The Story of Zulaikha and Yusuf(pbuh) is an amazing tale of attempted seduction. Zulaikha is mentioned as the Quran as the "wife of Aziz. The story is also mentioned in jew and christian traditions where she is known as the Potipher's Wife .Prophet Yusuf(pbuh) was the Prophet of Allah and the son of Prophet Yaqub . There is a Whole Surah named after him-Surah Yusuf(Chapter 12,Quran) .

Yusuf (peace be upon him) lived for years in the house of Zulaikha, a woman of beauty, power and influence. Day in and day out, Zulaikha was exposed to his physical allure, a composition so stunning that the Messenger Muhammad [peace be upon him and his family] said "Yusuf has been given half of all beauty" [Muslim].

Zulaikha suppressed her desire for Yusuf until she could no longer control it. She waited until her husband left the home. Alone with Yusuf, she locked the doors and called him to fulfill her lust.

Imam Muhammad Al Qurtubi, the great Quranic commentator, recounts the story:

[After locking the doors] Zulekha attempts to seduce Yusuf. She beautifies herself in the most attractive of ways and says:

"Oh Yusuf! You have the most handsome of faces." Yusuf, sensing what Zulekha is attempting to do, replies, "This is how my Lord fashioned me in the womb."

"Oh Yusuf!"she says, "You have the finest of hair!" "It will be the first portion of me to wither in my grave," he replies.

Undeterred, Zulaikha presses on. "Oh Yusuf! Your eyes are so beautiful." "I use them to look at my Lord," he retorts.

"Yusuf, raise your sight and gaze at my face," she responds. "I fear [if I do so] that I will be resurrected blind in the afterlife," Yusuf answers.

She tries to press herself close to Yusuf, but he moves away. "I come close to you, yet you distance yourself from me?" she asks. " I desire, by that, the closeness of my Lord," he says.

"Yusuf, I have prepared my bed for you so enter under its sheets with me," she says. Yusuf replies, "Your sheets will not shield me from my Lord."

"Yusuf, I have prepared the finest of silk covers, so I order you to fulfill my desires!" she exclaims. "If I do so," he says, "My portion of paradise will be lost."

STORY OF YUSSUF AND ZULAIKHA IN THE QURAN...

Zulaikha's attempt to seduce him was fruitless, and his desire to remind her of Allah was falling on a deaf heart. Allah recounts the story Himself:

ﻭَﺭَﺍﻭَﺩَﺗۡﻪُ ﺍﻟَّﺘِﻰۡ ﻫُﻮَ ﻓِﻰۡ ﺑَﻴۡﺘِﻬَﺎ ﻋَﻦۡ ﻧَّـﻔۡﺴِﻪٖ ﻭَﻏَﻠَّﻘَﺖ ﺍﻟۡﺎَﺑۡﻮَﺍﺏَ ﻭَﻗَﺎﻟَﺖۡ ﻫَﻴۡﺖَ ﻟَـﻚَ​ؕ ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﻣَﻌَﺎﺫَ ﺍﻟﻠّٰﻪِ​ ﺍِﻧَّﻪٗ ﺭَﺑِّﻰۡۤ ﺍَﺣۡﺴَﻦَ ﻣَﺜۡﻮَﺍﻯَ​ؕ ﺍِﻧَّﻪٗ ﻟَﺎ ﻳُﻔۡﻠِﺢُ ﺍﻟﻈّٰﻠِﻤُﻮۡﻥَ.

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 Allah. Indeed, he is my master, who has made good my residence. Indeed, wrongdoers will not succeed."(12:23)

ﻭَﻟَـﻘَﺪۡ ﻫَﻤَّﺖۡ ﺑِﻪٖ​ۚ ﻭَﻫَﻢَّ ﺑِﻬَﺎ​ ﻟَﻮۡﻟَﺎۤ ﺍَﻥۡ ﺭَّﺍٰ ﺑُﺮۡﻫَﺎﻥَ ﺭَﺑِّﻪٖ​ؕ ﻛَﺬٰﻟِﻚَ ﻟِﻨَﺼۡﺮِﻑَ ﻋَﻨۡﻪُ ﺍﻟﺴُّۤﻮۡﺀَ ﻭَﺍﻟۡـﻔَﺤۡﺸَﺎٓﺀَ​ؕ ﺍِﻧَّﻪٗ ﻣِﻦۡ ﻋِﺒَﺎﺩِﻧَﺎ ﺍﻟۡﻤُﺨۡﻠَﺼِﻴۡﻦَ.

And she certainly determined [to seduce] him, and he would have inclined to her had he not seen the proof of his Lord. And thus [it was] that We should avert from him evil and immorality. Indeed, he was of Our chosen servants.(12:24)

ﻭَﺍﺳۡﺘَﺒَﻘَﺎ ﺍﻟۡﺒَﺎﺏَ ﻭَﻗَﺪَّﺕۡ ﻗَﻤِﻴۡﺼَﻪٗ ﻣِﻦۡ ﺩُﺑُﺮٍ ﻭَّﺍَﻟۡﻔَﻴَﺎ ﺳَﻴِّﺪَﻫَﺎ ﻟَﺪَﺍ ﺍﻟۡﺒَﺎﺏِ​ؕ ﻗَﺎﻟَﺖۡ ﻣَﺎ ﺟَﺰَﺍٓﺀُ ﻣَﻦۡ ﺍَﺭَﺍﺩَ ﺑِﺎَﻫۡﻠِﻚَ ﺳُﻮۡۤﺀًﺍ ﺍِﻟَّﺎۤ ﺍَﻥۡ ﻳُّﺴۡﺠَﻦَ ﺍَﻭۡ ﻋَﺬَﺍﺏٌ ﺍَﻟِﻴۡﻢٌ

And they both raced to the door, and she tore his shirt from the back, and they found her husband at the door. She said, "What is the recompense of one who intended evil for your wife but that he be imprisoned or a painful punishment?"(12:25)

ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﻫِﻰَ ﺭَﺍﻭَﺩَﺗۡﻨِﻰۡ ﻋَﻦۡ ﻧَّـﻔۡﺴِﻰۡ​ ﻭَﺷَﻬِﺪَ ﺷَﺎﻫِﺪٌ ﻣِّﻦۡ ﺍَﻫۡﻠِﻬَﺎ​ۚ ﺍِﻥۡ ﻛَﺎﻥَ ﻗَﻤِﻴۡﺼُﻪٗ ﻗُﺪَّ ﻣِﻦۡ ﻗُﺒُﻞٍ ﻓَﺼَﺪَﻗَﺖۡ ﻭَﻫُﻮَ ﻣِﻦَ ﺍﻟۡﻜٰﺬِﺑِﻴۡﻦَ

Joseph said: "It is she who was trying to tempt me to herself." And a witness belonging to her own household testified (on grounds of circumstantial evidence): "If his shirt is torn from the front, then she is telling the truth and he is a liar.

ﻭَﺍِﻥۡ ﻛَﺎﻥَ ﻗَﻤِﻴۡﺼُﻪٗ ﻗُﺪَّ ﻣِﻦۡ ﺩُﺑُﺮٍ ﻓَﻜَﺬَﺑَﺖۡ ﻭَﻫُﻮَ ﻣِﻦَ ﺍﻟﺼّٰﺪِﻗِﻴۡﻦَ 

:But if his shirt is torn from the back, then she has lied, and he is of the truthful."

ﻓَﻠَﻤَّﺎ ﺭَﺍٰ ﻗَﻤِﻴۡﺼَﻪٗ ﻗُﺪَّ ﻣِﻦۡ ﺩُﺑُﺮٍ ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﺍِﻧَّﻪٗ ﻣِﻦۡ ﻛَﻴۡﺪِﻛُﻦَّ​ؕ ﺍِﻥَّ ﻛَﻴۡﺪَﻛُﻦَّ ﻋَﻈِﻴۡﻢٌ

So when her husband saw his shirt torn from the back, he said, "Indeed, it is of the women's plan. Indeed, your plan is great.

ﻳُﻮۡﺳُﻒُ ﺍَﻋۡﺮِﺽۡ ﻋَﻦۡ ﻫٰﺬَﺍ ﻭَﺍﺳۡﺘَﻐۡﻔِﺮِﻯۡ ﻟِﺬَﻧۡۢﺒِﻚِ ۖ ۚ​ ﺍِﻧَّﻚِ ﻛُﻨۡﺖِ ﻣِﻦَ ﺍﻟۡﺨٰﻄِٮـﺌِﻴۡﻦَ
O Joseph, ignore this. And, [O woman], ask forgiveness for your sin. Indeed, you were of the sinful."

ﺍﻟۡﻤَﺪِﻳۡﻨَﺔِ ﺍﻣۡﺮَﺍَﺕُ ﺍﻟۡﻌَﺰِﻳۡﺰِ ﺗُﺮَﺍﻭِﺩُ ﻓَﺘٰٮﻬَﺎ ﻋَﻦۡ ﻧَّـﻔۡﺴِﻪٖ​ۚ ﻗَﺪۡ ﺷَﻐَﻔَﻬَﺎ ﺣُﺒًّﺎ​ ؕ ﺍِﻧَّﺎ ﻟَـﻨَﺮٰٮﻬَﺎ ﻓِﻰۡ ﺿَﻠٰﻞٍ ﻣُّﺒِﻴۡﻦٍ 

And women in the city said, "The wife of al-'Azeez is seeking to seduce her slave boy; he has impassioned her with love. Indeed, we see her [to be] in clear error."

ﻓَﻠَﻤَّﺎ ﺳَﻤِﻌَﺖۡ ﺑِﻤَﻜۡﺮِﻫِﻦَّ ﺍَﺭۡﺳَﻠَﺖۡ ﺍِﻟَﻴۡﻬِﻦَّ ﻭَﺍَﻋۡﺘَﺪَﺕۡ ﻟَﻬُﻦَّ ﻣُﺘَّﻜَـﺎً ﻭَّﺍٰﺗَﺖۡ ﻛُﻞَّ ﻭَﺍﺣِﺪَﺓٍ ﻣِّﻨۡﻬُﻦَّ ﺳِﻜِّﻴۡﻨًﺎ ﻭَّﻗَﺎﻟَﺖِ ﺍﺧۡﺮُﺝۡ ﻋَﻠَﻴۡﻬِﻦَّ ۚ​ ﻓَﻠَﻤَّﺎ ﺭَﺍَﻳۡﻨَﻪٗۤ ﺍَﻛۡﺒَﺮۡﻧَﻪٗ ﻭَﻗَﻄَّﻌۡﻦَ ﺍَﻳۡﺪِﻳَﻬُﻦَّ ﻭَﻗُﻠۡﻦَ ﺣَﺎﺵَ ﻟِﻠّٰﻪِ ﻣَﺎ ﻫٰﺬَﺍ ﺑَﺸَﺮًﺍ ؕ ﺍِﻥۡ ﻫٰﺬَﺍۤ ﺍِﻟَّﺎ ﻣَﻠَﻚٌ ﻛَﺮِﻳۡﻢٌ

So when she heard of their scheming, she sent for them and prepared for them a banquet and gave each one of them a knife and said [to Joseph], "Come out before them." And when they saw him, they greatly admired him and cut their hands and said, "Perfect is Allah ! This is not a man; this is none but a noble angel."

ﻗَﺎﻟَﺖۡ ﻓَﺬٰﻟِﻜُﻦَّ ﺍﻟَّﺬِﻯۡ ﻟُﻤۡﺘُﻨَّﻨِﻰۡ ﻓِﻴۡﻪِ​ؕ ﻭَ ﻟَـﻘَﺪۡ ﺭَﺍﻭَﺩْﺗُّﻪٗ ﻋَﻦۡ ﻧَّـﻔۡﺴِﻪٖ ﻓَﺎﺳۡﺘَﻌۡﺼَﻢَ​ؕ ﻭَﻟَـﺌِﻦۡ ﻟَّﻢۡ ﻳَﻔۡﻌَﻞۡ ﻣَﺎۤ ﺍٰﻣُﺮُﻩٗ ﻟَـﻴُﺴۡﺠَﻨَﻦَّ ﻭَﻟَﻴَﻜُﻮۡﻧًﺎ ﻣِّﻦَ ﺍﻟﺼّٰﻐِﺮِﻳۡﻦَ

She said, "That is the one about whom you blamed me. And I certainly sought to seduce him, but he firmly refused; and if he will not do what I order him, he will surely be imprisoned and will be of those debased."

ﻗَﺎﻝَ ﺭَﺏِّ ﺍﻟﺴِّﺠۡﻦُ ﺍَﺣَﺐُّ ﺍِﻟَﻰَّ ﻣِﻤَّﺎ ﻳَﺪۡﻋُﻮۡﻧَﻨِﻰۡۤ ﺍِﻟَﻴۡﻪِ​ۚ ﻭَﺍِﻟَّﺎ ﺗَﺼۡﺮِﻑۡ ﻋَﻨِّﻰۡ ﻛَﻴۡﺪَﻫُﻦَّ ﺍَﺻۡﺐُ ﺍِﻟَﻴۡﻬِﻦَّ ﻭَﺍَﻛُﻦۡ ﻣِّﻦَ ﺍﻟۡﺠٰﻬِﻠِﻴۡﻦَ.

He said, "My Lord, prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me. And if You do not avert from me their plan, I might incline toward them and [thus] be of the ignorant."

Story Continued from other Sources other than Quran. ..

When he went to jail for his own safety as the women had started to throw themselves at him, Zulaykha became restless. She made sure to send Yusuf (AS) whatever he needed in prison because she loved him deeply. But seeing that he was comfortable in prison and was still not accepting her indecent proposal, she cut him off and gave orders to torture him in prison thinking that he would give into her advances.

While Yusuf was jailed, Zulaikha felt like a piece of her was missing. She let herself go, cried her eyes out, and broke all her useless idols which couldn't deliver. She gave her possessions to people and released her servants. Only a few of them refused to go and stayed by her side. All Zulaikha wanted was Yusuf; the love of her life. Ra'eel as she is also known in certain sources suffered for something close to 30 years from lovesickness.

Her husband had died and her big house became empty. Zulaikha also became blind but like Yusuf's father, she could smell his smell. So when Yusuf walked around the city or preached, she tracked him by his smell. She had also become a beggar that people of city including little rascals made fun of because of her obsession over Yusuf (AS).

Some reports say that Yusuf married Zulaikha because she crossed his path one day and was afflicted by famine. Feeling pity for her, he had decided to support her. They even go and say that Yusuf (AS) asked her what were her needs and she replied her youth. Other say she wanted her sight back to see him one last time.

Zulaikha became a firm believer :Her Youth was restored at an Old age. Zulaikha's love for Allah genuinely surpassed the love of Yusuf (AS) when the Prophet prayed his Lord so that her youth be restored. This was to show to some nearby disbelievers the favors of Allah. From that point on, she had declared her love to Him first. A strong woman of character, she remained steadfast in faith and prayers for long hours.

She thought that her youth was what made him want her while he had been ordained by his Lord to marry her because she had been made pure for him. Eventually, she received the message from her Lord to go to Yusuf (AS) as a bride. Some say she came to him saying she wanted to be his slave. Me, I see it as a metaphor based on Umamah bint al-Harith's words of advice, ""...be a servant to him, and he will become a servant to you...".

When they became permissible for each other, Yusuf (AS) hinted to her that their new status was better than the route she had sought before. Zulaikha replied with something along the lines that she was only human and asked that he forgives her.

Some say they had two children Afra'eem and Maysha while others say the children were from his first marriage with another woman who didn't see any issue with polygamy.

Please Note that Weather Yusuf (As) married Zulaekha at the end or not is a controversy since it does not find any reference in Quran and Hadeeth . But it seems that it was taken from the People of the Book, and we have been commanded not to believe them and not to disbelieve them either.

The Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "Do not believe the People of the Book and do not disbelieve them. Say: We believe in that which has been revealed to us and revealed to you, our God and your God is One, and we submit to Him." Narrated by al-Bukhaari,

Conclusion of the Story :"Zulaikha and Yusuf"

In conclusion, Zulaikha experienced the normal path of the sinner. She went through highs and lows. In the end, she was copiously rewarded.

Yusuf [alayhi as'salam] was a prophet of Allah who was in control of his desires. Zulaikha, like you and I, was not. She allowed her desires to overcome her love for Allah. She found herself to be living with the object of her want, Yusuf (alayhi as'salam). Zulaikha eventually diagnoses the root cause of her disease when she says:

ﻭَﻣَﺎ ﺃُﺑَﺮِّﺉُ ﻧَﻔْﺴِﻲ ﺇِﻥَّ ﺍﻟﻨَّﻔْﺲَ ﻟَﺄَﻣَّﺎﺭَﺓٌ ﺑِﺎﻟﺴُّﻮﺀِ ﺇِﻟَّﺎ ﻣَﺎ ﺭَﺣِﻢَ ﺭَﺑِّﻲ ﺇِﻥَّ ﺭَﺑِّﻲ ﻏَﻔُﻮﺭٌ ﺭَﺣِﻴﻢٌ
Yet I claim not that my soul [nafs] was innocent — surely the soul of man incites to evil — except inasmuch as my Lord had mercy; truly my Lord is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.' [12:53]

Her Nafs. Our Nafs. A beast inside each and every one of us that we must tame. An unbridled nafs will lead us to prefer all carnal desires over the love of what Allah and His Messenger Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) call us to. Doing so will cause us ruin in this world, and in the next. Yet a nafs that has been tamed will learn to prefer Allah and His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) over all else, causing happiness in this world and in the next.

The Messengers of Allah [Peace and blessings be upon them] taught us the cognizance of our souls, and gave us the tools to control our caprice, while reminding us that success can only come by the mercy of Allah [May He be glorified]. The story of Yusuf and Zulaikha explores the nature of desire, temptation, and envy that occupies space in all of our souls and leads many of us astray.

The end of this great love story ....

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