12. Yusuf

And he of Egypt who purchased him Potifar the Court Officer Qitfīr al-‘azīz said to his wife Zulaikha Zulaykhā ‘Give him an honourable place an honourable residence with us. Maybe he will be useful to us or we may adopt him as a son’ — for he was chaste. Thus just as We delivered him from being killed and from the well and softened the Court Officer’s heart for him We established Joseph in the land the land of Egypt until he attained what status he attained that We might teach him the interpretation of events the interpretation of visions wa-li-nu‘allimahu min ta’wīli’l-ahādīth is a supplement to an implied missing part connected to makkannā ‘We established’ in other words an implied li-numallikahu ‘so that We might give him kingship’; or else the wāw of wa-li-nu‘allimahu ‘that We might teach him’ is to be understood as being extra. God’s way always prevails exalted be He nothing being beyond Him but most people — and they are the disbelievers — do not know this.

And when he reached his prime — which was at 30 or 33 years of age — We gave him power of judgement wisdom and knowledge understanding in matters of religion before his call to prophethood. Thus just as We rewarded him We reward those who are virtuous to the good of their souls.

And she certainly desired him she sought sexual intercourse with him and he would have desired her too he would have sought the same had it not been that he saw the proof of his Lord Ibn ‘Abbās said ‘Jacob was made to appear before him and he struck his Joseph’s breast whereupon his sexual desire withdrew from his body through his fingernails the response to lawlā ‘had it not been’ has been omitted understood to be la-jāma‘ahā ‘he would have lain with her’. So it was that We made him see the proof that We might ward off from him evil betrayal and lewdness the act of fornication. Truly he was of Our devoted servants in terms of obedience mukhlisīn a variant reading has mukhlasīn in other words ‘chosen/purified servants’.

And they raced to the door Joseph making for it in order to escape while she in order to grab hold of him caught hold of his garment and pulled him towards her and she tore his shirt from behind whereupon they encountered her master her husband at the door. She composed herself and then said ‘What is to be the requital of him who intends evil who intends fornication against your folk but that he should be imprisoned locked up in a jail or suffer a painful chastisement?’ by having him beaten.

He Joseph said declaring himself innocent of the charge ‘It was she who attempted to seduce me’. And a witness of her own folk testified her paternal cousin — it is reported that he was still a child in the cradle — and he said ‘If his shirt has been torn from the front then she speaks the truth and he is of the liars;

but if his shirt has been torn from behind then she has lied and he is of the truthful’.

So when he her husband saw that his shirt was torn from behind he said ‘Indeed this — that is your saying ‘What is to be the requital of him who intends …’ to the end of the verse Q. 1225 — is of the guile of you O women. Verily your guile is great.

Then he said O Joseph ignore this matter and do not mention it to anyone lest it be broadcast; and you O Zulaykhā ask forgiveness for your sin surely you have been of the erring’ the sinful; but the tale was reported and became public.

And some of the women in the city the city of Egypt said ‘The Court Officer’s wife has been seducing her boy her servant. Indeed he has smitten her heart with love hubban is for specification in other words ‘her love of him has entered her heart’s pericardium shaghāfa qalbihā that is its inner casing. Lo! we see her to be in plain aberration’ that is in error evident in her love of him.