Fellow Muslims, today we’ll be talking about part of the life of one of the great prophets, Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام. He was one of the most famous prophets among the sons of إسرائيل, and his story was mentioned in the honorable قرءان.
We shall mainly talk in our speech about the innocence of the pure Prophet from the fabrications attributed to him. Some people falsely claimed that Prophet Yusuf wanted to commit الزنى (fornication) with the wife of al-^Aziz, and that he sat with her like the husband sits with his wife when they want to copulate. Obviously, it is not befitting to attribute such an act to any Prophet. So it is necessary for us to defend Prophet Yusuf against such false accusations..
Among what we must believe in is that Allah تعالى protected all the Prophets, including Prophet Yusuf, from all enormous acts. Hence it is an obligation to believe that Yusuf did not commit الزنى (fornication), nor did he want to do it. He did not attempt to, and he was not tempted to. In fact, it is not befitting for any believer to commit this enormous sin, so how about when we are talking about an honorable Prophet sent by Allah to guide the people? Prophets are not like regular people; they are the chosen ones and they are better than other creations, as Allah said:
﴾وَكُلًّا فَضَّلۡنَا عَلَى ٱلۡعَٰلَمِينَ﴿
So indeed, it is not befitting to attribute enormous sins to any of the great Prophets.
In brief, Yusuf عليه السلام lived in an honorable way in the home of al-^Aziz, who was an official in Egypt. Yusuf was extremely handsome and good looking. As he grew up and became a young man, the wife of al-^Aziz loved him greatly, and she was extremely beautiful herself. She wanted to fornicate, to commit the enormous sin of الزنى with Yusuf. She made a trick to be alone with Yusuf, she locked the doors, and invited Yusuf to do the enormous sin with her. However he refused and he sought refuge with Allah from falling into a such a sin, as mentioned in القرءان:
﴾وَرَٰوَدَتۡهُ ٱلَّتِي هُوَ فِي بَيۡتِهَا عَن نَّفۡسِهِۦ وَغَلَّقَتِ ٱلۡأَبۡوَٰبَ وَقَالَتۡ هَيۡتَ لَكَۚ قَالَ مَعَاذَ ٱللَّهِ﴿
The woman insisted, so Yusuf started walking away to leave; she followed him and held his clothes tearing them from behind. As Yusuf was running towards the door, her husband arrived at that time, so she lied and claimed that Yusuf tried to seduce her. As mentioned in القرءان, somone among her relatives stated that if the clothes of Yusuf were torn from the front then she would be truthful, but if his clothes were torn from behind then she would be lying. When the husband, al-^Aziz saw the clothes of Yusuf torn from behind he knew the truth and that his wife was the lyer; he ordered her to repent and ask for forgiveness. Upon this, the wife confessed and testified to the innocence of Prophet Yusuf عليه السلام.
After claryfying what happened, somone may inquire about the meaning of the verse:
وَلَقَدۡ هَمَّتۡ بِهِۦۖ وَهَمَّ بِهَا لَوۡلَآ أَن رَّءَا بُرۡهَٰنَ رَبِّهِۦۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنَصۡرِفَ عَنۡهُ ٱلسُّوٓءَ وَٱلۡفَحۡشَآءَۚ إِنَّهُۥ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ ﴾٢٤﴿
Among the best interpretations of this verse is the following: Had Yusuf not been a Prophet protected by Allah from enormity then he might have wanted to commit الزنى (fornication), but since he was a Prophet protected by Allah, he did not attempt to commit this enormous sin. This interpretation was mentioned by al-Qurtubiyy and others.
And how would one attribute to Yusuf wanting fornication with that woman after his innocence was explicitly mentioned in القرءان
﴾وَلَقَدۡ رَٰوَدتُّهُۥعَن نَّفۡسِهِۦ فَٱسۡتَعۡصَمَ﴿
Dear brothers, always adhere to the correct belief, adhere to glorifying all Prophets, and clearing them from non-befitting attributes. Never attribute to a Prophet an enormous sin, because accusing a Prophet with that would be misguidance and belying the religion, may Allah protect me and you from that and may Allah forgive our sins.
