Ar-Rafeeq (The Gentle One) has always stood out as my favourite name of Allah swt. And indeed, He has been so gentle to me in so many ways – guiding me through my thoughts, giving me the exact opportunities and classes I prayed for so I could understand Him better, and through the rizq received via family and friends for material gains.

And because of His Mercy, I feel like I am able to understand His signs better. One of them found me recently, at exactly the right moment – The Signs To Get Through Your Heartbreak:

“…Allah’s Will always prevails, but most people do not know.”

— Surah Yusuf, 12:21

Reflections on Surah Yusuf and the seasons we don’t choose

There are moments in life that feel like it is in an in-between. It does not feel important enough to be said out loud. It is not dramatic, not cinematic, but quiet and suffocating. But it affected my softened heart more than I’d like, with unexplained word and thoughts too heavy to carry out. I’ve been sitting with one of those moments lately.

And somehow, in that silence, Surah Yusuf kept finding me.

Nabi Yusuf عليه السلام (Joseph) was betrayed by the people closest to him, thrown into a well, sold into slavery, imprisoned for something he did not do. And yet, it is considered by many to be ahsan al-qasas, the best of stories. Not because it was easy. Because of what it became. It is the only story of a prophet told in one flowing manner in just one surah, and it remains one of the most beloved and most frequently studied surahs in the Quran today.¹

Its themes are timeless. “Every generation finds its message of hope and optimism relevant to their specific circumstances.”

And the surah ends with a reminder about the very purpose of the revelation itself:

“In their stories is a lesson for those who possess intelligence. This is not a fabricated tale, but a confirmation of what came before it, and a detailed explanation of all things, and guidance, and mercy for people who believe.”

— Surah Yusuf, 12:111

What strikes me is that at every pit — the prophet remained strong in faith. He didn’t rage at the ceiling. He didn’t dissolve. He stayed present, stayed useful, stayed connected. Even in the dungeon, he was interpreting dreams for other people. His lowest point became someone else’s turning point. We too need to be optimistic and trust His plan even when life does not seem to go our way.

I think about the Prophet ﷺ as well — how Surah Yusuf was revealed as glad tidings for Rasulullah s.a.w during the Year of Grief, when he had lost his wife Khadijah r.a, lost his uncle Abu Talib, been rejected in Taif. Allah didn’t give him a strategy. He gave him a story. A reminder that the gap between the well and the palace is long, and rarely linear, but it is never abandoned by divine design.

The Surah also appeared at a time when I needed that same comfort and optimism. Having visited Taif last year made the seerah and the imagery so much stronger. Would I one day be successful in healing from this heartbreak? Can I really get out of the well? Can I be hopeful of the future? They say determination and patience are uncovered in these moments, and they tend to become our defining moments².

Maybe that’s what I needed to hear too. That being in the well is not the end of the story. It is often, quietly, the beginning of it.

1. Quran 30 for 30 Thematic Tafsir (Based on seasons 1-4) by Dr Omar Suleiman and Sh. Ismail Kamdar ↩︎
2. Take solace in the advice of the Prophet ﷺ when he said, “Be mindful of Allah, and you will find Him in front of you. Recognize and acknowledge Allah in times of ease and prosperity, and He will remember you in times of adversity. And know that what has passed you by [and you have failed to attain] was not going to befall you, and what has befallen you was not going to pass you by. And know that victory comes with patience, relief with affliction, and ease with hardship.” ↩︎