Surah 12. Yusuf

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Verses [Section]: 1-6[1], 7-20 [2], 21-29 [3], 30-35 [4], 36-42 [5], 43-49 [6], 50-57 [7], 58-68 [8], 69-79 [9], 80-93 [10], 94-104 [11], 105-111 [12]

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Quran Text of Verse 30-35وَ قَالَAnd saidنِسْوَةٌwomenفِیinالْمَدِیْنَةِthe cityامْرَاَتُThe wife ofالْعَزِیْزِAzizتُرَاوِدُ(is) seeking to seduceفَتٰىهَاher slave boyعَنْaboutنَّفْسِهٖ ۚhimselfقَدْindeedشَغَفَهَاhe has impassioned herحُبًّا ؕ(with) loveاِنَّاIndeed weلَنَرٰىهَا[we] surely see herفِیْinضَلٰلٍan errorمُّبِیْنٍ clear 12. Yusuf Page 239فَلَمَّاSo whenسَمِعَتْshe heardبِمَكْرِهِنَّof their schemingاَرْسَلَتْshe sentاِلَیْهِنَّfor themوَ اَعْتَدَتْand she preparedلَهُنَّfor themمُتَّكَاًa banquetوَّ اٰتَتْand she gaveكُلَّeachوَاحِدَةٍoneمِّنْهُنَّof themسِكِّیْنًاa knifeوَّ قَالَتِand she saidاخْرُجْCome outعَلَیْهِنَّ ۚbefore themفَلَمَّاThen whenرَاَیْنَهٗۤthey saw himاَكْبَرْنَهٗthey greatly admired himوَ قَطَّعْنَand cutاَیْدِیَهُنَّtheir handsوَ قُلْنَthey saidحَاشَForbidلِلّٰهِAllahمَاnotهٰذَا(is) thisبَشَرًا ؕa manاِنْnotهٰذَاۤ(is) thisاِلَّاbutمَلَكٌan angelكَرِیْمٌ noble قَالَتْShe saidفَذٰلِكُنَّThatالَّذِیْ(is) the oneلُمْتُنَّنِیْyou blamed meفِیْهِ ؕabout himوَ لَقَدْAnd certainlyرَاوَدْتُّهٗI sought to seduce himعَنْ[from]نَّفْسِهٖ[himself]فَاسْتَعْصَمَ ؕbut he saved himselfوَ لَىِٕنْand ifلَّمْnotیَفْعَلْhe doesمَاۤwhatاٰمُرُهٗI order himلَیُسْجَنَنَّsurely he will be imprisonedوَ لَیَكُوْنًاand certainly will beمِّنَofالصّٰغِرِیْنَ those who are disgraced قَالَHe saidرَبِّMy Lordالسِّجْنُthe prisonاَحَبُّ(is) dearerاِلَیَّto meمِمَّاthan whatیَدْعُوْنَنِیْۤthey invite meاِلَیْهِ ۚto itوَ اِلَّاAnd unlessتَصْرِفْYou turn awayعَنِّیْfrom meكَیْدَهُنَّtheir plotاَصْبُI might inclineاِلَیْهِنَّtowards themوَ اَكُنْand [I] beمِّنَofالْجٰهِلِیْنَ the ignorant فَاسْتَجَابَSo respondedلَهٗto himرَبُّهٗhis Lordفَصَرَفَand turned awayعَنْهُfrom himكَیْدَهُنَّ ؕtheir plotاِنَّهٗIndeed [He]هُوَHeالسَّمِیْعُ(is) All-Hearerالْعَلِیْمُ All-Knower ثُمَّThenبَدَا(it) appearedلَهُمْto themمِّنْۢafterبَعْدِafterمَا[what]رَاَوُاthey had seenالْاٰیٰتِthe signsلَیَسْجُنُنَّهٗsurely they should imprison himحَتّٰیuntilحِیْنٍ۠a time

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Translation of Verse 30-35

30. And some women in the city said: “The wife of Aziz is trying to seduce her slave, indeed, she has been smitten with his love, surely we see her in plain error⁴⁹”.

31. So when she heard of their sly talk, she sent for them⁵⁰, and arranged for them cushioned seats and gave a knife to each one of them⁵¹, and asked (Yusuf) to come out (suddenly) before them. When they saw him, they were immensely impressed by him and cut their hands and exclaimed: Purity is for Allah. This is not a human being. This is a noble angel! ⁵²

32. She said: “This is the man on whose account you reproached me⁵³. I tried to seduce him, but he restrained himself⁵⁴. And if he refused to do my bidding, he surely shall be imprisoned and shall be disgraced⁵⁵.”

33. He said: “O my Lord! The prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me⁵⁶, and if you do not protect me from their guiles, I shall incline towards them and be one of the ignorant.⁵⁷”

34. So his Lord heard his prayer and protected him from their guiles⁵⁸, Verily He is the Hearer all and the knower all.

35. Yet in spite of their having seen the signs, they (Egyptians) decided to imprison him for a time⁵⁹.

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Commentary

49. When this incident came to be talked about in the town, some women wondered how the wife of a high-ranking officer could fall in love with a slave from Canaan. What amazed them was whether Yusuf was really so handsome that this lady of high society was trying to win him over by fair means or foul. Could she not use other means to satisfy her passions when she had ample sources at her disposal?

50. That is: When the wife of Aziz heard that the women of the town are passing uncomplimentary remarks against her, she plotted to teach them a lesson. She invited them to her house.

51. She arranged a very elaborate and comfortable party for them. She also provided knives at the party according to the custom to enable them to clean and cut their fruits with. (Even today the Arabs have the custom of placing uncut fruits and the knives before their guests in order that they may cut the fruits themselves and then eat them)

52. Yusuf was a slave, therefore, there was no alternative for him but to come out suddenly before the ladies as ordered. But on this occasion also he did not let the fear of God go from his heart. The ladies in the party belonged to the rich and noble families of the well-placed Egyptians and must have attended fully made-up and well-equipped with all the seductive charms. But Yusuf went before them in such a decent way that he did not even cast a glance at them. The beauty of his character reflected from his face and outshone his outward appearance. When the women saw him they at once realized that this was not an ordinary mortal; he was as innocent as an angel. This was the voice of their conscience and they blurted it out spontaneously, and they were so stunned seeing the most dignified and angelic face of Yusuf that they cut their hands (fingers) instead of the fruits in their hands. This was really the punishment which they got for their evil designs.

This party was not arranged in good faith, but it was a conspiracy against Yusuf. This becomes clear by reading between the lines of the ayat, and as stated in ayat No.33 Yusuf has clearly mentioned it to be a conspiracy. This conspiracy was plotted by the wife of Aziz and the other women were privy to it. The objective of Aziz’s wife in arranging this party was to show to the ladies who were criticising her that she had not fallen for a nobody but for a man who is unique in his beauty, and so she had not committed any folly. Besides she also wanted to take partners in her sin, so that they might not criticise her again, and furthermore all these ladies might try to charm and fascinate Yusuf in such a way that he might fall a prey to their vile designs.

This gives us an idea about what was the moral scene in Egypt at that time. Ladies residing in palaces employed slaves to satisfy their cardinal desires, because every big house had slaves and it was the safest and easiest way of pleasure-seeking. So the efforts to seduce Yusuf by Aziz’s wife and other women was not an unusual thing. But Yusuf in reality was not the slave of any man but of God, and therefore, he disappointed every one of them.

53. That is: Now you must have realized that this is not an ordinary slave like other slaves, but that he is not only a shining star of beauty in the firmament of external appearances but also a man of immaculate character, and therefore, I have not erred in any way in trying to seduce him.

54. Thus the wife of Aziz blurted out, in the presence of the women the secret which she had been keeping back. This was not an acknowledgement of her guilt but was an unabashed declaration of her infatuation with Yusuf’s beauty. And the women in whose presence this shameless statement was made were equally immoral in their outlook.

55. When she was unable to entice him even with the help of these charming and inviting women, she tried to pressurize Yusuf with her authority and threatened him to send to prison.

56. That is: I prefer going to jail than to commit the sin of indulging in illegal sex.

57. In Arabic the word ‘Jahil’ used here is employed as opposite of the word ‘aaqil’ (wise)- (Lisanul Arab, Vol. 12 page 130), and here it is used in the same meaning, that is, one who is overcome by his desires and is unable to act wisely. Yusuf was not proud of his chastity; he considered it Allah’s favour, and that is why at such a delicate moment he sought Allah’s help.

58. Since this prayer had come direct from heart and was the result of pure and clean feelings, Allah heard his prayer and Yusuf was saved from the snare which women had thrown to entangle him with their charms.

“O my two companions of prison! With regard to one of you, he will pour out wine for his lord to drink; and as for the other, he will be crucified and the birds will eat from his head. So has been decreed concerning which both you enquired.” (Al-Quran)

59. Despite seeing all the signs of Yusuf’s innocence these persons thought it fit to imprison Yusuf for the time being, so that the outside world may think that the guilt was committed by Yusuf, and the Aziz of Egypt may be spared the loss of reputation.