Yusuf, peace be upon him: a Quran story for kids

When he was young, Yusuf saw an amazing dream, and told his father Yaqub:

﴿يَـٰٓأَبَتِ إِنِّى رَأَيْتُ أَحَدَ عَشَرَ كَوْكَبًۭا وَٱلشَّمْسَ وَٱلْقَمَرَ رَأَيْتُهُمْ لِى سَـٰجِدِينَ﴾

Yusuf 12:4

It means: Father, I saw in a dream eleven stars, and the sun and the moon, bowing to me.

His father was glad, but he worried his brothers would be jealous, so he said:

﴿قَالَ يَـٰبُنَىَّ لَا تَقْصُصْ رُءْيَاكَ عَلَىٰٓ إِخْوَتِكَ﴾

Yusuf 12:5

It means: My son, do not tell your dream to your brothers.

Think: Why do we keep some things secret?

But his brothers were jealous. They took him far away and threw him into a deep well.

﴿وَأَجْمَعُوٓا۟ أَن يَجْعَلُوهُ فِى غَيَـٰبَتِ ٱلْجُبِّ﴾

Yusuf 12:15

It means: They agreed to put him at the bottom of the well.

But Allah was with him, and never forgot him.

A caravan of travellers passed by. They sent someone for water, and when he let down his bucket, Yusuf held on to it. The man was overjoyed and said:

﴿يَـٰبُشْرَىٰ هَـٰذَا غُلَـٰمٌۭ﴾

Yusuf 12:19

It means: What good news! Here is a boy.

And they took him with them to Egypt.

In Egypt, Yusuf was patient through hard times, and was even put in prison unfairly. There he kept calling people to Allah:

﴿يَـٰصَـٰحِبَىِ ٱلسِّجْنِ ءَأَرْبَابٌ مُّتَفَرِّقُونَ خَيْرٌ أَمِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْوَٰحِدُ ٱلْقَهَّارُ﴾

Yusuf 12:39

It means: My two prison companions, are many gods better, or Allah, the One, the Supreme?

Think: How can you be patient when something unfair happens to you?

The king of Egypt saw a dream no one understood. Yusuf explained it: seven years of plenty, then seven years of hunger. He told them:

﴿قَالَ تَزْرَعُونَ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ دَأَبًۭا﴾

Yusuf 12:47

It means: Plant for seven years in a row, and store what you harvest.

The king put him in charge of the food stores. His brothers came asking for food; he knew them, but they did not know him. When they found out, he forgave them and said:

﴿لَا تَثْرِيبَ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْيَوْمَ ۖ يَغْفِرُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ۖ وَهُوَ أَرْحَمُ ٱلرَّٰحِمِينَ﴾

Yusuf 12:92

It means: No blame on you today. May Allah forgive you; He is the Most Merciful of the merciful.

Think: Do you forgive someone who wronged you?

His father, mother and all his brothers came to Egypt, and the dream came true. Yusuf said:

﴿يَـٰٓأَبَتِ هَـٰذَا تَأْوِيلُ رُءْيَـٰىَ مِن قَبْلُ قَدْ جَعَلَهَا رَبِّى حَقًّۭا﴾

Yusuf 12:100

It means: Father, this is the meaning of my old dream. My Lord has made it come true.

Bowing was a greeting in their time; we bow down only to Allah.