The Chief Minister’s Wife Tries to Tempt Yusuf (AS)

 Eventually some travellers passed by the well in which Yusuf (AS) had been thrown. One of them lowered a bucket into the well and when they pulled it up Yusuf (AS) was holding onto the rope. When the travellers saw this they were extremely happy, but not because they had rescued him. Instead, they knew that they could sell Yusuf (AS) at the slave markets for some money. So they took the boy with them and sold him in Egypt for a few silver coins.

He was sold to the chief minister of Egypt, a very wealthy and important man. The chief minister told his wife, ‘Take good care of him; perhaps he may be useful to us or we can adopt him as our son.’ Yusuf served him honestly, and in turn he was treated well. There, in Egypt, he grew up into a handsome, honest and well-mannered man. In fact, the prophet Muhammad (SAW) said that he was given half of all beauty. Allah blessed him with judgement and knowledge, as he remained a faithful worshipper of Allah alone.

Eventually, because he was so handsome, the wife of the chief minister fell in love with him. She fell so madly in love with him that she began planning evil and decided to try and seduce him one day when her husband wasn’t home. She locked the doors and ordered Yusuf (AS) to come to her.

Although the wife of the chief minister was also beautiful, Allah guided Yusuf (AS) and he said, ‘I seek the refuge of Allah! It is not right to betray my master who has taken good care of me. Indeed, the wrongdoers never succeed!’

Yusuf (AS) dashed for the door and she chased after him. As they ran, the wife grabbed Yusuf’s (AS) shirt from the back and tore it. When they reached the door, they found the chief minister had returned. The wife immediately changed her tone from desire to anger, and began to pretend as if she was the victim. She cried, ‘What can the punishment for someone who intended evil for your wife be, other than prison or a painful punishment?’

Yusuf (AS) defended himself, ‘It was her who tried to seduce me.’

So a relative of the wife testified, ‘If the shirt is torn from the front, then she has told the truth and he is a liar. But if it is torn from the back, then she has lied and he is truthful.’

The chief minister knew that Yusuf (AS) was innocent as his shirt was torn from the back. So, angrily, he said to his wife, ‘This must be your plan! Indeed, your plan is cunning! Seek forgiveness for your sin, because it was definitely your fault.’ Then he turned to Yusuf (AS) and appealed, ‘O Yusuf, forget about this.’