Transliteration:( Wastabaqal baaba wa qaddat qameesahoo min duburinw wa alfayaa saiyidahaa ladal baab; qaalat maa jazaaa'u man araada bi ahlika sooo'an illaaa any-yusjana aw azaabun 'aleem )
"And both ran [52] towards the door, and the woman tore his shirt from behind, and they met her husband [53] at the door. She said, 'What is the punishment [54] of him who desired evil with your wife except that he should be imprisoned or face a painful chastisement [55]?' "
In this verse, Hazrat Yusuf (on whom be peace) ran to escape, while Zuleikha ran after him to grab him. At that critical moment, a miracle occurred: the locks and hooks of the doors began to open at Hazrat Yusuf's (on whom be peace) signal, despite the fact that the keys to the locks were with Zuleikha. This divine intervention prevented him from falling into the trap of sin and preserved his chastity.
The Aziz of Egypt was not truly the master of Hazrat Yusuf (on whom be peace), as Hazrat Yusuf (on whom be peace) was a free person who had been unjustly sold into slavery. For this reason, the Aziz is not referred to as the master of Hazrat Yusuf (on whom be peace). This situation leads to two important legal points:
The sale of a free person is invalid in Islam.
Anything bought from an illegal sale cannot be resold legally. Since Hazrat Yusuf (on whom be peace) was bought through an unlawful sale, the travelers who purchased him and resold him were involved in an illegal transaction.
Zuleikha accused Hazrat Yusuf (on whom be peace) of having an intention for adultery, but not of actually committing the act. If Hazrat Yusuf (on whom be peace) had truly desired adultery, then Zuleikha’s claim would have been true. However, the Qur'an and divine testimony confirm that Zuleikha was lying. This highlights the importance of Allah's judgment in clarifying the truth, even when a false accusation is made. The intention of sin, according to Allah's will, is not equivalent to the act of sin, and Hazrat Yusuf (on whom be peace) remained pure from such desires.
Zuleikha herself suggested the punishment for Hazrat Yusuf (on whom be peace), proposing that he should either be imprisoned or face painful chastisement. This was likely done to prevent the Aziz from ordering Hazrat Yusuf's (on whom be peace) death out of anger, as she still sought to keep him close to her in some way. This also shows her attempt to manipulate the situation, ensuring her own desires were preserved while trying to protect herself from any severe repercussions.
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,
(What is the recompense (punishment) for him who intended an evil design against your wife…), in reference to illegal sexual intercourse,
(except that he be put in prison)
(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,
(He ﴿Yusuf﴾ said), in truth and honesty,
(It was she that sought to seduce me), and mentioned that she pursued him and pulled him towards her until she tore his shirt.
(And a witness of her household bore witness (saying): “If it be that his shirt is torn from the front…”), not from the back,
(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,
(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,
(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,
(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,
(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,
(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,’
(Certainly mighty is your plot!) The `Aziz ordered Yusuf, peace be upon him, to be discrete about what happened,
(O Yusuf ! Turn away from this!), do not mention to anyone what has happened,
(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,’
(verily, you were of the sinful.)
(12:25) Then both of them rushed to the door, each seeking to get ahead of the other, and she tore Joseph’s shirt from behind. Then both of them found the husband of the lady at the door. Seeing him she said: “What should be the punishment of him who has foul designs on your wife except that he should be imprisoned or subjected to painful chastisement?”
There is no commentary by Abul Maududi available for this verse.
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