Transliteration:( Qaala hiya raawadatnee 'an nafsee wa shahida shaahidum min ahlihaa in kaana qameesuhoo qudda min qubulin fasadaqat wa huwa minal kaazibeen )
"He said, 'She tempted me to deviate [56], and a witness from her household testified [57]. If his shirt is torn from the front, then she has spoken the truth [58] and he is a liar.'"
From this verse, two issues emerge:
The intention of adultery was solely Zuleikha's, as stated in the words, "She tempted me to deviate". Hazrat Yusuf (on whom be peace) did not express any such intention. If he had, the narrative would have been false, and his statement would have been a lie. This highlights the purity and chastity of Hazrat Yusuf (on whom be peace), as he did not harbor any intention of sin.
The practice of the Prophets is to file a complaint against accusations to clear oneself of any wrongdoing. As emphasized in a Hadith, one should avoid places where one might be falsely accused. This shows the importance of preserving one's honor and reputation, especially when falsely accused.
From this, we learn that in certain cases, the testimony of a single witness can be accepted, as the Qur'an narrates this incident without any contradiction. Even today, in matters of integrity, the testimony of a single reliable witness is often accepted.
This principle can also be applied to Ahadith transmitted by only one narrator. It also highlights the great status of Hazrat Ayesha Siddiqa (May Allah be pleased with her), whose innocence was testified by Allah Almighty Himself when she was falsely accused.
When Hazrat Yusuf (on whom be peace) was falsely accused, his innocence was testified by a child, while in the case of Hazrat Ayesha (May Allah be pleased with her), Allah Himself bore witness to her purity.
The full incident unfolded when the Aziz of Egypt asked Hazrat Yusuf (on whom be peace) to prove his innocence. Hazrat Yusuf (on whom be peace) pointed to Zuleikha’s uncle’s baby, who was only four months old and swinging in a cradle. To everyone’s amazement, the baby began to speak and testify to Hazrat Yusuf’s (on whom be peace) innocence.
This incident is rare, as only a few infants in history have spoken in such a way. Other notable examples include Hazrat Isa (on whom be peace), who spoke in his cradle, and Hazrat Yahya (on whom be peace), Hazrat Ebrahim (on whom be peace), and the child of the woman accused of adultery who testified to her innocence. These miraculous events demonstrate the divine support for the Prophets and righteous individuals when they are wrongfully accused.
The tafsir of Surah Yusuf verse 26 by Ibn Kathir is unavailable here.
Please refer to Surah Yusuf ayat 25 which provides the complete commentary from verse 25 through 29.
(12:26) Joseph said: “It is she who was trying to tempt me to herself.” And a witness belonging to her own household testified[24] (on grounds of circumstantial evidence): “If his shirt is torn from the front, then she is telling the truth and he is a liar.
24. It appears that when the master of the house came on the scene, he was accompanied by a person of his wife’s household. When he heard the story of the incident, he made this proposal: As each of them accuses the other and there is no eye witness of what happened between the two, the matter should be decided by the help of the circumstantial evidence, by examining the condition of Joseph’s shirt. Obviously this was a very reasonable way of deciding the matter, and there was, therefore, no need to resort to a miracle. According to some traditions this witness was an infant, lying in the cradle, whom Allah had given the power of speech for giving this evidence. As this story is not supported by any authority, there is no reason why the obvious, plain and reasonable thing should not be accepted that the witness was a wise and experienced member of the family of the wife, instead of having resort to a miracle based on an unauthentic tradition.
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