Tafsir of Yusuf 12:30-31

Surah Yusuf (12): Verses 30-31

[30] And women in the city said, "The wife of the governor is seeking to seduce her young servant; indeed, she has been consumed by love for him. Indeed, we see her in clear error."

Issue 1: Why was the verb not feminine (قالت - qālat)?

Two reasons are given:

1. The term niswah (نسوة - women) is a singular noun for a group of women, and its femininity is not inherent (non-real). Therefore, the verb did not take the feminine marker (the tā’).
2. Al-Wāḥidī stated that when the verb precedes the subject, the marker of femininity is often omitted, analogous to omitting the dual or plural markers.

Issue 2: Who were these women?

Al-Kalbī said they were four: the wife of the Governor (al-ʿAzīz), the wife of the baker, the wife of the prison warden, and the wife of the stable master. Muqātil added the wife of the chamberlain.

It is likely that this incident became widely known in the city, and the women discussed it. The wife of the Governor is the known woman:

"She is trying to seduce her young man (fatāhā) concerning himself."

• Fatā refers to a young, adolescent male.
• Fatāh (feminine form) refers to a young, adolescent female.

"Indeed, she has been consumed by love for him (shaghafahā ḥubban)."

This phrase involves two sub-issues:

Sub-Issue 2.1: Meanings of Al-Shaghāf (الشغاف):

1. The pericardium: Al-Shaghāf is the membrane surrounding the heart, called the heart's sheath. To say "she was consumed by love for him" (shaghafahū ḥubban) means the love penetrated the sheath and reached the heart, similar to saying "I struck his liver" (kabadtuhu).
2. Envelopment: The love surrounded her heart, like the sheath surrounds the heart. This means her preoccupation with this love became a barrier between her and everything else; she perceived nothing else and thought of nothing but him.
3. The core of the heart: Al-Zajjāj said al-Shaghāf is the kernel or the very core (suwaydā’) of the heart. The meaning is that his love reached the core of her heart.
   • In summary, this is a metaphor for intense love and great passion.

Sub-Issue 2.2: Variant Readings of Shaghafahā:

A group of Companions and Successors read it as "Shaʿafahā" (شعفها) with a ʿAyn.

• Ibn al-Sikkit said that when al-Hawā (passion) shaʿafahu (burns him), it reaches the point of combustion. Similarly, shaʿafa al-hinā’ (the tarring) affects the camel when the pain reaches the point of burning.
• Abū ʿUbaydah explained that al-Shaʿf with the ʿAyn is the burning of love in the heart accompanied by a pleasure felt, similar to how a camel, when tarred, feels intense pain yet finds some relief in it.
• Ibn al-Anbārī said al-Shaʿaf refers to the peaks of mountains. The meaning of shaʿafa bi-fulān is that his love ascended to the highest points of her heart.

Sub-Issue 2.3: Grammatical Status of Ḥubban (حباً):

The word ḥubban (love) is in the accusative case (naṣb) functioning as a specification (tamyīz).

"Indeed, we see her in clear error (ḍalāl mubīn)."

This means she is astray from the path of righteousness due to her love for him, similar to the statement about their father: "Indeed, our father is in clear error" (Yusuf: 8).

[31] So when she heard of their plotting, she sent for them and prepared for them a banquet, and she gave each one of them a knife.

Issue 1: Why is their talk called "plotting" (makr)?

There are several reasons why their speech was termed makr (plotting/scheme):

1. The women only mentioned this to request a viewing of Joseph (peace be upon him) and to look at his face. They knew that by saying this, the wife of the Governor would present Joseph to them, thus excusing her behavior in their eyes.
2. The wife of the Governor had confided her love for Joseph to them and asked them to keep it secret. When they revealed the secret, it constituted treachery and plotting.
3. They spoke about her in her absence (ghaybah). Gossip spoken secretly resembles plotting.

Issue 2: The meaning of "prepared for them a banquet (mutta’ak)"

When she heard they were blaming her for excessive love, she intended to present an excuse for herself. She prepared a table and invited a group of the most prominent women, preparing a mutta’ak for them. There are several interpretations of mutta’ak:

1. Cushions/Bolsters: The mutta’ak is the cushion upon which one reclines.
2. Food: Al-ʿUtbī said that when you invite someone to eat with you, you prepare a cushion for them, which is metaphorically called the food (al-ṭaʿām).
3. Fruit: It refers to quince fruit (at-turanj), according to Wahb, though Abū ʿUbayd rejected this. However, it can be understood that she placed various types of fruit before them at that gathering.
4. Food requiring cutting: Food that needs to be cut with a knife, as one needs to lean on something while cutting.

Conclusion on the Banquet: She invited those women, prepared a specific sitting arrangement for each, and gave each one a knife, either for eating fruit or for cutting meat.

Then, she commanded Joseph (peace be upon him) to come out to them. When they saw him, they were astonished and cut their hands: "So when they saw him, they exaggerated his greatness and cut their hands."

Issue 1: The meaning of "exaggerated his greatness" (akbarnahu)

There are two opinions:

1. They magnified him (Aʿẓamnahu).
2. They entered menstruation (akbarn): Al-Azhari said the hā’ is for pause. A woman is said to have akbarat when she menstruates. Its reality is that she has entered maturity (kibar), as menstruation marks her transition from the stage of youth to maturity. Another possibility is that when a woman is frightened or terrified, she might miscarry, leading to menstruation. If this interpretation of ikbār as menstruation is correct, the cause is what we mentioned.

"And they cut their hands" is a metaphor for their astonishment and bewilderment. The reason this metaphor is effective is that, in their daze, they thought they were cutting fruit when they were actually cutting their own hands. Alternatively, when bewildered, they could not distinguish the handle of the knife from its blade, so they grasped the sharp edge, causing injury to their palms.

Issue 3 (Should be Issue 2 in sequence): The reason for their astonishment (akbarnahu)

The majority agreed that they magnified him due to his transcendent beauty and perfect handsomeness.

• It is said that Joseph's superiority in grace and beauty was like the superiority of the full moon over all other stars.
• The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "I passed by Joseph (peace be upon him) the night I was taken up to heaven. I asked Gabriel, 'Who is this?' He said, 'This is Joseph.' I asked, 'Messenger of Allah, how did you see him?' He replied, 'Like the full moon on a clear night.'"
• It is also said that when Joseph walked through the alleys of Egypt, the radiance of his face could be seen reflecting on the walls, just as the light of the sun is seen from the sky.
• Another opinion is that he resembled Adam when his Lord created him.

My View: I believe another interpretation is possible: They magnified him because they saw upon him the light of Prophethood, the mark of Messengership, signs of humility and modesty, and the majesty of Prophethood. They observed his detachment from worldly desires (food and sexual desire) and his lack of concern for them. This great beauty was coupled with that majesty and bearing, causing them to marvel at this state. Thus, it is natural that they magnified and revered him, and awe and majesty entered their hearts. I hold that interpreting the verse this way is preferable.

Objection: If this is the case, how does the wife of the Governor's statement, "That is the one you were blaming me for," align with this interpretation? How does this state serve as an excuse for her intense passion?

Response: It has been established that the forbidden object is often pursued more intensely. It is as if she said to them: "With this wondrous creation and this pure, kingly conduct, his handsomeness necessitates intense love, while his kingly conduct necessitates despair of ever reaching him. For this reason, I fell into love, distress, sleeplessness, and anxiety." This interpretation of the verse is better, and Allah knows best.

Issue 4 (Should be Issue 3 in sequence): The reading of Ḥāsha (حاش)

Abū ʿAmr read: "Ḥāsha Lillāh" (حاش لله) with an alif after the shīn. This is the narration of Al-Aṣmaʿī from Nāfiʿ and is considered the original form, derived from al-muḥāshāh, meaning removal or distancing. Others omit the alif for ease and common usage, following the structure of the Muṣḥaf.

Ḥāsha is a word conveying purification/exaltation. The meaning here is exalting Allah from creating such beauty, as He is capable of creating someone as beautiful as him.

Regarding the phrase "Ḥāsha Lillāh, we know no evil concerning him," the astonishment is directed at His power to create someone so chaste.

Issue 5 (Should be Issue 4 in sequence): "This is not a human being; this is only a noble angel (malak karīm)."

There are two perspectives:

1. The Famous View: The intent is to affirm his immense beauty. They argue that it is ingrained in human nature that no living being is more beautiful than an angel, just as no living being is uglier than a devil (which is why Allah described the trees of Hell as resembling "the heads of devils" [Ṣāffāt: 65]). Since the devil is established as the ugliest, the angel is established as the most beautiful living being. Thus, the women likened him to an angel to exaggerate his beauty.
2. The Closer View (My Opinion): The common view is that angels are purified from the drives of desire, the pull of anger, and the illusions of fancy. Their food is the Tawḥīd (Oneness) of Allah, and their drink is praise of Allah. When the women saw Joseph (PBUH), he did not turn toward them at all. They saw upon him the majesty of Prophethood and Messengership, and the mark of purity. They said: "We see no trace of desire, nor anything of humanity, nor any quality of human nature in him. He has been purified from all qualities ingrained in humans and has ascended beyond the rank of humanity into the angelic realm."

If they ask: If this is the meaning, how does this excuse the Governor's wife to the other women? The Answer: It has already been provided. And Allah knows best.

Issue 6 (Should be Issue 5 in sequence): Proof for the Superiority of Angels over Humans

Those who argue that angels are superior to humans used this verse as proof. They argue that the women mentioned this in the context of magnifying Joseph. Therefore, removing him from humanity and placing him in the angelic category must be a reason for magnifying his status and elevating his rank. This is only true if the angel holds a higher station than humans.

We ask: Was the intent to clarify his perfection in outward beauty (physical form) or inward beauty (character)? The first is false for two reasons:

1. They described him as karīm (noble), and nobility is due to inward character, not outward form.
2. We know necessarily that a human face does not resemble the faces of angels at all.

However, being distant from desire and anger, turning away from bodily pleasures, being devoted to the servitude of Allah, and having the heart and spirit completely absorbed in Him—this is a state shared by the perfect human and the angels.

If this is established, then likening a human to an angel in a matter where similarity truly exists is preferable to likening him to an angel in a matter where similarity does not exist at all. Thus, it is established that Joseph's likeness to an angel in this verse pertains to his inward character, not his outward appearance. If this is the case, it must be that the angel is superior to humans in these virtues. Thus, the angel is superior to humans. And Allah knows best.

Issue 7 (Should be Issue 6 in sequence): Grammatical Usage of Mā (ما)

The dialect of the Ḥijāzians uses mā to function like laysa (is not). This is evident in the reading: "Mā hādhā bi-basharin" (ما هذا بشرا). Another example is: "Mā hunna ummahātuhum" (They are not their mothers) (Mujādilah: 2).

Those who follow the dialect of Banū Tamīm read: "Mā hādhā basharun" (ما هذا بشرا) (without the bā’), which is the reading of Ibn Masʿūd.

Another reading was: "Mā hādhā bi-basharin" meaning "This is not a slave owned by humans." Then: "Inna hādhā illā malakun karīm."

We can also interpret: Mā hādhā bi-basharin, meaning "This is not a purchased thing," as in the phrase: "Is this for you bishran (purchased) or bikran (virgin/new)?"

The established reading is the first one, as it conforms to the Muṣḥaf and contrasts bashar (human) with malak (angel).

[32] She said, "That is the one you were blaming me for. And I certainly sought to seduce him from himself, but he remained chaste. And if he does not do what I command him, he will surely be imprisoned and will be one of the disgraced."