be forgotten, lost and even dead.

Sebnem Unlu, PhD, is a Research Faculty at University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, USA.

And (mention) that blessed woman who set the best example in guarding her chastity. We breathed into her out of Our Spirit, and We made her and her son a miraculous sign (of Our Power and matchless way of doing things) for all the worlds (Anbiya 21:91).

And also Mary, the daughter of Imran who kept herself chaste (body and soul), so We breathed into it out of Our Spirit, and who affirmed the truth of the words of her Lord (His Revelations – commandments, promises and warnings – to His Messengers), and His Books; and she was of those devoutly obedient to God (Tahrim 66:12).

Her expression of astonishment when she was given the tidings that she was to give birth to a son is clear evidence of her chastity: How shall I have a son seeing no mortal has ever touched me, and I have never been unchaste? (Mary 19:20). It is also revealed in the Qur’an that whoever spoke against or slandered Mary would be subjected to grievous punishment and destruction, for their hearts are sealed from belief (Nisa 4:156). While the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches believe in accordance with the Qur’an that Mary remained chaste throughout her life, some other Christian churches believe that Mary was only a virgin until the birth of Jesus. The main justification for their view is in the New Testament, which uses in various chapters the phrases “brothers of Jesus” and “sister of Jesus,” sometimes even referring to them by their names. So for this reason we must look deeper into the meaning of the word “brother” in both the Old and New Testaments and understand the sense in which the word was used. Here I would like to point out that there have been various studies of the Qur’an and the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, aimed at understanding this matter, so I think it is appropriate firstly to explore the possibility Jesus having brothers within the boundaries what is said in the Qur’an and hadith, and then continue by examining the sources in the Old and New Testaments.

A. In the Qur’an and hadith

When Hannah, Imran’s wife and Jesus’ grandmother gave birth to Mary she prayed, “I commend her and her offspring to You for protection from Satan eternally rejected (from God’s Mercy)” (Al Imran 3:36). There have been some who claim that there is a possibility of Jesus having brothers or sisters because the word “offspring” (dhurriyya) refers to a plurality, but a majority of the interpreters of the Qur’an have understood the words “her and her offspring” as referring in particular to “Mary and Jesus.” Most scholars refer to the following hadith as a reason for their interpretations:

“It was reported by Abu Huraira that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, said, ‘There is no newborn except that (at the moment of birth) Satan disturbs him, so he begins to cry from Satan’s disturbance, with the exception of the son of Mary and his mother,” and the scholars say that this was the result of Hannah’s prayer (Bukhari, Muslim).

The word used for “offspring” (dhurriyya) in the Qur’an has a wide range of meaning in the Arabic language; it is used to refer to the children and lineage of a person, a generation of humans and jinns, a household made up of a father, mother and child, and also sometimes used solely for women or fathers and grandfathers. Though most scholars say that the Arabic word for “offspring” has a singular referent, there are some who argue the word to be plural. Raghib al-Isfahani argues that this is a word used in both the plural and the singular sense, but in this case it refers to plurality and Said ibn Mansur states that the word for “offspring” can refer to both the male and female sexes. Other interpreters of the Qur’an like Al-Baghawi and Qurtubi also state that this word can be used for males and females and at the same time singular and plural. The Arabic word for “offspring” is mentioned in various verses of the Qur’an mostly in the singular (e.g. Baqara, 2:124, 128, 266; Al-Imran, 3:34, 36, 38; Nisa, 4:9; An’am, 6:84, 133) sense but with a plural meaning in a few of the verses (An’am, 6:87; Ra’d, 13:23; Furqan, 25:74) and in one verse it is used to describe a group of people (Yunus, 10:83). If we accept the word in the plural sense and agree that this word means at least “three persons from a person’s lineage” it is still impossible to say that the Qur’an’s revelations in any way prove that Mary gave birth to a child other than Jesus. When Mary’s mother made the supplication to her Lord there was no indication of plurality or of the number of Mary’s children, or for that matter if she was to have children at all, for it goes without saying that Mary herself was just a newborn baby at the time. If we take a brief look at the supplication itself, we see that it refers to the likelihood of her having children; so the use of the word “offspring” does not provide foundation for a possibility that Jesus may have had brothers or sisters. We also see in the Qur’an that the whole incident was a miraculous event, that the pregnancy and birth were on the Divine command, a miracle of the Almighty. A hadith of the noble Prophet refers to Mary as “Al-Batul” and “‘Al-Adhra,” both meaning “virgin” or untouched and in the hadith it gives clearer explanations of these words saying, “She was untouched by man,” and goes on, “She bore no child other than Jesus.” The term al-adhra means a virgin woman while al-batul has a more extensive meaning-“the virgin, the woman who withdraws from worldly pleasures, one who devotes herself to worship.”

The conclusion of the examination of both the Qur’an and hadith shows that there is no evidence supporting the claim that Jesus had brothers or sisters, and Ibn Hajar specifically stresses that Mary only gave birth to Jesus and she had no other children.

B. “Brother” and “sister” in the Bible

The word “brother” in the Old Testament has a very broad meaning; it refers to the immediate descendants of the father, the son and the male relatives as a whole, cousins, in-laws and those with blood ties and even includes friends and those with whom a person has political dealings. The words “brother” and “sister” were sometimes used to portray the main family members as we see in the example of the forty two “brethren” of King Uzziah. Another interesting example is in the Song of Solomon, where two lovers are serenading one another, and the young man says in some verses of the song, “How sweet is your love, my sister, my bride.”

Maurice Bucaille, commenting on the word “brother” in the New Testament states that the words “adelphoi” and “adelphai” in Greek refer to biological brother and sister, and he said that these words, had been defectively translated from Semitic languages, where they had been used to denote “kin” in the general sense and the people in question were probably cousins. As the word “cousin” did not exist in Hebrew and Aramaic, the languages spoken by both Jesus and his disciples, they probably had no other option; they could either use the word “brother” or would have to define a person by calling them “my father’s sister’s son” and so on, which is neither easy nor appropriate, and this was the likely reason for Jesus using “brother” for his close acquaintances.

In the New Testament, the equivalent of brother in Aramaic was given as the word “adelphos,” which in the general sense means “brother” or “brotherly friend,” a kind of sign of closeness to someone. Unlike in Hebrew or Aramaic, the word “anepsios” in ancient Greek gave a distinct meaning to the word “cousin,” but those who wrote the scriptures used “adelphos” or “friend” to correspond “cousin.”

So we understand from this that the writers of the New Testament used the same word “adelphos” from ancient Greek to convey the meaning of “friend” and for the meaning of “two sons of the same family” or “biological brothers.” This is very confusing when the text is translated into English or any other language.

C. According to the New Testament

One of the reasons for opinions that Jesus had brothers or sisters several verses in the New Testament which say that Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they had come together Joseph realized that she was carrying a child and had decided to leave Mary. But an angel came to Joseph in his dream and told him the truth of the miraculous conception, and Joseph decided to take Mary as his wife (Matthew 1:18–20; Luke 1:27; 2:5). There is no mention in the Qur’an or hadith of Joseph, the person said to be betrothed to Mary in the Bible, and there is certainly no report of the Biblical scriptures found in the Qur’an and hadith stating that Mary married this man called Joseph. However, there are a few weak reports of some historical sources that say that there was a carpenter of the same name who was a member of Mary’s family and both of them were serving at the Temple during the same period.

Another matter which leads the Protestant churches to believe that Jesus may have had brothers and sisters is the verse in the Gospel of Luke saying that Jesus was Mary’s “firstborn son” (2:7). However, this declaration is no reason to believe that Jesus had brothers and sisters, this statement being rather a declaration that her first child would be a holy servant of his Lord (Luke 2:23) a declaration invoking a legislation in the scriptures.

As further evidence, the Gospel of Luke (2:41–52) tells how Jesus attended the Temple in Jerusalem for the feast of the Passover with his parents, that he went missing, and that his parents were searching for him. We see there is no mention at all of any other children except Jesus. To the contrary, the context leads us to believe that there was only one child present.

Another special detail is that according to the Gospel of John (19:26–27), Jesus entrusted his mother to one of the disciples when he was being placed on the crucifix, so immediately the question arises: if Jesus had brothers and sisters, then why did he entrust his mother to someone else? Even if we assume that Joseph, who was claimed to have married Mary was not alive at the time, there being no mention whatsoever of the existence of Jesus’ brothers or sisters at this point is another aspect which seems to invalidate the allegation.

D. The use of the word “brother” in reference to Jesus

It is apparent that when the word “brother” was mentioned in reference to Jesus, in most cases it was actually used as a figure of speech and there is no indication to the contrary. For instance in the verses of the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, where Jesus’ mother and brother ask to speak to Jesus while he is talking to his disciples, and he replies, “Here are my mother and my brother! For whoever does the will of my Father in Heaven is my brother and sister and mother” (Matthew, 12:46–50; Mark, 3:31–35; Luke, 8:19–21) Again, the Gospel of John (20:10–18) claims that following the crucifixion of Jesus, he was resurrected and appeared before Mary Magdalene, telling her “Go to my brothers and say to them I am ascending to my Father and your Father and my God and your God.” This is clear evidence that “brothers” was a figurative expression, for it goes on to say, “Mary went and said to his disciples.”

Another statement which only appears in the Gospel of John (7:3–10) says that the “brothers” of Jesus invited him to leave Galilee and set out for Judea as the Jewish festival of Passover was approaching, but Jesus refused the invitation and told his “brothers” to attend the feast, following on in secret later. Again, an event only recorded in the Gospel of John (2:12) states that following the miracle of the wine, Jesus, along with his mother, brothers and disciples went to Capernaum and stayed there for a few days. It is almost impossible to prove that from these narrations in the Gospels that Jesus had any biological brothers or sisters.

In Antiquities of the Jews, a book written by the famous Jewish historian Flavius Josephus, it is claimed that Jesus had at least one brother, Jacob. But a narration of Simon bar Cleopas, who is known to have been a cousin of Jesus, and who is said to have died when he was 120 years old, claims that the man Jacob, the so-called brother of Jesus, was stoned to death in 62 CE at the age of 96. According to this statement Jacob must have been born in 34 BC, which proves that it was impossible for him to be Jesus’ biological brother since this date would make Jacob older than Mary, his supposed mother.

It is interesting that when Luke’s gospel portrays the same event as the Gospels of Matthew and Mark the word “brother” is not used at all (4:14–30). When we compare the names mentioned with those of the disciples, we see an interesting connection with the names of the supposed brothers: the names given as the four brothers of Jesus, with the exception of Joseph, are among those on the list of the chosen disciples. In the lists given in the Synoptic gospels, the gospel of Barnabas and in commentaries by Al-Tabari and Ibn Kathir respectively, the names Simon and Jacob are both mentioned twice. Another interesting fact is that Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus, is the one name mentioned by all of them.

The word “brother” is similarly mentioned in two verses of the Qur’an, one of them being To the ‘Ad people (we sent) Hud, one of their own brethren (Hud 11:50), in which it is clear there is no indication of any blood tie, and the other is when the sons of Israel address Mary as “O sister of Aaron!” (Mary 19:28). Scholars have stressed the fact that this is not a reference to a biological sister ; as the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, explained in one of the hadith, “The Israelites used to name their children after their prophets and pious persons who had gone before them” (Muslim, Tirmidhi, Hanbal). Another present-day example supporting this theory is nuns who refer to each other as “sister,” which is, of course, used in the spiritual sense.

So it is probable that those who were referred to as Jesus’ brothers were actually his spiritual brothers or brothers in religion.

Ahmet Cetinkaya is managing editor at Nil Yayınları, Istanbul. He is a Ph.D. candidate in theology and his dissertation is on narrations about Jesus in the hadith literature.

Notes

1. Fath Al-Bari, VI: 470.
2. II. Samuel, 1:26; Amos, 1:11
3. Deuteronomy, 23:7; Nehemiah, 5:7; Jeremiah, 34:9; Kings 2, 10:13–14.
4. Song of Solomon 4:9–12; 5:1.
5. Maurice Bucaille, The Bible, the Qur’an, and Science, NY: Tahrike Tarsile Qur’an, 2003, p. 96.
6. Some say, “maternal uncle’s son” (Ibn Kathir, History II, 68) and “paternal uncle’s son” (Al-Alusi, Tafsir, xvi, 80).
7. See at-Tabari, Tafsir XVI, 64-5; Tarih I, 350; Ibn Kathir, Tafsir III, 113.
8. Eisenman, Robert H.; James the Brother of Jesus, Penguin books, Paperback edition, 1998, p. 320.
9. Barnabas mentions his own name instead of Simon’s. The gospels of Luke and Barnabas mention another person apart from Judas Iscariot. See: Matthew, 10:1–4; Mark, 3:13–19; Luke, 6:12–16; Gospel of Barnabas, 14; At-Tabari, Tafsir, vi, 14 onward.
10. At-Tabari, Tafsir xvi, 77–78; Fahruddin ar-Razi, Tafsir, xv, 327–328.

The first group of people carry a “pump” in their chests, but it cannot be said that they have hearts. The second group of people live in the cloudy, misty atmosphere of their surmises and doubts, separate from God, and are unable to reach their destination. The third group of people, those who have traveled some distance toward the destination, are at risk because they have not yet reached the goal. They advance falteringly, struggling on the way of God, experience cycles of defeat and success, and spend their lives trying to climb a “hill” without being able to reach the summit.

On the other hand, those who have a firm belief live as if they see God and in the consciousness that God sees them, enjoy complete security and are under God’s protection. They study existence with insight, penetrate the nature of existence, discover their reality through the light of God, and behave soberly and with self-control. They tremble with fear of God, full of anxiety and hope concerning their final goal, and pursue His pleasure by seeking to please Him and living in a way that shows their love for Him. In return, God loves them and causes other believers to love them. They are loved and esteemed by humanity and the jinn, and receive a warm welcome wherever they happen to be.

Prophet Joseph, upon him be peace, the truthful hero of Sura Yusuf, is mentioned five times in this sura as a man of perfect goodness and deep devotion. All of creation, including the Creator and the created, friend and foe, Earth and the heavens, testified to his strict self-control and self-supervision: When Joseph reached his full manhood, We bestowed on him wisdom and knowledge. Thus do We reward those who are perfectly good [worshipping and acting in consciousness of being always seen by God] (Yusuf 12:22). Here, the Almighty states that Prophet Joseph was a man of perfect goodness and self-control at the age of puberty. During his imprisonment in Egypt, every prisoner, whether good or evil, discerned the depth of his mind and purity of his spirit, and appealed to him to solve their problems: Tell us the interpretation of events, including dreams, for we see you [to be] among those who are perfectly good (Yusuf 12:36). Joseph succeeded in every trial he faced, and won a place in everyone’s heart, both friend and foe.

Once more God mentions him as a man of perfect goodness, a perfect embodiment of goodness, as his character did not change when appointed to a high government post: Thus We established Joseph in the land, to take possession of it where he pleased. We reach with Our mercy whom We will, and We never cause to be lost the reward of those who are perfectly good [worshipping and acting in consciousness of being always seen by God] (Yusuf 12:56). When his brothers, who had always envied him, acknowledged his goodness and truthfulness even before they discovered that the charitable minister in the royal palace of Egypt was Joseph. They said: O exalted sir. He has a father, aged and venerable; so take one of us instead of him, for we see that you are among those who are perfectly good (Yusuf 12:78).

Lastly, as a man perfectly matured and having acquired full spiritual contentment, Prophet Joseph himself testified to God’s blessings on him: God has been indeed gracious to us. Whoever acts in fear of God and full submission to Him and is patient, surely God does not waste the reward of those who are perfectly good (Yusuf 12:90).

It is inconceivable that an individual with such a sound heart could deviate or be deprived of God’s blessing. Such a heart has the same meaning with respect to its owner as God’s Supreme Throne has with respect to the universe, and is a polished mirror in which the Almighty looks in full appreciation. Such a mirror is not something to be discarded or allowed to break, for it is the essence and spirit of human reality and is praised by God.

In the following couplets, Rumi recalls this:

The Truth says: I consider the heart,
Not the form made from water and clay.
You say: I have a heart within me, whereas
The heart is above God’s Throne, not below.