Part 3

o He was a slave, who would not fear the spread of a scandal, unlike a free man. o He was a foreigner in her country. o She was a beautiful and powerful woman. o Her husband had no protective jealousy over her, and even after he discovered what had happened, he still did not take any action. In fact, all he said was as Allaah says in the twenty ninth verse: ِﺘﹶﻐﹾﻔِﺭِﻱ ﻟِﺫﹶﻨﹾﺒِﻙﺍﺴﺫﹶﺍ ﻭ ﻫﻥ ﻋﺭِﺽﻑﹸ ﺃَﻋﻭﺴﻴ which means: "Yoosuf, ignore this [i.e. conceal it and act as if it had not taken place]. And, [my wife], ask forgiveness for your sin" [Yoosuf: 29] o She sought the help of other women to seduce him. o She threatened to imprison him. l Allaah aids the righteous during their hardships and makes them steadfast, as He says in the twenty-fourth verse: ِﻪﺒ ﺭﺎﻥﻫﺭﺃﻯ ﺒ ﺭﻻ ﺃَﻥ ﻟﹶﻭ which means: "He would have inclined to her had he not seen the proof [i.e. sign] of his Lord." [Yoosuf: 24] There are many stories about what these signs from his Lord were, but there is not a single authentic narration regarding any of them, so one should accept them as is - signs with which Allaah protected him from committing what is prohibited, and prevented him from following his natural human desires. l One is unable to remain steadfast without the help of Allaah, as He says in the twenty-fourth verse: ﺨﹾﻠﹶﺼِﻴﻥﺎﺩِﻨﹶﺎ ﺍﻟﹾﻤ ﻋِﺒ ﻤِﻥ ﺇِﻨﱠﻪﺸﹶﺎﺀﺍﻟﹾﻔﹶﺤ ﻭﻭﺀ ﺍﻟﺴﻨﹾﻪﺭِﻑﹶ ﻋ ﻟِﻨﹶﺼﻜﹶﺫﹶﻟِﻙ which means: "And thus [it was] that We should avert from him evil and immorality. Indeed, he was of Our chosen servants." [Yoosuf: 24] l The testimony of a relative is stronger than that of a stranger, as Allaah says in the twenty-sixth verse: ﺎﻠِﻬ ﺃَﻫ ﻤِﻥ ﺸﹶﺎﻫِﺩﺸﹶﻬِﺩﻭ which means: "And a witness from her family testified." [Yoosuf: 26] Contrary to what is commonly known, the relative was, as Ibn 'Abbaas may Allaah be pleased with him, said: "…An old man with a beard." l The scheming of women is extremely dangerous. Allaah says in the twenty-eighth verse: ﻅِﻴﻡ ﻋﻜﹸﻥﺩ ﻜﹶﻴﺇِﻥ which means: "Indeed, your plan is great [i.e. vehement]." [Yoosuf: 28] l Rumours spread rapidly. Allaah says in the thirtieth verse: ِ ﻨﹶﻔﹾﺴِﻪﻥﺎ ﻋ ﻓﹶﺘﹶﺎﻫﺍﻭِﺩﺯِﻴﺯِ ﺘﹸﺭﺃَﺕﹸ ﺍﻟﹾﻌﺭﺩِﻴﻨﹶﺔِ ﺍﻤﺓﹲ ﻓِﻲ ﺍﻟﹾﻤﻭﻗﹶﺎلَ ﻨِﺴﻭ which means: "And women in the city said, 'The wife of al-'Azeez is seeking to seduce her slave boy.'" [Yoosuf: 30] l Prophet Yoosuf, peace be upon him, was extremely handsome - to the extent that he charmed all the women who saw him. The Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam said: "Yoosuf was given half the beauty of all of mankind." Allaah says in the thirty-first verse: ﻨﹶﻪﺃَﻴﺎ ﺭ ﻓﹶﻠﹶﻤﻬِﻥﻠﹶﻴ ﻋﺝﻗﹶﺎﻟﹶﺕِ ﺍﺨﹾﺭ ﺴِﻜﱢﻴﻨﺎﹰ ﻭﻥﺓٍ ﻤِﻨﹾﻬﺍﺤِﺩﺁﺘﹶﺕﹾ ﻜﹸلﱠ ﻭﺘﱠﻜﹶﺄً ﻭ ﻤﻥﺕﹾ ﻟﹶﻬﺘﹶﺩﺃَﻋ ﻭﻬِﻥﻠﹶﺕﹾ ﺇِﻟﹶﻴﺴ ﺃَﺭﻜﹾﺭِﻫِﻥﺕﹾ ﺒِﻤﻤِﻌﺎ ﺴﻓﹶﻠﹶﻤ ﻜﹶﺭِﻴﻡﻠﹶﻙﺫﹶﺍ ﺇِﻟﱠﺎ ﻤ ﻫﺸﹶﺭﺍﹰ ﺇِﻥﺫﹶﺍ ﺒﺎ ﻫﺎﺵﹶ ﻟِﻠﱠﻪِ ﻤ ﺤﻗﹸﻠﹾﻥ ﻭﻥﻬﺩِﻴ ﺃَﻴﻥﻗﹶﻁﱠﻌ ﻭﻨﹶﻪﺭﺃَﻜﹾﺒ which means: "So when she heard of their scheming, she sent for them and prepared for them a banquet and gave each one of them a knife and said [to Yoosuf], 'Come out before them.' And when they saw him, they greatly admired him and cut their hands [So distracted were they at the sight of him] and said, 'Perfect is Allaah [In His ability to create such beauty]!