among them: “a man whom a woman of rank and beauty calls to herself, and he says, ‘I fear Allah.’” (1)

Her desire, having nothing to restrain it, drove her to persist in tempting him, whereas his was only a passing notion that presented itself and then disappeared at once in the face of his Lord’s proof.

• Another lesson: when faith has entered a person’s heart, is illumined by knowledge of his Lord and the light of that faith, and the person is sincere to Allah in all circumstances, Allah repels from him—by the very proof of that faith and sincerity—many kinds of evil, indecency, and the causes of sin. This is a recompense for his faith and sincerity. Allah Himself explained why He turned those evils away from Joseph, saying, “Indeed, he was one of Our mukhlisīn (sincere servants)” (12:24). Those who recite the word with a kasrah read it as mukhlisīn (2); those who read it with a fatḥah read it as mukhlasīn (3). Yet whoever Allah purifies and chooses must necessarily be sincere, so the two readings convey complementary meanings.

• Another lesson: if a servant is tested by finding himself in a place rife with temptation and causes of disobedience, he should flee as far and as fast as he can so that he may escape the evil, just as Joseph ran toward the door while she clutched at his shirt and he turned his back on her.

• Another lesson: when claims are ambiguous, circumstantial indicators (qarāʾin) may be used. The witness who judged the case of Joseph and the woman relied on such evidence, saying, “If his shirt is torn from the front …” (12:26), and his ruling proved correct. A further example is the discovery of the royal cup in the saddlebag of Joseph’s brother—both judgments were based on circumstantial proof.