Shadow Puppet Show: Prophet Yusuf `Alayhis-salam
Ingredients
We recycled a large TV box for our 'theatre', sellotaped a sheet of white paper on the front, used an overhead projector as our light source and reused scrap card for all our props, as well using drinks' stirrers as puppet handles.
Below are excerpts from the story we wrote but if anyone wants the entire script, comment below and I'll send you a download link. NB: Our version includes the Urdu language.
Yusuf grew up playing with his brothers but sometimes his brothers were mean to him and picked on him for being good. One day, Yusuf had a dream in which he saw 11 big stars, the sun and the moon bowing down to him. They were all making ‘Sujood’ to him and Yusuf was amazed! He told his dad,
‘Abi! Abi! I had a dream about the stars, sun and moon! What does it mean?’
Prophet Yaqub `alayhis-salam (peace be upon him) became excited and said,
‘Baita Yusuf, Allah is going to give you important jobs and make you an international hero! Insha-Allah’
But then Prophet Yaqub `alayhis-salam became worried, he said, ‘Baita, don’t tell your brothers about your dream. They might get jealous. Shaytaan liked to make brothers get jealous and fight so you be a good boy and keep asking Allah to help you, ok?’
‘Ji Abu, I won’t tell them and I’ll be good,’ said Yusuf.
But what Yusuf didn’t know was that his 10 older brothers were jealous of him anyway.
“It’s not fair! Why does Abi love Yusuf more than us? What shall we do to make Yaqub love us more? – I know. Let’s kill Yusuf’.
One of Yusuf’s brothers didn’t want Yusuf to die. So he cleverly gave an idea, he said: “I know! Why don’t you throw him down a well instead? Hmm? Maybe someone will kidnap him instead! Right, right?" The brothers all said: “Hmmmm. Yes, let’s do that!”
The brothers begged their father to take Yusuf out of the house but Yaqub `alayhis-salam kept saying no. “You will lose him! Yusuf might fall and hurt his knee! You won’t keep him warm! He might get kidnapped or eaten by a wolf!”
“But we are 10 strong men! We will protect him!” said the brothers.
Eventually Yaqub `alayhi-salam said, "Na`am, teek hai, yes, okay then.. But bring him back quick!". The brothers laughed… “Come on Yusuf… let’s go on a camping trip!”
Act 2, scene 2: 3 DAYS IN A WELL
Yusuf was 16 years old when he went on the trip with his brothers. He was so happy to go out on this camping trip. But when the brothers came near a dried up well with no water, they dragged and pulled Yusuf into it. Yusuf was screaming, "Please! No! Stop!" but they pushed him in and he fell with a big ‘ouch!’. He couldn’t climb out. He was crying. Yusuf spent 3 days in the well, hungry and alone but he made Du`a' to Allah to save him. He said,
“Allah is enough for me, Allah is enough for me”.
In Egypt, a prime minister called Fitfir looked at handsome Yusuf and bought him for just 20 silver coins called Dirhams. “You’re a good bargain, come live with me, I am the Aziz of Menofer!”
Yusuf grew up in Menofer with the Aziz Fitfir and became a rich man. He read a lot of books, learned a lot of languages, rules and was always kind to people. Yusuf even spoke Egyptian and looked like an Egyptian! He was so honest and handsome that women would faint when they saw him!
Act 3, scene 3: IN PRISON FOR LIFE
But... In prison, Yusuf met lots of other prisoners who had all done bad things. Yusuf though, was innocent and knew Allah would save him just like Allah saved him from the well. He was happy being locked up because Allah told him he was becoming a Prophet in prison just like his dad Prophet Yaqub `alayhis-salam and his grandfather Ishaaq alayhis-salam and his great grandfather prophet Ibrahim alayhis-salam!
When the 10 brothers returned to the forest Canaan in Palestine they had a serious problem Telling Yaqub `alayhis-salam about Binyamin being left in Egypt. Yaqub `alayhis-salam cried out, “No! You did it again! I will wait for Binyamin AND Yusuf to return because I trust Allah won’t harm my special sons!”
Yaqub `alayhis-salam told his sons to go back and get Binyamin so once again the brothers went to Egypt and met with Prophet Yusuf alayhis-salam. They cried to him,
Yaqub `alayhis-salam told his sons to go back and get Binyamin so once again the brothers went to Egypt and met with Prophet Yusuf alayhis-salam. They cried to him,
“Our father is an old man who is so sad to lose his son. You are like a prince, please help us because we have little food and little money. Please be kind to us! Allah rewards people who are kind and not mean!”
Yusuf `alayhis-salam was so kind that he didn’t even get angry at his brothers and he said, “May Allah forgive you”.
Yaqub `alayhis-salam came to Egypt with all of his family and everyone – Yusuf’s 11 brothers, his mum Rahil and his dad prophet Yaqub alayhis-salam bowed down to Yusuf ad Yusuf exclaimed,
“THIS is what my dream meant! How amazing is Allah and what an amazing life Allah gave me! I will be kind to all my brothers, I love my family, I love living in Egypt and I’m so happy we are all Muslims! Alhamdulillah!”
Wow, this is a great idea! I was hoping to do some kind of play or show for the kids in my family this Eid but I think what you've done here is really good. Could you please send me a copy of the script?
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