Sixth: Her passionate love for him had reached its utmost intensity, penetrating the innermost depths of her heart.
Seventh: Their words implied that he was more chaste, righteous, and faithful than she was: she was the one pursuing and seeking him, while he refused out of chastity, nobility, and modesty. This was the strongest possible condemnation of her.
Eighth: They expressed her attempted seduction using the future-tense form, indicating an ongoing action occurring in the present and continuing into the future, and suggesting that this was her habitual conduct. They did not say, “She tried to seduce her young servant.” There is a difference between saying, “So-and-so entertained a guest,” and saying, “So-and-so entertains guests, feeds others, and supports the helpless.” The latter indicates his habitual conduct.
Ninth: Their statement, “Indeed, we see that she has clearly gone astray,” means: “We find her conduct utterly reprehensible.” They thus attributed this disapproval to themselves, even though women ordinarily assist one another in pursuing their desires and scarcely regard such conduct as shameful, just as men assist one another in this regard. Their disapproval of her conduct therefore indicated that it was among the most reprehensible things, something in which she should not be supported and which it would be improper to help her pursue.
Tenth: In these words of blame, they accused her of both excessive passion and excessive pursuit: she showed no moderation either in her love or in her pursuit.
As for her passion, they said, “Love for him has consumed her heart,” meaning that her love for him had reached the innermost depths of her heart.
As for her excessive pursuit, they said, “She is trying to seduce her young servant.” Such attempted seduction means pursuing what one wants time after time. Thus, they accused her of both intense passion and an intense eagerness to commit the indecent act.
When she heard of their scheming, she devised a more effective scheme against them. She prepared a reclining place for them, then sent for them and gathered them together, keeping Joseph, peace be upon him, hidden from them.
It is also said that she adorned him, dressed him in the finest clothes she could provide, and brought him out before them without warning.
To their astonishment, the most handsome and beautiful of Allah’s creation suddenly appeared before them, and they were awestruck by that