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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) with the wife of al-Aziz.

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A woman understands the scheming of other women.

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Once the talk of the women reached the wife of al-Aziz,

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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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“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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she grasped the underlying motive behind these words,

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and realized that they had said this purely out of cunning intrigue against her, not out of sincere advice.

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So she countered their plot with an even greater scheme.

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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 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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When they saw him, they were struck with awe by him,

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cut their hands,

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and exclaimed, "Allah forbid!

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This is no mortal man!"

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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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This verse indicates that it was the customary nature of that society

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to circulate rumors about people in social gatherings and repeat what transpired in them.

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This is indeed a blameworthy trait,

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for the relaying of gossip among people rarely escapes embellishment, distortion,

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alteration of meaning, and being construed in the worst possible light.

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This stems fundamentally from the cultural mindset of the society itself;

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for whenever a society occupies itself with trivialities,

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it inevitably lapses into such disgraceful manners,

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and its sole concern becomes slandering people's honor and delighting in backbiting them.

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There is a lesson for you, my dear sister, in the story of the wife of al-Aziz and those women,

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and how they circulated the talk regarding her attempt to seduce Yusuf (peace be upon him).

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Such gatherings are utterly unbecoming of you.

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You must be discerning regarding the gatherings you attend,

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and mindful of whom you sit with in them,

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lest you yourself become the subject of common gossip one day,

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and lest the private secrets of your home be divulged through such corrupt companionship.

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You have the finest support in the counsel of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),

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when he said, "Associate only with a believer,

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and let no one eat your food except the righteous."

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It was narrated by al-Tirmidhi.

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Thus, companionship outside the home should be restricted to believing women,

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and as for any woman you invite into your home and allow into your private life,

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ensure first that she possesses piety.

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In this second scene of the story of Yusuf with the wife of al-Aziz,

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we observe this dynamic quite clearly.

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For the news that was intended to be kept secret spread throughout the society,

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becoming a talking point on people's tongues in both their private and public gatherings,

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to the extent that those women who gossiped about the news and commented upon it—

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their words quickly reached the ears of the wife of al-Aziz,

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and she discerned what was really intended by it.

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What did they actually seek through their statement:

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

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he has consumed 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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Muhammad Rashid Rida (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

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"They did not say this out of denouncing an evil deed, nor out of abhorrence for vice,

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nor out of love for virtue and championing righteousness;

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rather, they said it purely as a ruse and a scheme,

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so that it would reach her and compel her to invite them,

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and show them with their own physical eyes

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that which would dismantle what they claimed to see with their inner perception,

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thus leading them to excuse her for that which they had censured her.

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It was sheer cunning, not an innocent opinion.

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So when she heard of their malice—

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and it was only natural that she would hear it, given what was customary among such households

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in terms of mutual visits

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and the frequent coming and going of servants between them—

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they had only said it so that she would hear it;

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for if it did not reach her by chance,

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they would have devised ways to convey it intentionally,

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and so they attained what they desired."

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They harbored an ill intention behind their statement;

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they desperately wanted to lay eyes upon that handsome young man

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with whom the wife of al-Aziz had been infatuated.

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Ibn Jarir al-Tabari (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

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"Their saying what they said

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and their speaking about her affair with Yusuf

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was out of a cunning plot on their part, as has been mentioned,

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so that she would show them Yusuf."

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Through this cunning plot,

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they did not seek merely to look at him;

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rather, they coveted something far beyond that,

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as indicated by the verses that follow this one.

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Muhammad Rashid Rida (may Allah have mercy on him) clarified this, stating:

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"Hoping that he might incline toward them,

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and that he would be drawn to their sudden, unexpected beauty

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in a way he had never been drawn to hers, which he had grown accustomed to before reaching full maturity,

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when his gaze upon her was merely that of a servant toward his mistress,

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or a child toward his mother."

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This was conveyed in the Surah with the most exquisite conciseness and eloquence,

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and with the highest degree of refined propriety and decorum.

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The wife of al-Aziz readily understood from their remark

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that it was not merely an idle comment,

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but rather a calculated plot by which to secure a glimpse of Yusuf.

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Indeed, the Qur'anic expression itself points to the swiftness of her comprehending their plot,

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for Allah Almighty said:

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"So when she heard of their malice..."

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Schemes themselves are not heard;

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what is heard is merely spoken words.

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Yet because she instantly grasped the underlying intent upon hearing them,

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Allah Almighty expressed it as her hearing the underlying scheme itself,

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not merely the spoken words.

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That is because a woman is far more perceptive than a man when it comes to understanding women's cunning and schemes.

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For this reason, a woman quickly becomes suspicious of any interaction between her husband and the women around him,

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because she understands the guile of women far better than he does,

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and she fears for him lest he fall prey to their plots and feminine wiles,

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inclining toward them and abandoning her.

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Thus, the wife of al-Aziz countered the women's plot with an even greater scheme:

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"So when she heard of their malice,

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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 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 no mortal man!'"

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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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Ibn Kathir (may Allah have mercy on him) said:

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"'She sent for them,'

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meaning she invited them to her home to host them,

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'and prepared for them a banquet.'

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Ibn Abbas, Sa'id ibn Jubayr, Mujahid,

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al-Hasan, al-Suddi, and others said:

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It was a seating area arranged with cushions and pillows,

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along with food that required cutting with knives,

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such as citrons and the like.

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For this reason, Allah Almighty said:

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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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This was a calculated ruse on her part,

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and a countermeasure to their scheme to catch sight of him.

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'And she said: Come out before them.'

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That was because she had concealed him in another chamber;

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so when he emerged and they saw him, they were struck with awe by him,

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meaning they exalted him,

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deeming his appearance magnificent and revering his majesty.

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They began cutting their hands in utter astonishment at the sight of him,

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while imagining that they were cutting the citrons with their knives;

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what is meant is that they slashed into their own hands with them."

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Thus, the outcome of the scheme executed by the wife of al-Aziz against those women

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was that they slashed their own hands without even feeling it,

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overcome by the overwhelming beauty of Yusuf (peace be upon him).

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This is a vivid picture of the gatherings of affluent, idle women:

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what transpires within them and what preoccupies their minds.

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Such is the state of women who turn away from the remembrance of Allah

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and immerse themselves in the fleeting pleasures of this worldly life;

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their sole concern is discussing other women's reputations,

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plotting against one another,

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and competing in matters of beauty, adornment, and luxury.

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They remain entangled in daily petty battles

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that yield them nothing but sorrow and regret,

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and discontent with what Allah has apportioned for them.

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All praise is due to Allah, Who has distinguished the believing woman through her faith,

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and commended her for her righteousness and the noble nature of her pursuits,

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as He, the Exalted, said:

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“Men are in charge of women, because Allah hath made the one of them to excel the other, and because they spend of their property (for the support of women). So good women are the obedient, guarding in secret that which Allah hath guarded. As for those from whom ye fear rebellion, admonish them and banish them to beds apart, and scourge them. Then if they obey you, seek not a way against them. Lo! Allah is ever High, Exalted, Great.” (4:34)

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To be continued;

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we shall resume in our next session, if Allah wills,

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the story of Yusuf with the wife of al-Aziz.