In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The story of Yusuf, peace be upon him, with the wife of al-Aziz.
He said, "I seek refuge in Allah."
Indeed, salvation from the tribulations that buffet a Muslim’s faith
begins with seeking refuge in Allah from them.
Then, by distancing oneself from them and avoiding exposure to them.
Then, by dealing with them according to the methods of the Sharia and the Prophetic advice.
Truly, the greatest tribulation that a man encounters in this world
is the tribulation of women.
As the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, informed us.
This is the very tribulation that Yusuf, peace be upon him, faced
in the house of al-Aziz with the wife of al-Aziz.
So, how did he deal with it and find salvation from it?
We must first agree that the tribulation of women involves two parties:
the tempter and the tempted.
A man and a woman.
The danger arises from a woman being tempted by a man and her tempting him.
The woman bears a great deal of responsibility in this tribulation from two aspects.
The first aspect:
causing a man to be tempted,
whether intentionally or unintentionally.
This does not occur on her part unless she transgresses the Sharia boundaries that Allah has commanded her to observe.
A man will not be tempted by a woman who adheres to the boundaries of Allah and His law in her clothing, her movements,
her adornment, and her interaction with men.
Rather, a man is tempted by a woman who has transgressed the boundaries of Allah in her clothing or her adornment,
or in her movements or her interaction with men.
Therefore, Allah the Almighty said: "Do not be soft in speech, lest he in whose heart is a disease should be moved with desire, but speak an honorable speech. And abide in your houses and do not display yourselves as [was] the display of the former times of ignorance."
And the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "There are two types of the people of Hell whom I have not yet seen:
a people having whips like the tails of oxen with which they strike the people,
and women who are clothed yet naked, swaying and making others sway,
their heads like the humps of camels, leaning to one side.
They will not enter Paradise, nor will they smell its fragrance,
even though its fragrance can be perceived from such and such a distance."
The wife of al-Aziz transgressed all these boundaries,
in terms of adornment and clothing,
in terms of being soft in speech with explicit expressions,
and in terms of seclusion and preparing the place.
This is considered one of the most potent situations and scenarios that tempt a man with a woman.
In this discourse, there is a lesson for every woman who desires truth and sincerity with Allah
in distancing herself from the tribulations of men,
and protecting herself from bearing their sins by causing them to fall into tribulation.
[The lesson is] to be sincere in working to adhere to the boundaries of Allah in her clothing,
her movements, her adornment, and her interaction with men.
And not to rely on what she claims is in her heart,
[such as] not intending to tempt men or draw their attention.
For the standard is what one does, not what one claims in one's inner self.
The second aspect: her being tempted by the man.
This is a hidden matter known only to Allah the Almighty,
yet what indicates it may appear from her,
and some people may become aware of it.
A woman’s actions are evidence of what is in her inner self.
This does not occur on her part unless she neglects the care of her heart.
It is the sick heart that falls into tribulation.
Therefore, Allah warned her against being soft in speech,
even if she did not intend to tempt,
for fear that her softness might encounter a sick heart and thus be tempted by her.
And you, my dear sister, are responsible for protecting your heart
from falling into tribulations from their very beginnings,
so that your heart does not become blackened,
after which it neither recognizes good nor rejects evil,
as the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"Tribulations are presented to the hearts like a reed mat, stick by stick.
Any heart that absorbs them will have a black spot marked upon it,
and any heart that rejects them will have a white spot marked upon it,
until they become two types of hearts: one white like a smooth stone,
which no tribulation will harm as long as the heavens and the earth endure,
and the other black and dusty like an overturned vessel,
which neither recognizes good nor rejects evil,
except for what it has absorbed of its own desires."
Narrated by Muslim.
In the story of the Prophet of Allah, Yusuf, with the wife of al-Aziz, we have
an excellent example in dealing with the tribulation of women.
Yusuf, peace be upon him, followed the first course
in dealing with this tribulation,
by seeking refuge in Allah from it.
He said, "I seek refuge in Allah,"
meaning: I take refuge in Allah and seek His protection from this tribulation.
This action by the Prophet of Allah, Yusuf, peace be upon him,
is what our noble Prophet,
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, guided us to, saying:
"Seek refuge in Allah from tribulations,
both the apparent and the hidden."
Narrated by Muslim.
So, whenever a man or a woman feels a type of tribulation,
each of them must begin by seeking refuge in Allah from it.
For there is no protector against tribulations except Allah.
Then, one must distance oneself from the place of tribulation and its practical causes
that led one into it or nearly led one into it.
If the tribulation occurred because of conversation and messaging
via modern communication tools,
then one must abandon them and distance oneself from them,
even if it means changing one's phone number,
and deleting or blocking the other party's numbers.
And if the tribulation occurred because of
mixing and direct contact
in the field of work, study, or otherwise,
then one must leave that place,
if the matter of the heart and its protection and safety
from tribulation concerns the one who has fallen into it,
whether man or woman.
It is of no use to make flimsy excuses
for continuing to remain in the place of tribulation.
We have in the Prophet of Allah, Yusuf, peace be upon him,
an excellent example in his rapid flight
from the place of tribulation toward the closed door,
to open it and exit,
preserving his religion, until Allah said of him:
"And they both raced to the door, and she tore his shirt
from the back."
He did not hesitate for a moment in saving himself
from this tribulation and used all
his strength in this escape and raced her,
to the point that she tried to grab him,
and the shirt tore from the force
of Yusuf’s, peace be upon him, rush toward the door,
fleeing from the tribulation.
O Allah, we seek refuge in You from tribulations,
both the apparent and the hidden.
O Allah, we seek refuge in You from
the tribulation of women.
The hadith has a remainder; we will continue in a
future meeting, if Allah wills,
regarding the wife of al-Aziz.