Allah states that the wife of the `Aziz of Egypt, in whose house Yusuf
resided and whose husband recommended that she takes care of him and be generous
to him, tried to seduce Yusuf! She called him to do an evil act with her,
because she loved him very much. Yusuf was very handsome, filled with manhood
and beauty. She beautified herself for him, closed the doors and called him,
[وَقَالَتْ هَيْتَ
لَكَ]
(and (she) said: "Come on, O you.'') But he categorically refused her call,
[قَالَ مَعَاذَ
اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ رَبِّى أَحْسَنَ مَثْوَاىَّ]
(He said: "I seek refuge in Allah! Truly, he is my Rabb! He made my living in
a great comfort!'') as they used to call the chief and master a `Rabb', Yusuf
said to her, `your husband is my master who provided me with comfortable living
and was kind to me, so I will never betray him by committing immoral sins with
his wife,'
[إِنَّهُ لاَ
يُفْلِحُ الظَّـلِمُونَ]
(Verily, the wrongdoers will never be successful.) This was said by Mujahid,
As-Suddi, Muhammad bin Ishaq and several others. The scholars differ in their
recitation of,
[هَيْتَ لَكَ]
(Hayta Laka), whereby Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and several other scholars said
that it means that she was calling him to herself. Al-Bukhari said; "Ikrimah
said that,
[هَيْتَ لَكَ]
(Hayta Laka') means, `come on, O you', in the Aramaic language.'' Al-Bukhari
collected this statement from `Ikrimah without a chain of narration. Other
scholars read it with the meaning, `I am ready for you'. Ibn `Abbas, Abu
`Abdur-Rahman As-Sulami, Abu Wa'il, `Ikrimah and Qatadah were reported to have
read this part of the Ayah this way and explained it in the manner we mentioned,
as `I am ready for you'.
[وَلَقَدْ هَمَّتْ
بِهِ وَهَمَّ بِهَا لَوْلا أَن رَّأَى بُرْهَانَ رَبِّهِ كَذَلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ
عَنْهُ السُّوءَ وَالْفَحْشَآءَ إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُخْلَصِينَ ]
(24. And indeed she did desire him, and he would have inclined to her desire,
had he not seen the evidence of his Lord. Thus it was, that We might turn away
from him evil and immoval sins. Surely, he was one of Our Mukhlasin servants.)
This is about the thoughts that cross the mind, according to Al-Baghawi who
mentioned this opinion from some of the analysts. Al-Baghawi next mentioned here
a Hadith that he narrated from `Abdur Razzaq, from Ma`mar, from Hammam, from Abu
Hurayrah, from the Messenger of Allah ,
«يَقُولُ اللهُ
تَعَالَى: إِذَا هَمَّ عَبْدِي بِحَسَنَةٍ فَاكْتُبُوهَا لَهُ حَسَنَةً، فَإِنْ
عَمِلَهَا فَاكْتُبُوهَا لَهُ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا، وَإِنْ هَمَّ بِسَيِّئَةٍ
فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا فَاكْتُبُوهَا حَسَنَةً، فَإِنَّمَا تَرَكَهَا مِنْ جَرّائِي،
فَإِنْ عَمِلَهَا فَاكْتُبُوهَا بِمِثْلِهَا»
(Allah the Exalted said, `If my slave intends to perform a good deed, then
record it for him as one good deed; if he performs it, then record it for him
multiplied ten folds. If he intends to commit an evil act but did not commit it,
then record it for him as one good deed, if he left it for My sake. But if he
commits it, then write it as one evil deed.') This Hadith was also collected in
the Two Sahihs using various wording, this is one of them. It was also reported
that the Ayah means that Yusuf was about to beat her. As for the evidence that
Yusuf saw at that moment, there are conflicting opinions to what it was. Ibn
Jarir At-Tabari said, "The correct opinion is that we should say that he saw an
Ayah from among Allah's Ayat that repelled the thought that crossed his mind.
This evidence might have been the image of Ya`qub, or the image of an angel, or
a divine statement that forbade him from doing that evil sin, etc. There are no
clear proofs to support any of these statements in specific, so it should be
left vague, as Allah left it. Allah's statement next,
[كَذَلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ
عَنْهُ السُّوءَ وَالْفَحْشَآءَ]
(Thus it was, that We might turn away from him evil and immoral sins.) means,
`Just as We showed him the evidence that turned him away from that sin, We save
him from all types of evil and illegal sexual activity in all his affairs,'
because,
[إِنَّهُ مِنْ
عِبَادِنَا الْمُخْلَصِينَ]
(Surely, he was one of Our Mukhlasin servants. ) meaning, chosen, purified,
designated, appointed and righte- ous. May Allah's peace and blessings be on
him.''
[وَاسُتَبَقَا
الْبَابَ وَقَدَّتْ قَمِيصَهُ مِن دُبُرٍ وَأَلْفَيَا سَيِّدَهَا لَدَى الْبَابِ
قَالَتْ مَا جَزَآءُ مَنْ أَرَادَ بِأَهْلِكَ سُوءًا إِلاَ أَن يُسْجَنَ أَوْ
عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌ - قَالَ هِىَ رَاوَدَتْنِى عَن نَّفْسِى وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ مِّنْ
أَهْلِهَآ إِن كَانَ قَمِيصُهُ قُدَّ مِن قُبُلٍ فَصَدَقَتْ وَهُوَ مِنَ
الكَـذِبِينَ - وَإِنْ كَانَ قَمِيصُهُ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٍ فَكَذَبَتْ وَهُوَ مِن
الصَّـدِقِينَ - فَلَمَّا رَأَى قَمِيصَهُ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٍ قَالَ إِنَّهُ مِن
كَيْدِكُنَّ إِنَّ كَيْدَكُنَّ عَظِيمٌ ]
[يُوسُفُ أَعْرِضْ
عَنْ هَـذَا وَاسْتَغْفِرِى لِذَنبِكِ إِنَّكِ كُنتِ مِنَ الْخَـطِئِينَ ]
(25. So they raced with one another to the door, and she tore his shirt from
the back. They both found her master (i.e. her husband) at the door. She said:
"What is the recompense (punishment) for him who intended an evil design against
your wife, except that he be put in prison or a painful torment'') (26. He
[Yusuf] said: "It was she that sought to seduce me;'' and a witness of her
household bore witness (saying): "If it be that his shirt is torn from the
front, then her tale is true and he is a liar!'') (27. "But if it be that his
shirt is torn from the back, then she has told a lie and he is speaking the
truth!'') (28. So when he (her husband) saw his [Yusuf`s] shirt torn at the
back, he (her husband) said: "Surely, it is a plot of you women! Certainly
mighty is your plot!'') (29. "O Yusuf ! Turn away from this! (O woman!) Ask
forgiveness for your sin, verily, you were of the sinful.'') Allah says that
Yusuf and the wife of the `Aziz raced to the door, Yusuf running away from her
and her running after him to bring him back to the room. She caught up with him
and held on to his shirt from the back, tearing it so terribly that it fell off
Yusuf's back. Yusuf continued running from her, with her in pursuit. However,
they found her master, her husband, at the front door. This is when she
responded by deceit and evil plots, trying to exonerate herself and implicate
him, saying,
[مَا جَزَآءُ مَنْ
أَرَادَ بِأَهْلِكَ سُوءًا]
(What is the recompense (punishment) for him who intended an evil design
against your wife...), in reference to illegal sexual intercourse,
[إِلاَ أَن
يُسْجَنَ]
(except that he be put in prison)
[أَوْ عَذَابٌ
أَلِيمٌ]
(or a painful torment) tormented severely with painful beating. Yusuf did not
stand idle, but he declared the truth and exonerated himself from the betrayal
she accused him of,
[قَالَ]
(He [Yusuf] said), in truth and honesty,
[هِىَ رَاوَدَتْنِى
عَن نَّفْسِى]
(It was she that sought to seduce me), and mentioned that she pursued him and
pulled him towards her until she tore his shirt.
[وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ
مِّنْ أَهْلِهَآ إِن كَانَ قَمِيصُهُ قُدَّ مِن قُبُلٍ]
(And a witness of her household bore witness (saying): "If it be that his
shirt is torn from the front...''), not from the back,
[فَصَدَقَتْ]
(then her tale is true) that he tried to commit an illegal sexual act with
her. Had he called her to have sex with him and she refused, she would have
pushed him away from her and tore his shirt from the front,
[وَإِنْ كَانَ
قَمِيصُهُ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٍ فَكَذَبَتْ وَهُوَ مِن الصَّـدِقِينَ ]
(But if it be that his shirt is torn from the back, then she has told a lie
and he is speaking the truth!) Had Yusuf run away from her, and this is what
truly happened, and she set in his pursuit, she would have held to his shirt
from the back to bring him back to her, thus tearing his shirt from the back.
There is a difference of opinion over the age and gender of the witness
mentioned here. `Abdur-Razzaq recorded that Ibn `Abbas said that,
[وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ
مِّنْ أَهْلِهَآ]
(and a witness of her household bore witness) "was a bearded man,'' meaning
an adult male. Ath-Thawri reported that Jabir said that Ibn Abi Mulaykah said
that Ibn `Abbas said, "He was from the king's entourage.'' Mujahid, `Ikrimah,
Al-Hasan, Qatadah, As-Suddi, Muhammad bin Ishaq and others also said that the
witness was an adult male. Al-`Awfi reported that Ibn `Abbas said about Allah's
statement,
[وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌ
مِّنْ أَهْلِهَآ]
(and a witness of her household bore witness) "He was a babe in the cradle.
'' Similar was reported from Abu Hurayrah, Hilal bin Yasaf, Al-Hasan, Sa`id bin
Jubayr and Ad-Dahhak bin Muzahim, that the witness was a young boy who lived in
the `Aziz's house. Ibn Jarir At-Tabari preferred this view. Allah's statement,
[فَلَمَّا رَأَى
قَمِيصَهُ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٍ]
(So when he saw his [Yusuf's] shirt torn at the back,) indicates that when
her husband became certain that Yusuf was telling the truth and that his wife
was lying when she heralded the accusation of betrayal at Yusuf,
[قَالَ إِنَّهُ مِن
كَيْدِكُنَّ]
(he said: "Surely, it is a plot of you women!...'') He said, `This false
accusation and staining the young man's reputation is but a plot of many that
you, women, have,'
[إِنَّ كَيْدَكُنَّ
عَظِيمٌ]
(Certainly mighty is your plot!) The `Aziz ordered Yusuf, peace be upon him,
to be discrete about what happened,
[يُوسُفُ أَعْرِضْ
عَنْ هَـذَا]
(O Yusuf ! Turn away from this!), do not mention to anyone what has happened,
[وَاسْتَغْفِرِى
لِذَنبِكِ]
(And ask forgiveness for your sin, ) addressing his wife. The `Aziz was an
easy man, or gave excuse to his wife because she saw in Yusuf an appeal she
could not resist. He said to her, `Ask forgiveness for your sin, the evil desire
that you wanted to satisfy with this young man, and then inventing false
accusations about him,'
[إِنَّكِ كُنتِ مِنَ
الْخَـطِئِينَ]
(verily, you were of the sinful.)
[وَقَالَ نِسْوَةٌ
فِى الْمَدِينَةِ امْرَأَتُ الْعَزِيزِ تُرَاوِدُ فَتَـهَا عَن نَّفْسِهِ قَدْ
شَغَفَهَا حُبًّا إِنَّا لَنَرَاهَا فِى ضَلَـلٍ مُّبِينٍ - فَلَمَّا سَمِعَتْ
بِمَكْرِهِنَّ أَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَعْتَدَتْ لَهُنَّ مُتَّكَئًا وَءَاتَتْ
كُلَّ وَاحِدَةٍ مَّنْهُنَّ سِكِّينًا وَقَالَتِ اخْرُجْ عَلَيْهِنَّ فَلَمَّا
رَأَيْنَهُ أَكْبَرْنَهُ وَقَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ وَقُلْنَ حَاشَ للَّهِ مَا
هَـذَا بَشَرًا إِنْ هَـذَآ إِلاَّ مَلَكٌ كَرِيمٌ - قَالَتْ فَذلِكُنَّ الَّذِى
لُمْتُنَّنِى فِيهِ وَلَقَدْ رَاوَدتُّهُ عَن نَّفْسِهِ فَاسَتَعْصَمَ وَلَئِن
لَّمْ يَفْعَلْ مَآ ءَامُرُهُ لَيُسْجَنَنَّ وَلَيَكُونًا مِّن الصَّـغِرِينَ -
قَالَ رَبِّ السِّجْنُ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِمَّا يَدْعُونَنِى إِلَيْهِ وَإِلاَّ
تَصْرِفْ عَنِّى كَيْدَهُنَّ أَصْبُ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَكُن منَ الْجَـهِلِينَ -
فَاسْتَجَابَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ فَصَرَفَ عَنْهُ كَيْدَهُنَّ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّمِيعُ
الْعَلِيمُ ]
(30. And women in the city said: "The wife of the `Aziz is seeking to seduce
her (slave) young man, indeed she loves him violently; verily, we see her in
plain error.'') (31. So when she heard of their accusation, she sent for them
and prepared a banquet for them; she gave each one of them a knife, and she said
[to Yusuf]: "Come out before them.'' Then, when they saw him, they exalted him
(at his beauty) and (in their astonishment) cut their hands. They said: "How
perfect is Allah! No man is this! This is none other than a noble angel!'') (32.
She said: "This is he (the young man) about whom you did blame me, and I did
seek to seduce him, but he refused. And now if he refuses to obey my order, he
shall certainly be cast into prison, and will be one of those who are
disgraced.'') (33. He said: "O my Lord! Prison is dearer to me than that to
which they invite me. Unless You turn away their plot from me, I will feel
inclined towards them and be one of the ignorant.'') (34. So his Lord answered
his invocation and turned away from him their plot. Verily, He is the
All-Hearer, the All-Knower.)
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