The Ocean of the Quran

A verse by verse explanation of The Ultimate Scripture

Yūsuf – Verse 31

فَلَمّا سَمِعَت بِمَكرِهِنَّ أَرسَلَت إِلَيهِنَّ وَأَعتَدَت لَهُنَّ مُتَّكَأً وَآتَت كُلَّ واحِدَةٍ مِنهُنَّ سِكّينًا وَقالَتِ اخرُج عَلَيهِنَّ ۖ فَلَمّا رَأَينَهُ أَكبَرنَهُ وَقَطَّعنَ أَيدِيَهُنَّ وَقُلنَ حاشَ لِلَّهِ ما هٰذا بَشَرًا إِن هٰذا إِلّا مَلَكٌ كَريمٌ

When she heard of their machinations, she sent for them and arranged a repast, and gave each of them a knife, and said [to Joseph]: ‘Go out before them.’ So when they saw him, they marvelled at him and cut their hands [absent-mindedly], and they said: ‘Good heavens! This is not a human being! This is but a noble angel!’

EXEGESIS

Makr (machinations) is to weave a plot to reach one’s desired goals,‎[1] or to plot to divert another from their desired goals. It can be used in a positive or negative sense.‎[2]

Muttakaʾ (repast) is a cushion upon which one can sit.‎[3] The word can also be used figuratively to intend eating, so when one says ittakaʾnā ʿinda fulān, they mean ‘we ate at so-and-so’s place’.‎[4] This is because when you invite someone to eat, you prepare a place for them to sit.‎[5]

Akbarnahu (they marvelled at him) derives from the verb kabura which means to be or to become big or great. The feminine plural transitive verb akbarna (fourth form) carries an intensive meaning – not merely observing greatness, but being awestruck by it. When the women akbarnahu, they did not just notice Prophet Joseph’s (a) beauty, they magnified it in wonder.‎[6]

Ḥāsha li-llāh (good heavens!) is a powerful semantic negation used to absolutely deny something in relation to God while praising Him beyond any fault or defect. Ḥāsha derives from ḥashawa or ḥashaya which means to exclude, to banish, to keep far away, or to push something to the far edge. Ḥāshiyah, meaning a margin or to be on the edge of something, is from the same root. Thus, ḥāsha li-llāh means praising God by pushing away and rejecting any negative qualities from Him.‎[7] It is an expression of praising God that precedes praising or exonerating someone or something else, similar to subḥānaka in the verse, It is not for us to say such a thing. [O Allah!] You are immaculate (subḥānaka)! This is a monstrous calumny! (24:16).‎[8]

The exegetes have suggested different meanings for ḥāsha li-llāh here, including:

  1. It is praising God and denying any negative attributes from Him, such as inability or weakness in His power of creation, as He has created someone like Prophet Joseph (a).‎[9]
  2. To be utterly above such slander,‎[10] in the sense that Prophet Joseph (a) is not like what the governor’s wife claimed him to be in trying to have his way with her, because of his piety and fear of God.‎[11]
  3. That such an appearance is far removed from what a human is expected to have.‎[12]
  4. It has the same meaning as maʿādh allāh (God forbid).‎[13] This would be more suitable for their usage of it in the later verse, when they are confronted by the king about their plot against Prophet Joseph (a) and their reply, Heaven be praised (ḥāsha li-llāh)! We know of no evil in him (verse 51).

For a better explanation of what is meant by this expression, see the discussion in the next section.

EXPOSITION

The governor’s wife cared little for her husband’s humiliation – her obsession with Prophet Joseph (a) and her own reputation consumed her. Even her husband’s feeble objections had failed to deter her.‎[14] Now, she devised a bolder scheme: summoning the city’s noblewomen under the pretence of hospitality, she aimed to justify her infatuation by revealing Prophet Joseph’s (a) beauty – and, subtly, to enlist them as accomplices in her pursuit. What began as a trial of resisting one woman’s advances now escalated into a far graver test: Prophet Joseph (a), the righteous servant of God, stood besieged by the collective desire of an entire group of aristocratic women.

When she heard of their machinations: their action is described as machinations (makr), because they did not do it out of moral concern or preventing evil, but to undermine her reputation, as gossip often does.‎[15] Some scholars suggest an ulterior motive: by shaming her, they hoped to compel her to reveal Prophet Joseph (a), proving the obsession they mocked.‎[16] These interpretations are not mutually exclusive; gossip thrives on multiple layers of malice, where personal agendas and social intrigue intertwine.

She sent for them and arranged a repast: under the guise of hospitality, she summoned the noblewomen to her home – offering them fruit while concealing her true intent: to expose them to Prophet Joseph’s (a) beauty. This calculated display sought to validate her obsession, forcing them to witness what had so utterly captivated her. The feast was merely a pretext; her real aim was to implicate them in her desire, transforming their judgement into complicity.‎[17] Sent for them also carries with it a connotation that she was of higher social rank than them, instead of saying, for example, ‘she invited them’. So even though these women were from the aristocracy, they were not as important as the governor’s wife.

And gave each of them a knife, and said [to Joseph]: ‘Go out before them.’: she probably ordered him to go with the excuse of going to serve them something, as was part of his duties in the household, which is why he could not refuse her,‎[18] but her true motivation was to have her friends see him. The way she parades Prophet Joseph (a) in front of her friends is quite disgusting and extremely humiliating. It is not surprising that Prophet Joseph (a) anguishes, The prison is dearer to me than to what they invite me (verse 33).

So when they saw him, they marvelled at him and cut their hands: busy as they were admiring his beauty, they accidentally cut themselves instead of the fruits they were holding or peeling.‎[19] This was of course her plan all along. It says a lot about Prophet Joseph’s (a) beauty, that not only did the women react the way they did, but that his appearance was so striking that the governor’s wife could indeed expect them to react in such a fashion. Keep in mind that these were noblewomen who should not have been strangers to handsome servants.

Some exegetes have even mentioned that they were so enthralled with his beauty that they did not notice they had cut their hands.‎[20]

And they said: ‘Good heavens! This is not a human being! This is but a noble angel!’: in this way, they expressed their wonder at his beauty.‎[21] The women had certainly heard about Prophet Joseph’s (a) beauty and their imaginations had built up an expectation about him, yet when they saw him he far exceeded anything they had imagined.‎[22] The repeated usage of the expressions mā hādhā (This is not) and in hādhā (This is) instead of huwa (he) emphasises the humiliating objectification that Prophet Joseph (a) had to endure. By using the object pronoun, he is being dehumanised.

The exclamation ḥāsha li-llāh is an Arabic translation of what must have been a generic exclamation of surprise in their language that somehow referenced God (or an equivalent divine being). Good heavens is an appropriate translation as it is, but it can be considered equivalent to English expressions such as ‘O my God!’ and ‘Holy Lord!’ which can be used by someone without intending or holding any theological view about God. This understanding is supported by the fact that this expression is only found in this surah and only when relating the speech of those women. If it was intended as a generic expression of praising God similar to subḥān allāh, we could expect to find it being used elsewhere in the Quran.

One of the important lessons of this verse is that sometimes God gifts some people by giving them certain blessings. Someone may be blessed with extreme wealth, another with intelligence, another with exceeding beauty. He does this in order to test them how they will deal with those. While some might give in to vanity, pride, narcissism, or hedonism, others will choose a path like that of Prophet Joseph (a).

INSIGHTS FROM HADITH

  1. From Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī, that the Holy Prophet said: ‘When I was taken to the heavens on the Night of Ascension, I saw Joseph. I said: “Gabriel, who is this?” He replied: “This is Joseph.”’ People then asked the Prophet: ‘How did you find his countenance, O messenger of God?’ He said: ‘Like the moon on a full moon night.’‎[23]

REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE

Some other opinions have also been mentioned as to why exactly the gossip of the noblewomen is called makr. Some have said it is because such gossip is done in secret, just like plots are woven in secret.‎[24] This is not a very good interpretation though, as every gossip should be called a makr in that case, as gossip is always done behind the target’s back. Another claim is that she had told them that she secretly loved him and had tried to have her way with him, and they divulged her secret, hence it is called a makr.‎[25] However, it is unlikely she would have revealed to them such a secret.

Some have erroneously associated muttakaʾ with citrus fruits (utrujj/utrunjah),‎[26] however, this stems from linguistic confusion. Although the governor’s wife may indeed have served citrus among other fruits to her guests, muttakaʾ itself carries no such specific connotation.‎[27]

Some exegetes have suggested that akbarnahu implies the women physically embraced Prophet Joseph (a).‎[28] This interpretation, however, lacks lexical basis. The verb akbara (fourth form) fundamentally denotes magnifying or being in awe – not literal embrace. However, given the frenzied context, it remains plausible that their overwhelming admiration (akbarnahu) led to a clamorous rush toward him, which might have included attempted physical contact. Yet the Quranic term itself preserves the primary meaning of awestruck veneration, not bodily interaction.‎[29]

Rāzī considers the reaction of the women not to be simply because of Prophet Joseph’s (a) beauty, but primarily because of seeing in him the majesty of prophethood and the countenance of being a messenger of God.‎[30] While that might sound nice, it does not fit with the next verse and the reply of the governor’s wife to their exclamations. Rāzī notes this objection and attempts to address it, but his attempt is dissatisfactory.

The early exegetes especially have related some fantastic accounts to further exaggerate the striking beauty of Prophet Joseph (a), presenting ever more extreme examples of the women’s reaction to seeing him. Such exaggerated claims include things such as saying the women suddenly got their periods, or that they completely cut off their hands, or that some of them even died when seeing Prophet Joseph (a).‎[31] Such exaggerations are a common phenomenon in the additions of storytellers and they have not spared the story of Prophet Joseph (a) from their mischief.

INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS

  1. Now Joseph was well-built and handsome.‎[32]
  2. This event about the governor’s wife inviting women, and the women cutting their hands, is not mentioned in the Bible, but can be found in (post-Islamic) Midrash literature: ‘And Zulycah’s heart was yearning for ‎Joseph to lie with her, and once upon a time when Joseph attended to his duties within the ‎house, Zulycah came and seated herself before him, and she continually tempted and enticed ‎him, but he would not lie with her, nor even look up unto her. And she said unto him: If thou ‎wilt not do according to my wishes, I will punish thee with the judgment of death and I will ‎place an iron yoke upon thee. And Joseph replied unto her: Verily, God who hath created me ‎releases the captives, and he will deliver me from thy prison and from thy judgment. And ‎when she saw that it was impossible to persuade Joseph, her heart was full of desire, for her ‎soul was fixed upon Joseph, and she fell into a hard sickness. And all the women of Egypt came ‎to visit her and they said unto her: Why art thou so pale and emaciated? Surely thou lackest ‎nothing, for is not thy husband an honored officer and very great in the eyes of the king, and ‎can it be that thou lackest the least thing that thy heart may desire? And Zulycah answered ‎unto them: This day shall it be known unto you what hath reduced me to this sad condition, in ‎which you see me now. And Zulycah ordered her maidens to set meat before all the women ‎and to prepare a great feast for them, and all the women ate in Zulycah’s house, and she gave ‎them knives to peel their oranges and to eat them. And she commanded that Joseph be put ‎into costly garments and that he should appear before them. And Joseph came before them, ‎and behold, when the women saw him they could not turn their eyes from him, and all of ‎them cut their hands with the knives and the oranges were full of blood. And they noticed not ‎what they had done, being so deeply absorbed in admiring Joseph’s beauty, and they could ‎not turn their eyelids from Joseph’s face. And Zulycah saw what they had done and she said ‎unto them: What is it that you are doing? Behold, I have given you oranges that ye might eat ‎and now you have cut your hands all of you. And they looked at their hands and behold they ‎were bleeding and blood was flowing down upon their garments. And they said unto her: It is ‎because of this servant which thou hast in thy house, who hath charmed us and we could not ‎turn our eyelids from him through his beauty.‎’‎[33] 
[1] Tibyan, 6/131.
[2] Raghib, p. 772, m-k-r.
[3] Tibyan, 6/131.
[4] Tabrisi, 5/352; related in Zamakhshari, 2/463.
[5] Thalabi, 5/217.
[6] Tibyan, 6/131.
[7] See Tahqiq, 2/366, ḥ-w-sh.
[8] Mizan, 11/150.
[9] Baydawi, 3/162; Razi, 18/449; Tantawi, 7/353; Munyah, 14/172.
[10] Tabrisi, 5/352.
[11] Tabrisi, 5/352; Nemuneh, 9/395.
[12] Tibyan, 6/131; Tabrisi, 5/352-353.
[13] Tabari, 12/123; Thalabi, 5/219.
[14] See Nemuneh, 9/395.
[15] See Tantawi, 7/352. See also Mizan, 11/148.
[16] Tabrisi, 5/352; Tabari, 12/119; Thalabi, 5/217.
[17] Mizan, 11/148.
[18] Tabrisi, 5/352; Nemuneh, 9/400.
[19] Tabrisi, 5/352.
[20] Related in Tabrisi, 5/352; Tabari, 12/122.
[21] Alusi, 6/422.
[22] Sharawi, p. 6935.
[23] Thalabi, 5/218.
[24] Zamakhshari, 2/463.
[25] Baghawi, 2/489.
[26] Qummi, 1/343; related in Tibyan, 6/131-132; Tabari, 12/119-120. This opinion is attributed to Mujāhid ibn Jabr. Qatādah and others have said similarly that it means ‘food’.
[27] See Abū ʿUbaydah al-Taymī, Majāz al-Qurʾān (Cairo: Maktabat al-Khān, 1381 AH), 1/309; related in Tibyan, 6/131; Tabari, 12/119.
[28] Related in Tibyan, 6/131.
[29] See Abū ʿUbaydah al-Taymī, Majāz al-Qurʾān (Cairo: Maktabat al-Khān, 1381 AH), 1/309.
[30] Razi, 18/449.
[31] See for example Baghawi, 2/489. This latter opinion is attributed to Wahab ibn Munabbih.
[32] Genesis 39:6.
[33] Sefer HaYashar on Genesis 39:7, accessed at: https://www.sefaria.org/Genesis.39.7?lang=bi&with=Sefer%20HaYashar%20(midrash)&lang2=en.