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wa-stabaqā l-bāba wa-qaddat qamīṣahū min duburin wa-ʾalfayā s-sayyidahā ladā l-bābi qālat mā jazāʾu man ʾarāda bi-ʾahlika sūʾan ʾillā ʾan yusjana ʾaw ʿadhābun ʾalīmun
They raced to the door, and she tore his shirt from behind, and they ran into her husband at the door. She said, ‘What is to be the requital of him who has evil intentions for your wife except imprisonment or a painful punishment?’
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Yusuf - Verse 25
25. “And they both raced to the door and she tore his shirt form the back. They both found her husband by the door. She said: ‘What is the punishment for him who intends evil to your wife save he be imprisoned or a painful chastisement?’”
The Arabic word /’istibaq/ means one or several persons racing with each other; and the term /qadda/ signifies to be torn apart lengthwise. The word /lafa’/ refers to the sudden finding of something. Yusuf’s firm resistance almost made Zulaykha lose hope. But Yusuf, who had won against the restive low desires in the course of confrontation with that beautiful woman who burned with desire for him, felt he would not be out of danger if he remained in that situation, so he bolted for the door.
Zulaykha, not to be outmaneuvered, took off after him, as the verse indicates, they both raced towards the door, and not being able to catch up to him, she reached out for his shirt to pull him back and tore it from the back. Yusuf did eventually make it to the door, and, on opening it, they came face to face with the ‘Aziz. The verse says:
“And they both raced to the door and she tore his shirt form the back. They both found her husband by the door...”
The need to protect herself from scandal and the desire to punish Yusuf for rejecting her advances flooded her thoughts. Putting on a specious face, she looked at her husband with a straight face and accused Yusuf of having evil designs against her, and sought his punishment by prison or a grievous chastisement. The verse says:
“…She said: ‘What is the punishment for him who intends evil to your wife save he be imprisoned or a painful chastisement?’”