12-21 And the Egyptian who bought him said to his wife: Make his stay honorable. Maybe he will be useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son. And thus We established Joseph in the land, and that We might teach him the interpretation of sayings. And Allah has full control over His affair, but most people know not.a
وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِى ٱشْتَرَىٰهُ مِن مِّصْرَ لِٱمْرَأَتِهِۦٓ أَكْرِمِى مَثْوَىٰهُ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَنفَعَنَآ أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُۥ وَلَدًۭا ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُۥ مِن تَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحَادِيثِ ۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرِهِۦ وَلَـٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ (۲۱)
12-21a: مَكَّنَّا – The meaning of تمکین is to give strength, power and large resources. See 6:6a. مَکانة is rank and station (T). Apart from this, the giving of large resources for disposition shows the attainment of a high and honorable status.
It has been said that the purchase mentioned in this verse is not the same as the transaction mentioned in the previous section. This would be the case if the sellers in the previous verse were taken to be Joseph’s brothers. With the purchase by the Egyptian, Joseph gets an honorable place in the house of a respected officer, and this becomes a source of strength and knowledge for him. Allah has full control over His affairs, means everything happens as He desires and there is none who can stop his decree from being implemented. Even in the condition of slavery Allah kept Yusuf in a respectable state and this is an indication of the high status and honor that was to be bestowed on him later.
12-22 And when he attained his maturity, We gave him wisdom and knowledge. And thus do We reward the doers of good.a
وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُۥٓ ءَاتَيْنَـٰهُ حُكْمًۭا وَعِلْمًۭا ۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِى ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ (۲۲)
12-22a: What is meant by maturity: The term أَشُدَّهُ is used both for physical maturity and spiritual maturity. Because Joseph was seventeen years old when he was taken out of Canaan, he had already attained physical maturity and so the أَشُدَّهُ mentioned here pertains to spiritual maturity. This is also apparent from the grant of wisdom and knowledge, both of which pertain to spiritual maturity. There is also a mention next that this is how Allah rewards the doers of good by giving them knowledge and wisdom. By حُكْم some have taken to mean prophethood, but this is not correct because Joseph had had no opportunity to preach till that time.
12-23 And she in whose house he was, sought to seduce him, and made fast the doors and said: Come. He said: Allah forbid! Surely my Lord made good my abode. The wrongdoers never prosper.a
وَرَٰوَدَتْهُ ٱلَّتِى هُوَ فِى بَيْتِهَا عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ وَغَلَّقَتِ ٱلْأَبْوَٰبَ وَقَالَتْ هَيْتَ لَكَ ۚ قَالَ مَعَاذَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ رَبِّىٓ أَحْسَنَ مَثْوَاىَ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ (۲۳)
12-23a: رَٰوَدَتْهُ – رَوۡد means to repeatedly be coming and going and gently pursuing the quest of something, and اِرَاَدۃ is a power which is an admixture of lust, need and expectation, that is one in which there is desire, need and hope or yearning. The beginning of ارادہ (intention) is for the self to be attracted to something and its maximal state is to order something to be or not to be as one wishes. When the word ارادہ is used for Allah, it means the final sequel, that is to order a thing, as in: إِنْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ سُوٓءًا أَوْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ رَحْمَةًۭ ۚ(if He intends harm for you or He intends to show you mercy) (33:17); إِذَآ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِقَوْمٍۢ سُوٓءًۭا فَلَا مَرَدَّ لَهُۥ ۚ(when Allah intends evil to a people, there is no averting it) (13:11). For humans, اِرَاَدۃ is for the self to be attracted to something, and sometimes its meaning is endeavor, desire or crave, as in: لَا يُرِيدُونَ عُلُوًّۭا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ (no desire to exalt themselves in the earth) (28:83). Just as اِرَاَدۃ is used for humans who have free will, sometimes it is used for animals who act under instinctive power and for inanimate things who do not have any sense, as in: جِدَارًۭا يُرِيدُ أَن يَنقَضَّ (a wall which was on the point of falling) (18:77). مُرَاودَۃ (the past tense of which appears in this verse) means a clash of intentions with another person so that your intention is against the intention of the other person or you seek a thing other than what the other person seeks. The meaning of راودته عن نفسه is تَصۡرفه عن رَأیِه (tried to change him from his intentions) (R).
غَلَّقَتِ – غَلۡق means to lock and اِغۡلاق or تَغۡلِیۡق (from which the verb is here) means to lock many times, that is to lock many doors or to repeatedly lock a door (R).
هَيْتَ and ھَلُمَّ are very similar in meaning, and mean to come or come here. هَيْتَ لَكَ means اَقۡبِل (approach, draw near, come) (LA). Some have said this term is Aramaic or Sarayani etcetera, but Mujahid states this is Arabic (RM).
Chastity of Joseph: The words Quran has used provide ample testimony of Joseph’s strong intention to remain chaste. The word راودته shows that the intention of this woman was against the intention of Joseph and this fact is further strengthened by the use of عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ . In response to this woman’s machinations and intentions, Joseph gives the same response مَعَاذَ ٱللَّهِ (Allah forbid). This shows that there is not even a momentary lapse in Joseph’s intention to remain chaste. Some have taken إِنَّهُۥ رَبِّىٓ (my Lord) to mean this woman’s husband but the word رَبِّىٓ from the mouth of a chaste person is best taken to mean God. Also, Joseph attributes the words that follow: my Lord made good my abode not to the woman’s husband because he is merely a means, but to Allah who is the real source of all goodness. It is Allah who caused the chief’s heart to honor Joseph. At the same time, Joseph shows perfect belief as reflected in his statement that if he did what he is being incited to do then this will be wrongdoing and wrongdoers do not succeed. Joseph’s firm stand not to compromise his chastity despite the seclusion, the locked doors and a woman who is the mistress inviting her slave to come to her, is a fine spiritual lesson for the reader. The fact is that just as the chief’s wife tried to entice Joseph from his high level of morality, the Quraish of Makkah, who knew the Holy Prophet to be trustworthy and called him as such, tried to tempt him to compromise his high morals by offering him the most beautiful women. The Holy Prophet’s reply to this was that worldly governance, wealth and beauty have no reality and even if they placed the sun in his right hand and the moon in his left hand, he would not leave his moral station.
12-24 And certainly she desired him, and he would have desired her, were it not that he had seen the manifest evidence of his Lord. Thus (it was) that We might turn away from him evil and indecency. Surely he was one of Our chosen servants.a
وَلَقَدْ هَمَّتْ بِهِۦ ۖ وَهَمَّ بِهَا لَوْلَآ أَن رَّءَا بُرْهَـٰنَ رَبِّهِۦ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ ٱلسُّوٓءَ وَٱلْفَحْشَآءَ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ٱلْمُخْلَصِينَ (۲۴)
12-24a: وَهَمَّ بِهَا لَوْلَآ أَن رَّءَا بُرْهَـٰنَ رَبِّهِۦ – (and he would have desired her, were it not that he had seen the manifest evidence of his Lord). Abu Ubaidah is cited in Lisan al-Arab as stating that the last part of the sentence should precede the first part. So the sentence should read:
لَوْلَآ أَن رَّءَا بُرْهَـٰنَ رَبِّهِ لھَۦَمَّ بِهَا (Were it not that he had seen the manifest evidence of his Lord, he would have desired her).
The thought of being unchaste did not even cross Joseph’s mind: According to some commentators, Joseph did harbor some unchaste intention in his heart and there are some statements from Ibn Abbas in this vein, but this is not correct. The previous verse contradicts such a notion, and this verse is merely a further exposition of the same subject. There is mention there of مُرَاودَۃ that is the attempt of this woman to change Joseph from his intention and judgment. This attempt is mentioned in وَلَقَدْ هَمَّتْ بِهِ (And certainly she desired him) but the response to this مُرَاودَۃ was مَعَاذَ ٱللَّهِ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ رَبِّىٓ أَحْسَنَ مَثْوَاىَ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ (Allah forbid! Surely my Lord made good my abode. The wrongdoers never prosper). If there had been any notion of doing evil in Joseph, the Quran would not have attributed مَعَاذَ ٱللَّهِ (Allah forbid) to Joseph. There is also evidence of this woman in another place about the chastity of Joseph: وَلَقَدْ رَٰوَدتُّهُۥ عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ فَٱسْتَعْصَمَ ۖ(And certainly I tried to seduce him but he was firm in continence) (12:32). The reference here is of مُرَاودَۃ and of Joseph staying firm. If there had been any other event, as some commentators have opined and have gone to the extent of writing: جلس منھا مجلس الرجل من امراته (He sat there as a man sits with his wife), that woman would not have given testimony of Joseph’s innocence. Wherever this incident is mentioned, there are only two things that are stated – the attempt at seduction of the woman and Joseph remaining firm against being seduced. When the other women gave testimony: قُلْنَ حَـٰشَ لِلَّهِ مَا عَلِمْنَا عَلَيْهِ مِن سُوٓءٍۢ ۚ (Holy Allah! We knew of no evil on his part) (12:51), this woman also confessed: ٱلْـَٔـٰنَ حَصْحَصَ ٱلْحَقُّ أَنَا۠ رَٰوَدتُّهُۥ عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ وَإِنَّهُۥ لَمِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ (Now has the truth become manifest. I sought to seduce him, and he is surely of the truthful) (12:51). Neither the other women nor the chief’s wife even hint in their testimony that Joseph had even a minor evil in his mind. The truth established by previous circumstantial evidence is now directly proven by the confession of the chief’s wife. In short, the thought that Joseph had any bad intention towards this woman is incorrect and against the clear evidence of the Quran. Before the events arrive at the stage of حل سراویل (untying the dress), there are many preliminary steps and anyone who indulges even in those cannot be called innocent. If such a person asserts his innocence, he cannot be called truthful. Further, it is stated in this verse: كَذَٰلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ ٱلسُّوٓءَ وَٱلْفَحْشَآءَ (Thus it was that We may turn away from him evil and indecency). It is clear that فَحْشَآءَ is the commission of an indecent act, whether it is adultery or the initiation of any basic requirement towards it, and سُّوٓءَ is any intention of indecency in one’s thoughts. So, Allah exonerates Joseph not only from adultery and acts preliminary to it but also from the entry of any evil intention into his pure heart.
The structure of هَمَّ بِهَا لَوْلَآ أَن رَّءَا بُرْهَـٰنَ رَبِّهِۦ (and he would have desired her, were it not that he had seen the manifest evidence of his Lord) is very similar to إِن كَادَتْ لَتُبْدِى بِهِۦ لَوْلَآ أَن رَّبَطْنَا عَلَىٰ قَلْبِهَا (She would almost have disclosed it, had We not strengthened her heart) (28:10)۔ It is stated in Ruh al-Maani that the response preceding the condition does not forbid the response from having taken place. Even so, its structure is like a saying of Arabs: انت ظالم ان فعلت کذا (You are unjust if you do this) where injustice is not confirmed but contradicted. Similarly, here Joseph’s هَمَّ or desire is contradicted. In the commentary Tafsir Bihar ul Mohit, it is stated that some people have attributed to Joseph that which cannot even be attributed to a transgressor although there is nothing to show هَمَّ or intention. There is actually a contradiction of any intention.
Some have taken بُرْهَـٰنَ رَبِّهِۦ (manifest evidence of His Lord) to be the appearance of a likening of Jacob who gave advise. Some have said that this woman covered her idol and Joseph said: If you feel shame from this stone which neither hears nor has any intelligence, should I not show shame before my God who always sees regardless of the condition. Some have said that a written document appeared before him or that Gabriel came and stopped him. The Quran, however, gives the following testimony in the previous verse: إِنَّهُۥ رَبِّىٓ أَحْسَنَ مَثْوَاىَ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلظَّـٰلِمُونَ (Surely my Lord made good my abode. The wrongdoers never prosper) and it is this بُرْهَـٰنَ رَبِّهِۦ (manifest evidence of His Lord) that saves Joseph, that is his perfect belief in Allah and on His lordship and in the certainty that the unjust are not successful.
12-25 And they raced with one another to the door, and she rent his shirt from behind, and they met her husband at the door. She said: What is the punishment for one who intends evil to thy wife, except imprisonment or a painful chastisement?
وَٱسْتَبَقَا ٱلْبَابَ وَقَدَّتْ قَمِيصَهُۥ مِن دُبُرٍۢ وَأَلْفَيَا سَيِّدَهَا لَدَا ٱلْبَابِ ۚ قَالَتْ مَا جَزَآءُ مَنْ أَرَادَ بِأَهْلِكَ سُوٓءًا إِلَّآ أَن يُسْجَنَ أَوْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمٌۭ (۲۵)
12-26 He said: She sought to seduce me. And a witness of her own family bore witness: If his shirt is rent in front, she speaks the truth and he is of the liars.a
قَالَ هِىَ رَٰوَدَتْنِى عَن نَّفْسِى ۚ وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدٌۭ مِّنْ أَهْلِهَآ إِن كَانَ قَمِيصُهُۥ قُدَّ مِن قُبُلٍۢ فَصَدَقَتْ وَهُوَ مِنَ ٱلْكَـٰذِبِينَ (۲۶)
12-26a: Who was the witness: This witness according to some is a child and according to others an intelligent old man. Both these opinions are found in the commentaries by Ibn Jarir and Ibn Kathir. His testimony is restricted to suggesting a failproof method of determining the truth. This also goes to show that an efficacious method to judge the truth can be enough to decide a case.
The Quran very clearly manifests the innocence of Joseph here, and also further on in the narrative. The Bible mentions only that when the wife of the chief called him “ he left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth” (Genesis 39:13). There is no mention of his innocence, and this accusation is stated to be the reason for putting him in jail. The flight of Joseph after leaving his garment behind becomes corroborating evidence and there is nothing in the Biblical event to exonerate him. How can the Bible teach a high level of morality when after mentioning a great calumny against a pious person, it does not exonerate him from this calumny. In the chapter before the events of Joseph, there is a narration in the Bible of Judah, a brother of Joseph, and his involvement in a dirty and sinful episode which even if it is in a novel would have invoked censure. However, the Bible despite having these dirty stories is considered to be a Holy Book while the Quran despite its highly moral teachings is rejected.
12-27 And if his shirt is rent behind, she tells a lie and he is of the truthful.
وَإِن كَانَ قَمِيصُهُۥ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٍۢ فَكَذَبَتْ وَهُوَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِينَ (۲۷)
12-28 So when he saw his shirt rent behind, he said: Surely it is a device of you women. Your device is indeed great!
فَلَمَّا رَءَا قَمِيصَهُۥ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٍۢ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ مِن كَيْدِكُنَّ ۖ إِنَّ كَيْدَكُنَّ عَظِيمٌۭ (۲۸)
12-29 O Joseph, turn aside from this. And (O my wife), ask forgiveness for thy sin. Surely thou art one of the sinful.
يُوسُفُ أَعْرِضْ عَنْ هَـٰذَا ۚ وَٱسْتَغْفِرِى لِذَنۢبِكِ ۖ إِنَّكِ كُنتِ مِنَ ٱلْخَاطِـِٔينَ (۲۹)
Bayan-ul-Quran 