HIS EXONERATION

 FAJR REMINDER: HIS EXONERATION 

By: Umm ‘Affān

Rajab 16, 1447 (6-January-2026)

The shirt was torn from the back, which suggests that Prophet Yūsuf (‘Alayhi Salām) was truthful, and the wife of Al-‘Azīz was false when she made the accusation of betrayal against him. The husband concluded that the accusation was unfounded. Allāh informs us of his reaction:

فَلَمَّا رَأَىٰ قَمِيصَهُ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٍ قَالَ إِنَّهُ مِن كَيْدِكُنَّ إِنَّ كَيْدَكُنَّ عَظِيمٌ | يُوسُفُ أَعْرِضْ عَنْ هَٰذَا وَاسْتَغْفِرِي لِذَنبِكِ إِنَّكِ كُنتِ مِنَ الْخَاطِئِينَ

“So when he (her husband) saw his [(Yūsuf's (Joseph)] shirt torn at the back; (her husband) said: ‘Surely, it is a plot of you women! Certainly mighty is your plot! O Yūsuf (Joseph)! Turn away from this! (O woman!) Ask forgiveness for your sin. Verily, you were of the sinful.’”

[Sūrah Yūsuf (12) Verse 28-29]

While not all women are inherently deceitful or malicious, the cleverness and duplicity of some can have severe repercussions, especially for men who may be susceptible to their charms.

Usāmah Ibn Zayd reported that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

مَا تَرَكْتُ بَعْدِي فِتْنَةً أَضَرَّ عَلَى الرِّجَالِ مِنْ النِّسَاءِ

“I have not left a trial after me more harmful to men than women.”

[Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī 5096, Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 2740]

This Ḥadīth serves as a serious reminder of the potential dangers that may emerge from the schemes of women.

The occurrence between Prophet Yūsuf (‘Alayhi Salām) and the wife of Al-‘Azīz could not remain concealed in a household filled with servants. The entire city was abuzz with news, as people discussed her actions, deeming them scandalous. Allāh states:

وَقَالَ نِسْوَةٌ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ امْرَأَتُ الْعَزِيزِ تُرَاوِدُ فَتَاهَا عَن نَّفْسِهِ قَدْ شَغَفَهَا حُبًّا إِنَّا لَنَرَاهَا فِي ضَلَالٍ مُّبِينٍ

“And the woman in the city said: ‘The wife of Al-‘Azīz is seeking to seduce her (slave) young man, indeed she loves him violently; verily we see her in plain error.’”

[Sūrah Yūsuf (12) Verse 30]

This gossip troubled the wife, and to prove her innocence, she decided to subject the rumor-spreaders to the same temptation she faced. Allāh reveals:

فَلَمَّا سَمِعَتْ بِمَكْرِهِنَّ أَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَعْتَدَتْ لَهُنَّ مُتَّكَأً وَآتَتْ كُلَّ وَاحِدَةٍ مِّنْهُنَّ سِكِّينًا وَقَالَتِ اخْرُجْ عَلَيْهِنَّ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْنَهُ أَكْبَرْنَهُ وَقَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ وَقُلْنَ حَاشَ لِلَّهِ مَا هَٰذَا بَشَرًا إِنْ هَٰذَا إِلَّا مَلَكٌ كَرِيمٌ

“So when she heard of their accusation, she sent for them and prepared a banquet for them; she gave each one of them a knife (to cut the foodstuff with), and she said [to Yūsuf (Joseph)]: ‘Come out before them.’ Then, when they saw him, they exalted him (at his beauty) and (in their astonishment) cut their hands. They said: ‘How perfect is Allah (or Allah forbid)! No man is this! This is none other than a noble angel!’”

[Sūrah Yūsuf (12) Verse 31]

They were so taken aback by his beauty that they accidentally cut their hands, mistaking the knives in their hands for utensils to slice their food. When they felt the pain, they started screaming, and the wife said to them, “You did all this from one look at him, so how can I be held responsible?”

I beseech Allāh to forgive our shortcomings. Aameen.