and they showed him his shirt, deceptively stained with blood. He cried, ‘No! Your souls have prompted you to do wrong! But it is best to be patient: from God alone I seek help to bear what you are saying.’

وَجَآءُو عَلَىٰ قَمِيصِهِۦ بِدَمࣲ كَذِبࣲۚ قَالَ بَلْ سَوَّلَتْ لَكُمْ أَنفُسُكُمْ أَمْرࣰاۖ فَصَبْرࣱ جَمِيلࣱۖ وَٱللَّهُ ٱلْمُسْتَعَانُ عَلَىٰ مَا تَصِفُونَ

Some travellers came by. They sent someone to draw water and he let down his bucket. ‘Good news!’ he exclaimed. ‘Here is a boy!’ They hid him like a piece of merchandise- God was well aware of what they did-

and then sold him for a small price, for a few pieces of silver: so little did they value him.

وَجَآءَتْ سَيَّارَةࣱ فَأَرْسَلُوا۟ وَارِدَهُمْ فَأَدْلَىٰ دَلْوَهُۥۖ قَالَ يَٰبُشْرَىٰ هَٰذَا غُلَٰمࣱۚ وَأَسَرُّوهُ بِضَٰعَةࣰۚ وَٱللَّهُ عَلِيمُۢ بِمَا يَعْمَلُونَ

وَشَرَوْهُ بِثَمَنِۭ بَخْسࣲ دَرَٰهِمَ مَعْدُودَةࣲ وَكَانُوا۟ فِيهِ مِنَ ٱلزَّٰهِدِينَ

The Egyptian who bought him said to his wife, ‘Look after him well! He may be useful to us, or we may adopt him as a son.’ In this way We settled Joseph in that land and later taught him how to interpret dreams: God always prevails in His purpose, though most people do not realize it.

When he reached maturity, We gave him judgement and knowledge: this is how We reward those who do good.

وَقَالَ ٱلَّذِي ٱشْتَرَىٰهُ مِن مِّصْرَ لِٱمْرَأَتِهِۦٓ أَكْرِمِي مَثْوَىٰهُ عَسَىٰٓ أَن يَنفَعَنَآ أَوْ نَتَّخِذَهُۥ وَلَدࣰاۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ مَكَّنَّا لِيُوسُفَ فِي ٱلْأَرْضِ وَلِنُعَلِّمَهُۥ مِن تَأْوِيلِ ٱلْأَحَادِيثِۚ وَٱللَّهُ غَالِبٌ عَلَىٰٓ أَمْرِهِۦ وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ ٱلنَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ

وَلَمَّا بَلَغَ أَشُدَّهُۥٓ ءَاتَيْنَٰهُ حُكْمࣰا وَعِلْمࣰاۚ وَكَذَٰلِكَ نَجْزِي ٱلْمُحْسِنِينَ

The woman in whose house he was living tried to seduce him: she bolted the doors and said, ‘Come to me,’ and he replied, ‘God forbid! My master has been good to me; wrongdoers never prosper.’

She made for him, and he would have succumbed to her if he had not seen evidence of his Lord- We did this in order to keep evil and indecency away from him, for he was truly one of Our chosen servants.

They raced for the door- she tore his shirt from behind- and at the door they met her husband. She said, ‘What, other than prison or painful punishment, should be the reward of someone who tried to dishonour your wife?’

but he said, ‘She tried to seduce me.’ A member of her household suggested, ‘If his shirt is torn at the front, then it is she who is telling the truth and he who is lying,

When the husband saw that the shirt was torn at the back, he said, ‘This is another instance of women’s treachery: your treachery is truly great.

Joseph, overlook this; but you [wife], ask forgiveness for your sin- you have done wrong.’

وَرَٰوَدَتْهُ ٱلَّتِي هُوَ فِي بَيْتِهَا عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ وَغَلَّقَتِ ٱلْأَبْوَٰبَ وَقَالَتْ هَيْتَ لَكَۚ قَالَ مَعَاذَ ٱللَّهِۖ إِنَّهُۥ رَبِّيٓ أَحْسَنَ مَثْوَايَۖ إِنَّهُۥ لَا يُفْلِحُ ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ

وَلَقَدْ هَمَّتْ بِهِۦۖ وَهَمَّ بِهَا لَوْلَآ أَن رَّءَا بُرْهَٰنَ رَبِّهِۦۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ ٱلسُّوٓءَ وَٱلْفَحْشَآءَۚ إِنَّهُۥ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ٱلْمُخْلَصِينَ

وَٱسْتَبَقَا ٱلْبَابَ وَقَدَّتْ قَمِيصَهُۥ مِن دُبُرࣲ وَأَلْفَيَا سَيِّدَهَا لَدَا ٱلْبَابِۚ قَالَتْ مَا جَزَآءُ مَنْ أَرَادَ بِأَهْلِكَ سُوٓءًا إِلَّآ أَن يُسْجَنَ أَوْ عَذَابٌ أَلِيمࣱ

قَالَ هِيَ رَٰوَدَتْنِي عَن نَّفْسِيۚ وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدࣱ مِّنْ أَهْلِهَآ إِن كَانَ قَمِيصُهُۥ قُدَّ مِن قُبُلࣲ فَصَدَقَتْ وَهُوَ مِنَ ٱلْكَٰذِبِينَ

فَلَمَّا رَءَا قَمِيصَهُۥ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرࣲ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ مِن كَيْدِكُنَّۖ إِنَّ كَيْدَكُنَّ عَظِيمࣱ

يُوسُفُ أَعْرِضْ عَنْ هَٰذَاۚ وَٱسْتَغْفِرِي لِذَنۢبِكِۖ إِنَّكِ كُنتِ مِنَ ٱلْخَاطِـِٔينَ

Some women of the city said, ‘The governor’s wife is trying to seduce her slave! Love for him consumes her heart! It is clear to us that she has gone astray.’

When she heard their malicious talk, she prepared a banquet and sent for them, giving each of them a knife. She said to Joseph, ‘Come out and show yourself to them!’ and when the women saw him, they were stunned by his beauty, and cut their hands, exclaiming, ‘Great God! He cannot be mortal! He must be a precious angel!’

She said, ‘This is the one you blamed me for. I tried to seduce him and he wanted to remain chaste, but if he does not do what I command now, he will be put in prison and degraded.’

Joseph said, ‘My Lord! I would prefer prison to what these women are calling me to do. If You do not protect me from their treachery, I shall yield to them and do wrong,’

and his Lord answered his prayer and protected him from their treachery- He is the All Hearing, the All Knowing.

In the end they thought it best, after seeing all the signs of his innocence, that they should imprison him for a while.

۞ وَقَالَ نِسْوَةࣱ فِي ٱلْمَدِينَةِ ٱمْرَأَتُ ٱلْعَزِيزِ تُرَٰوِدُ فَتَىٰهَا عَن نَّفْسِهِۦۖ قَدْ شَغَفَهَا حُبًّاۖ إِنَّا لَنَرَىٰهَا فِي ضَلَٰلࣲ مُّبِينࣲ

فَلَمَّا سَمِعَتْ بِمَكْرِهِنَّ أَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَعْتَدَتْ لَهُنَّ مُتَّكَـࣰٔا وَءَاتَتْ كُلَّ وَٰحِدَةࣲ مِّنْهُنَّ سِكِّينࣰا وَقَالَتِ ٱخْرُجْ عَلَيْهِنَّۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْنَهُۥٓ أَكْبَرْنَهُۥ وَقَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ وَقُلْنَ حَٰشَ لِلَّهِ مَا هَٰذَا بَشَرًا إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا مَلَكࣱ كَرِيمࣱ

قَالَتْ فَذَٰلِكُنَّ ٱلَّذِي لُمْتُنَّنِي فِيهِۖ وَلَقَدْ رَٰوَدتُّهُۥ عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ فَٱسْتَعْصَمَۖ وَلَئِن لَّمْ يَفْعَلْ مَآ ءَامُرُهُۥ لَيُسْجَنَنَّ وَلَيَكُونࣰا مِّنَ ٱلصَّٰغِرِينَ

قَالَ رَبِّ ٱلسِّجْنُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِمَّا يَدْعُونَنِيٓ إِلَيْهِۖ وَإِلَّا تَصْرِفْ عَنِّي كَيْدَهُنَّ أَصْبُ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَكُن مِّنَ ٱلْجَٰهِلِينَ

فَٱسْتَجَابَ لَهُۥ رَبُّهُۥ فَصَرَفَ عَنْهُ كَيْدَهُنَّۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ

ثُمَّ بَدَا لَهُم مِّنۢ بَعْدِ مَا رَأَوُا۟ ٱلْـَٔايَٰتِ لَيَسْجُنُنَّهُۥ حَتَّىٰ حِينࣲ