Surah Yusuf taught me that sometimes, tears are not enough to believe people. When people come to cry in front of you - full of tears - it does not necessarily mean that they are being truthful. I get this as an Imam a lot. One spouse might come to me crying about the injustices of the other, while I realize the more I listen that they are indeed the monster. We live in a world today where people have mastered that, so don't let the crocodile tears fool you.

Crying is not always a sign of innocence. In the case of the brothers of Yusuf ﷺ they cried to their father and they were the oppressors. Shk Saadi.

Then they returned to their father in the evening, weeping. [12:16] 💭 Bask in the radiance of Islam's balance. In this verse, we are reminded that - although a Muslim must have a big heart filled with empathy for people’s pain - there will always be dishonest people in the world who pretend to be in pain. Neither being articulate nor tearful are sufficient proof that someone is a victim. These could be mere talents, so do not be manipulated by those who may have mastered the art of persuasion, or can solicit crocodile tears on cue. 💭 Faux tears are not just for deceiving others, but are also a means by which dead hearts pacify themselves. Imam al-Qushayri said, 'A liar being en

I continue to get people around me to think about some reflections when they hear or read a verse of the Quran. I was reading the translation of surah Yusuf to my eleven year old daughter during a walk in the park and asked her about the 7th verse of Surah Yusuf and what her reflection on it was. She said 'Didn't Yusuf AS have a dream about his brothers being stars. So maybe like how we use stars to find our way, we should also use Yusuf and his brothers to guide our own way in life' It was quite a profound reflection that she had and one of the happiest and proudest moments I have had as a father. Which led me to think about the surah as a whole. I can remember as a young boy, sittin