Surah Yusuf 12:28
سُورَةُ يُوسُفَ · Meccan · Verse 28 of 111
فَلَمَّا رَءَا قَمِيصَهُۥ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٍۢ قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ مِن كَيْدِكُنَّ ۖ إِنَّ كَيْدَكُنَّ عَظِيمٌۭ
Translation
When the husband saw that the shirt was torn at the back, he said, ‘This is another instance of women’s treachery: your treachery is truly great.
English translation: M.A.S. Abdel Haleem.
Meaning and reflection
Wording
This verse marks a pivotal moment in the story of Yusuf (peace be upon him), as the truth of the incident with the Aziz's wife begins to unfold. It describes the husband's reaction upon seeing the crucial piece of evidence: Yusuf's torn shirt.
The Telling Tear
The verse begins, "So when he saw his shirt torn from behind (فَلَمَّا رَءَا قَمِيصَهُۥ قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٍۢ)". The "he" here is the husband, the Azeez. The specific detail of the shirt being "torn from behind" (قُدَّ مِن دُبُرٍۢ) is key. The word *qudda* (قُدَّ) means "torn" or "cut lengthwise". This wasn't just any tear; it was a clear indication that Yusuf was fleeing from her, and she was pulling him back from behind. As Ibn Ashur explains, this type of tear occurs when someone is turning away (مُوَلِّيًا عَنْها مُعْرِضًا) and is then grabbed from behind. This single physical piece of evidence immediately exposed the wife's lie and affirmed Yusuf's innocence.
The General Accusation
Upon seeing this incontrovertible proof, the Azeez declared, "He said, 'Indeed, it is from your [women's] cunning (قَالَ إِنَّهُۥ مِن كَيْدِكُنَّ)'". The pronoun *innahu* (إِنَّهُۥ), "indeed, it is," refers to the wife's earlier false accusation against Yusuf. The husband immediately recognized her deceit.
What's particularly striking in the wording is the shift from addressing his wife individually to using the plural feminine pronoun *kaydikunna* (كَيْدِكُنَّ), meaning "your [women's] cunning." Al-Zamakhshari and Ibn Ashur point out that this is a generalization. The husband addresses his wife but implicitly extends the accusation to her "class" or "type" of women, as if they are all present. This highlights his perception that such elaborate deception is characteristic of some women. The word *kayd* (كيد) itself denotes a clever, often deceptive, scheme to achieve an objective by appearing to do something else, a perfect description of the wife's actions.
A Cunning of Great Magnitude
The verse then powerfully concludes with the Azeez stating, "Indeed, your cunning is great (إِنَّ كَيْدَكُنَّ عَظِيمٌۭ)." The repetition of "indeed, your cunning" emphasizes the profound impact of her deception. The adjective *azeem* (عَظِيمٌۭ), meaning "great" or "mighty," underscores the severity and complexity of the scheme. Al-Zamakhshari highlights that women's cunning can be "more subtle and effective in deception" than men's, contrasting it with Allah's description of Shaytan's cunning as "weak" elsewhere in the Quran. Al-Razi further clarifies that while human weakness is general, the cunning of women can be great in comparison to other humans, often leading to significant social and personal shame. This statement, coming from the husband who has just witnessed such a calculated deception, conveys his realization of the potent and impactful nature of this particular kind of human manipulation.
Sources: al-Zamakhshari (al-Kashshaf), al-Jalalayn, al-Jadwal fi I'rab al-Quran (Mahmud Safi), Ibn Ashur (al-Tahrir wa al-Tanwir), al-Razi (Mafatih al-Ghayb)
Topics that discuss this verse
Surah Yusuf 12:28 is discussed in 5 study guides on Maani. Each guide gathers the key verses, Arabic words and lessons of one Quranic topic.
Reflect on this verse
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