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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

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The story of Yusuf (peace be upon him) and the wife of al-Aziz.

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What happens when you lose your modesty?

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Modesty is a branch of faith,

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and modesty brings nothing but good.

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It is among the most beautiful acquired qualities of a woman,

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for it stands between two noble virtues of womanhood:

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concealment and chastity.

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Modesty is cultivated within the soul,

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increases through modesty of dress and concealment,

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is torn away by exposure and unclothedness,

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and serves as an impenetrable barrier against violations of chastity.

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Allah Almighty mentioned modesty in the Noble Qur'an

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in the context of a woman, uniquely highlighting her among believers,

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where He said:

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“Then there came unto him one of the two women, walking shyly. She said: Lo! my father biddeth thee, that he may reward thee with a payment for that thou didst water (the flock) for us. Then, when he came unto him and told him the (whole) story, he said: Fear not! Thou hast escaped from the wrongdoing folk.” (28:25)

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“Then there came unto him one of the two women, walking shyly. She said: Lo! my father biddeth thee, that he may reward thee with a payment for that thou didst water (the flock) for us. Then, when he came unto him and told him the (whole) story, he said: Fear not! Thou hast escaped from the wrongdoing folk.” (28:25)

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“Then there came unto him one of the two women, walking shyly. She said: Lo! my father biddeth thee, that he may reward thee with a payment for that thou didst water (the flock) for us. Then, when he came unto him and told him the (whole) story, he said: Fear not! Thou hast escaped from the wrongdoing folk.” (28:25)

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"He said, 'Do not fear...'"

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“Then there came unto him one of the two women, walking shyly. She said: Lo! my father biddeth thee, that he may reward thee with a payment for that thou didst water (the flock) for us. Then, when he came unto him and told him the (whole) story, he said: Fear not! Thou hast escaped from the wrongdoing folk.” (28:25)

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"One of the two women said, 'O my father, hire him...'"

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“One of the two women said: O my father! Hire him! For the best (man) that thou canst hire in the strong, the trustworthy.” (28:26)

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In this verse lies an indication of the importance of modesty in a woman's life,

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for a woman's modesty prevents many social corruptions

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that have become widespread and overwhelming today

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due to the loss of modesty among young women.

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Modesty is a virtue demanded of both men and women,

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as it restrains both from committing shameful acts;

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yet a woman is uniquely distinguished by the virtue of modesty more than a man,

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and its importance in her life is far greater than in a man's.

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Among the proofs of her distinction in modesty

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is that when the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)

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was praised for the utmost degree of his modesty,

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he was compared to the modesty of a virgin in her private chamber.

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On the authority of Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), he said:

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"The Prophet (peace be upon him)

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was more modest than a virgin in her private chamber."

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Related by al-Bukhari.

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Indeed, Islam is keen to safeguard a woman's modesty,

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and thus its legislations came to foster her modesty

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and preserve it.

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It did not instruct her to look at a man when he proposes to her,

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as it instructed the man to look at her,

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out of consideration for her modesty.

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It made her silence a sign of her consent to marry,

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because her modesty prevents her from openly expressing her desire for marriage.

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It also designated a specific time and place for women's learning,

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where men do not share the space with them,

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so that she feels no embarrassment in asking about her private matters.

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A woman's modesty is manifested in the way she walks in public streets,

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in the way she speaks to men,

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and in concealing her desire for marriage.

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All of that is mentioned in the words of the Exalted:

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"One of the two women said, 'O my father, hire him...'"

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“One of the two women said: O my father! Hire him! For the best (man) that thou canst hire in the strong, the trustworthy.” (28:26)

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Rather, she is modest even with her husband;

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she does not explicitly declare her physical desire for him

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in the direct manner,

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in the direct manner,

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she does not explicitly declare her physical desire for him

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as he might explicitly declare it,

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but rather hints at it by adorning herself for him

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and behaving playfully and alluringly before him.

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Therefore, the preservation of her modesty even after marriage

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is among the greatest blessings upon a husband,

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and among the finest characteristics

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with which she adorns herself for her husband.

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A woman's modesty protects her

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from falling into the seduction of men;

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for she is more capable than a man

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of controlling herself and her desires,

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because a woman's true yearning

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lies in emotional elevation—

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in matters of love, affection,

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tenderness, and gentle words.

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She inclines toward satisfying these emotional needs

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far more than she inclines toward physical gratification,

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unlike a man,

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who seeks physical pleasure

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more than verbal intimacy.

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Thus, my dear daughter, you are beautiful through your modesty;

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so what happens if you lose this modesty?

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We have in the story of Yusuf and the wife of al-Aziz

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an admonition and an example of a woman

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who loses her modesty

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for the sake of a forbidden lust.

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The statement "Come on, take me!"

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would rarely ever be uttered by a wife to her husband,

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because it is exceedingly explicit

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in expressing her desire for the man.

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Yet when a woman loses her modesty,

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such words and even worse proceed from her.

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Arranging a secluded place for indecency

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is usually initiated by the man,

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not the woman;

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but when a woman loses her modesty,

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she undertakes that herself.

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For this reason, it was said of her:

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"And she bolted the doors."

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A woman's fear of being exposed before people

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is entirely natural,

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even if she were passionately infatuated

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and committing fornication with her lover.

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But when a woman loses her modesty,

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women in the city began to say:

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"The wife of al-Aziz is attempting to seduce her slave-boy;

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he has impassioned her with love."

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“And women in the city said: The ruler's wife is asking of her slave-boy an ill-deed. Indeed he has smitten her to the heart with love. We behold her in plain aberration.” (12:30)

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Yet she neither cared about their talk nor was she affected by it.

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Lust had so toyed with the mind of the wife of al-Aziz

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that it blinded her to every aspect of the virtue of modesty.

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So she invited the women who spoke ill of her honor

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and spread news about her,

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so they could see the one with whom she was infatuated.

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She sent for them,

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prepared a banquet for them,

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“And when she heard of their sly talk, she sent to them and prepared for them a cushioned couch (to lie on at the feast) and gave to every one of them a knife and said (to Joseph): Come out unto them! And when they saw him they exalted him and cut their hands, exclaiming: Allah Blameless! This is no a human being. This is not other than some gracious angel.” (12:31)

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and said, "Come out before them."

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“And when she heard of their sly talk, she sent to them and prepared for them a cushioned couch (to lie on at the feast) and gave to every one of them a knife and said (to Joseph): Come out unto them! And when they saw him they exalted him and cut their hands, exclaiming: Allah Blameless! This is no a human being. This is not other than some gracious angel.” (12:31)

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And they said, "Allah forbid! This is not a human being..."

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“And when she heard of their sly talk, she sent to them and prepared for them a cushioned couch (to lie on at the feast) and gave to every one of them a knife and said (to Joseph): Come out unto them! And when they saw him they exalted him and cut their hands, exclaiming: Allah Blameless! This is no a human being. This is not other than some gracious angel.” (12:31)

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She then declared her triumph over them,

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saying:

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“She said: This is he on whose account ye blamed me. I asked of him an evil act, but he proved continent, but if he do not my behest he verily shall be imprisoned, and verily shall be of those brought low.” (12:32)

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"You could not bear seeing him just once

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without cutting your hands,

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losing your composure,

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and being overcome with bewilderment!

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How then must it be for me, living with him,

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seeing him coming and going,

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and speaking with him?

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Can I then be blamed for my heart’s infatuation with him after that?"

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She said this

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as though she had never known modesty a single day in her life.

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For such speech

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would never proceed from a woman who possesses

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even an atom's weight of modesty.

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Then she openly publicized her sin,

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announced her deed,

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and confessed before them, saying:

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"I did indeed seek to seduce him, but he firmly abstained."

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Such public flaunting before people does not occur

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except from one who has lost all modesty;

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she cares nothing for what people say about her

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and pays no heed to it,

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for her sole concern is fulfilling her lust

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with the one who captivated her.

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What is apparent

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is that modesty had vanished from her palace

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and from those around her

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who lived with her in the palace.

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She persisted in trying to seduce Yusuf,

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announcing it openly and insisting upon it;

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no modesty prevented her from public declarations,

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nor was there a man in the house who felt protective jealousy or shame.

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Rather, the matter escalated to threatening Yusuf with imprisonment

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if he did not do what she demanded of him,

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for she said:

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"And if he does not do what I order him,

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he will surely be imprisoned and will be among the disgraced."

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Had the wife of al-Aziz possessed

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any measure of modesty,

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she would not have flaunted the intensity of her lust for Yusuf

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in this revolting manner,

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nor would she have said:

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"Either he commits indecency with me, or I will imprison him."

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By this overt threat to Yusuf—

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either indecency or imprisonment—

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she openly declared her utter lack of modesty,

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just as she demonstrated the strength of her dominance over her master, the Aziz of Egypt,

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who took no action to defend his honor,

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whom his wife manipulated according to her desires,

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and who decided whatever she wished within his realm of authority.

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This reveals the level of his protective jealousy

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and his guarding of his wife,

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whose lust toyed with her in his own palace,

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under his authority, and right before him,

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without him lifting a finger.

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Such is the condition in many palaces of the opulent:

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neither modesty nor protective jealousy,

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no authority over the woman,

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and the woman is the one ruling and dominating the man.

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O my sister,

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O my daughter:

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Hold fast to modesty and never let it go,

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for it is your true adornment in life;

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through it you are beautified,

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through it you are elevated and made happy,

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and through it you are protected from temptations, by Allah's leave.

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Beware of every call that diminishes your modesty or wounds it,

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or causes you to lose it and then regret.

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Do not heed the calls of those who claim to seek your welfare,

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nor the calls of those who claim your welfare and happiness lie outside the religion.

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Pay no heed to their claim

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that customs and traditions alone

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will protect you from falling into the mire of desires,

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leading you to cast off your religion and modesty

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and immerse yourself in their mixed arenas

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and shameless parties.

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Do not let them deceive you with the guise of entertainment,

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for they only want you to be a mindless body,

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crushing your future through indecency

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and slaying your hopes with their beastly whims,

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only to cast you aside, stricken with sorrows and grief.

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You have an admonition in those who came before you,

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so do not become an admonition for those who come after you.

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O my sister, O my daughter:

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Modesty is an act of the heart,

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and chastity is an act of the heart,

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Rather, their effects manifest upon your limbs and your outward appearance.

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We do not know the depth of modesty residing in your heart,

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nor the true extent of the chastity within your heart.

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Yet, we look at the signs you leave behind:

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in your attire,

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your manner of walking along the public road,

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your adornment,

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and how you conduct yourself with non-mahram men.

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These outwardly indicate the measure of your modesty and chastity.

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O my dear sister! O my dear daughter!

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Beware of becoming a source of temptation for the youth of the Ummah,

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for enemies have already assailed them from every quarter.

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Do not become an accomplice to Satan against them.

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Indeed, Joseph was saved from temptation,

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but we cannot guarantee that every young man of this Ummah will escape it.

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So stand with your Ummah,

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and do not stand against it.

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There is more to be said on this topic,

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and in an upcoming gathering, if Allah wills,

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we shall explore the story of Joseph with the wife of al-Aziz.