Tafsir of Yusuf 12:25-29

Surah Yusuf (12): Verses 25–29

It is narrated that after the wife {intended} (to seduce him), Allah followed this by describing how she pursued him and how he fled: {And they both raced to the door}.

This means that Joseph fled from her, attempting to exit through the door, while the woman pursued him, trying to pull him back to herself.

• Racing to the door (واستبقا الباب): This implies a competition to reach the door first. If Joseph won, he would open the door and escape; if the woman won, she would hold the door to prevent his exit.
• This is similar to the usage in: {And Moses chose from his people seventy men} (Al-A'raf: 155), meaning seventy men from his people.

Joseph (peace be upon him) preceded her to the door and intended to leave. The woman chased after him but only managed to reach the back of his shirt, tearing it (فقدته), meaning she tore it lengthwise.

At that moment, her husband arrived, which is indicated by: {And they found her husband at the door}. The woman referred to him as "my master" (سيدها). It was not said "their master" because Joseph was not truly a slave to that man.

Upon this, the woman feared implication and immediately accused Joseph of the indecent act, saying: {What is the penalty for one who intended evil against your family, except that he be imprisoned or a painful punishment?} The meaning is clear.

Subtleties in the Verse:

1. The word {What is... except} (ما... إلا) can be interpreted in two ways:
   • Negative (ما is negating): His penalty is nothing other than imprisonment.
   • Interrogative (ما is asking): What is his penalty, other than imprisonment? (Similar to saying: "Who is in the house except Zayd?")

2. Her intense desire for Joseph led her to use subtle phrasing here:
   • She mentioned imprisonment first and delayed mentioning painful punishment, because a lover does not seek to inflict severe pain upon the beloved.
   • She did not state that Joseph must receive one of these two things, but mentioned them generally, to protect the beloved from being explicitly associated with evil and pain.
   • She said, {except that he be imprisoned} (إلا أن يسجن), implying imprisonment for a day or less, as a form of leniency. Permanent confinement would not be expressed this way; rather, one would say, "He must be counted among the imprisoned," as Pharaoh said when threatening Moses: {If you do not cease, I will surely make you one of the prisoners} (Ash-Shu'ara: 29).

3. Since she witnessed Joseph's steadfast refusal while he was in the prime of his youth, full strength, and peak of desire, her conviction in his purity and integrity increased. She felt too ashamed to explicitly accuse him of intending evil against her. She settled for this indirect accusation (تعريض). Consider how this woman hesitated to level such a lie directly, yet these later groups (referring to later detractors) accuse him of this grave sin nearly four thousand years later.

4. Joseph intended to strike her and defend himself. To her, this action was perceived as "evil" (سوءا). Thus, her statement, {What is the penalty for one who intended evil against your family} could be interpreted as an indirect accusation. Perhaps in her heart, she intended to accuse him of intending to repel her, while outwardly suggesting he intended impropriety toward her.

When the woman made this statement and tarnished Joseph's honor, Joseph needed to clear himself of this suspicion. He said: {She tried to seduce me from myself} (هي راودتني عن نفسي). Joseph did not initially expose her secret, but when he feared for his life and honor, he revealed the matter.

Evidence Proving Joseph's Truthfulness:

There were many signs indicating that Joseph was truthful:

1. Status: Joseph appeared to be their slave, and a slave cannot assert himself over his master to this extent.
2. Action: They witnessed Joseph fiercely running toward the exit. A man pursuing a woman does not flee the house in such a manner.
3. Appearance: They saw the woman had adorned herself perfectly. Joseph, however, showed no trace of having indulged in self-beautification for seduction. Therefore, attributing the temptation to the woman was more appropriate.
4. History: They had observed Joseph's conduct over a long period and never saw any behavior suggesting he would commit such a reprehensible act. This strengthens the assumption of his innocence.
5. Accusation Style: The woman did not explicitly accuse him of seeking illicit relations but used vague, general language. Joseph, however, stated the matter plainly. If he were guilty, he would not have dared to use such direct language, as the betrayer is fearful.
6. Circumstance (Opinion): It is said that the husband was impotent, and the signs of female desire were fully present. Attributing the temptation to her was thus more likely.

When these numerous signs pointed to the woman as the source of the temptation, the husband felt ashamed, paused, and remained silent, knowing Joseph was truthful and the woman was lying.

Then, Allah revealed another proof to Joseph, strengthening the previous indications and demonstrating his innocence and the woman's guilt. This proof is found in: {And a witness from her household testified...}

Regarding the Witness (وشهد شاهد من أهلها): There are three main opinions:

1. The Cousin/Wise Man: He was her cousin, a wise man, who happened to be with the master (the husband) entering upon her. He said: "We heard the commotion behind the door and the tearing of the shirt, but we do not know who was ahead of whom. If the shirt was torn from the front, then you [the wife] are truthful and the man is a liar. But if it was torn from the back, then the man is truthful and you are a liar." When they looked and saw the tear was from the back, her cousin said: {Indeed, it is from your plotting; indeed, your plotting is great} (إنه من كيدكن إن كيدكن عظيم), meaning it is the result of your actions. He then told Joseph: "Turn away from this and conceal it," and told her: "Ask forgiveness for your sin." This is the view of a large group of commentators.

2. The Infant in the Cradle: This view is narrated from Ibn Abbas, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, and Ad-Dahhak. The witness was an infant whom Allah caused to speak in the cradle. Ibn Abbas mentioned four infants who spoke in the cradle: the witness for Joseph, the daughter of Pharaoh's beautician, Jesus son of Mary, and the companion of the monk Jurayj.
   • Al-Jubba'i preferred the first opinion (the cousin) for several reasons:
     • If Allah had enabled the child to speak this, his mere statement that she was lying would have been sufficient and a conclusive, overwhelming proof. Relying on the tearing of the shirt (front vs. back) is a weak, speculative piece of evidence. It is not permissible to abandon a decisive proof when it is present in favor of a speculative one.
     • Allah said, {a witness from her household} (من أهلها). This qualification is added to give more weight to the witness's testimony regarding the woman, as it is assumed that a relative or household member would not intentionally harm her. This emphasis on his kinship is only necessary if the evidence is speculative. If the statement came from the infant, it would be conclusive proof, and the distinction of his kinship would be irrelevant.
     • The term "witness" (شاهد) in common usage refers to someone who has prior knowledge of the event and is fully informed.

3. The Shirt Itself: Mujahid said the witness was the shirt being torn from the back. This view is extremely weak because a shirt cannot be described this way or attributed to the "household" (أهلها).

Addressing a Difficulty in the First Opinion:

The first opinion (the cousin's testimony) also presents a problem: the sign (the tear from the back) does not definitively prove Joseph's innocence. It is possible that Joseph intended to approach the woman for illicit relations, she became angry, he fled, and she chased him intending only to strike him severely. In this scenario, the shirt would be torn from the back, yet the woman would be innocent and Joseph guilty.

The Response: We have already established that the signs indicating the woman's falsehood were numerous and reached the level of certainty. This additional sign was added not as the sole basis for judgment, but as a reinforcing factor and a means of preference.

{So when he saw that his shirt was torn from the back}: This refers either to the master (the husband) or the witness. This is why they differed on who spoke this line.

{Indeed, it is from your plotting}: Meaning your statement, "What is the penalty for one who intended evil against your family," is part of your great plotting.

Inquiry: If Allah created man weak, why is the plotting of women described as "great"? Furthermore, the plotting of men can exceed that of women.

Response:

1. Man's creation is weak relative to the creation of angels, heavens, and stars. The plotting of women, relative to the plotting of men, is great. There is no contradiction between these statements.
2. Women possess cunning and stratagems in this matter that men do not. Moreover, their plotting in this area brings about a shame that the plotting of men does not.

When the people realized Joseph's innocence from the reprehensible act, Allah narrated that someone said: {Joseph, avert this} (يوسف أعرض عن هذا).

• It is said this was the command of the Master (the husband).
• It is said this was the command of the Witness.
  • The meaning is: Turn away from mentioning this incident so that its news does not spread, preventing great shame.

Just as Joseph was commanded to conceal the incident, the woman was commanded to seek forgiveness: {And ask forgiveness for your sin} (واستغفرى لذنبك).

• This apparent meaning is a request for pardon.
• It could mean that the husband was asking her to forgive him (for not believing Joseph immediately). In this case, the speaker is most likely the Witness.
• It could mean seeking forgiveness from Allah, as those people affirmed the Creator but still worshipped idols (as evidenced by Joseph's subsequent statement: {Are separate gods better or Allah, the One, the Irresistible?} (Yusuf: 39)). In this case, the speaker could be the husband.

{Indeed, you were one of the wrongdoers} (إنك كنت من الخاطئين): This attributes to her a history of frequent error. This is one indication that the husband knew from the beginning that the fault lay with the woman, not Joseph, because he was aware of her propensity for improper actions.

Abu Bakr al-Asamm said that this was the husband, who was a man of little jealousy, satisfied with her seeking forgiveness.

Al-Kashshaf states that the feminine form (كنت) was used specifically because the masculine form (كنت) is used to dominate both genders in Arabic. Alternatively, it could mean: "You are from the lineage of wrongdoers," implying that this wicked trait was inherited through that lineage. And Allah knows best.