Prophet Yūsuf: Part 2 — The Storehouses and the King’s Cup
Section 10 of 29 · Lives of the Prophets
Whose Words Are These?
ذَٰلِكَ لِيَعْلَمَ أَنِّى لَمْ أَخُنْهُ بِٱلْغَيْبِ وَأَنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا يَهْدِى كَيْدَ ٱلْخَآئِنِينَ
“(Then Yūsuf said), “That was because he (the governor) may know that I did not betray him in his absence, and that Allah does not lead the guile of betrayers to success.” (12:52)
In the translation, these are taken to be the words of Yūsuf: I asked for this inquiry so that he, al-ʿAzīz, may know that I did not betray him in secret, and that Allah does not guide the plot of the betrayers. There is a difference of opinion as to whether these are the words of Yūsuf or her words.
If they are the words of Yūsuf, whom does he mean? The master of Yūsuf, the one who owned him as a slave, was the husband of this woman. So once she had admitted it, Yūsuf said: this is so that my master will know that I am innocent — and he is her husband. It was not I who tried to seduce her; it was her.
۞ وَمَآ أُبَرِّئُ نَفْسِىٓ ۚ إِنَّ ٱلنَّفْسَ لَأَمَّارَةٌۢ بِٱلسُّوٓءِ إِلَّا مَا رَحِمَ رَبِّىٓ ۚ إِنَّ رَبِّى غَفُورٌ رَّحِيمٌ
“And I do not absolve my inner self of blame. Surely, man’s inner self often incites to evil, unless my Lord shows mercy. Certainly, my Lord is the Most-Forgiving, Very-Merciful.”” (12:53)
And I do not free myself from blame; truly, the human self is inclined to evil, except when my Lord bestows His mercy upon whom He wills. Truly, my Lord is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.