وَلَقَد هَمَّت بِهِ ۖ وَهَمَّ بِها لَولا أَن رَأىٰ بُرهانَ رَبِّهِ ۚ كَذٰلِكَ لِنَصرِفَ عَنهُ السّوءَ وَالفَحشاءَ ۚ إِنَّهُ مِن عِبادِنَا المُخلَصينَ

She desired him, and he desired her had he not seen his Lord’s evidence. Thus, We diverted evil and indecency from him; he was one of Our devoted servants.

وَاستَبَقَا البابَ وَقَدَّت قَميصَهُ مِن دُبُرٍ وَأَلفَيا سَيِّدَها لَدَى البابِ ۚ قالَت ما جَزاءُ مَن أَرادَ بِأَهلِكَ سوءًا إِلّا أَن يُسجَنَ أَو عَذابٌ أَليمٌ

They raced to the door, and she tore his shirt from behind. They encountered her husband at the door, to whom she cried, “What’s the penalty for someone who intended harm to your family, if not imprisonment or a severe punishment?”

قالَ هِيَ راوَدَتني عَن نَفسي ۚ وَشَهِدَ شاهِدٌ مِن أَهلِها إِن كانَ قَميصُهُ قُدَّ مِن قُبُلٍ فَصَدَقَت وَهُوَ مِنَ الكاذِبينَ

He said, “It was she who tried to seduce me.” A witness from her family suggested, “If his shirt is torn from the front, then she told the truth, and he is the liar.

وَإِن كانَ قَميصُهُ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٍ فَكَذَبَت وَهُوَ مِنَ الصّادِقينَ

But if his shirt is torn from the back, she has lied, and he is the truthful one.”

فَلَمّا رَأىٰ قَميصَهُ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٍ قالَ إِنَّهُ مِن كَيدِكُنَّ ۖ إِنَّ كَيدَكُنَّ عَظيمٌ

Seeing his shirt torn from the back, he said, “This is one of your cunning tricks. Your scheming is indeed considerable.”

وَقالَ نِسوَةٌ فِي المَدينَةِ امرَأَتُ العَزيزِ تُراوِدُ فَتاها عَن نَفسِهِ ۖ قَد شَغَفَها حُبًّا ۖ إِنّا لَنَراها في ضَلالٍ مُبينٍ

Some women in the city said, “The governor’s wife is trying to seduce her servant; she is deeply in love with him. We see her as clearly misguided.”

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 هـٰذا بَشَرًا إِن هـٰذا إِلّا مَلَكٌ كَريمٌ

Upon hearing their whispers, she invited them over, prepared a feast for them, and gave each of them a knife. She then commanded, “Come out before them!” When they saw him, they marveled at him and cut their hands, exclaiming, “God preserve us! This is not a human! This is none other than a noble angel.”

قالَت فَذٰلِكُنَّ الَّذي لُمتُنَّني فيهِ ۖ وَلَقَد راوَدتُهُ عَن نَفسِهِ فَاستَعصَمَ ۖ وَلَئِن لَم يَفعَل ما آمُرُهُ لَيُسجَنَنَّ وَلَيَكونًا مِنَ الصّاغِرينَ

She said, “This is the one for whom you blamed me for. Yes, I tried to seduce him, but he firmly resisted. If he doesn’t do as I command him, he will be imprisoned and will become humiliated.”

قالَ رَبِّ السِّجنُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ مِمّا يَدعونَني إِلَيهِ ۖ وَإِلّا تَصرِف عَنّي كَيدَهُنَّ أَصبُ إِلَيهِنَّ وَأَكُن مِنَ الجاهِلينَ

He said, “My Lord, prison is more desirable to me than what they call me to. Unless You divert their plot from me, I might incline toward them and become of the ignorant.”

فَاستَجابَ لَهُ رَبُّهُ فَصَرَفَ عَنهُ كَيدَهُنَّ ۚ إِنَّهُ هُوَ السَّميعُ العَليمُ

His Lord answered his prayer and averted their scheme from him. He is the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing.