Al-Qur'an Surah Yusuf Verse 24

Mufti Taqi Usmani

She certainly desired him, and he might have desired her, had he not seen the proof from his Lord. Thus We did, to turn evil and lewdness away from him. Surely, he was one of Our chosen servants.

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

She advanced towards him, and he would have done likewise, had he not seen a sign from his Lord.[[ Joseph (ﷺ) received warning against fornication either through divine inspiration or a vision of his father. ]] This is how We kept evil and indecency away from him, for he was truly one of Our chosen servants.

Ruwwad Translation Center

She advanced towards him, and he would have succumbed to her; were it not that he saw a sign from his Lord. This is how We kept evil and shameful acts away from him. Indeed, he was one of Our chosen slaves.

A. J. Arberry

For she desired him; and he would have taken her, but that he saw the proof of his Lord. So was it, that We might turn away from him evil and abomination; he was one of Our devoted servants.

Abdul Haleem

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.

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And assuredly she besought him, and he would have besoughther were it not that he had seen the argument of his Lord. Thus We did, in order that We might avert from him all evil and indecency; verily he was of our bondmen single-hearted.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And (with passion) did she desire him, and he would have desired her, but that he saw the evidence of his Lord; thus (did We order) that We might turn away from him (all) evil and shameful deeds; for he was one of Our servants, sincere and purified.

Abul Ala Maududi

And she advanced towards him, and had Joseph not perceived a sign from his Lord he too would have advanced towards her. Thus was Joseph shown a sign from his Lord that We might avert from him all evil and indecency, for indeed he was one of Our chosen servants.

Ahmed Ali

But the woman desired him, and he would have desired her but for the indication he received from his Lord. This was so that We may avert both evil and lechery from him, for he was one of Our chosen devotees.

Ahmed Raza Khan

And indeed the woman desired him; and he too would have desired her were he not to witness the sign of his Lord*; this is what We did, to turn away evil and lewdness from him; indeed He is one of Our chosen bondmen. (* Allah saved him and he never desired this immorality.)

Ali Quli Qarai

She certainly made for him; and he would have made for her [too] had he not beheld the proof of his Lord. So it was, that We might turn away from him all evil and indecency. He was indeed one of Our dedicated servants.

Ali Ünal

Certainly, she was burning with desire for him; and he would have desired her had it not been that he had already seen the argument and proof of his Lord (concerning chastity and good conduct, and so was anxious only about how to escape her). We did it in that way (We showed to him Our argument and proof) so that We might avert from him an evil and indecency. For he was one of Our servants endowed with perfect sincerity and purity of intention in faith and practicing the Religion.

Amatul Rahman Omar

And she made up her mind with regard to him, and he made up his mind with regard to her (and would have fallen into her snares as the temptations were so strong) if he had not seen the manifest evidence of his Lord. (It happened thus) so that We might turn away from him every evil and indecency. Surely, he was one of Our purified servants.

English Literal

And she had been intended/resolved with him, and he intended/resolved with her, where it not for that he saw/understood his Lord`s proof/evidence, and like that to send away/divert from him the bad/evil/harm and the enormous/atrocious deeds , that he truly is from Our worshippers/slaves, the faithful/loyal/devoted.

Faridul Haque

And indeed the woman desired him; and he too would have desired her were he not to witness the sign of his Lord *; this is what We did, to turn away evil and lewdness from him; indeed He is one of Our chosen bondmen. (* Allah saved him and he never desired this immorality.)

Hamid S. Aziz

And she, in whose house he was, desired to seduce him for his person (or body, or away from his true self); and she locked the doors and said, "Come you (to me)!" Said he, "I seek refuge in Allah (Allah forbid)! Verily, he (your husband) is my lord who has made my stay here agreeable (treated me well). Verily, wrong-doers (ultimately) never prosper."

Hilali & Khan

And 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.

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And she in whose house he was, sought to seduce him, and made fast the doors and said: Come. He said: Allah forbid! Surely my Lord made good my abode. The wrongdoers never prosper.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And certainly she made for him, and he would have made for her, were it not that he had seen the manifest evidence of his Lord; thus (it was) that We might turn away from him evil and indecency, surely he was one of Our sincere servants.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

She verily desired him, and he would have desired her if it had not been that he saw the argument of his Lord. Thus it was, that We might ward off from him evil and lewdness. Lo! he was of Our chosen slaves.

Muhammad Sarwar

She was determined to have him and were it not for his faith in God, he would certainly have yielded to her. Thus did We protect him from evil and indecency. He was certainly one of Our sincere servants.

Qaribullah & Darwish

She desired him, had he not been shown the proof of his Lord he would have taken her. But We turned him away from evil and abomination, for he was one of Our sincere worshipers.

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

And 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 immoval sins. Surely, he was one of Our Mukhlasin servants.

Wahiduddin Khan

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

Talal Itani

She desired him, and he desired her, had he not seen the proof of his Lord. It was thus that We diverted evil and indecency away from him. He was one of Our loyal servants.

Tafsir jalalayn

And she certainly desired him, she sought sexual intercourse with him, and he would have desired her [too], he would have sought the same, had it not been that he saw the proof of his Lord; Ibn `Abbs said, `Jacob was made to appear before him, and he struck his [Joseph's] breast, whereupon his [sexual] desire withdrew [from his body] through his fingernails (the response to lawl, `had it not been', has been omitted; [understood to be] la-jma`ah, `he would have lain with her'). So it was, that We made him see the proof, that We might ward off from him evil, betrayal, and lewdness, [the act of] fornication. Truly he was of Our devoted servants, in terms of obedience (mukhlisn; a variant reading has mukhlasn, in other words, `chosen/purified [servants]').

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

Allah tells;

وَلَقَدْ هَمَّتْ بِهِ وَهَمَّ بِهَا لَوْلا أَن رَّأَى بُرْهَانَ رَبِّهِ

And indeed she did desire him, and he would have inclined to her desire, had he not seen the evidence of his Lord.

This is about the thoughts that cross the mind, according to Al-Baghawi who mentioned this opinion from some of the analysts.

Al-Baghawi next mentioned here a Hadith that he narrated from Abdur Razzaq, from Ma`mar, from Hammam, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Messenger of Allah,

يَقُولُ اللهُ تَعَالَى

إِذَا هَمَّ عَبْدِي بِحَسَنَةٍ فَاكْتُبُوهَا لَهُ حَسَنَةً فَإِنْ عَمِلَهَا فَاكْتُبُوهَا لَهُ بِعَشْرِ

أَمْثَالِهَا وَإِنْ هَمَّ بِسَيِّيَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا فَاكْتُبُوهَا حَسَنَةً فَإِنَّمَا تَرَكَهَا مِنْ جَرّايِي فَإِنْ عَمِلَهَا فَاكْتُبُوهَا بِمِثْلِهَا

Allah the Exalted said,

`If my slave intends to perform a good deed, then record it for him as one good deed; if he performs it, then record it for him multiplied ten folds.

If he intends to commit an evil act but did not commit it, then record it for him as one good deed, if he left it for My sake. But if he commits it, then write it as one evil deed.'

This Hadith was also collected in the Two Sahihs using various wording, this is one of them.

It was also reported that the Ayah means that;

Yusuf was about to beat her.

As for the evidence that Yusuf saw at that moment, there are conflicting opinions to what it was.

Ibn Jarir At-Tabari said,

"The correct opinion is that we should say that he saw an Ayah from among Allah's Ayat that repelled the thought that crossed his mind. This evidence might have been the image of Yaqub, or the image of an angel, or a divine statement that forbade him from doing that evil sin, etc.There are no clear proofs to support any of these statements in specific, so it should be left vague, as Allah left it.

Allah's statement next,

كَذَلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ السُّوءَ وَالْفَحْشَاء

Thus it was, that We might turn away from him evil and immoral sins.

means, `Just as We showed him the evidence that turned him away from that sin, We save him from all types of evil and illegal sexual activity in all his affairs,'

because,

إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُخْلَصِينَ



Surely, he was one of Our Mukhlasin servants.

meaning, chosen, purified, designated, appointed and righteous. May Allah's peace and blessings be on him.