12:24 Yusuf (Joseph)

ولقد مالت نفسها لفعل الفاحشة، وحدَّثت يوسفَ نفسُه حديث خطرات للاستجابة، لولا أن رأى آية من آيات ربه تزجره عمَّا حدثته به نفسه، وإنما أريناه ذلك؛ لندفع عنه السوء والفاحشة في جميع أموره، إنه من عبادنا المطهرين المصطفَين للرسالة الذين أخلصوا في عبادتهم لله وتوحيده.

تفسير الآيتين 23 و 24 :ـ هذه المحنة العظيمة أعظم على يوسف من محنة إخوته، وصبره عليها أعظم أجرا، لأنه صبر اختيار مع وجود الدواعي الكثيرة، لوقوع الفعل، فقدم محبة الله عليها، وأما محنته بإخوته، فصبره صبر اضطرار، بمنزلة الأمراض والمكاره التي تصيب العبد بغير اختياره وليس له ملجأ إلا الصبر عليها، طائعا أو كارها، وذلك أن يوسف عليه الصلاة والسلام بقي مكرما في بيت العزيز، وكان له من الجمال والكمال والبهاء ما أوجب ذلك، أن { رَاوَدَتْهُ الَّتِي هُوَ فِي بَيْتِهَا عَنْ نَفْسِهِ } أي: هو غلامها، وتحت تدبيرها، والمسكن واحد، يتيسر إيقاع الأمر المكروه من غير إشعار أحد، ولا إحساس بشر. { وَ } زادت المصيبة، بأن { غَلَّقَتِ الْأَبْوَابَ } وصار المحل خاليا، وهما آمنان من دخول أحد عليهما، بسبب تغليق الأبواب، وقد دعته إلى نفسها { وَقَالَتْ هَيْتَ لَكَ } أي: افعل الأمر المكروه وأقبل إليَّ، ومع هذا فهو غريب، لا يحتشم مثله ما يحتشمه إذا كان في وطنه وبين معارفه، وهو أسير تحت يدها، وهي سيدته، وفيها من الجمال ما يدعو إلى ما هنالك، وهو شاب عزب، وقد توعدته، إن لم يفعل ما تأمره به بالسجن، أو العذاب الأليم. فصبر عن معصية الله، مع وجود الداعي القوي فيه، لأنه قد هم فيها هما تركه لله، وقدم مراد الله على مراد النفس الأمارة بالسوء، ورأى من برهان ربه - وهو ما معه من العلم والإيمان، الموجب لترك كل ما حرم الله - ما أوجب له البعد والانكفاف، عن هذه المعصية الكبيرة، و { قَالَ مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ } أي: أعوذ بالله أن أفعل هذا الفعل القبيح، لأنه مما يسخط الله ويبعد منه، ولأنه خيانة في حق سيدي الذي أكرم مثواي. فلا يليق بي أن أقابله في أهله بأقبح مقابلة، وهذا من أعظم الظلم، والظالم لا يفلح، والحاصل أنه جعل الموانع له من هذا الفعل تقوى الله، ومراعاة حق سيده الذي أكرمه، وصيانة نفسه عن الظلم الذي لا يفلح من تعاطاه، وكذلك ما منَّ الله عليه من برهان الإيمان الذي في قلبه، يقتضي منه امتثال الأوامر، واجتناب الزواجر، والجامع لذلك كله أن الله صرف عنه السوء والفحشاء، لأنه من عباده المخلصين له في عباداتهم، الذين أخلصهم الله واختارهم، واختصهم لنفسه، وأسدى عليهم من النعم، وصرف عنهم من المكاره ما كانوا به من خيار خلقه.

اختلفت أقوال الناس وعباراتهم في هذا المقام وقد روي عن ابن عباس ومجاهد وسعيد بن جبير وطائفة من السلف في ذلك ما رواه ابن جرير وغيره والله أعلم وقيل المراد بهمه بها خطرات حديث النفس حكاه البغوي عن بعض أهل التحقيق ثم أورد البغوي ههنا حديث عبد الرزاق عن معمر عن همام عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلي الله عليه وسلم يقول الله تعالى: إذا هم عبدي بحسنة فاكتبوها له حسنة فإن عملها فاكتبوها له بعشر أمثالها وإن هم بسيئة فلم يعملها فاكتبوها حسنة فإنما تركها من جرائي فإن عملها فاكتبوها بمثلها وهذا الحديث مخرج في الصحيحين وله ألفاظ كثيرة هذا منها وقيل هم بضربها وقيل تمناها زوجة وقيل هم بها لولا أن رأى برهان ربه أي فلم يهم بها وفي هذا القول نظر من حيث العربية حكاه ابن جرير وغيره وأما البرهان الذي رآه ففيه أقوال أيضا فعن ابن عباس وسعيد ومجاهد وسعيد بن جبير ومحمد بن سيرين والحسن وقتادة وأبي صالح والضحاك ومحمد بن إسحاق وغيرهم رأى صورة أبيه يعقوب عاضا على أصبعه بفمه وقيل عنه في رواية فضرب في صدر يوسف وقال العوفي عن ابن عباس: رأى خيال الملك يعني سيده وكذا قال محمد بن إسحاق فيما حكاه عن بعضهم إنما هو خيال قطفير سده حين دنا من الباب وقال ابن جرير: حدثنا أبو كريب حدثنا وكيع عن أبي مودود سمعت من محمد بن كعب القرظي قال رفع يوسف رأسه إلى سقف البيت فإذا كتاب في حائط البيت " لا تقربوا الزنا إنه كان فاحشة ومقتا وساء سبيلا " وكذا رواه أبو معشر المدني عن محمد بن كعب وقال عبد الله بن وهب: أخبرني نافع بن يزيد عن أبي صخر قال: سمعت القرظي يقول في البرهان الذي رآه يوسف ثلاث آيات من كتاب الله " إن عليكم لحافظين " الآية وقوله " وما تكون في شأن " الآية وقوله " أفمن هو قائم على كل نفس بما كسبت " قال نافع: سمعت أبا هلال يقول مثل قول القرظي وزاد آية رابعة " ولا تقربوا الزنا " وقال الأوزاعي: رأى أية من كتاب الله في الجدار تنهاه عن ذلك قال ابن جرير: والصواب أن يقال إنه رأى آية من آيات الله تزجره عما كان هم به وجائز أن يكون صورة يعقوب وجائز أن يكون صورة الملك وجائز أن يكون ما رآه مكتوبا من الزجر عن ذلك ولا حجه قاطعة على تعيين شيء من ذلك فالصواب أن يطلق كما قال الله تعالى وقوله " كذلك لنصرف عنه السوء والفحشاء " أي كما أريناه برهانا صرفه عما كان فيه كذلك نقيه السوء والفحشاء في جميع أموره " إنه من عبادنا المخلصين " أي من المجتبين المطهرين المختارين المصطفين الأخيار صلوات الله وسلامه عليه.

And she certainly desired him she sought sexual intercourse with him and he would have desired her too he would have sought the same had it not been that he saw the proof of his Lord Ibn ‘Abbās said ‘Jacob was made to appear before him and he struck his Joseph’s breast whereupon his sexual desire withdrew from his body through his fingernails the response to lawlā ‘had it not been’ has been omitted understood to be la-jāma‘ahā ‘he would have lain with her’. So it was that We made him see the proof that We might ward off from him evil betrayal and lewdness the act of fornication. Truly he was of Our devoted servants in terms of obedience mukhlisīn a variant reading has mukhlasīn in other words ‘chosen/purified servants’.

Commentary

Mentioned in the previous verse was the great trial and test of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) in that the wife of the ` Aziz of Misr bolted the doors and tried to invite him to sin assembling together in that effort all circumstantial temptations to attract and to make him become indulgent. But, Almighty Allah kept this righteous young person standing steadfast in such severe trial. The details of what transpired have been given in this verse. Said here is that Zulaikha was busy persuing her obsessive thought any way, but emerging in the heart of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) too, there was some non-voluntary tilt towards her as would be the natural consequence in such a situation. But, it was exactly at that time that Allah Ta` ala brought before Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) . His argument and proof, because of which, that non-voluntary tilt, rather than increase, actually died out totally - and, beating the pursuit, he ran.

In this verse, the word: ھَم (hamm : thought) has been attributed to Zulaikha and Sayyidna Yusuf علیہ السلام both as in: وَلَقَدْ هَمَّتْ بِهِ وَهَمَّ بِهَا (And she desired him. And he had desired her). And we know that the ` hamm' or thought of Zulaikha was that of sin. This could have raised a doubt that the ` thought' of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) may also have been of a similar nature - and this is, based on the consensus of the entire Muslim Ummah, contrary to the great station of a Nabiyy (prophet) and Rasul. The reason is that the majority of the Muslim Ummah holds the standard belief that the noble prophets, may peace be upon them all, are protected against all sorts of sins, minor or major. As for a major sin, it can neither be committed by them intentionally, nor is it possible through inadvertence or mistake. However, the probability that a minor sin could be committed through inadvertence or mistake does exist - but, on this too, the noble prophets, may peace be upon them all, are not allowed to remain - instead, they are warned and made to move away from it. (Musamarah)

Besides the fact that this question of the ` Ismah of Anbiya' (the state of being under Divine protection with which prophets are blessed) stands settled and proved under the authority of the Qur'an and Sunnah, it is also necessary, rationally too - because, should there remain the probability of a committal of sin by the Anbiya' (علیہم السلام) ، there remains no way one could place trust in the Din (religion) and Way (revelation) brought by them, and that their very coming into the world with a Divine Book revealed to them becomes totally fruitless. Therefore, Allah Ta` ala has kept every prophet of His totally ma` sum from every sin (ma` sum: technically, sinless or infallible; literally, protected by Allah).

So, speaking generally, it stands established that the ` thought' which crossed the mind of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) was not a thought to be counted in the degree of sin. For details, we should understand that the word: ھَمّ (hamm: thought) in the Arabic language is used to convey two meanings: (1) Intend and be determined to do something; (2) a simple scruple in the heart or the appearance of a thought beyond one's control. In the first situation, it is included under sin, and is accountable. However, should someone, after having made the intention, were to leave off this sin at his own choice just because of the fear of Allah, then, according to the Hadith, Allah Ta’ ala replaces the sin and enters a good deed in his or her Book of Deeds. And in the second situation - that is, in the event there comes a simple scruple and non-voluntary thought, without any intention to put the thought into practice, for instance, a normal turn of thought towards cool water during the fasts of summer which is natural and experienced by almost everyone, though there is no intention there to go about drinking water while fasting. So, a thought like that is neither within one's control, nor is there any accountability and sin in it.

In a Hadith of the Sahih of Al-Bukhari, the Holy Prophet ﷺ has been reported to have said: ` Allah Ta` ala has forgiven the scruple and thought of sin for my Ummah - if not put into practice.' (Qurtubi) And in the Sahihayn (the two Sahihs, that is, Al-Bukhari and Muslim), it has been reported on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Hurayrah ؓ that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said: ` Allah Ta’ ala says to the angels: When My servant intends to do good, write a good deed in his or her Book of Deeds just be-cause of that intention. And when he or she has completed this deed, write down ten good deeds. And if a servant intends to do a sin, then leaves it off due to the fear of Allah, write one good deed in his or her Book of Deeds in lieu of that sin. And if he or she does fall into that sin, write it as one sin only.' (Ibn Kathlr)

Al-Qurtubi has, in his Tafsir, proved the use of the word: ھَمّ ('hamm': thought) covering both these meanings through evidences from Arab usage and poetry.

This tells us that the word: ھَمّ ` hamm' appearing in this verse has been attributed to both Zulaikha and Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) but there is a big difference between the ھَمّ ` hamm' or thought of both. The former is included under sin while the other has the status of a non -voluntary scruple which is not included under sin. The descriptive style of the Holy Qur'an is itself a testimony to this - because, had their ھَمّ ` hamm' or thought been identical, it would have been sufficient to say it in a dual form, such as: وَلَقَدْ هَمَّا that is, the two of them desired, which was brief too. But, leaving this option aside, , the ` hamm' or thought of both was described separate from each other: هَمَّتْ بِهِ ۖ وَهَمَّ بِهَا (And she certainly desired him. And he had desired her). Then, added to the هَمَّ ` hamm' or thought of Zulaikha was the word of emphasis: لَقَدْ (laqad). With the هَمَّ ` hamm' or thought of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) ، the emphasis of the letters: لَام (lam) and: قَد (qad) is not there. This tells us that, through this particular expression, the purpose is to emphasize that the هَمَّ ` hamm' or thought of Zulaikha was of some other nature while that of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) ، of some other.

According to a Hadith in the Sahih of Muslim, when this test was faced by Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) ، the angels submitted before Allah Ta ala: This sincere servant of Yours is thinking of sin, though he knows its curse fully well. Allah Ta ala said: You wait. If he commits this sin, write what he has done in his Book of Deeds. And if he abstains from committing it, do not record it a sin, instead, enter a good deed in his Book of Deeds - because, he has surrendered his desire only out of fear for Me (which is doing good at its best) (Qurtubi)

To sum up, it can be said that the thought or tilt generated in the heart of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) was simply at the level of a non-voluntary scruple, which is not included under sin. Then, by acting against this scruple, his rank with Allah Ta ala rose much higher.

At this stage, some commentators have also pointed out to another construction of the verse. According to them, the statement: لَوْلَا أَن رَّ‌أَىٰ بُرْ‌هَانَ رَ‌بِّهِ ' Of (Had he not seen the proof from his Lord) which succeeds is really supposed to precede, in which case, the verse would mean that Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) would have also desired her had he not seen the proof from his Lord - but, because he had seen the proof from his Lord, he remained safe from this ھَمّ ` hamm' or thought. Thematically, this too is correct. But, some other commentators have declared this construction as contrary to the rules of the Arabic grammar. Thus, considering this aspect, the first Tafsir is weightier as it makes the Taqwa and chastity of Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) rise to much higher levels since he, despite the human instinct, managed to stay safe from sin.

As for the statement: لَوْلَا أَن رَّ‌أَىٰ بُرْ‌هَانَ رَ‌بِّهِ ' (Had he not seen the proof from his Lord) at the end, its principal clause is understood and it means: Had he not seen the proof from his Lord, he would have remained indulged in that thought, but after having seen the proof from his Lord, that non-voluntary thought and scruple too was eliminated from his heart.

The Holy Qur’ an does not clarify as to what was that بُرھَانَ ` burhan' or proof from his Lord which appeared before him. Therefore, statements of commentators differ in this matter. Sayyidna Abdullah ibn Said ibn Jubayr ؓ ، Mujahid, Muhammad ibn Sirin, Hasan al-Basri رحمۃ اللہ علیہم and others have said that Allah Ta’ ala made the face of Sayyidna Yaqub (علیہ السلام) appear miraculously before him in that private quarter showing him with his finger in his mouth and warning him. Some commentators say that it was the face of the ` Aziz of Misr which was presented before him. Some others have said: When Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) looked towards the ceiling, he saw the following verse of the Qur’ an written there: لَا تَقْرَ‌بُوا الزِّنَىٰ ۖ إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاءَ سَبِيلًا that is, do not go (even) near adultery because it is a grave act of immodesty and a very evil way (for human society). Some other commentators have said that Zulaikha had an idol in her house. When she threw a curtain on this idol, Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) asked the reason for it. She said: This is my object of worship. I cannot dare commit sin before it. Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) said: My Rabb, the object of my worship certainly deserves that far more modesty be shown before Him for no curtain can stop His seeing. Finally, there are commentators who have said that the station of the prophet he was on and the knowledge of the Divine he had was itself the proof from his Lord.

After reporting all these sayings, what has been said by the Imam of Tafsir, Ibn Jarir, has been adjudged authoritatively as most-favoured and doubt-free. And he has said: As much as the Holy Qur’ an has to tell should be what has to be considered sufficient. In other words, Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) saw something which made the scruple in his heart go away. To determine this precisely, there could be all those probabilities mentioned by the commentators - but, none of these can be held as certain absolutely. (Ibn Kathir)

At the end of the verse it was said: كَذَٰلِكَ لِنَصْرِ‌فَ عَنْهُ السُّوءَ وَالْفَحْشَاءَ ۚ إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُخْلَصِين (This We did to turn away from him evil and lewdness). Here, the word: السُّوءَ evil) means minor sin (Saghirah) and: الْفَحْشَاءَ (al-fahsha': lewdness) means major sin (Kabirah). (Mazhari)

Noteworthy here is that the text mentions ` turning away evil and lewdness from Sayyidna Yusuf' (علیہ السلام) - and not ` Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) from evil and lewdness.' The hint implied here is that Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) was, because of his great station of prophethood, already removed from this sin as far as he was personally concerned, but evil and immodesty had encircled him. So Allah broke that trap apart. These words of the Holy Qur’ an are also a testimony proving that Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) did not succumb to even the minor-most sin and the thought which went ac-cross his heart was not included under sin, otherwise the relevant expression would have been: ` We saved Yusuf (علیہ السلام) from sin' - and not: ` Turn away from him evil and lewdness.'

Said in the last sentence is: إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُخْلَصِين (Surely, he is among Our chosen slaves). The word: مُخْلَصِين (mukhlasin) is the plural of mukhlas which means chosen. It means that Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) is among the chosen servants of Allah who has been appointed to the mission of prophethood to work for the betterment of the creation of Allah. Such people have Allah's own security shield around them so that they would not fall a victim to any evil. The Shaytan has himself admitted that he cannot touch the chosen servants of Allah. He said: فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ ﴿82﴾ إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِين That is, by Your honour and power, I shall put all those humans on the wrong track, except Your servants, the ones chosen by You - 15:40.

In some readings (Qira'at), this word has appeared as: مُخْلَصِين (mukhlsin) as well. Mukhlis means a person who obeys and worships Allah with Ikhlas (for which there is no word in English. The nearest is sincerity which must be genuine, unalloyed, pure and totally honest). Ikhlas means that, in this obedience to Allah and in this worship of Him, there should be no intrusion of worldly or personal desires, interests, love of recognition and office and things like that. If so, the verse would mean: Whoever is mukhlis (absolutely sincere) in his ` Aural (deed) and ` Ibadah (worship), Allah Ta` ala will help him in remaining safe from sins.

In this verse, Allah Ta` ala has chosen to use two words: سُّوءَ (su' ) and: فَحْشَاءَ (fahsha' ). Literally, su' means evil and it refers to minor (saghirah) sins. And fahsha' means lewdness or immodesty and refers to major (kabirah) sins. This tells us that Allah Ta` ala kept Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) protected from both kinds of sins, saghirah and kabirah.

Also clarified here is that the ‘hamm’ or thought attributed to Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) in the Qur'an was simply a ` hamm' or thought at the level of non-voluntary scruple, which is included neither under Kabirah sin, nor under Saghirah - in fact, is excused.