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Surah Yusuf, Ayah 23 (12:23)

يُوسُف

وَرَٰوَدَتْهُ ٱلَّتِى هُوَ فِى بَيْتِهَا عَن نَّفْسِهِۦ وَغَلَّقَتِ ٱلْأَبْوَٰبَ وَقَالَتْ هَيْتَ لَكَ ۚ …

Quran 12:23 is ayah 23 of Surah Yusuf (“Joseph”), a Meccan surah of 111 ayahs. It is in Juz 12, on page 238 of the Madani Mushaf.

12:23
وَرَٰوَدَتْهُٱلَّتِىهُوَفِىبَيْتِهَاعَننَّفْسِهِۦوَغَلَّقَتِٱلْأَبْوَٰبَوَقَالَتْهَيْتَلَكَ ۚقَالَمَعَاذَٱللَّهِ ۖإِنَّهُۥرَبِّىٓأَحْسَنَمَثْوَاىَ ۖإِنَّهُۥلَايُفْلِحُٱلظَّٰلِمُونَ٢٣
warāwadathu allatī huwa fī baytihā ʿan nafsihi waghallaqati l-abwāba waqālat hayta laka qāla maʿādha l-lahi innahu rabbī aḥsana mathwāya innahu lā yuf'liḥu l-ẓālimūna

And she, in whose house he was, sought to seduce him. She closed the doors and said, "Come, you." He said, "[I seek] the refuge of Allāh. Indeed, he is my master, who has made good my residence. Indeed, wrongdoers will not succeed."(23)

Word by word

  1. وَرَٰوَدَتْهُwarāwadathuAnd sought to seduce him
  2. ٱلَّتِىallatīshe who
  3. هُوَhuwahe (was)
  4. فِىfīin
  5. بَيْتِهَاbaytihāher house
  6. عَنʿanfrom
  7. نَّفْسِهِۦnafsihihis self
  8. وَغَلَّقَتِwaghallaqatiAnd she closed
  9. ٱلْأَبْوَٰبَl-abwābathe doors
  10. وَقَالَتْwaqālatand she said
  11. هَيْتَhaytaCome on
  12. لَكَ ۚlakayou
  13. قَالَqālaHe said
  14. مَعَاذَmaʿādhaI seek refuge in Allah
  15. ٱللَّهِ ۖl-lahiI seek refuge in Allah
  16. إِنَّهُۥinnahuIndeed, he
  17. رَبِّىٓrabbī(is) my lord
  18. أَحْسَنَaḥsana(who has) made good
  19. مَثْوَاىَ ۖmathwāyamy stay
  20. إِنَّهُۥinnahuIndeed
  21. لَاlānot
  22. يُفْلِحُyuf'liḥuwill succeed
  23. ٱلظَّٰلِمُونَl-ẓālimūnathe wrongdoers

Tafsir (commentary) of 12:23

Available in English, Bengali, Urdu, Arabic, Russian.

English · EnglishTafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged) — Hafiz Ibn Kathir

Wife of the `Aziz loves Yusuf and plots against Him

Allah states that the wife of the `Aziz of Egypt, in whose house Yusuf resided and whose husband recommended that she takes care of him and be generous to him, tried to seduce Yusuf! She called him to do an evil act with her, because she loved him very much. Yusuf was very handsome, filled with manhood and beauty. She beautified herself for him, closed the doors and called him,

وَقَالَتْ هَيْتَ لَكَ

(and (she) said: "Come on, O you.") But he categorically refused her call,

قَالَ مَعَاذَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ رَبِّى أَحْسَنَ مَثْوَاىَّ

(He said: "I seek refuge in Allah! Truly, he is my Rabb! He made my living in a great comfort!") as they used to call the chief and master a `Rabb', Yusuf said to her, `your husband is my master who provided me with comfortable living and was kind to me, so I will never betray him by committing immoral sins with his wife,'

إِنَّهُ لاَ يُفْلِحُ الظَّـلِمُونَ

(Verily, the wrongdoers will never be successful.) This was said by Mujahid, As-Suddi, Muhammad bin Ishaq and several others. The scholars differ in their recitation of,

هَيْتَ لَكَ

(Hayta Laka), whereby Ibn `Abbas, Mujahid and several other scholars said that it means that she was calling him to herself. Al-Bukhari said; "Ikrimah said that,

هَيْتَ لَكَ

(Hayta Laka') means, `come on, O you', in the Aramaic language." Al-Bukhari collected this statement from `Ikrimah without a chain of narration. Other scholars read it with the meaning, `I am ready for you'. Ibn `Abbas, Abu `Abdur-Rahman As-Sulami, Abu Wa'il, `Ikrimah and Qatadah were reported to have read this part of the Ayah this way and explained it in the manner we mentioned, as `I am ready for you'.

Read the full Surah Yusuf