Part of Stories of the Prophets (series completed)
· Lesson 13 of 15
Stories of the Prophets | Episode (13) | The story of Joseph, peace be upon him (2)
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Transcript
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Stories of the Prophets,
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Stories of the Prophets,
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peace be upon them.
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May Allah's blessings,
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followed by
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His peace,
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be upon the best of all
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creation:
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men of steadfast resolve,
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exalted in rank
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and full of light.
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The story of Yusuf,
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peace be upon him.
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In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
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Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds,
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and may peace and blessings
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be upon our Prophet Muhammad,
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and upon his family and companions,
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one and all.
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To proceed:
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We continue with the best of stories,
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the story of the Prophet of Allah, Yusuf,
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peace be upon him,
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and turn to a new chapter
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among the chapters of this
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magnificent story.
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When Yusuf's brothers
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cast him into the well
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and walked away,
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the water in the well was low,
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so Yusuf sat
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upon a rock inside it.
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Then a caravan arrived
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near that place,
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and they sent their water-drawer to the well
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to fetch them water.
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When the man lowered
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his bucket into the well,
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Yusuf clung to the bucket.
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When the man pulled it up,
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he was astonished,
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for there was no water in the bucket;
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rather, it was a boy
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clinging to it,
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among the most handsome beings Allah ever created.
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In his overwhelming delight,
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he began crying out and saying:
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"O good news! Here is
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a boy!"
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"O good news! Here is a boy!"
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He brought him
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to his companions,
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and they were amazed by what their water-drawer
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had found.
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They feared that this boy
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had been lost by his family or had wandered off,
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and that his people might be searching for him.
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So they hid him as merchandise
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with them,
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placing him among their goods,
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hoping to sell him
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and profit from his price.
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Meanwhile, Yusuf remained silent and did not speak,
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either
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because their language differed from his,
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or out of fear
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that they might return him to his brothers,
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who would then plot against him
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an even greater scheme,
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or kill him.
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A stranger can sometimes be safer
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than one's own kin,
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and Allah is the One whose help is sought.
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When
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the caravan reached Egypt,
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they sold him there
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for a meager price,
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which Allah described as a few dirhams,
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and they were,
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concerning him, of those who had no desire.
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For they had exerted no effort
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to acquire him,
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and besides, they were anxious
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that his family might catch up to them
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to take him back;
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therefore, they got rid of him
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and sold him quickly.
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The one who bought him from them
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was the 'Aziz of Egypt,
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one of the high-ranking figures of Egypt.
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He took Yusuf
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with him to his house
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and said to his wife—
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"And the one who bought him
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from Egypt said to his wife:
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'Make his stay comfortable;
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perhaps he will benefit us,
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perhaps he will
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benefit us,
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or we may adopt him as a son.'"
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"And thus
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We established
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Yusuf in the land,
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and that We might teach him
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some of
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the interpretation
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of dreams (hadiths).
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And Allah is predominant
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over His affair,
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but
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most of the people
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do not know."
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The 'Aziz of Egypt
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had no children,
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which is why
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he cared for Yusuf,
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honored him, and protected him.
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Yusuf began to grow up
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little by little in his palace,
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before the eyes
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of the wife of the 'Aziz.
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Her heart became attached to Yusuf,
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and she loved him with a passion
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that exceeded her ability
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to restrain it.
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She could no longer control herself,
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until she sought to seduce him,
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soliciting him
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to commit immorality.
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Allah Almighty said, describing
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the scene:
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"And she in whose house he was
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“And she, in whose house he was, asked of him an evil act. She bolted the doors and said: Come! He said: I seek refuge in Allah! Lo! he is my lord, who hath treated me honourably. Lo! wrong-doers never prosper.” (12:23)
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sought to seduce him, and she bolted
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the doors
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and said,
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'Come, you!'
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He said, 'Allah forbid!
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Indeed,
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my master
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has made my stay good.
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Indeed,
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the wrongdoers
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will never succeed.'
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And she certainly desired
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him,
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and he would have inclined toward her
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had he not seen
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the proof of his Lord.
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Thus it was, that We might avert
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from him evil
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and immorality.
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Indeed, he was of Our chosen,
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sincere servants."
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What an immense trial!
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Yusuf,
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a young, unmarried stranger,
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serving his mistress
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in her own house,
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was subjected to a difficult test
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from which none could escape
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except one whom Allah grants success
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and protects.
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The doors were tightly locked,
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and the woman had prepared herself for him
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in all her adornment,
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inviting him to herself
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and saying,
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meaning, "I have made myself ready for you,
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so come to me!"
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But Yusuf turned to his Lord
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and sought refuge in Him
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from this trial.
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He said:
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"How could I betray the man who took care of me
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and treated me honorably?
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That would be wrongdoing,
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and wrongdoers never succeed."
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But Satan had overwhelmed
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the woman's mind;
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she was determined to have him
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and insisted upon it.
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A young, unmarried stranger—
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had it not been for Allah's protection over him,
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he might have inclined toward her
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as well;
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however, Allah showed him a sign
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by which He turned him away from her.
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And in such a manner does Allah
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protect His sincere servants.
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Yusuf fled
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toward the door,
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seeking to escape the place
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of temptation and be saved
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from this ordeal.
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Meanwhile, the wife of the 'Aziz ran
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behind him, pursuing him.
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It was a scene of
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a race between good
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with anxiety filling both their hearts,
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while the goal was the door.
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The woman overtook Yusuf
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before he could reach it,
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grabbing him from behind,
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which tore his shirt.
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Yet he kept running
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toward his destination until
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he opened the door,
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only to find her husband, the Aziz,
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standing right at the door.
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Facing this suspicious scene,
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here came
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women's cunning.
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The wife of the Aziz quickly took control
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of the situation, and with quick
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wit, turned the tables
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on Yusuf,
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accusing him of being the one
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who seduced her
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and intended evil against her.
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She gave her husband no
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room to think,
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passing judgment on Yusuf immediately
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and saying:
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"What is the penalty for whoever intended evil against your wife
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except that he be imprisoned
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or suffer a painful punishment?"
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Yusuf defended himself,
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saying:
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“(Joseph) said: She it was who asked of me an evil act. And a witness of her own folk testified: If his shirt is torn from before, then she speaketh truth and he is of the liars.” (12:26)
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"It was not I who committed this
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heinous act."
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At this point, there spoke
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a man from the woman's household—
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said to be her maternal cousin—
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who was with the Aziz
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at the door.
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He said:
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"Look at the torn shirt:
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if it is torn
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from the front, then the woman
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is truthful in what she says,
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and Yusuf is among the liars.
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But if the shirt
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is torn from behind,
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then the woman has lied,
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and Yusuf is among the truthful."
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This witnessing man
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presented the possibility of the woman's
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innocence first,
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because she was his relative.
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When they looked at the shirt,
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they found it torn from behind.
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Thus, the innocence
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of the chaste Yusuf was revealed,
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and the Aziz realized the truthfulness of
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Yusuf and the deceit of his wife.
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He said to her:
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"Indeed, this
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is of your feminine guile, O women;
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surely your guile
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is immense."
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Then he turned to Yusuf and said to him:
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"Yusuf,
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overlook this matter;
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everything ends here."
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And he said to his wife:
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"Ask forgiveness for your sin."
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“O Joseph! Turn away from this, and thou, (O woman), ask forgiveness for thy sin. Lo! thou art of the faulty.” (12:29)
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Just like that,
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with utter coldness.
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This reaction of the Aziz
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showed the weakness
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of his character before his wife;
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therefore,
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his reaction was disproportionate
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to the gravity of the event.
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Allah Almighty described these events
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with the most beautiful description
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and the most precise phrasing,
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saying:
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"And they raced to the door,
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and she tore his shirt
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from behind,
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and they found her master
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at the door.
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She said, 'What is the recompense
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of one who intended evil
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for your wife
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except that
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he be imprisoned
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except that he be imprisoned
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or a painful
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punishment?'
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[Yusuf] said, 'It was she
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who sought to seduce me.'
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And a witness
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from her family testified:
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'If his shirt
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is torn from the front,
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'If his shirt
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is torn from the front,
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then she has told the truth,
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and he is of the liars.
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But if his shirt
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is torn from behind,
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then she has lied,
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then she has lied,
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and he is of the truthful.'
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So when
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he saw his shirt
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torn from behind,
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he said, 'Indeed, it is
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of your cunning;
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indeed,
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your cunning
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is great.
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Yusuf,
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disregard this,
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and [woman], ask forgiveness
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for your sin;
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indeed,
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you were of
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the sinful.'"
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The news
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of the wife of the Aziz
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with Yusuf spread across the city,
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and tongues began wagging about it,
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making it
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the talk of every gathering and the gossip
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of the people.
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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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With cunning and spite, they said:
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"The wife of the Aziz is seducing
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her young slave;
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he has impassioned her heart with love!
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Truly, we see her
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in plain error."
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Their aim behind this
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talk was to see this
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youth who had captivated
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the wife of the Aziz.
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The wife of the Aziz understood that
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about them, so she met
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their verbal cunning with an active,
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practical scheme—being someone
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renowned for formidable guile.
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She sent for them,
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inviting them to a banquet
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she had prepared for them,
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and arranged for each
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of them a comfortable couch
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to recline upon during the gathering.
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She served them the food,
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and this food
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required the use of a knife,
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so she gave each
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of them a knife.
12:21
When they began
12:23
cutting the food and eating,
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at that very moment,
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she commanded Yusuf to come out
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before them.
12:31
The women were astonished to see Yusuf
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right before their eyes;
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they were dazzled by his beauty,
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stunned by him, and held him in high esteem
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in their eyes.
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Amidst this bewilderment,
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they cut their own hands with the knives
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they were holding
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without even realizing it,
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and exclaimed, "Far removed is Allah from any imperfection! This cannot be
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a mere mortal;
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this is none other than a noble angel!"
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The wife of the Aziz
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said to them:
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"This is the one about whom you blamed me!
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Your minds were bewildered
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and you were stunned by him
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at first glance,
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whereas I
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used to look at him every day
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multiple times."
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Then she confessed before them,
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saying:
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"I certainly sought to seduce him,
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but he resolutely refused.
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And now, I present the matter
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to him anew:
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if he does not do what I order him,
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he will surely be thrown into prison
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and will certainly be among the humiliated
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and disgraced."
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The matter did not stop
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at that point;
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rather, the other women also began
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trying to seduce Yusuf.
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Yusuf's response was
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a supplication
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directed it to his Lord,
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saying:
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“He said: O my Lord! Prison is more dear than that unto which they urge me, and if Thou fend not off their wiles from me I shall incline unto them and become of the foolish.” (12:33)
13:52
"they invite me to,
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and I, my Lord, am a servant,
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a stranger in this land.
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And unless You avert from me
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their plot,
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I fear that I might yield to them
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and become one of the ignorant."
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Yusuf passed
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the test,
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and Allah answered his supplication
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and turned away their plot from him
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altogether.
14:16
For Allah is All-Hearing of whoever calls upon Him,
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All-Knowing of his state.
14:20
The wife of al-Aziz demanded
14:23
that her husband cast Yusuf
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into prison
14:27
so that people's talk
14:29
about her would cease.
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So he had no choice but
14:33
to fulfill her request
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and carry out her command.
14:37
He met with the prison officials
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in charge,
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and they discussed Yusuf's case.
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Thus it became apparent to them, and they settled
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upon the verdict—
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“And it seemed good to them (the men-folk) after they had seen the signs (of his innocence) to imprison him for a time.” (12:35)
14:49
despite the signs pointing to his innocence—
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that they should imprison him for a time,
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meaning until the gossip
14:55
of the people about the wife of al-Aziz subsided,
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and tongues were silenced
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from delving into her affair.
15:01
They agreed
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to imprison him for an indefinite
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period,
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and this is among the greatest injustices
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inflicted upon a prisoner:
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to be left without trial,
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not knowing the end of his sentence,
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living
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between pain and hope each day.
15:20
Allah the Exalted said:
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◁And women said
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in the city,
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"The wife of al-Aziz
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is seeking to seduce her young slave;
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he has impassioned her
15:32
with love.
15:34
Indeed,
15:36
we see her in
15:39
clear error."
15:41
So when
15:43
she heard of their malicious talk,
15:45
she sent for them
15:47
and prepared for them
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a banquet,
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and gave each one
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and prepared for them
15:55
a banquet,
15:57
and gave each one
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of them
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a knife
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and gave each one
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of them
16:07
a knife
16:09
and said, "Come out before them."
16:11
And when
16:13
they saw him,
16:15
they greatly admired him and cut
16:17
their hands
16:19
and cut their hands
16:21
and said,
16:23
"Allah forbid! This is no
16:25
man;
16:27
and said, "Allah forbid!
16:29
This is no man;
16:31
this is none
16:33
other than a noble angel."
16:35
She said, "That is the one
16:37
about whom
16:39
you blamed
16:41
me.
16:43
And I certainly sought to seduce him,
16:45
but he firmly resisted.
16:47
And if he does not do
16:49
what I order him, he will surely be imprisoned
16:51
and will surely be
16:53
among the disgraced."
16:55
He said,
16:57
"My Lord, prison
16:59
is more dear to me
17:01
than that to which they invite me.
17:03
And unless You turn away
17:05
from me their plot,
17:07
I might incline
17:09
toward them
17:11
and be
17:13
among the ignorant."
17:15
So his Lord
17:17
answered him
17:19
and turned away
17:21
from him their plot.
17:23
Indeed,
17:25
He is the All-Hearing,
17:27
the All-Knowing.
17:29
Then it occurred
17:31
to them after
17:33
they had seen the signs
17:35
that they should surely imprison him
17:37
for a time.▷
17:39
Such was the life of Yusuf,
17:41
peace be upon him, in the palace of
17:43
al-Aziz; indeed,
17:47
these are events that contain numerous
17:49
lessons and morals.
17:51
Among them, perhaps:
17:53
First, caution
17:55
against being in seclusion with women,
17:57
especially where temptation
17:59
is feared. The Prophet,
18:01
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
18:03
"I have not left after me
18:05
any trial more harmful to men
18:07
than women."
18:09
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
18:11
Second,
18:13
whoever is tempted toward sin
18:16
must seek refuge in Allah
18:18
from it, so that Allah may protect him
18:20
against it.
18:22
Yusuf, peace be upon him, said:
18:24
"Allah forbid!"
18:26
Third,
18:28
the obligation of loyalty to a man
18:30
of grace and favor,
18:33
and not betraying him regarding his household;
18:35
Yusuf, peace be upon him, said:
18:37
"Indeed, he is my master who has made good
18:39
my stay."
18:41
Fourth,
18:43
the inclination of the wife of al-Aziz
18:45
was a resolved intent to commit
18:47
the shameful deed,
18:49
whereas the inclination of Yusuf, peace be upon him—
18:51
according to the view that he had an inclination
18:53
toward her—was
18:56
from the impulses of the soul that incites
18:58
to evil, which is human nature
19:00
in most
19:02
people, and it was merely
19:04
a passing thought and inner whisper,
19:06
without choice or
19:08
determination, and Allah averted it
19:10
from him.
19:12
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
19:14
"Whoever intends to do an evil deed
19:16
but does not commit it,
19:18
Allah writes it down for him
19:20
as a complete good deed."
19:22
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
19:24
And Yusuf abandoned
19:26
this passing inclination for the sake of Allah
19:28
the Exalted,
19:30
giving precedence to the fear of Allah over the promptings
19:32
of the soul and desire.
19:34
Thus, he was among those who feared the standing before
19:36
his Lord and restrained the soul
19:38
from vain desire,
19:40
and he became one of the seven whom Allah will shade
19:42
beneath the shade of His Throne
19:44
on the Day when there will be no shade
19:46
except His shade.
19:48
The Prophet, peace be upon him, said:
19:50
"...and a man whom a woman
19:52
of status and beauty seduced,
19:54
but he said, 'Indeed, I fear Allah.'"
19:56
Agreed upon.
19:58
Fifth,
20:00
hearts turned away from Allah
20:02
and devoid of the love of
20:04
Allah the Exalted
20:07
are afflicted with infatuation with superficial forms;
20:09
for whenever the heart is filled
20:11
with love and fear of Allah,
20:13
it repels from its bearer
20:15
the disease of infatuation with forms.
20:17
This is why the Exalted said
20:19
regarding Yusuf:
20:21
◁Thus it was, that We might turn away from him
20:23
evil and immorality.
20:25
Indeed, he was of Our chosen
20:27
servants.▷
20:29
Sixth,
20:31
it is incumbent upon a person, whenever seeing
20:33
a temptation, to turn away
20:36
Sixth,
20:38
whenever a person comes across
20:40
a place filled with temptation
20:42
and the means to commit sin,
20:44
they ought to flee and run away from it,
20:46
rather than surrendering to reprehensible deeds,
20:48
fitnah, and forbidden matters.
20:50
Allah the Almighty said:
20:52
"And they both raced to the door."
20:54
Seventh,
20:57
the woman defended herself
20:59
by slandering Yusuf
21:01
and accusing him of seducing her.
21:03
She said: "What is the penalty
21:05
for someone who intended harm against your family?"
21:07
Thus, the guilty party
21:09
may feign innocence and accuse
21:11
their opponent, cloaking
21:13
their crime with lies, deception,
21:15
scheming, and false oaths
21:17
so that people will believe them.
21:19
Meanwhile, the oppressed party may remain silent
21:21
out of vulnerability and helplessness,
21:23
and perhaps their reply
21:25
will be brief and concise,
21:27
just as Yusuf said:
21:29
"It was she who sought to seduce me
21:31
against my will."
21:33
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
21:35
"You bring your disputes
21:37
to me,
21:39
and perhaps one of you
21:41
is more eloquent in presenting his case than another.
21:43
So if I award anyone something that belongs to his brother
21:45
based on his words,
21:47
I am only allocating to him
21:49
a piece of the Fire,
21:51
so let him not take it."
21:53
Narrated by al-Bukhari.
21:55
Eighth,
21:58
women possess cunning,
22:00
stratagems, and plotting when executing their plans
22:02
to ensure
22:04
that they
22:06
manage those around them,
22:08
achieving feats beyond the capability of men.
22:10
For this reason, the minister said
22:12
to his wife:
22:14
"Indeed, this is of your cunning;
22:16
surely your cunning is immense."
22:18
Ninth,
22:20
the righteous have enduring
22:22
stories and chronicles with prisons.
22:24
For Yusuf, peace be upon him,
22:26
is the exemplar of prisoners,
22:28
constantly supplicating Allah and turning to Him.
22:31
Thus, prison, despite its gloom,
22:33
was better for him than disobedience;
22:35
he entered the depths of prison
22:37
as an honorable caller to his Lord.
22:39
And after several years,
22:41
the storehouses of the land
22:43
were placed under his charge.
22:45
“And he placed his parents on the dais and they fell down before him prostrate, and he said: O my father! This is the interpretation of my dream of old. My Lord hath made it true, and He hath shown me kindness, since He took me out of the prison and hath brought you from the desert after Satan had made strife between me and my brethren. Lo! my Lord is tender unto whom He will. He is the Knower, the Wise.” (12:100)
22:47
Thus prison, as it is said,
22:49
is the school of Yusuf,
22:51
peace be upon him.
22:54
To be continued,
22:56
if Allah wills.
22:58
And Allah knows best.
23:00
May peace and blessings
23:02
be upon our Prophet Muhammad,
23:04
and upon his family
23:06
and all his Companions.
23:08
You have been listening to
23:12
Stories of the Prophets.