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.

وَدَخَلَ مَعَهُ السِّجنَ فَتَيانِ ۖ قالَ أَحَدُهُما إِنّي أَراني أَعصِرُ خَمرًا ۖ وَقالَ الآخَرُ إِنّي أَراني أَحمِلُ فَوقَ رَأسي خُبزًا تَأكُلُ الطَّيرُ مِنهُ ۖ نَبِّئنا بِتَأويلِهِ ۖ إِنّا نَراكَ مِنَ المُحسِنينَ

Two young men entered the prison with him. One of them said, “I saw myself pressing wine.” The other said, “I saw myself carrying bread on my head, from which birds were eating. Tell us its interpretation, for we see you as a man of virtue.”

قالَ لا يَأتيكُما طَعامٌ تُرزَقانِهِ إِلّا نَبَّأتُكُما بِتَأويلِهِ قَبلَ أَن يَأتِيَكُما ۚ ذٰلِكُما مِمّا عَلَّمَني رَبّي ۚ إِنّي تَرَكتُ مِلَّةَ قَومٍ لا يُؤمِنونَ بِاللَّهِ وَهُم بِالآخِرَةِ هُم كافِرونَ

He replied, “I will inform you of their interpretation before your meal arrives. This is from the knowledge that my Lord has taught me. I have departed from the creed of people who don’t believe in God and deny the Hereafter.

وَاتَّبَعتُ مِلَّةَ آبائي إِبراهيمَ وَإِسحاقَ وَيَعقوبَ ۚ ما كانَ لَنا أَن نُشرِكَ بِاللَّهِ مِن شَيءٍ ۚ ذٰلِكَ مِن فَضلِ اللَّهِ عَلَينا وَعَلَى النّاسِ وَلـٰكِنَّ أَكثَرَ النّاسِ لا يَشكُرونَ

“I adhere to the faith of my forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It’s not for us to associate partners with God. This is from God’s grace upon us and upon humanity, yet most people are not thankful.”

يا صاحِبَيِ السِّجنِ أَأَربابٌ مُتَفَرِّقونَ خَيرٌ أَمِ اللَّهُ الواحِدُ القَهّارُ

“My fellow inmates, are many different lords better, or God, the One, the Supreme?

ما تَعبُدونَ مِن دونِهِ إِلّا أَسماءً سَمَّيتُموها أَنتُم وَآباؤُكُم ما أَنزَلَ اللَّهُ بِها مِن سُلطانٍ ۚ إِنِ الحُكمُ إِلّا لِلَّهِ ۚ أَمَرَ أَلّا تَعبُدوا إِلّا إِيّاهُ ۚ ذٰلِكَ الدّينُ القَيِّمُ وَلـٰكِنَّ أَكثَرَ النّاسِ لا يَعلَمونَ

You are only worshiping names that you and your fathers have invented, without having any authority from God. The command rests solely with God. He decreed that you worship none but Him. This is the right religion, but most people don’t know.