If it is objected that Joseph had earlier said:

“Indeed, my lord has given me a good home. Surely, wrongdoers will never prosper.”

The reply is: If by this he meant his master, then the meaning is: “He has treated me kindly and honoured me, so it is unlawful for me to betray him with his wife. I would then be a wrongdoer, and wrongdoers will never prosper.” Thus, he refrained from betraying him with his wife out of fear of Allah, not so that his master would know of it.

If it is objected: His meaning was, “I sought to establish my innocence so that al-ʿAzīz would know that I had not betrayed him in his absence.” Thus, the reason given concerns his establishing his innocence, not his chastity itself.

The reply is: His purpose in establishing his innocence was not merely for one person to know, but for the king and others to know. Hence he said to the messenger:

“Return to your master and ask him about the women who cut their hands.”

Had these been Joseph’s words, he would have said: “That was so that they would know that I am innocent and have been wronged.” Moreover, it is inappropriate to attribute this statement to Joseph: his innocence had already become clear and his purpose had been achieved, so he had no need to say this to achieve it. They already knew that he had delayed only so that his innocence would become clear; there was no need for him to state such a thing.