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. Some women of the city gossiped, "The Chief Minister's wife is trying to seduce her slave-boy. Love for him has plagued her heart. Indeed, we see that she is clearly mistaken." ⁴⁴⁴

31. When she heard about their gossip, ⁴⁴⁵ she invited them and set a banquet for them. She gave each one a knife, then said ˹to Joseph˺, "Come out before them." When they saw him, they were so stunned ˹by his beauty˺ that they cut their hands, ⁴⁴⁶ and exclaimed, "Good God! This cannot be human; this must be a noble angel!"

32. She said, "This is the one for whose love you criticized me! I did try to seduce him but he ˹firmly˺ refused. And if he does not do what I order him to, he will certainly be imprisoned and ˹fully˺ disgraced." ⁴⁴⁷

33. Joseph prayed, "My Lord! I would rather be in jail than do what they invite me to. And if You do not turn their cunning away from me,

34. So his Lord responded to him, turning their cunning away from him. Surely He is the All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

35. And so it occurred to those in charge, despite seeing all the proofs ˹of his innocence˺, that he should be imprisoned for a while. ⁴⁴⁸

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Commentary

444. The women's only objection was because the wife of the Chief Minister was in love with someone raised in her house like a son.

445. lit., 'their cunning' because the women themselves were probably interested in Joseph.

446. The women were cutting fruit, and when Joseph came out they were so impressed by his beauty that they sliced through the fruit and into their hands without knowing.

447. The women tried to convince him to obey the Chief Minister's wife, so Joseph prayed to Allah to keep him away from them.

448. To stop women from being charmed by Joseph's beauty, or to put an end to the rumours, or to keep him away from the Minister's wife.