Verse 12:28 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

24 وَلَقَدۡ هَمَّتۡ بِهِۦۖ وَهَمَّ بِهَا لَوۡلَاۤ أَن رَّءَا بُرۡهَـٰنَ رَبِّهِۦۚ كَذَ ٰلِكَ لِنَصۡرِفَ عَنۡهُ ٱلسُّوۤءَ وَٱلۡفَحۡشَاۤءَۚ إِنَّهُۥ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِینَ ۝٢٤ walaqad hammat bihi wahamma bihā lawlā an raā bur'hāna rabbihi kadhālika linaṣrifa ʿanhu l-sūa wal-faḥshāa innahu min ʿibādinā l-mukh'laṣīn 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 25 وَٱسۡتَبَقَا ٱلۡبَابَ وَقَدَّتۡ قَمِیصَهُۥ مِن دُبُرࣲ وَأَلۡفَیَا سَیِّدَهَا لَدَا ٱلۡبَابِۚ قَالَتۡ مَا جَزَاۤءُ مَنۡ أَرَادَ بِأَهۡلِكَ سُوۤءًا إِلَّاۤ أَن یُسۡجَنَ أَوۡ عَذَابٌ أَلِیمࣱ ۝٢٥ wa-is'tabaqā l-bāba waqaddat qamīṣahu min duburin wa-alfayā sayyidahā ladā l-bābi qālat mā jazāu man arāda bi-ahlika sūan illā an yus'jana aw ʿadhābun alīmu 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?’ 26 قَالَ هِیَ رَ ٰوَدَتۡنِی عَن نَّفۡسِیۚ وَشَهِدَ شَاهِدࣱ مِّنۡ أَهۡلِهَاۤ إِن كَانَ قَمِیصُهُۥ قُدَّ مِن قُبُلࣲ فَصَدَقَتۡ وَهُوَ مِنَ ٱلۡكَـٰذِبِینَ ۝٢٦ qāla hiya rāwadatnī ʿan nafsī washahida shāhidun min ahlihā in kāna qamīṣuhu qudda min qubulin faṣadaqat wahuwa mina l-kādhibīn 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 27 وَإِن كَانَ قَمِیصُهُۥ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرࣲ فَكَذَبَتۡ وَهُوَ مِنَ ٱلصَّـٰدِقِینَ ۝٢٧ wa-in kāna qamīṣuhu qudda min duburin fakadhabat wahuwa mina l-ṣādiqīn but if it is torn at the back, then she is lying and he is telling the truth.’

28 فَلَمَّا رَءَا قَمِیصَهُۥ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرࣲ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ مِن كَیۡدِكُنَّۖ إِنَّ كَیۡدَكُنَّ عَظِیمࣱ ۝٢٨ falammā raā qamīṣahu qudda min duburin qāla innahu min kaydikunna inna kaydakunna ʿaẓīmu 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

29 یُوسُفُ أَعۡرِضۡ عَنۡ هَـٰذَاۚ وَٱسۡتَغۡفِرِی لِذَنۢبِكِۖ إِنَّكِ كُنتِ مِنَ ٱلۡخَاطِءِینَ ۝٢٩ yūsufu aʿriḍ ʿan hādhā wa-is'taghfirī lidhanbiki innaki kunti mina l-khāṭiīn Joseph, overlook this; but you [wife], ask forgiveness for your sin- you have done wrong.’ 30 ۞ وَقَالَ نِسۡوَةࣱ فِی ٱلۡمَدِینَةِ ٱمۡرَأَتُ ٱلۡعَزِیزِ تُرَ ٰوِدُ فَتَىٰهَا عَن نَّفۡسِهِۦۖ قَدۡ شَغَفَهَا حُبًّاۖ إِنَّا لَنَرَىٰهَا فِی ضَلَـٰلࣲ مُّبِینࣲ ۝٣٠ waqāla nis'watun fī l-madīnati im'ra-atu l-ʿazīzi turāwidu fatāhā ʿan nafsihi qad shaghafahā ḥubban innā lanarāhā fī ḍalālin mubīni 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.’ 31 فَلَمَّا سَمِعَتۡ بِمَكۡرِهِنَّ أَرۡسَلَتۡ إِلَیۡهِنَّ وَأَعۡتَدَتۡ لَهُنَّ مُتَّكَءࣰا وَءَاتَتۡ كُلَّ وَ ٰحِدَةࣲ مِّنۡهُنَّ سِكِّینࣰا وَقَالَتِ ٱخۡرُجۡ عَلَیۡهِنَّۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَیۡنَهُۥۤ أَكۡبَرۡنَهُۥ وَقَطَّعۡنَ أَیۡدِیَهُنَّ وَقُلۡنَ حَـٰشَ لِلَّهِ مَا هَـٰذَا بَشَرًا إِنۡ هَـٰذَاۤ إِلَّا مَلَكࣱ كَرِیمࣱ ۝٣١ falammā samiʿat bimakrihinna arsalat ilayhinna wa-aʿtadat lahunna muttaka-an waātat kulla wāḥidatin min'hunna sikkīnan waqālati ukh'ruj ʿalayhinna falammā ra-aynahu akbarnahu waqaṭṭaʿna aydiyahunna waqul'na ḥāsha lillahi mā hādhā basharan in hādhā illā malakun karīmu 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!’ 32 قَالَتۡ فَذَ ٰلِكُنَّ ٱلَّذِی لُمۡتُنَّنِی فِیهِۖ وَلَقَدۡ رَ ٰوَدتُّهُۥ عَن نَّفۡسِهِۦ فَٱسۡتَعۡصَمَۖ وَلَىِٕن لَّمۡ یَفۡعَلۡ مَاۤ ءَامُرُهُۥ لَیُسۡجَنَنَّ وَلَیَكُونࣰا مِّنَ ٱلصَّـٰغِرِینَ ۝٣٢ qālat fadhālikunna alladhī lum'tunnanī fīhi walaqad rāwadttuhu ʿan nafsihi fa-is'taʿṣama wala-in lam yafʿal mā āmuruhu layus'jananna walayakūnan mina l-ṣāghirīn 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.’