30. Some women said in the city [of Ishmailia]:
"The wife of the captain a [of the guard] is seeking to seduce her young slave b: Truly has he captured her heart with a most ardent love c; we see her in manifest error."
31. And when [Zulaykha] heard of their cunning d, she sent to them [her maid to invite them], and prepared a banquet for them, and – giving a knife to each of them – [Zulaykha] said [to Joseph]: "Come, attend them." e
When they saw him, they did extol him f [to the extent that, unconsciously,] they cut their hands g and said: "By God! he is undoubtedly innocent h; he cannot be any human i; he is only a noble angel. j "
32. [Zulaykha] said [to those women]:
"It is this [Joseph] about whose [love] you are blaming me.
I have indeed tried to seduce him [to lie with me in bed], but he proved continent k.
[Then she threatened him that she will afflict him with evil, if he does not obey her command.]
Yet if he does not obey what I command him with, he shall be imprisoned, and be one of the humbled. l "
[But when Joseph saw her insisting on that and her threatening him, he preferred the prison to the disobedience:]
33. He said: "My Lord, I like to be imprisoned more than the [adultery] to which these women are inviting me m;
and unless You [with Your kindness] avert their guile from me, I should yearn towards them n, and be one of the ignorant [about the consequences.]"
34. So his Lord answered his prayer and averted their guile from him; surely He is the All-Hearing o, the All-Knowing p.
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30 a Who was called the Aziz, [like we say in English: ‘his excellency’ or something like that.]
30 b To commit adultery with her.
30 c i.e. she loved him so much so that the love went into the pericardium of her heart.
31 d i.e. their defaming her, aiming [with that] to spread her case; God – be glorified – called it مكر i.e. ‘cunning’; because their purpose from such words was that she might show them Joseph, according to what they heard about his beauty; so this was their cunning.
31 e She had hidden him in the room and let him put on his best clothes; so he came out …
31 f It means: they saw him great, and they were perplexed with his beauty.
31 g With those knives by mistake, instead of cutting the apples, so they all of a sudden saw the blood coming out of their hands; they did not feel the pain of the cutting [of their hands], because their hearts were occupied by Joseph.
31 h It can’t be that he was the transgressor on her.
31 i So that his heart may incline to women.
31 j Coming out of heaven in the form of a human being; that was on account of what they saw of his chastity, shyness and his noble manners of conduct.
32 k i.e. he refused.
32 l i.e. the abased and despised.
33 m It means: Lord, the prison is better and easier to me than the adultery to which the women invite me.
That is because the women loved and coveted him, and said to him: “Comply with your mistress about her inviting you.” They intended to help Zulaykha for Joseph, so that she might help them for him, and allow him to visit them, if he listens to their words and carries out the demand of Zulaykha.
33 n Because I am now in my youth.
34 o Of the prayer of His devoted servants.
34 p Of their intentions and secrets.