Tafsir al-Sadi - Abd al-Rahman al-Sadi’ - (396)

Tafsir al-SadiAbd al-Rahman al-Sadi’

Her husband then said to her, “This is surely part of you women’s cunning; the cunning of you women is indeed formidable.” What cunning could be greater than this? Through it, she absolved herself of what she had intended and done, and accused Allah’s prophet Joseph (peace be upon him) of it. Then, once her husband had ascertained what had happened, he said to Joseph, “Joseph, let this matter pass”—that is, stop speaking about it, put it out of your mind, and mention it to no one, for he wished to conceal the matter involving his household. “And seek forgiveness”—O woman—“for your sin. You were certainly one of the sinners.” Thus, he instructed Joseph to let the matter pass, and instructed her to seek forgiveness and repent.

⦗397⦘

(30–35) “Some women in the city said, ‘The high official’s wife is seeking to seduce her servant. Love for him has possessed her heart. We clearly see that she has gone astray.’”

This means that the news became widely known and spread throughout the city. The women began discussing it, blaming her and saying, “The high official’s wife is seeking to seduce her servant. Love for him has possessed her heart.” That is, this is reprehensible: she is a woman of high standing, and her husband is a man of high standing, yet despite this, she has continually sought to seduce her servant, who is under her authority and in her service. Moreover, love for him has taken a powerful hold of her heart.

“Love for him has possessed her heart”—that is, love for him reached the very core of her heart, its deepest and innermost recess. This is the greatest intensity that love can attain. “We clearly see that she has gone astray,” for she had fallen into a state unbefitting her, one that diminished her standing and lowered her in people’s estimation.

Their words, however, were themselves a cunning scheme. Their purpose was not merely to blame and disparage her. Rather, by speaking in this way, they wanted to contrive an opportunity to see Joseph, with whom the high official’s wife had become infatuated. They sought to provoke her so that she would show him to them, whereupon they would excuse her. For this reason, Allah called their conduct cunning, saying:

فقال لها سيدها: ﴿إِنَّهُ مِنْ كَيْدِكُنَّ إِنَّ كَيْدَكُنَّ عَظِيمٌ﴾ وهل أعظم من هذا الكيد، الذي برأت به نفسها مما أرادت وفعلت، ورمت به نبي الله يوسف ﵇، ثم إن سيدها لما تحقق الأمر، قال ليوسف: ﴿يُوسُفُ أَعْرِضْ عَنْ هَذَا﴾ أي: اترك الكلام فيه وتناسه ولا تذكره لأحد، طلبا للستر على أهله، ﴿وَاسْتَغْفِرِي﴾ أيتها المرأة ﴿لِذَنْبِكِ إِنَّكِ كُنْتِ مِنَ الْخَاطِئِينَ﴾ فأمر يوسف بالإعراض، وهي بالاستغفار والتوبة. ⦗٣٩٧⦘ ﴿٣٠ - ٣٥﴾ ﴿وَقَالَ نِسْوَةٌ فِي الْمَدِينَةِ امْرَأَةُ الْعَزِيزِ تُرَاوِدُ فَتَاهَا عَنْ نَفْسِهِ قَدْ شَغَفَهَا حُبًّا إِنَّا لَنَرَاهَا فِي ضَلالٍ مُبِينٍ﴾ . يعني: أن الخبر اشتهر وشاع في البلد، وتحدث به النسوة فجعلن يلمنها، ويقلن: ﴿امْرَأَةُ الْعَزِيزِ تُرَاوِدُ فَتَاهَا عَنْ نَفْسِهِ قَدْ شَغَفَهَا حُبًّا﴾ أي: هذا أمر مستقبح، هي امرأة كبيرة القدر، وزوجها كبير القدر، ومع هذا لم تزل تراود فتاها الذي تحت يدها وفي خدمتها عن نفسه،. ومع هذا فإن حبه قد بلغ من قلبها مبلغا عظيما. ﴿قَدْ شَغَفَهَا حُبًّا﴾ أي: وصل حبه إلى شغاف قلبها، وهو باطنه وسويداؤه، وهذا أعظم ما يكون من الحب، ﴿إِنَّا لَنَرَاهَا فِي ضَلالٍ مُبِينٍ﴾ حيث وجدت منها هذه الحالة التي لا تنبغي منها، وهي حالة تحط قدرها وتضعه عند الناس، وكان هذا القول منهن مكرا، ليس المقصود به مجرد اللوم لها والقدح فيها، وإنما أردن أن يتوصلن بهذا الكلام إلى رؤية يوسف الذي فتنت به امرأة العزيز لتحنق امرأة العزيز، وتريهن إياه ليعذرنها، ولهذا سماه مكرا، فقال: