Then He, glorified and exalted is He, mentioned His exaggeration in abstaining with seriousness in fleeing as evidence of his sincerity and that he did not intend at all. He said: "And they raced to the door," meaning they found the competition with the utmost desire from each of them. This was for fleeing from her, and this was to prevent him. So the action reached the object without "to," as evidence that each of them exerted their utmost effort in the race. She caught up with him at the farthest door, although he had preceded her with the strength of manhood and the strength of the call to flee to Allah. However, the obstacle of her mastery of the plot, due to the doors being closed, made him busy with opening them. So she clung to the slightest thing she reached of his shirt, which was what was behind him, the fear of missing him. So her clinging to him intensified while he turned away from her and fled from her. He opened it and intended to exit, but she prevented him. "And she continued to dispute with him until his shirt was torn." The tearing was "from the back," meaning the rear side of him. A piece was torn from it, so it remained in her hand. "And they found" means they found with what was upon them from dust and the state that was not fitting for them, "their master," meaning her husband. And it did not say: "their master" because Yusuf, blessings and peace be upon him, did not enter into servitude, as has been mentioned, because a Muslim cannot be owned while he is a master. "At that" means at that time, "the door" means the outside, in a very strange manner. Thus, this position should be understood because the master cannot [open it] let alone reach another due to the closing of all of them.

And when the listener knew that they found him while they were in this state, it was as if it was said: So what happened? It was said: "She said," a response without shyness or stammering. "What" is negating, and it is permissible that it be interrogative. "The recompense of one who intends" means from him and from others, whoever he may be, for what you possess of greatness. "With your family, evil" means even if it is not adultery, "except that he be imprisoned" means to be placed in prison for a time, to judge therein with what is appropriate. "Or a painful punishment" means a permanent, fixed punishment other than imprisonment; and the recompense is the response to the action with what is its right. This was her state at the surprise, and as for him, blessings and peace be upon him, he acted according to the noble qualities by remaining silent as a veil over her and refraining from mentioning the indecency.