He only delayed and was steadfast in responding to the king. He prioritized the question of the women to demonstrate the innocence of his situation from what he was accused of. [Mamdouh said: "He only delayed and was steadfast in responding to the king to show the innocence of his situation from what he was accused of..." Ahmad said: And indeed, the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him, praised him for this patience by saying: 'If I had remained in prison as long as Joseph did, I would have answered the caller.' And within this praise for patience and steadfastness is his exoneration and purification from what might come to mind that he had an intention with Zuleikha for which he could be held accountable. For if he was patient and steadfast regarding what he had the right not to remain in, which is his exit from prison, while the motivations to exit were abundant, then it is more appropriate and deserving that he be patient regarding what he must be patient about from the concern. And Allah knows best.] And he was imprisoned therein, so that the envious would not use it to malign him and make it a means to lower his status with him. And so that they would not say: 'He remained in prison for seven years except for a great matter and a serious crime for which he deserved to be imprisoned and punished and to be kept away from his evil.'

And therein is evidence that striving to dispel suspicions is obligatory, as it is necessary to avoid standing in positions of suspicion. He, blessings and peace be upon him, said: "Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day, let him not stand in positions of suspicion." And from this, the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, said to those passing by him while he was in his place of seclusion and with some of his wives: "This is so-and-so." This is agreed upon from the hadith of Ali ibn Al-Husayn from Safiyyah bint Huyayy, who said: The Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, was in seclusion, and I visited him at night and spoke to him. Then I stood up to leave, and he stood with me to turn me back. Her residence was in the house of Usamah ibn Zayd, and two men from the Ansar passed by. When they saw him, they hurried. He said: "Slow down, for indeed Safiyyah—" This is to avoid suspicion. And about the Prophet, blessings and peace be upon him: "I was amazed at Yusuf and his nobility and patience—may Allah forgive him—when he was asked about the lean and fat cows. If I were in his place, I would not have informed them until I stipulated that they release me. And I was amazed at him when the messenger came to him and said: 'Return to your Lord.' If I were in his place and had remained in prison, I would have hastened to respond." And I quickly went to them at the door, and when I sought an excuse, indeed, he was indeed patient and forbearing. He only said: 'Ask the king about the condition of the women,' and he did not say: 'Ask him to investigate their affair,' because questioning is something that stirs a person and moves him to search for what he was asked about. So he intended to pose the question to him so that he would strive in investigating the truth of the story and clarify the matter. Until it becomes clear to him his innocence in an evident manner, distinguishing the truth from falsehood. And the word 'the women' was read with the 'n' pronounced. And from his nobility and good manners: he did not mention his mistress with what she had done to him and the cause of his imprisonment and torment, but limited himself to mentioning the women who had cut their hands. Indeed, my Lord, indeed Allah is All-Knowing of their plot. He intended that it was a great plot that only Allah knows, due to its depth. Or he bore witness by the knowledge of Allah that they had plotted against him, and that he was innocent of what he was accused of. Or he intended a warning to them, meaning: He is All-Knowing of their plot, so He will punish them for it. What is the matter with you? What is your affair when you sought to seduce Yusuf? Did you find any inclination from him towards you? They said: 'Far be it from Allah,' astonished by his chastity and his distancing himself from any suspicion and his purity from it. The wife of the Aziz said: 'Now the truth has become evident,' meaning it has been established and settled. And it was read 'has been established' in the passive form, and it is from 'hassasa' of the camel when it lays down its feet for resting. He said: 'And it has settled in the depths of the hard rocks... and he moved with Salma a single movement, then he resolved.' This is from Hamid ibn Thawr describing a camel that has laid down its limbs on the hard stones when it rests. And it is said that Samurah ibn Jundub brought a man who was impotent, so he bought him a girl from the public treasury and brought her to him at night. When morning came, he asked him: 'What did you do?' He said: 'I did until it became evident in him.' He asked her, and she said: 'He did nothing.' He said: 'He entered her way.'

And there is no more than their testimony for him of innocence and integrity. [Mahamud said: "There is no more than their testimony for him of innocence and their confession against themselves... etc."] Ahmad said: The correct view among the people of the Sunnah is the purification of the prophets from both major and minor sins altogether. They follow the verses that imply the occurrence of minor sins with interpretation. A group among them, along with the Qadarites, went to permit minor sins for them, provided that they are not repulsive. The correct view among us regarding the story of Yusuf, peace be upon him, is that he is innocent of committing what he could be held accountable for. The pause at the saying 'she intended him' and then beginning with 'and he intended her' is like saying: 'I killed Zaid, had it not been for my fear of Allah.' Thus, the intention does not occur due to the existence of a barrier against it, which is the sight of the proof. If Al-Zamakhshari is alluding to the people of the Sunnah, we have clarified their belief. If he is alluding to the compellers and the literalists in truth, then that is his affair with them. And their confession against themselves is that he did not engage in anything of what they accused him of, for they are his adversaries. If the adversary confesses that his companion is upon the truth and he is upon falsehood, there remains no argument for anyone. The compellers and the literalists said: [Their saying, 'The compellers and the literalists said, we still have an argument and we must delve into the matter,' refers to the people of the Sunnah. Their saying, 'we still have...' means that their condition in interpreting the intention and the proof is represented by that. The 'furwah' is the skin of the head.] We still have an argument, and we must delve into the matter of one whose purity has been established.