JACOB (YA’QUB)
Jacob (Ya qub) was one of the twin sons of Isaac. He was appointed prophet of his people after the death of his father. His popular name was Israel and his progeny is called Bani Israel (the children of Israel).
He had twelve sons and one daughter. The twelve tribes of the children of Israel are named after his twelve sons. Joseph (Yusuf) was one of his sons. He was extremely handsome and was dearly loved by his father. His brothers were jealous of him and they always looked for an excuse to get him away from their father. Finally they took him away at the pretext of hunting and threw him in a well. Jacob cried so much at the separation of his beloved son that he lost his eyesight.
As will be seen in the narrative on the life of Joseph. God rescued Joseph from the well and made him the king of Egypt. There was famine in the land of Canaan and his brothers came to get grain from the king. Joseph recognised them because they were the same fellows who had thrown him in the well. He forgave them and had them move, along with or his father, to Egypt.
The children of Israel remained in Egypt for about four hundred and thirty years until Moses (Musa) ultimately rescued them from the ill treatment rendered by King Ramsis III.
References: The Qur’an: Sura Baqarah. An’am. Ale Imran. Yusuf, Anbiya, Jinn and Mo’min.
Aal-e-Qutub Aal-e-Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi 