The Story of Joseph (part 4 of 7)
- Categories: Stories of the Prophets -
Although betrayed and sold into slavery, Joseph, the son of
Prophet Jacob, settled into one of the great houses of Egypt. His
master, Al Azeez, Chief Minister of Egypt vowed to treat Joseph
kindly, and Joseph, who was grateful for the relative safety,
replied that he would be loyal to his new master. He thanked God
for rectifying his situation and placing him in a place devoid of
maltreatment and abuse. Joseph went from the position of beloved
son to the dark depths of the well, from iron shackles to a
position of ease. Joseph's life twisted and turned, but the house
of Al Aziz was where he grew into manhood.
The scholars of Islam have estimated that Joseph was around 14
years old when betrayed by his brothers. Imam Ibn Katheer, one of the most
respected Quran scholars, explained in his work, "Stories of the Prophets", that Joseph
was most probably the personal attendant of Al Aziz's wife. Ibn
Katheer described Joseph as obedient, polite and exceedingly
handsome. Prophet Muhammad also described Joseph, and called him
«The embodiment of half of all
beauty» [1]. As Joseph
grew, God gave him wisdom and good judgement, and Chief Minister Al
Aziz recognised these qualities in his loyal servant and therefore
put him in charge of all household affairs. All who knew him,
including the wife of Al Aziz, acknowledged Joseph's beauty,
honesty, and nobility. She watched Joseph grow into a handsome man
and became more attracted to him as each day passed.
The
Trial
{And she, in whose house he was,
sought to seduce him (to do an evil act), she closed the doors and
said: 'Come on, O you.'} [Quran 12:23]
{وَرَاوَدَتْهُ الَّتِي هُوَ فِي
بَيْتِهَا عَن نَّفْسِهِ وَغَلَّقَتِ الْأَبْوَابَ وَقَالَتْ هَيْتَ
لَكَ} [يوسف:٢٣]
Transliteration: Wa Rāwadat/hu Allatī Huwa Fī
Baytihā `An Nafsihi Wa Ghallaqati Al-'Abwāba Wa Qālat Hayta
Laka
The beautiful wife of Al Aziz closed the doors and tried to seduce
the slave Joseph, but he resisted her advances and sought refuge
with God. He sought help in God. Joseph told her he would not
betray her husband. Joseph said, "He has been good to me and
treated me with respect." Joseph knew that those who commit evil
acts will never be successful. The wife of al Aziz had an evil
desire and tried to act upon it; Joseph however resisted the
temptation and tried to escape. Prophet Muhammad tells us that if
you make the intention to commit an evil act and actually carry out
that act, God will have it written against you as one evil act.
However if you think about committing an evil act and then do not
do it, God will have it written as a good act.[2]
Joseph drove any thoughts of sleeping with the wife of his master
from his mind, sought refuge with God and attempted to remove
himself from the complicated situation. Perhaps Joseph had been
resisting her advances for many years. A rich beautiful woman from
the highest echelons of Egyptian society would not stoop
immediately to such behaviour. Her beauty, status and wealth meant
that most men or boys would succumb to her desires easily. Joseph
however was no ordinary man, and when he immediately turned to God
for help, God rescued him.
{Indeed she did desire him and he
would have inclined to her desire had he not seen the evidence of
his Lord. Thus, it was that We might turn away from him evil and
illegal sexual intercourse. Surely, he was one of Our chosen,
guided slaves.} [Quran 12:24]
{وَلَقَدْ هَمَّتْ بِهِ ۖ وَهَمَّ بِهَا
لَوْلَا أَن رَّأَىٰ بُرْهَانَ رَبِّهِ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ
السُّوءَ وَالْفَحْشَاءَ ۚ إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا
الْمُخْلَصِينَ} [يوسف:٢٤]
Transliteration: Wa Laqad Hammat Bihi Wa Hamma Bihā
Lawlā 'An Ra'á Burhāna Rabbihi Kadhālika Linaşrifa `Anhu
As-Sū'a Wa Al-Faĥshā'a 'Innahu Min `Ibādinā
Al-Mukhlaşīna
Joseph is one of the leaders of those who will be shaded by God on
the Day of Judgement. Prophet Muhammad explained that the heat of
the Day of Judgment would be fierce, and people will be mingling
with fear as they wait to be judged by God. There will be however,
certain categories of people shaded from this brutal heat. One of
them is a man who resisted the temptations of a beautiful,
desirable woman by seeking refuge with God.[3]
Joseph's refusal only increased her passion. He tried to flee and
they raced with each other to the door. The wife of Al Aziz reached
for Joseph's shirt and tore it from his back. At that moment, the
door opened and her husband walked in. Immediately, with out even
one second's hesitation, the wife of al Aziz attempted to turn the
situation around. She cried out to her husband, {What is the punishment for one who had an
evil design against your wife?} [12:25]
{قَالَتْ مَا جَزَاءُ مَنْ أَرَادَ
بِأَهْلِكَ سُوءًا} [يوسف:٢٥]
Transliteration: Qālat Mā Jazā'u Man 'Arāda
Bi'ahlika Sū'āan
This was a clear lie, yet she pronounced it easily and suggested
that Joseph be put in prison. Joseph tried to defend himself and
said, {No, it was she that sought to
seduce me} . [Quran 12:25 - 26]
{قَالَ هِيَ رَاوَدَتْنِي عَن
نَّفْسِي} [يوسف:٢٦]
Transliteration: Qāla Hiya Rāwadatnī `An
Nafsī
One of their relatives suddenly appeared and offered a way to solve
this dilemma. He said,
{If it be that his shirt is torn from
the front, then her tale is true, and he is a liar! But if it be
that his shirt is torn from the back, then she has told a lie and
he is speaking the truth!} [Quran 12:26-27]
{إِن كَانَ قَمِيصُهُ قُدَّ مِن قُبُلٍ
فَصَدَقَتْ وَهُوَ مِنَ الْكَاذِبِينَ ﴿٢٦﴾
وَإِن كَانَ قَمِيصُهُ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٍ فَكَذَبَتْ وَهُوَ مِنَ
الصَّادِقِينَ} [يوسف:26-27]
Transliteration: 'In Kāna Qamīşuhu Qudda Min Qubulin
Faşadaqat Wa Huwa Mina Al-Kādhibīna (26)Wa 'In Kāna Qamīşuhu Qudda
Min Duburin Fakadhabat Wa Huwa Mina Aş-Şādiqīna
If his shirt was torn from the back, which it was, it meant that he
was trying to escape and she was running after him, tearing the
shirt from his back. The proof was unmistakeable. The Chief
Minister, although clearly upset, was more concerned with covering
up this affair. He did not want his good name and position to be
sullied by a scandal. He asked Joseph to be silent about the
situation and told his wife to ask forgiveness from God. This
should have been an end to the matter, but as is common in more
wealthy societies, people have a lot of time on their hands. Many
hours are wasted having meals and gossiping about the affairs of
their friends, neighbours and relatives.
The
Women
The women of the city began to talk about the wife of Al Aziz and
her infatuation with her slave Joseph. The news was spreading and
the women asked themselves how she could desire a slave and put her
reputation in jeopardy. The wife of Al Aziz thought she would teach
these women a lesson and show them just how beautiful and desirable
Joseph was. She invited them to have lunch with her, laid a
beautiful table before them and handed them knives to cut the food.
The room was probably full of tension and silent looks as the women
hoped for a glimpse of this slave, while at the same time
considering themselves better then the wife of Al Aziz. The women
started eating, and at that moment, Joseph walked into the room.
They looked up, saw his beauty and forgot that they had knives in
their hands. The women were so entranced by his shape and form that
they cut clear through their own flesh. They described Joseph as a
noble angel. The wife of Al Aziz, confident and haughty said to her
guests,
{This is he (the young man) about whom
you did blame me (for his love) and I did seek to seduce him, but
he refused. And now if he refuses to obey my order, he shall
certainly be cast into prison, and will be one of those who are
disgraced.} [Quran 12:32]
{قَالَتْ فَذَٰلِكُنَّ الَّذِي
لُمْتُنَّنِي فِيهِ ۖ وَلَقَدْ رَاوَدتُّهُ عَن نَّفْسِهِ
فَاسْتَعْصَمَ ۖ وَلَئِن لَّمْ يَفْعَلْ مَا آمُرُهُ لَيُسْجَنَنَّ
وَلَيَكُونًا مِّنَ الصَّاغِرِينَ} [يوسف:٣٢]
Transliteration: Qālat Fadhālikunna Al-Ladhī
Lumtunnanī Fīhi Wa Laqad Rāwadttuhu `An Nafsihi Fāsta`şama Wa La'in
Lam Yaf`al Mā 'Āmuruhu Layusjananna Wa Layakūnāan Mina
Aş-Şāghirīna
What was to become of Joseph? Once again, with total humility, he
turned to God saying that prison was preferable to succumbing the
women's desires. Therefore, his Lord answered his invocation.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Footnotes:
[1] Saheeh Muslim
[2] Saheeh Al-Bukhari.
[3] Ibid.
By Aisha Stacey
IslamReligion.com