The Well: Betrayal and the Fracturing of the Self

What if the story of Prophet Yusuf (Joseph) is also the story of the human soul? In this lesson, Imam Mendes reflects on the deeper meanings of Surah Yusuf, exploring themes of dreams, envy, patience, loss, divine guidance, and the wisdom that can be hidden within life's difficulties. Drawing from the Qur'an, Rumi, and the Islamic scholarly tradition, he looks at how Yusuf's journey speaks to the struggles and transformations that every believer experiences. The conversation also touches on preparing for Ramadan, the place of dreams in Islam, the different states of the nafs, and how Allah shapes and refines people through both hardship and blessing. Through Qur'anic reflection and sacred poetry, Imam Mendes encourages us to look beyond outward events and recognize the subtle ways Allah guides, teaches, and cares for His servants. About the teacher: Imam Adeyinka Mendes is co-founder of the Bilal Spiritual Center and the African-American Healing, Ancestry, and Development (AHAD) Collective. He is currently the Senior Scholar at WASAT. Adeyinka Mendes is an Ohio native with Yoruba, Brazilian, and African-American ancestry, he embraced Islam at seventeen and went on to study history at Morehouse College and Arabic at the Ohio State University, as well as the Islamic sciences primarily in Syria, Mauritania, Nigeria, and the United States. He works as an interpreter of sacred texts, teacher of Arabic and Islamic Sciences, and community Imam, as well as a rites of passage leadership consultant who continues to read with scholars and students.