each of them a knife.” She ordered Joseph to appear before them so that they would excuse her attempts to seduce him, saying to them:

“That is the one you blamed me for. I did indeed try to seduce him, but he firmly resisted. If he does not do what I command him, he will surely be imprisoned and be among the humiliated.”

This shows that she remained able to attempt to seduce him and be alone with him, despite her husband’s knowledge of what had happened. This is an extreme instance of indifference to one’s wife’s chastity. Moreover, when Joseph was imprisoned, it was at her command. Yet she could not have had him imprisoned without her husband’s order, so it was her husband who imprisoned him.

It is reported that she said, “This Copt has violated my honour,” whereupon he imprisoned him. He imprisoned him for the woman’s sake, helping her attain what she wanted because of his indifference to her chastity and his lack of protective jealousy. He was thus among those who called Joseph to commit the indecent deed.

It is therefore clear that Joseph did not refrain from the indecent deed out of regard for her husband or fear of him. Indeed, it is known with certainty that he did not fear him, and that had Joseph granted her what she sought, her husband would not have known. Even had he known, perhaps he would not have objected: he knew of her attempts at seduction and their being alone together—which generally leads to such an act—yet he did not object. Even supposing that he had contemplated punishing Joseph, she held sway over her husband and dominated him.

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“I have never seen anyone deficient in reason and religion more capable of robbing a resolute man of his wits than one of you.”

When they pressed him to reconsider having al-Siddīq lead the prayer, he said:

“You are indeed just like the women in Joseph’s story.”

And when al-Aʿshā recited to him