Tafseer of Joseph · Yusuf · 12:24
And she certainly determined [to seduce] him, and he would have inclined to her had he not seen the proof of his Lord. And thus [it was] that We should avert from him evil and immorality. Indeed, he was of Our chosen servants.
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
The explanation of the words of Allah the Exalted: وَلَقَدْ هَمَّتْ بِهِ وَهَمَّ بِهَا لَوْلا أَنْ رَأَى بُرْهَانَ رَبِّهِ كَذَلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ السُّوءَ وَالْفَحْشَاءَ إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُخْلَصِينَ (And she was certainly intent upon him, and he would have been intent upon her, were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord. Thus it came to pass, so that We might turn away from him the evil and the indecency. Truly, he was among Our sincere servants.) (verse 24)
Abū Jaʿfar says: It has been related that the wife of the ʿAzīz, when she was intent upon Yūsuf and wished to seduce him, began to describe to him his good qualities and to make him desirous toward herself. As follows:
19013. Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: ʿAmr ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī: (And she was certainly intent upon him, and he was intent upon her) — he said: she said to him, "O Yūsuf, how beautiful is your hair!" He said, "It is the first thing that will fall away from my body." She said, "O Yūsuf, how beautiful is your face!" He said, "It is for the earth, which will devour it." So she kept on until she seduced him, and she was intent upon him and he upon her. They entered a room, she shut the doors, and he was about to undo his trousers — then he saw the image of Yaʿqūb, standing in the room and biting his finger, saying: "O Yūsuf, do not approach her too closely — your likeness, so long as you do not approach her too closely, is like a bird high in the air that cannot be caught; and your likeness, if you do approach her too closely, is like that bird when it dies and falls to the ground, unable to defend itself. Your likeness, so long as you do not approach her too closely, is like the unruly bull that cannot be ridden; and your likeness, if you do approach her too closely, is like the bull when it dies and the ants enter the roots of its horns, unable to defend itself." Then he fastened his trousers and went away toward the door, walking hastily. She caught up with him and seized the back of his shirt and tore it, until she had torn it off him and it fell. Yūsuf cast it aside and hastened to the door.
19014. Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ibn Isḥāq, who said: The woman threw herself upon him — she enticed him one moment and intimidated him the next, and called him to the pleasure that men desire by her beauty, her power, and her wealth. He was a youth in the prime of his life who felt the desire of men as men feel it. This reached the point that he felt pity for her on account of what he saw of her obsession with him, and he ceased to fear her — until he was intent upon her and she upon him, and they were alone in one of his rooms.
The meaning of "to intensely desire something" (al-hamm bi-l-shayʾ) in Arabic is: that a person contemplates the deed in his mind so long as he has not yet carried it out.
As for the desire of Yūsuf for the woman and her desire for him — the scholars (ʿulamāʾ) said the following concerning it:
19015. Abū Kurayb, Sufyān ibn Wakīʿ, and Sahl ibn Mūsā al-Rāzī related to us, they said: Ibn ʿUyayna related to us, on the authority of ʿUthmān ibn Abī Sulaymān, on the authority of Ibn Abī Mulayka, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās — he was asked how far the desire of Yūsuf went. He said: He undid the waistband of his trousers (himyān) and sat with her as one who performs a circumcision. These are the words of Abū Kurayb.
19016. Abū Kurayb and Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, they said: Ibn ʿUyayna related to us — he said: ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Abī Yazīd heard Ibn ʿAbbās say concerning (And she was certainly intent upon him, and he was intent upon her): He sat with her as one who performs a circumcision, and he undid the himyān.
19017. Ziyād ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥassānī, ʿAmr ibn ʿAlī, and al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad related to us, they said: Sufyān ibn ʿUyayna related to us, on the authority of ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Yazīd, who said: I heard that Ibn ʿAbbās was asked: How far did the desire of Yūsuf go? He said: He undid the himyān and sat with her as one who performs a circumcision.
19018. Ziyād ibn ʿAbd Allāh related to me, saying: Muḥammad ibn Abī ʿAdī related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Ibn Abī Mulayka, who said: I asked Ibn ʿAbbās: How far did the desire of Yūsuf go? He said: She lay on her back before him and he sat between her legs.
19019. Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Yamān related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Ibn Abī Mulayka: (And she was certainly intent upon him, and he was intent upon her) — he said: she lay on her back before him and he undid his clothing.
19020. Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Qabīṣa ibn ʿUqba related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Ibn Abī Mulayka, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: (And she was certainly intent upon him, and he was intent upon her) — how far did that go? He said: She lay on her back before him and he sat between her legs and undid his clothing — or her clothing.
19021. Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Isḥāq related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Ibn Abī Mulayka, who said: I asked Ibn ʿAbbās: How far did the desire of Yūsuf go? He said: She lay on her back and he sat between her legs to remove his clothing.
19022. Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us — and Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: his father related to us — on the authority of Nāfiʿ ibn ʿUmar, on the authority of Ibn Abī Mulayka, who said: Ibn ʿAbbās was asked concerning His word: (And she was certainly intent upon him, and he was intent upon her) — how far did the desire of Yūsuf go? He said: he undid the himyān — that is, the trousers.
19023. Abū Kurayb and Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, they said: Ibn Idrīs related to us, saying: I heard al-Aʿmash, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word: (And she was certainly intent upon him, and he was intent upon her) — he said: he undid the trousers until he was sitting on his buttocks, and she lay on her back before him.
19024. Ziyād ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥassānī related to us, saying: Mālik ibn Suʿayr related to us, saying: al-Aʿmash related to us, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word: (And she was certainly intent upon him, and he was intent upon her) — he said: he undid his trousers, so that he fell upon his buttocks.
19025. Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: (And she was certainly intent upon him, and he was intent upon her) — he said: he took up with her the position that a man takes up with his wife.
19026. Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shubl related to us, saying: al-Qāsim ibn Abī Bazza related to me: (And she was certainly intent upon him, and he was intent upon her) — he said: as for her desire for him — she lay on her back before him; and as for his desire for her — he sat between her legs and undressed himself.
19027. Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj ibn Muḥammad related to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, who said: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Mulayka informed me — he said: I said to Ibn ʿAbbās: How far did the desire of Yūsuf go? He said: She lay on her back before him and he sat between her legs and undressed himself.
19028. Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: al-Ḥammānī related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn al-Yamān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Badhīma, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr and ʿIkrima — they said: he undid the trousers and took up with her the position that one who performs a circumcision takes up.
19029. Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: ʿAmr ibn Muḥammad al-ʿAnqazī related to us, on the authority of Sharīk, on the authority of Jābir, on the authority of Mujāhid: (And she was certainly intent upon him, and he was intent upon her) — he said: she lay on her back and he undid his clothing until he was sitting on his buttocks.
19030. Al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz related to us, saying: Qays related to us, on the authority of Abū Ḥaṣīn, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr: (And she was certainly intent upon him, and he was intent upon her) — he said: he loosened the waistband of his trousers.
19031. Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Ibn ʿUyayna informed us, on the authority of ʿUthmān ibn Abī Sulaymān, on the authority of Ibn Abī Mulayka — he said: I was present when Ibn ʿAbbās was asked how far the desire of Yūsuf went. He said: He undid the himyān and took up with her the position that one who performs a circumcision takes up.
If someone asks: How can Yūsuf be described in such a manner, while he is a prophet of Allah?
The answer is: the scholars differed concerning this.
Some said: the prophets who were tested with a sin — Allah tested them with it so that they would hold Him reverently before their eyes whenever they thought of it, and so that through that fear of Him they would be more zealous in obedience to Him, and would not rely upon the breadth of Allah's forgiveness and mercy.
Others said: rather, Allah tested them with it so that they would know the bounty of His favor toward them — through His remission and His refraining from punishment in the Hereafter.
Still others said: rather, Allah tested them with it in order to make them leaders for the people who sin, in hope of Allah's mercy and in not despairing of His forgiveness when they repent.
As for others who opposed the judgment of the early scholars and interpreted the Qurʾān according to their own opinions — they came with differing views.
Some said: the meaning is that the woman was intent upon Yūsuf, and that Yūsuf was intent upon her to strike her or to treat her badly on account of her desire for him and what she did to him — were it not that Yūsuf saw the proof of his Lord, which restrained him from what he had resolved to do to her; not that she restrained herself of her own accord. They said: the proof for the correctness of this is His word (Thus it came to pass, so that We might turn away from him the evil and the indecency). They said: the evil (al-sūʾ) is what he intended to do to her, and that is something other than "the indecency" (al-faḥshāʾ).
Others said: the meaning of the expression is: she was intent upon him — and with this the report about her comes to an end. Then begins the report about Yūsuf: "And Yūsuf would have been intent upon her — were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord." Evidently they interpreted the meaning of the expression to mean that Yūsuf was not intent upon her, and that Allah merely reported that Yūsuf would have been intent upon her had he not seen the proof of his Lord — but he saw the proof of his Lord and was therefore not intent upon her. As was said: وَلَوْلا فَضْلُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ وَرَحْمَتُهُ لاتَّبَعْتُمُ الشَّيْطَانَ إِلا قَلِيلا [Al-Nisāʾ: 83].
Abū Jaʿfar says: Both views are incorrect, because the Arabs do not place the answer of "lawlā" (were it not that) before that expression. One does not say "by God, I did it — were it not that Zayd was there" when one means "were it not that Zayd was there, I would have done it." This also contradicts the consensus of all the scholars in Qurʾānic exegesis whose interpretation is accepted.
Others said: the woman was certainly intent upon Yūsuf, and Yūsuf was certainly intent upon the woman — but their desire was merely a weighing on both sides between carrying out the deed or not, with no firm resolve and no actual will. They said: there is no harm in the thoughts of the soul nor in what the heart contemplates, so long as there is no resolve and no deed.
As for the "proof" (burhān) that Yūsuf saw and on account of which he abandoned the sin — the scholars differed concerning it.
Some said: an admonition was called out to him which forbade him from committing the sin.
Mention of those who said this:
19032. Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Ibn ʿUyayna related to us, on the authority of ʿUthmān ibn Abī Sulaymān, on the authority of Ibn Abī Mulayka, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: it was called out: "O Yūsuf, do you commit fornication (zinā) — so that you become like a bird whose feathers have fallen and which wishes to fly but has no feathers?"
19033. He said: Ibn ʿUyayna related to us, on the authority of ʿUthmān ibn Abī Sulaymān, on the authority of Ibn Abī Mulayka, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: He paid no heed to the call — until he saw the proof of his Lord. He said: the image of his father's face — Sufyān said: biting his finger — who said: "O Yūsuf, do you commit fornication (zinā), so that you become like a bird whose feathers have fallen?"
19034. Ziyād ibn ʿAbd Allāh al-Ḥassānī related to me, saying: Muḥammad ibn Abī ʿAdī related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Ibn Abī Mulayka, who said: Ibn ʿAbbās said: It was called out: "O son of Yaʿqūb, do not be like the bird that has feathers — for if it commits fornication, its feathers go away and it sits without feathers." He said: he paid no heed to the call — and no more than this was related. Ibn Jurayj said: more than one person related to me that he saw the image of his father biting his finger.
19035. Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us — and Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: his father related to us — on the authority of Nāfiʿ ibn ʿUmar, on the authority of Ibn Abī Mulayka, who said: Ibn ʿAbbās said: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: it was called out, but he did not listen; then he was told: "O son of Yaʿqūb, do you wish to commit fornication and become like a bird that has been plucked and has no feathers left?"
19036. Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Salama related to us, on the authority of Ṭalḥa, on the authority of ʿAmr al-Ḥaḍramī, on the authority of Ibn Abī Mulayka, who said: It has reached me that Yūsuf, when he sat between the legs of the woman and undid his himyān, was called out to: "O Yūsuf, son of Yaʿqūb, do not commit fornication — for the bird, if it commits fornication, its feathers fall out." He turned away; then he was called out to again and he turned away again; then Yaʿqūb appeared before him, biting his finger — and he rose up.
19037. Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Qabīṣa ibn ʿUqba related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Ibn Abī Mulayka, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: It was called out: "O son of Yaʿqūb, do not be like the bird that, when it commits fornication, loses its feathers and remains without feathers!" He paid no heed to the call — and then he was startled.
19038. Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: Ḥajjāj ibn Muḥammad related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, who said: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Mulayka informed me — Ibn ʿAbbās said: It was called out: "O son of Yaʿqūb, do not be like the bird that has feathers — for if it commits fornication, its feathers go away" — he said: or it sits without feathers — he paid no heed to the call — until he saw the proof of his Lord; he was startled and fled.
19039. Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Ibn ʿUyayna informed us, on the authority of ʿUthmān ibn Abī Sulaymān, on the authority of Ibn Abī Mulayka, who said: Ibn ʿAbbās said: It was called out: "O son of Yaʿqūb, do you commit fornication, so that you become like a bird whose feathers have fallen and which wishes to fly but has no feathers?"
19040. Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Nāfiʿ ibn Yazīd informed me, on the authority of Hammām ibn Yaḥyā, on the authority of Qatāda, who said: Yūsuf was called out to and it was said: "You are inscribed among the prophets — and you do the deeds of the foolish?"
19041. Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Yamān related to us, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, on the authority of Ibn Abī Mulayka, who said: It was called out: "O Yūsuf, son of Yaʿqūb, do you commit fornication — so that you become like a plucked bird without feathers?"
Others said: the "proof" that Yūsuf saw, on account of which he abandoned the sin, was the image of Yaʿqūb, peace be upon him, looking at him threateningly.
Mention of those who said this:
19042. Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: ʿAmr ibn Muḥammad al-ʿAnqazī related to us, saying: Isrāʾīl informed us, on the authority of Abū Ḥaṣīn, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: he saw the image — or: the figure — of the face of Yaʿqūb biting his finger, and his desire departed from him through his fingertips.
19043. Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: ʿAmr ibn Muḥammad al-ʿAnqazī related to us, on the authority of Isrāʾīl, on the authority of Abū Ḥaṣīn, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: Yaʿqūb appeared before him, struck him upon the chest, and his desire departed from him through his fingertips.
19044. Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Bishr related to us, on the authority of Misʿar, on the authority of Abū Ḥaṣīn, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: he saw the image of his father's face, who raised his hand thus — and he spread out his hand — and his desire departed from him through his fingertips.
19045. Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us — and Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: his father related to us — on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of Abū Ḥaṣīn, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: Yaʿqūb appeared before him, biting his fingers, struck him upon the chest, and his desire departed from him through his fingertips.
19046. Yūnus ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to me, saying: ʿAbd Allāh ibn Wahb related to us, saying: Ibn Jurayj informed me, on the authority of Ibn Abī Mulayka, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: he saw the image of Yaʿqūb with his finger on his mouth, threatening him — and he fled.
19047. Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn ʿAbbād related to us, saying: Jarīr ibn Ḥāzim related to us — he said: I heard ʿAbd Allāh ibn Abī Mulayka relate, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His word: (And she was certainly intent upon him, and he was intent upon her) — he said: When he saw Yaʿqūb in the ceiling of the room, the desire he felt departed from him, until he fled away to the door of the room; the woman followed him.
19048. Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us — and Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: his father related to us — on the authority of Qurra ibn Khālid al-Sadūsī, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, who said: It is claimed — and Allah knows best — that the ceiling of the room split open, and he saw Yaʿqūb, biting his fingers.
19049. Yaʿqūb related to me, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, on the authority of Yūnus, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, concerning His word: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: he saw the image of Yaʿqūb biting his finger and saying: "Yūsuf! Yūsuf!"
19050. Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Ibn ʿUlayya related to us, on the authority of Yūnus, on the authority of al-Ḥasan — with the same import.
19051. Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: ʿAmr al-ʿAnqazī related to us, saying: Sufyān al-Thawrī informed us, on the authority of Abū Ḥaṣīn, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: he saw the image of the face of Yaʿqūb, and his desire departed from him through his fingertips.
19052. Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Yaḥyā ibn Yamān related to us, on the authority of Sufyān, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Badhīma, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, who said: he saw a figure with the face of Yaʿqūb biting his fingers, and it struck him upon the chest, and his desire departed from him through his fingertips. All the sons of Yaʿqūb each had twelve sons — except Yūsuf, for through that desire he lost one child and had only eleven sons.
19053. Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us, saying: Yūnus ibn Yazīd informed me, on the authority of Ibn Shihāb, that Ḥumayd ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān informed him: the proof that Yūsuf saw was Yaʿqūb.
19054. Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: ʿĪsā ibn al-Mundhir related to us, saying: Ayyūb ibn Suwayd related to us, saying: Yūnus ibn Yazīd al-Aylī related to us, on the authority of al-Zuhrī, on the authority of Ḥumayd ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥmān — the like.
19055. Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Mujāhid: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: Yaʿqūb appeared before him.
19056. Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Ḥakkām related to us, on the authority of ʿAmr, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Mujāhid — the like.
19057. Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr related to me, saying: Abū ʿĀṣim related to us, saying: ʿĪsā related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: Yaʿqūb.
19058. Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: Shabāba related to us, saying: Warqāʾ related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid — the like.
19059. Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shubl related to us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid — the like.
19060. Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us — and al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: al-Thawrī informed us, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid — he said: Yaʿqūb appeared before him.
19061. Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar, on the authority of Ibn Abī Najīḥ, on the authority of Mujāhid — he said: he took up with her the position that a man takes up with his wife, until he saw the image of Yaʿqūb in the wall.
19062. Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Jarīr related to us, on the authority of Manṣūr, on the authority of Mujāhid, concerning His word: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: Yaʿqūb appeared before him.
19063. Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Ḥudhayfa related to us, saying: Shubl related to us, on the authority of al-Qāsim ibn Abī Bazza, who said: It was called out: "O son of Yaʿqūb, do not be like the bird that has feathers — if it commits fornication, it sits without feathers." He paid no heed to the call and remained seated; then he raised his head and saw the face of Yaʿqūb, biting his finger — and he rose up, terrified out of shame before Allah. That is the meaning of Allah's word: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — the face of Yaʿqūb.
19064. Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: his father related to us, on the authority of al-Naḍr ibn ʿArabī, on the authority of ʿIkrima — he said: Yaʿqūb appeared before him, biting his fingers.
19065. Abū Kurayb related to us, saying: Wakīʿ related to us, on the authority of al-Naḍr ibn ʿArabī, on the authority of ʿIkrima — the like.
19066. Al-Ḥārith related to me, saying: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz related to us, saying: Qays related to us, on the authority of Abū Ḥaṣīn, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr — he said: Yaʿqūb appeared before him, struck him upon the chest, and his desire departed from him through his fingertips.
19067. He said: ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz related to us, saying: Sufyān related to us, on the authority of ʿAlī ibn Badhīma — he said: to each of them twelve sons would be born — except Yūsuf, to whom eleven were born, on account of that which had departed from his desire.
19068. Yūnus related to me, saying: Ibn Wahb informed us — he said: Abū Shuraḥ said: I heard ʿUbayd Allāh ibn Abī Jaʿfar say: The desire of Yūsuf reached the point that it flowed away through his fingertips.
19069. Ibn Wakīʿ related to us, saying: Yaʿlā ibn ʿUbayd related to us, on the authority of Muḥammad al-Khurāsānī, who said: I asked Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn concerning His word: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: Yaʿqūb appeared before him, biting his fingers, saying: "Yūsuf, son of Yaʿqūb, son of Isḥāq, son of Ibrāhīm, the friend of Allah — your name is among the prophets, and you do the deeds of the foolish?"
19070. Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to me, saying: Yazīd ibn Zurayʿ related to us, on the authority of Yūnus, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, concerning His word: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: he saw Yaʿqūb, biting his finger, saying: "Yūsuf!"
19071. Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd al-Aʿlā related to us, saying: Muḥammad ibn Thawr related to us, on the authority of Maʿmar — Qatāda said: he saw the image of Yaʿqūb, who said: "O Yūsuf, do you do the deeds of the corrupt, while you are inscribed among the prophets?" And he was ashamed before him.
19072. Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he saw a sign among the signs of his Lord, by which Allah restrained him from disobedience to Him. It has been related to us that Yaʿqūb appeared before him and spoke with him — Allah protected him (ʿaṣamahu Allah) and removed all the desire that was in his joints.
19073. He said: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, on the authority of al-Ḥasan: that Yaʿqūb appeared before him, biting one of his fingers.
19074. Yaʿqūb related to me, saying: Hushaym related to us, saying: Ismāʿīl ibn Sālim informed us, on the authority of Abū Ṣāliḥ, who said: he saw the image of Yaʿqūb in the ceiling of the room, biting his finger, saying: "O Yūsuf! O Yūsuf!" — this is the meaning of His word: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord).
19075. Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: ʿAmr ibn ʿAwn related to us, saying: Hushaym informed us, on the authority of Manṣūr and Yūnus, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, concerning His word: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: he saw the image of Yaʿqūb in the ceiling of the room, biting his finger.
19076. Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: ʿAmr ibn ʿAwn related to us, saying: Hushaym informed us, on the authority of Ismāʿīl ibn Sālim, on the authority of Abū Ṣāliḥ — the like; and he said: biting his finger, saying: "Yūsuf! Yūsuf!"
19077. Ibn Ḥumayd related to us, saying: Yaʿqūb al-Qummī related to us, on the authority of Ḥafṣ ibn Ḥumayd, on the authority of Shamr ibn ʿAṭiyya, who said: Yūsuf looked at the image of Yaʿqūb, biting his finger, saying: "O Yūsuf!" — and then he restrained himself, rose up, and fled away.
19078. Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: al-Ḥammānī related to us, saying: Sharīk related to us, on the authority of Sālim and Abū Ḥaṣīn, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: he saw a figure with the face of Yaʿqūb biting his fingers; it struck him upon the chest and his desire departed from him through his fingertips.
19079. Al-Muthannā related to me, saying: Abū Nuʿaym related to us, saying: Misʿar related to us, on the authority of Abū Ḥaṣīn, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: he saw the image of his father's face, and the desire departed from him through his fingertips.
19080. Al-Ḥasan ibn Muḥammad related to us, saying: Yaḥyā — that is, Ibn ʿAbbād — related to us, saying: Abū ʿAwāna related to us, on the authority of Ismāʿīl ibn Sālim, on the authority of Abū Ṣāliḥ: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: the image of Yaʿqūb in the ceiling of the room.
19081. Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā related to us, saying: Jaʿfar ibn Sulaymān informed us, on the authority of Yūnus ibn ʿUbayd, on the authority of al-Ḥasan, who said: he saw Yaʿqūb biting his hand.
19082. He said: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: al-Thawrī informed us, on the authority of Abū Ḥaṣīn, on the authority of Saʿīd ibn Jubayr, concerning His word: (were it not that he saw the proof of his Lord) — he said: Yaʿqūb struck his hand upon his chest and his desire departed from him through his fingertips.
Concerning His word: (Thus it came to pass, so that We might turn away from him the evil and the indecency) — Allah the Exalted says: Thus did We give him the proof, so that We might turn away from him the evil and the indecency — that is, the act of fornication (zinā) and its consequences in this world and the Hereafter. As was said: إِنَّهُ كَانَ فَاحِشَةً وَسَاءَ سَبِيلا [Al-Isrāʾ: 32].
Concerning His word: (Truly, he was among Our sincere servants (al-mukhlasīn)) — some scholars read (mukhlaṣīn) with fatḥa on the lām — with the meaning: those whom Allah has chosen for Himself. Others — among them most of the scholars of Basra — read (mukhlisīn) with kasra on the lām — with the meaning: those who preserve Our oneness and worship in sincerity and who associate nothing with Us as a partner and worship nothing other than Us.
Abū Jaʿfar says: The correct view is that both readings are recognized and are read by a great number of scholars, and that their meaning is in agreement. For the one whom Allah has chosen and selected for Himself is one who preserves for Allah the oneness and the worship in sincerity; and the one who preserves the oneness of Allah and His worship in sincerity without associating anything with Allah is among those whom Allah has chosen. Whichever reading a reader chooses, he has hit upon the correct one.
