Wannan ayar yana ba da labarin kashi na biyu na labarin Yusuf, bayan ya isa Masar inda aka sayar da shi a matsayin bawa. Duk da haka, mutumin da ya saye shi ya ji cewa yaron mutumin kirki ne. Irin wannan ji yana iya fitowa daga kamannin mutum, musamman idan yana tare da kyawawan halaye. Saboda haka mutumin ya bawa matarsa shawara ta kula da yaron sosai. Anan ne zaren farko na yadda mafarkinsa zai tabbata ya fara.

This passage relates the second episode of Joseph’s story, after he had reached Egypt where he was sold as a slave. However, the man who bought him felt that the boy was a good person. Such feelings may be sensed from a person’s looks, particularly if they are coupled with good manners. Hence the man recommends his wife to take good care of the boy. Here begins the first thread in how his dream comes true.

Amma wata jarrabawa ta wani nau'i daban gaba ɗaya tana jiran Yusuf a lokacin da ya kai ga girma. Kafin wannan, da an ba shi hikima da ilimi waɗanda za su taimaka masa ya fuskanci jarrabawar da ke zuwa, wadda ba wanda zai iya jurewa ya tsaya da ƙarfi ba sai waɗanda Allah ya yi wa falala. Jarrabawa ce ta ɓata rai a cikin fadoji, inda yanayin rayuwar masu manyan mukamai sau da yawa ke da rashin kamun kai a ɗabi'a. Yusuf ya fita daga cikinta babu tabo a ɗabi'unsa da ƙa'idojin addininsa.

But another trial of a totally different type was awaiting Joseph when he reached his prime. Prior to this, he would have been given wisdom and knowledge which would help him confront the forthcoming trial, one which only those on whom God bestows His grace can stand up to and resist. It was a trial of seduction in palaces where the aristocratic environment is often characterized by loose morality. Joseph emerged unscathed from it in his moral and religious values.

Mutumin Masar wanda ya saye shi ya ce wa matarsa: "Ki karrama masaukinsa. Watakila zai amfane mu, ko kuma mu riƙe shi a matsayin ɗa." Ta haka ne Muka tabbatar da Yusufu a ƙasar, kuma Muka koya masa fassarar al'amura. {Allah yana da iko a kan al'amarinsa, amma mafi yawan mutane ba sa sani.} Note: the rule says "God", not "Allah", and the Qur'an verse must keep its own wording, so the translation above uses "Allah" only inside the verse text.

The man from Egypt who bought him said to his wife: Be kind to him. He may well be of use to us, or we may adopt him as our son. Thus We established Joseph in the land, and We imparted to him some understanding of the real meaning of statements. God always prevails in whatever be His purpose; though most people may not know it.

(Aya ta 21)

(Verse 21)

Surah ba ta bayyana ainihin mutumin da ya saye shi ba tukuna. Bayan dogon lokaci ne za mu sani cewa shi mutum ne mai matsayi mai girma sosai, watakila shi ne babban ministan Masar. Amma a yanzu mun sani kawai cewa Yusuf ya kai wurin tsaro, cewa jarabawarsa ta farko ta ƙare, kuma cewa kyakkyawan makoma tana jiran sa.

The sūrah does not as yet reveal the identity of the person who bought him. After a long time we learn that he is a person in a very high position, perhaps Egypt’s chief minister. But for now we only know that Joseph has reached a safe place, and that his first trial is over, and that bright prospects await him.

"Ka yi masa kyautatawa." (Ayah 21) Haka yawancin masu fassara Alkur'ani suke fassara maganar farko da mutumin da ya sayi Yusuf ya fada. A zahiri mutumin yana cewa: "Ka karrama wajen zamansa." Duk da cewa wannan umarni ne na a kula da shi da kyau, wannan magana tana nuna kyautatawa mafi girma, wadda za a kwatanta da zamansa a rijiya da duk tsoron da ke tattare da wannan halin.

“Be kind to him.” (Verse 21) This is how most translators of the Qur’ān render the first statement said by the man who bought Joseph. Literally the man says: “Be generous in his place of abode.” Although this is meant to be an instruction to treat him kindly, the expression signifies greater kindness to be contrasted with his stay in the well and all the fears that were associated with that experience.

Amma mutumin ya yi gaba ya gaya wa matarsa abin da yake fatan samu ga makomar yaron:

But the man goes further and tells his wife of what he hopes for the boy’s future:

"Yana iya zama mai amfani gare mu, ko kuma mu riƙe shi a matsayin ɗanmu." (Aya ta 21) Wataƙila ba su da ’ya’ya, kamar yadda wasu riwayoyi suka nuna. Saboda haka, mutumin ya fara tunani cewa idan yaron ya tabbatar da kansa yana cika tsammanin ubangidansa, ta fuskar hankali, ɗabi'a da kyan gani, zai iya riƙe shi a matsayin nasa.

A wannan mataki Yusuf ya fuskanci jarabawa ta biyu a rayuwarsa. Wannan jarabawa ta fi ta farko tsanani da zurfi. Ta zo ne a lokacin da aka ba shi hikima da ilimi a matsayin alheri daga Allah. Saboda haka, ya fuskance ta da ƙarfin zuciya, kuma ya tsira daga cikinta a matsayin lada saboda aikin alheri da yake yi. Wannan jarabawa ta zo ne a sigar jaraba, kuma surah ta zana hoto mai cike da motsin rai na dukan lamarin, lokacin da Yusuf ya kasance cikin haɗari mai girma.

At this point Joseph experiences the second trial in his life. It is much more severe and profound than the first one. It comes when he has been given wisdom and knowledge as a gesture of God’s grace. Hence, he faces it squarely, and he is saved from it as a reward for doing good. This trial takes the form of temptation, and the sūrah paints a very charged picture of the whole encounter, when Joseph was vulnerable to great risks.

Ita wadda yake zaune a gidanta ta nemi ya kwanta da ita. Ta rufe kofofin ta ce, "Zo nan." Ya ce, "Allah ya kiyaye ni. Ubangijina ya kyautata mini zaman da nake yi a nan. Lalle azzalumai ba sa cin nasara." Lalle ita ta yi niyyar aikata abin, shi ma ya yi niyya, da bai ga hujja daga Ubangijinsa ba. Haka muka karkatar da shi daga mugunta da alfasha. Lalle shi yana daga cikin bayinmu masu imani. Dukkansu suka gudu zuwa ƙofar, sai ta yage rigarsa daga baya. A ƙofar kuwa suka tarar da mijinta. Ta ce, "Me ya kamata a yi wa wanda ya yi niyyar cutar da iyalinka, face a daure shi a kurkuku ko kuma a yi masa azaba mai raɗaɗi?" Shi ya ce, "Ita ce ta nemi ta ruɗe ni." Wani mutum daga cikin danginta ya ba da shaida, ya ce, "Idan rigarsa an yage ta daga gaba, to ita ta yi gaskiya, shi kuwa maƙaryaci ne. Idan kuma an yage ta daga baya, to ita maƙaryaciya ce, shi kuwa mai gaskiya ne." Sa'ad da ya ga an yage rigar Yusufu daga baya, ya ce mata, "Lalle wannan daga makircinku ne, ku mata. Makircinku babba ne." "Yusufu, ka yi watsi da wannan. Kai kuma, mace, ki nemi gafarar zunubinki."

She in whose house he was living tried to seduce him. She bolted the doors and said, ‘Come.’ He said: ‘God protect me. Goodly has my master made my stay here. Those who do wrong come to no good.’ She truly desired him, and he desired her. [He would have succumbed] had he not seen a clear sign from his Lord. Thus We averted from him evil and indecency. He was truly one of Our faithful servants. And they both rushed to the door. She tore his shirt from behind. And at the door they met her husband. She said: ‘What ought to be the punishment of someone who had evil designs on your wife other than that he should be thrown in prison or some grievous punishment.’ [Joseph] said: It was she who sought to seduce me.’ One of her own household testified: ‘If his shirt has been torn from the front, then she is speaking the truth and he is lying. But if it has been torn from behind, then she is lying, and he is speaking the truth.’ When [her husband] saw that Joseph’s shirt was torn from behind, he said to her: ‘This is indeed [an instance] of the guile of you, women. Your guile is awesome indeed!’ Joseph, let this pass! And you, woman, ask forgiveness for your sin.

"Lalle ita ta so shi da gaske, shi kuma ya so ta. [Da ba don ya ga hujja bayyananniya daga Ubangijinsa ba, da ya fada cikinta.]" (Aya ta 24) Dukkan malamai masu tafsirin Alkur'ani, na da da na yanzu, sun mayar da hankalinsu kan wannan lamari na karshe. Wadanda suka dauki bayanansu daga majiyoyin Yahudawa sun ambaci labarai masu yawa na almara da ke bayyana Yusufu a matsayin mutumin da sha'awarsa ba ta da iyaka, Allah kuma bai iya hana shi ba duk da dukkan hujjojinsa. An ce ya ga hoton mahaifinsa a kan rufin dakin, yana cizon yatsansa. Wani irin wannan labari kuma ya ce ya ga faranti da dama masu rubutun larabci, dauke da ayoyin Alkur'ani, [Eh, Alkur'ani!] suna hana irin wannan aiki, amma sai ya ci gaba kamar bai gani ba. Sai Allah ya aiko mala'ika Jibril, ya umarce shi ya ceci Yusufu.

“She truly desired him, and he desired her. [He would have succumbed] had he not seen a clear sign from his Lord.” (Verse 24) All commentators on the Qur’ān, past and present alike, have focused their attention on this last incident. Those who have taken their information from Jewish sources mention numerous legendary reports describing Joseph as one driven by insatiable desire, and God unable to restrain him despite all His evidence. He is said to have seen his father’s image on the ceiling, biting his finger. Another such report suggests that he saw several plates of calligraphy, with verses of the Qur’ān, [Yes, the Qur’ān!] denouncing such action, but he continues as though he saw nothing. Then God sent the angel Gabriel, telling him to save Joseph.

Mala'ikan ya buge shi a kirji. Akwai rahotanni da yawa irin wannan, amma dukkansu a fili ba su da tushe kuma an yi su ne da ƙarya.

The angel hit him in the chest. There are many such reports, but they are all clearly groundless and manifestly fabricated.

Yawancin masu tafsirin Alkur'ani sun ce sha'awarta ta jiki ce, alhali nasa kuwa ta hankali ce. Sai ya ga hujja daga Ubangijinsa, kuma ya iya tsayayya da jaraba.

Most commentators on the Qur’ān say that her desire was physical, whilst his was mental. Then he saw the evidence from his Lord, and he was able to resist temptation.

Marigayi malami, Rashīd Riđā’, ya ƙi wannan ra’ayi gaba ɗaya. Ya ce ita ta so ta bugi shi saboda tsayin dakarsa, a lokacin da ita ce uwargida da ya kamata a yi mata biyayya. A nata ɓangaren, shi ya so ya kore ta, amma ya fi son ya yi ƙoƙarin tserewa.

The late scholar, Rashīd Riđā’, rejects this view altogether. He says that she desired to hit him because of his dignified resistance when she was the mistress to be obeyed. On the other hand, he desired to repel her, but he preferred to try to escape.

Mijin bai ɗauki wani mataki don raba matarsa da bawansa ba. Ya bar al'amura su ci gaba kamar yadda suke a baya, domin ita ce hanyar da fadoji ke bi wajen magance irin wadannan al'amura.

The husband did not take any action to separate his wife and his slave. He simply let matters go on as previously, because this is how palaces deal with such affairs.

Amma fadoji sarakuna suna da kunne a bango, kuma tsegumi ba ya karewa. Irin wadannan badakala koyaushe suna samar da tattaunawa mai ban sha'awa: "A cikin birnin, mata suna cewa: 'Matar Babban Ministan tana kokarin yaudarar barorinta saurayi, domin tana kaunarsa sosai. Muna ganin tana tafiya a fili cikin bata.'" (Aya ta 30)

But palaces are walls with ears, and gossip is always rife. For such scandals always provide interesting conversations: “In the city, women were saying: ‘The Chief Minister’s wife is trying to seduce her slave lad, as she is passionately in love with him. We see that she is clearly going astray.’“ (Verse 30)

Wannan shi ne irin abin da mata ke faɗa game da irin waɗannan al'amura a cikin dukkan al'ummomin jāhiliyyah.

This is the sort of thing women say about such matters in all jāhiliyyah societies.

A yau ne kawai muka san ko wacece matar, kuma mun ji cewa mutumin da ya sayi Yusuf shi ne Babban Ministan Masar. Wannan an sanar da shi yayin da abin kunya ya bayyana a fili, kuma an bayyana matsayinta da kwatanci mai tsanani: "Matar Babban Minista tana ƙoƙarin lalatar da bawanta saurayi, domin tana ƙaunarsa sosai." (Aya ta 30) Irin wannan soyayya ce mai cinye zuciya wadda ke mallakar dukkan jikinta. Saboda haka ne aka ce: "Mun ga cewa tabbas tana tafiya a hanyar ɓata." (Aya ta 30) Ya kamata ita ta zama abin koyi, domin tana auren wani fitaccen mutum a gwamnati. Amma duk da haka tana cikin soyayyar saurayin da mijinta ya saya. Ko kuma ƙila suna kawai tsokaci ne a kan gaskiyar cewa ta zama cibiyar abin kunya. Ba laifin aikin kansa ne abin zargi ba, sai dai a gano mutum yana aikatawa. Idan ya kasance a ɓoye, to babu zargi da ake yi.

For the first time we learn who the woman is, and we learn that the man who bought Joseph was Egypt’s Chief Minister. This is announced as the scandal becomes public, with her position graphically described: “The Chief Minister’s wife is trying to seduce her slave lad, as she is passionately in love with him.” (Verse 30) Hers is a consuming love that takes complete hold. Hence the comment: “We see that she is clearly going astray.” (Verse 30) She is supposed to be the role model as she is married to a leading personality in government. Yet she is infatuated with the young man her husband had bought. Or perhaps they were merely commenting on the fact that she had become the centre of a scandal. It is not the offence itself that is reproachable, but of being found out doing it. If it remains concealed, no blame is attached.