A Mana-cum-Maghza Reading onA QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies ISSN (Onlin.
: 2828-2779 Received: 07-12-2025.
Revised: 12-02-2026 Accepted: 15-03-2026.
Published: 31-03-2026 DOI: https://doi.
org/10.
23917/qist.
Gendered Moral Agency and QurAoanic Hermeneutics of Sexuality: A Mana-cum-Maghza Reading on the Story of Ysuf and ZulaykhA Siti Robikah1.
Izza Royyani2.
Muhammad K.
Ridwan3 Abstract This article investigates the gendered ethics of sexuality in Q.
Ysuf .
:23Ae24 through Sahiron SyamsuddinAos mana-cum-maghza hermeneutical framework, which integrates textual meaning with evolving ethical significance.
Contemporary social discourses frequently construct sexuality as a burden borne by women, casting them as primary sexual objects and assigning responsibility for sexual misconduct to their bodies and Traditional interpretations of the YsufAeZulaykhA episode have often reinforced this imbalance by foregrounding female desire while minimizing male sexual agency.
Through a linguistic, contextual, and intratextual analysis .
, followed by an exploration of historical, contemporary, and ideal significances .
, this study argues that the QurAoanic narrative actually affirms a more equitable ethical vision.
The text acknowledges both Ysuf and ZulaykhA as sexual subjects possessing desire and moral agency, while distinguishing them based on the ethical management of that desire rather than on gender.
The findings demonstrate that: .
sexual inclination is a universal human condition rooted in firah.
moral accountability applies equally to men and and .
wrongdoing arises not from sexuality itself, but from its coercive or unjust Thus, the narrative offers a QurAoanic foundation for gender-equitable sexual ethics, challenging patriarchal interpretations that stigmatize female desire and absolve male responsibility.
Keywords: Ysuf narrative.
ZulaykhA.
mana-cum-maghza.
gender justice.
1 State Islamic University (UIN) Salatiga.
Indonesia.
Email: bikarobikah@gmail.
2 STAI Bina Nusa Penajem Paser Utara.
Kalimantan Timur.
Indonesia.
Email:
izzaroyyan0312@gmail.
3 McGill University.
Montreal.
Canada.
Corresponding Email:
ridwan@mail.
Orcid: https://orcid.
org/0000-0002-3221-4375 QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies.
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Ridwan Introduction The issue of female sexuality has drawn renewed public attention in Indonesia, particularly following the prolonged delay in the ratification of the RUU Penghapusan Kekerasan Seksual (Bill on the Elimination of Sexual Violenc.
This legislative initiative, designed to protect womenAos rights and impose penalties on perpetrators of sexual violence, reflects a broader struggle among women to safeguard their bodily and moral integrity.
Yet, within dominant cultural and religious narratives, women continue to be positioned as the primary culprits in matters of sexuality.
The enduring assumption that women are sexual objects has led to the persistent victim-blaming logic in which acts of sexual violence are attributed to womenAos appearance or behaviorAiperceived as provoking male desire.
Such views indicate that patriarchal values remain deeply embedded in the fabric of society, despite the widespread discourse on gender equality in contemporary times.
Religious texts, which function as both moral guidance and legal reference, are often misinterpreted through the lens of gender bias.
QurAoanic narratives, particularly those recounting the lives of prophets, contain profound moral lessons that call for renewed interpretive attention in todayAos socio-ethical One of the most frequently cited stories used to legitimize the perception of women as sources of sexual temptation is the story of Prophet Ysuf and ZulaykhA.
In this narrative, as told in Srat Ysuf.
ZulaykhAAithe wife of the Egyptian official .
l-Az.
Aiis portrayed as attempting to seduce Ysuf to fulfill her This episode, vividly described in Q.
Ysuf .
:23Ae24, has long shaped the negative perception of ZulaykhA as a lustful and manipulative woman.
Such portrayals have contributed to the belief that women are inherently the source of moral disorder, while simultaneously neglecting their right to sexual subjectivity and human agency.
Moreover, exegetical attention has often been disproportionately focused on YsufAos moral virtue and resistance, with limited exploration of the storyAos broader gendered dynamics.
This imbalance reflects how patriarchal readings have historically influenced the construction of sexuality in QurAoanic interpretation, often marginalizing womenAos perspectives and experiences.
The interpretive discourse surrounding the story of Ysuf and ZulaykhA, as well as the mana-cum-maghza hermeneutical approach, is not entirely new within the field of QurAoanic studies.
A number of scholars have attempted to apply this method in their exegetical analyses, such as Abdul Muiz Amir.
Dani Habibi.
Muhammad Alwi H.
and Iin Parninsih.
Siti Robikah.
Adi Fadilah.
, and Faisal Haitomi.
Likewise, several studies have explored the narrative of Srat Ysuf from various interpretive and thematic perspectives.
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A Mana-cum-Maghza Reading onA including works by Ali Mursyid and Zidna Khaira Amalia .
, as well as Nurwijayanti et.
, among others.
While these studies provide valuable contributions, a review of the literature reveals that discussions on the figure of ZulaykhAAiparticularly in Q.
Ysuf .
:23Ae24Airemain largely underexplored through the mana-cum-maghza Most existing works tend to emphasize YsufAos moral integrity and virtue while portraying ZulaykhA as a symbol of temptation and moral This asymmetry has perpetuated a gendered bias that obscures the complex ethical and psychological dimensions of the story.
Therefore, this article seeks to uncover an alternative reading of the YsufAe ZulaykhA narrative by re-examining their interaction in Q.
Ysuf .
:23Ae24 through the mana-cum-maghza approach.
By placing both characters on equal interpretive ground, this study aims to reconstruct the negative stigma traditionally attached to ZulaykhA and to reveal the deeper message of gender equality embedded within the verses.
Method This study employs a qualitative hermeneutical approach with a focus on textual analysis grounded in Sahiron SyamsuddinAos mana-cum-maghza method of QurAoanic interpretation.
The research proceeds through three methodological First, the study examines the linguistic and intratextual dimensions of Ysuf 12:23Ae24.
This includes an analysis of key terms, particularly rAwadathu and hamm, through classical lexicons and comparative usage across QurAoanic Contextual relationships within Srat Ysuf are analyzed to understand how spatial structures, narrative sequencing, and character dynamics contribute to the moral tension embedded in the episode.
Second, the study utilizes historical contextualization, exploring the socio-religious environment of the revelation period to uncover the phenomenal-historical significance of the narrative.
This phase draws on established works of asbAb alnuzl and classical tafsr to identify how the episode served as a rhetorical and psychological reinforcement for the Prophet Muuammad and the early Muslim Third, the research engages in a normative-ethical reinterpretation consistent with the maghza framework.
This stage involves relating the narrativeAos moral implications to contemporary concerns surrounding sexuality, consent, and gender justice in Muslim societies.
Through this process, the study identifies the phenomenal-dynamic and ideal-eschatological layers of significance, allowing the text to speak meaningfully to modern ethical discourse while remaining grounded in QurAoanic epistemology.
Through these stages, the manacum-maghza method enables this study not only to explore the textual structure and narrative logic of the ZulaykhA episode but also to uncover its broader QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies.
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Ridwan relevance for rethinking gendered moral agency and sexual ethics in contemporary Muslim contexts.
Results and Discussion Conceptual Structure of Mana-cum-Maghza The Mana-cum-Maghza approach was formulated by Sahiron Syamsuddin as a contemporary hermeneutical framework for interpreting the QurAoan.
Drawing upon both classical exegetical principles and modern hermeneutical theory.
Syamsuddin situates his method within the broader discourse of meaning .
and significance .
He begins by classifying hermeneutical thought according to how meaning is ascribed to the object of interpretation.
identifies three major currents: objectivist, subjectivist, and objectivist-cumsubjectivist .
The objectivist school emphasizes recovering the original intention of the author or creator of a text, whether written, spoken, or expressed through symbols or human behavior.
Interpretation, in this sense, is a process of reconstructing what the author meant.
Classical figures such as Friedrich D.
Schleiermacher and Wilhelm Dilthey are commonly associated with this In contrast, the subjectivist school centers the interpreter or reader as the principal producer of meaning.
Within this current.
Syamsuddin distinguishes several degrees of subjectivity .
: the highly subjectivist forms of deconstruction and reader-response criticism.
moderately subjectivist trends such as post-structuralism.
and the less subjectivist orientation of structuralism.
The objectivist-cum-subjectivist school, represented by thinkers like Hans-Georg Gadamer and Jorge J.
Gracia, seeks to harmonize these two poles by emphasizing the dialogical relationship between text and interpreter.
Meaning emerges not solely from the author or the reader but from the fusion of their horizons .
, p.
Building upon these philosophical foundations.
Syamsuddin applies this tripartite classification to the field of contemporary QurAoanic interpretation, formulating three corresponding typologies: first, the quasi-objectivist traditionalist view, which holds that QurAoanic teachings must be understood, interpreted, and applied exactly as they were by the earliest Muslim community.
For this groupAiincluding movements such as IkhwAn al-Muslimn and SalafismAi the divine message is confined to its literal expression, which is to be universally and timelessly applied.
Second, the quasi-objectivist modernist view, which regards the literal or historical meaning .
l-manA al-a.
as the initial foundation for discerning the deeper, universal message behind the text.
This inner message, rather than the literal form, should be implemented in contemporary and future QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies.
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A Mana-cum-Maghza Reading onA Scholars exemplifying this orientation include Fazlur Rahman.
Nasr Amid Ab Zayd, and Muuammad al-Alib.
Third, the subjectivist view, which asserts that all interpretation is inherently shaped by the interpreterAos subjectivity and that interpretive truth is therefore relative.
According to this perspective, each generation possesses the right to reinterpret the QurAoan in light of its intellectual, cultural, and historical experiencesAia position exemplified by Muuammad Shahrr .
, pp.
73Ae.
Among these typologies.
Syamsuddin advocates for the quasi-objectivist modernist stance, which he considers to embody a Auhermeneutical equilibriumAyAi an interpretive posture that gives due attention to both the original literal meaning .
l-manA al-a.
and the overarching moral-theological message .
of the text .
The synthesis of these two layers of understanding is what he terms a Mana-cum-Maghza reading.
While this method bears resemblance to Fazlur RahmanAos double-movement theory and Abdullah SaeedAos contextualist approachAiboth of which emphasize movement between the historical and the contemporary contextsAiSyamsuddin extends their insights further .
Unlike Rahman and Saeed, whose models primarily address legal or ethical verses, the Mana-cum-Maghza framework aspires to embrace the entire QurAoanic discourse, enabling dynamic yet disciplined interpretation across thematic, narrative, and theological domains alike .
In SyamsuddinAos conception, the Mana-cum-Maghza approach consists of two interdependent interpretive dimensions.
The first is manaAithe original or literal meaning understood by the QurAoanAos first recipients within its historical and linguistic context.
The second is maghzaAithe significance or overarching message that extends beyond the immediate historical situation and speaks to broader, enduring human realities .
In this framework, the literal or historical meaning serves as the starting point for uncovering the deeper significance that transcends the immediate context of revelation.
The dynamic element of interpretation, therefore, does not lie in the literal meaning itself but in how the significance of the text is continually re-articulated across time and civilization.
As Syamsuddin explains, the Manacum-Maghza approach bridges the horizon of the text and that of the interpreter, harmonizing past and present, and balancing the Divine dimension of revelation with the human dimension of understanding.
This Aubalanced hermeneuticsAy enables interpreters to remain faithful to the QurAoanAos historical context while engaging with contemporary moral and social realities .
To refine this concept.
Syamsuddin distinguishes between two types of significance .
, p.
Phenomenal significance, which refers to the contextual and dynamic moral message as understood and applied through history.
This type is divided into:
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Phenomenal-historical significance: the primary message as comprehended and practiced during the ProphetAos time.
Understanding this requires a grasp of both the macro-social and micro-religious contexts of revelation, often informed by asbAb alnuzl and early Islamic history.
Phenomenal-dynamic significance: the message as interpreted and implemented in later periods, shaped by evolving thought and the Zeitgeist .
pirit of the ag.
Ideal significance, which represents the ultimate accumulation and perfection of human understanding of the QurAoanAos messageAian eschatological ideal reflecting GodAos intended telos for human civilization.
From this framework, dynamic interpretation is not the textual meaning itself but the human effort to continuously uncover and recontextualize the significance of the text.
The mana-cum-maghza approach seeks a balance between historical faithfulness and contextual transformation, enabling the QurAoan to remain both textually rooted and ethically alive in every generation.
Methodological Application of the Mana-cum-Maghza Approach In practical terms, the Mana-cum-Maghza approach involves several interrelated methodological steps designed to balance textual analysis with contextual interpretation.
First, the interpreter begins with a linguistic analysis of the QurAoanic text.
is crucial to recognize that the QurAoan employs seventh-century Arabic, a language marked by distinctive lexical, semantic, and syntactic characteristics.
nuanced understanding of this linguistic system enables the interpreter to grasp the original sense of the text as understood by its earliest audience .
To refine this analysis.
Syamsuddin emphasizes the importance of intra-textual analysisAi that is, comparing the usage of a given term across various QurAoanic contexts to discern its semantic range and relational meaning.
This method rests on the hermeneutical assumption that every textual interpretation begins with a historical meaning, which serves as the foundation for subsequent interpretive The QurAoanAos universal truth unfolds through this ongoing process of reinterpretation, grounded in the recognition that language, including QurAoanic Arabic, possesses both synchronic and diachronic dimensions.
The synchronic aspect refers to linguistic structures that remain stable, while the diachronic dimension reflects the dynamic shifts in meaning that occur over time .
Second, the interpreter must consider the historical context of revelation, both at the macro and micro levels.
The macro-historical context encompasses QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies.
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A Mana-cum-Maghza Reading onA the broader socio-cultural and political conditions of Arabian society during the time of revelation, while the micro-historical context refers to the specific circumstances surrounding the revelation of a verse, commonly known as asbAb al-nuzl.
These two contextual layers provide essential insights for reconstructing the communicative situation in which the text originally functioned, allowing for a more accurate understanding of its initial meaning .
l-manA al-a.
Third, the interpreter proceeds to explore the maqad or maghza of the verseAithat is, the underlying purpose, significance, or moral message intended by the text.
This can be discerned through careful attention to both linguistic expression and historical context, including the symbolic dimensions embedded within the QurAoanic discourse.
The ultimate goal of this step is to contextualize the maghzaAito translate the ethical and theological significance of the verse into contemporary frameworks without undermining its textual integrity .
Through these stages, the Mana-cum-Maghza approach establishes a dynamic interpretive process: beginning from the textual-linguistic layer, moving through historical reconstruction, and culminating in contextual This movement reflects the balance between historical faithfulness and present-day relevance, ensuring that the QurAoanAos message remains both anchored in revelation and responsive to human experience across time.
The Story of ZulaykhA in Q.
Ysuf .
: 23Ae24 in Classical and Modern Tafsr Before approaching the story of Ysuf and ZulaykhA in Q.
Ysuf .
:23Ae 24 through the Mana-cum-Maghza framework, it is necessary to first review how this episode has been interpreted in both classical and modern QurAnic Such a review is essential to understand the exegetical dynamics surrounding the narrative, particularly regarding the terms rAwada and hamm, which form the analytical focus of this study.
Among classical exegetes, al-abar begins his interpretation of verse 23 by examining the term rAwadat-hu (Aushe sought to seduce himA.
, citing several reports .
iwAyA.
to support his reading.
Quoting Ab Jafar, al-abar explains that God revealed this verse concerning Authe wife of al-AzzAithe masterAos wifeAiwho sought to seduce Ysuf so that he might lie with her,Ay a view corroborated by the traditions of Ibn umayd.
Ibn Wak, and Ibn Atim.
His explanation is concise, similar to that of Ibn Kathr, who notes that the Egyptian womanAos actions stemmed from her overwhelming passion for Ysuf .
By contrast, al-Qurub offers a more detailed linguistic analysis, explaining that al-murAwadah, the verbal noun of rAwada, means Auto invite or entice someone into physical intimacy or seduction.
Ay Some commentators, he notes, relate the word to ruwaidun, meaning Auto request gentlyAy.
Similarly, al-Zamakhshar QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies.
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The word rAwadat-hu is directly connected to the phrase hayta laka (Aucome to meA.
, in which ZulaykhA acts as the grammatical subject.
Al-abar interprets this as meaning.
AuI have prepared myself for you,Ay citing multiple riwAyAt in keeping with his tafsr biAol-mathr methodology.
Al-Qurub also repeats this view but highlights YsufAos invocation of divine protection at the moment of temptation.
In contrast, al-Zamakhshar takes hayta laka as equivalent to an invitation to sin .
, suggesting that ZulaykhAAos act was self-destructive and led to moral corruption .
Regarding verse 24 and the term hamm, al-abar interprets it as an indication that the woman sought to attract YsufAos attention through temptation, to which he momentarily responded.
He includes several isrAliyyAt reports depicting their interaction in sexually charged terms.
Scholars then differ on how to understand YsufAos hamm.
Some interpret it as a test of the ProphetAos human natureAian impulse restrained by divine interventionAiwhile others see it as an occasion for moral exemplarity, showing how GodAos chosen servants resist desire .
Al-Qurub likewise focuses on YsufAos ethical integrity, while al-Zamakhshar maintains that a mere hammAia passing thoughtAiis blameless unless it evolves into a deliberate act .
Citing Ibn Jarr al-abar, he notes that Ysuf Ausaw a sign from his Lord that deterred him from what he intended,Ay whereas Ibn Kathr affirms that Ysuf, being among GodAos purified servants .
, was divinely protected from sin .
Overall, classical exegetes tend to center their interpretations on YsufAos moral steadfastness, portraying hamm as a test of prophetic virtue.
In contrast.
ZulaykhAAos hamm is largely treated as a narrative device illustrating YsufAos trial rather than her own agency or subjectivity.
Modern exegetes such as Aumad MuafA al-MarAgh.
Quraish Shihab, and Hamka reinterpret the verses with greater attention to psychological and socio-cultural contexts.
They begin verse 23 by considering the circumstances that led the wife of al-Azz to seduce Ysuf.
Quraish Shihab reads rAwadat-hu in light of these conditions, suggesting that the Egyptian noblewoman may have been emotionally unfulfilled in her marriage or that her husband was physically incapable.
Hamka, in his Tafsir al-Azhar, describes this episode as YsufAos second major Drawing on Ibn IsuAqAos reports, he notes that al-Azz and his wife had been childless for years, which motivated their adoption of Ysuf.
Hamka attributes ZulaykhAAos seduction to her inability to restrain her desires for a young and attractive man.
While initially contextual.
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A Mana-cum-Maghza Reading onA themselves when confronted with beauty, implying a generalization about female nature .
Quraish Shihab, on the other hand, emphasizes the power asymmetry between ZulaykhA and Ysuf.
As the wife of his master, she wielded authority over him and exploited this position in repeated, deliberate attempts at He interprets rAwada as Auto request something gently but persistently,Ay implying a repeated act of persuasion designed to elicit compliance .
Similarly, al-MarAgh interprets the phrase rAwadat-hu allat f baytihA (Authe one in whose house he lived sought to seduce himA.
as an attempt by al-AzzAos wife to deceive Ysuf into submission.
He draws upon al-ZamakhsharAos understanding that such seduction involves coercion and deceit, likening it to the act of seizing something from a victim.
Turning to verse 24, al-MarAgh adopts a gendered stance, suggesting that the term hamm cannot denote sexual intention because the subject in question is a woman.
For him, the act of initiating sexual desire belongs to men, while women merely respond.
This interpretation implicitly reaffirms male dominance in sexual agency.
By contrast.
Hamka views hamm as an Auinner emotional stirAy .
elora jiw.
rather than a concrete act .
He interprets it as a natural impulse consistent with human psychology and biologyAiparticularly for menAibut insists that YsufAos exceptional piety and spiritual vigilance .
usAn and ikhlA) allowed him to resist temptation .
Hamka ultimately sides with al-Baghaw, reasoning that YsufAos restraint illustrates a model of moral health and divine protection .
While Quraish Shihab adopts a more neutral tone, acknowledging that even prophets possess human desire but remain under divine guidance .
A comparative reading of both classical and modern exegeses reveals three major tendencies.
First, both classical and modern commentators frequently reproduce gender-biased interpretations, emphasizing YsufAos moral fortitude while reducing ZulaykhA to an emblem of temptation.
The sexual symbolism of rAwadat-hu and hamm is rarely treated reciprocally between male and female figures .
Second, the meaning of these key terms cannot be divorced from their linguistic and historical contexts, which condition their semantic and moral Third, classical exegetes tend to remain within a literal-linguistic framework, while modern commentators begin to incorporate insights from other disciplines, such as psychology and sociology.
Consequently, the story of ZulaykhA calls for renewed examination through the Mana-cum-Maghza lensAi one that reconsiders both the literal meaning .
and the significance .
of the text to uncover its deeper message regarding gender relations, human desire, and moral agency.
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Ridwan Revelation Context: Macro and Micro Dimensions Srat Ysuf is a uniquely structured chapter of the QurAoan .
It presents a continuous and coherent narrative centered on a single main characterAi Prophet YsufAiunfolding across multiple interconnected episodes .
This stands in contrast to many other QurAoanic narratives, where the story of a figure is usually dispersed across various srahs and appears only in selected episodes rather than as a complete narrative unit, as is the case here.
This distinctive narrative unity is one of the reasons why a number of scholars have regarded the story in this srah as ausan al-qaa (Authe best of storiesA.
In addition to its rich moral, spiritual, and ethical content, the narrative offers vivid depictions of emotional and psychological states: the inner turmoil of a young man, the seductive strategies of a woman, patience in the face of trial, the pain of separation, and the enduring love and compassion of a father .
The story also contains imaginative and evocative scenes, providing both explicit and implicit information about past events and social realities, thereby inviting readers to reflect on the historical, psychological, and relational dimensions embedded in the narrative .
Srat Ysuf was revealed in Mecca before the Prophet Muuammad migrated to Madinah.
The socio-religious climate of the revelation resembled that of Srat YnusAimarked by a state of crisis and intense opposition to the ProphetAos mission.
This period followed the event of the IsrAAeMirAj, which many skeptics viewed with suspicion.
Even some among the newly converted began to waver in their faith, and cases of apostasy were reported.
Additionally, the Prophet himself was enduring profound personal grief due to the recent passing of his beloved wife Khadjah and his protective uncle Ab Alib.
It was under these circumstances that Srat Ysuf was revealed to console and strengthen the ProphetAos heart .
Within this srah.
Prophet Ysuf is presented as a figure of exceptional integrity and spiritual excellence, confronted with multiple trials across different stages of life.
The narrative recounts his suffering at the hands of his own brothers, his abandonment in a well, which caused separation from his father, the seduction of a powerful and wealthy woman during the prime of his youthAi at a moment when natural desires would be at their peakAiand later his unjust imprisonment .
His eventual rise to honor illustrates the fruits of steadfastness .
stiAma.
and patience .
in the face of adversity .
In LubAb al-Nuql f AsbAb al-Nuzl, al-Suy cites Ibn Jarr al-abar, who narrates from Ibn AbbAs that the Companions asked the Prophet.
AuO Messenger of God, could you narrate to us a story?Ay Thereupon, verse Q.
Ysuf .
:3 was Al-Qurub offers a slightly different context, noting that a group from among the Jews requested that the Prophet recount the story of Ysuf, which led QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies.
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From these reports, it becomes evident that the macro-context of the srah centers on strengthening the ProphetAos resolve while confronting communal rejection and personal hardship.
Meanwhile, the micro-context reflects the QurAoanAos intention to present this narrative as the Aubest of stories,Ay full of lessons and moral exemplars for believers across time.
The Mana (Literal Meanin.
of the ZulaykhA Episode In this narrative.
Yusuf is not the only prominent figure.
the QurAoan also centers the role of a woman, the wife of al-Azz, who becomes the other key agent in the unfolding drama.
This female figure, later widely identified as ZulaykhA, has often been framed as the seductress who attempted to compromise the prophetic integrity of Ysuf.
The QurAoan vividly depicts how she initiated and escalated the confrontation, particularly through the wording employed in Srat Ysuf .
:23Ae24.
The linguistic fabric of these verses provides the primary textual cues for interpreting agency, desire, and moral accountability in the ZulaykhA episode.
Her portrayal in the exegetical tradition has frequently been framed through a gender-biased lens, positioning her primarily as a seductress .
This article argues that a closer reading of Q.
Ysuf 12:23Ae24, however, reveals a far more complex discourse surrounding agency, desire, and moral responsibility, while at the same time acknowledging YsufAos human susceptibility within a morally complex scenario.
The first critical expression is: wa-rAwadat-hu allat huwa f baytihA an nafsih Auand the one in whose house he lived tried to seduce him away from himself.
Ay The verb rAwadat-hu is derived from the root r-w-d, which denotes a gentle yet persistent attempt to obtain something that is initially refused.
The verbal form used here indicates repetition, suggesting continuous attempts by the wife of al-Azz to persuade Ysuf despite his resistance.
The prepositional phrase an nafsih is especially significant.
It does not merely indicate that she attempted to have intercourse with him.
rather, it signals that the seduction sought to separate Ysuf from his moral selfhood, from his identity grounded in divine Thus, the seduction is both physical and existential .
The verbal form rAwadat-hu (Form .
, as many classical grammarians note, denotes linguistic features and their implications .
, such as repetitive action, which means repeated attempts despite rejection, a reciprocity marker meaning one party trying to influence the will of another, and negotiation through affection implying emotional manipulation embedded in a request .
AlBiqAAos observation that the root r-w-d relates to circular movement reinforces this interpretation: ZulaykhA constructs a strategic emotional encirclement, not a single impulsive act.
She plans the encounter and moves the structure of the narrative around her intentions .
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Ridwan This is heightened by: wa-ghallaqat al-abwAb Auand she locked the doors.
Ay This clause shows intentional physical measures taken to overpower YsufAos agency.
The plural abwAb signals a systematic elimination of escape routes, that all possible exits were sealed to isolate Ysuf, constructing an environment of The narrative space becomes a closed system, as an extension of her persuasive strategy, intensifying the psychological and theatrically staging of YsufAos moral confrontation .
The physical setting thus becomes symbolic communication: seduction through restriction.
The statement hayta laka further intensifies the sceneAiconveying an imperative meaning AuCome to me,Ay spoken with immediacy and assertive authority.
Some exegetes note tones of enticement mixed with command embedded within this brief expression.
The .
ccording to al-Qurub, al-Zamakhsha.
masculine object suffix -ka highlights direct address of a subordinate male, reinforcing power asymmetry .
ZulaykhA is not merely a woman driven by passion.
she is a figure of social supremacy utilizing sexual power, spatial control, and institutional authority .
These features indicate that moral responsibility in the episode is inseparable from gendered power dynamics.
YsufAos response is equally terse yet theologically charged: qAla maAdhA AllAh Auhe said.
I seek refuge in God.
Ay Here, the divine name appears in the first line of his response, foregrounding theocentric consciousness as his primary defense.
There is no hesitation, no negotiation, no explanation tied to social fear.
YsufAos identity is anchored in taqwA before social hierarchy .
Al-abAabA remarks that YsufAos refusal is grounded solely in divine consciousness, not fear of human consequences.
The narrative thus presents two contrasting moral postures within one scene:
coercive desire and prophetic restraint.
Verse 24 presents the most interpretively contested expression: wa-laqad hammath-bih wa-hammA bihA lawlA an raA burhAna rabbih Aushe certainly desired him, and he would have desired her, had he not seen the proof of his Lord.
Ay The perfect tense hammath indicates that ZulaykhAAos desire was fully formed, her intention translated into planned and enacted seduction.
In contrast, hammA bihA is grammatically conditional, and the divine sign interrupts development from impulse, intention, and action .
, p.
This creates a linguistic-ethical Table 1.
Linguistic-Ethical Distinction Dimension ZulaykhA Ysuf Linguistic form Impulse Intention Action Moral valence hammath-bih hammA bihA .
Affected Interrupted Rejected Prevented by burhAn Active Active Attempted Volitional desire QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies.
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A Mana-cum-Maghza Reading onA Outcome Attempted seduction No enactment The burhAn rabbih functions narratively as immediate divine intervention and theologically as authentication of prophethood.
Thus, from a mana perspective, both are capable of sexual desire .
ecognition of shared humanit.
, and only YsufAos desire is interrupted before moral compromise.
This suggests that desire itself is not condemned.
its governance is what determines virtue.
Classical scholars such as al-Zamakhshar argue that hamm can refer to a passing inclinationAia natural human responseAirather than a committed intention.
Reports attributed to Ibn AbbAs also acknowledge the existence of human desire in Ysuf but highlight that divine insight halted any progression toward sin .
Thus, his hamm indicates inner vulnerability rather than moral failure.
The narrative affirms his status as one of GodAos mukhlanAithose purified and protected by divine will.
This linguistic-intratextual analysis highlights several important points:
first, gendered asymmetry in exegetical tradition: classical commentators often intensify ZulaykhAAos seduction while spiritualizing YsufAos role, leading to interpretive imbalance .
Second, rAwadat-hu and hamm must be interpreted within their textual and narrative environment, rather than isolated moral Third, the QurAoanic discourse shows both characters as sexual subjects, though differentiated by moral outcomes and divine protection.
These findings underscore the necessity of a mana-cum-maghza rereading to recover the ethical significance of the episodeAiparticularly regarding gender agency and moral responsibility.
The Maghza of the ZulaykhA Narrative: Gendered Moral Agency and QurAoanic Sexual Ethics Having reconstructed the mana of Q.
Ysuf .
:23Ae24 through linguistic and historical analysis, this section explores the maghzaAithe ethical significanceAiembedded in the narrative.
Within the mana-cum-maghza approach, the QurAoanic meaning .
is anchored in the historical-linguistic structure of the text, while the ethical significance .
unfolds across time and contexts.
Thus, the narrative of Ysuf and the wife of al-Azz in Q.
Ysuf 12:23Ae24 should not be confined to a textual reconstruction of a past event, but instead viewed as a dynamic ethical discourse extending into contemporary and future realities.
The storyAos phenomenal-historical significance first emerges within the context of early Meccan Islam, where the Prophet Muuammad faced heightened doubt, public ridicule, and profound personal grief.
The QurAoan presents YsufAos QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies.
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Siti Robikah.
Izza Royyani.
Muhammad K.
Ridwan firm refusalAiqAla maAdha AllAhAias an exemplar of moral resilience rooted in unwavering faith.
In a period when the Prophet was questioned and tempted to despair.
YsufAos triumph over seduction and injustice functioned as a narrative reassurance that steadfastness, not immunity from desire or hardship, marks true prophethood .
In the story of Ysuf and ZulaykhA, the markers of sexuality are articulated through the terms rAwadat-hu and hamm, each enacted by its respective subject.
Traditional exegetical accounts often portray women as aggressors and men as passive victims, yet the QurAoan deploys parallel verbal constructionsAiwa-laqad hammath-bih and wa-hammA bihAAito indicate that both characters possess desire and agency.
This linguistic symmetry reveals that erotic initiative is not genderexclusive.
rather, sexual potential is a shared human capacity.
Desire .
is acknowledged as a human inclination rather than a feminine flaw or masculine What distinguishes Ysuf is not the absence of desire, but the presence of taqwA that governs and directs it.
Thus, the ethical distinction is not gendered but anchored in the level of faith and the ability to regulate desire .
The QurAoanic narrative affirms that both men and women are sexual subjects and moral agents.
The narrative underscores that human sexual disposition is universal and morally neutral.
ZulaykhAAos rAwadat-hu demonstrates that women are sexual subjects, capable of initiating and expressing desire, while YsufAos propensity toward hamm reveals that men are not exempt from erotic susceptibility .
Both Ysuf and ZulaykhA experience sexual attraction, yet their responses diverge significantly.
While Ysuf restrains his desire through divine consciousness.
ZulaykhA acts upon hers in a manner that misuses her social authority.
The ethical distinction lies not in the presence of desireAisince desire is a natural aspect of firahAibut in how that desire is Sexuality is not in itself sinful.
rather, ethical judgment arises when desire is expressed through coercion or injustice.
Thus, the QurAoan does not portray women as inherently dangerous nor men as inherently righteous.
Instead, the story signals that harm emerges when power and unrestrained desire Table 2.
Contrasting Ethical Responses to Desire YusufAos Agency ZulaykhAAos Agency Desire restrained Desire enacted Divine consciousness Power misuse Morally exemplary Morally harmful This episode, therefore, disrupts patriarchal assumptions by asserting that men and women stand equal before God in their capacity to obey or transgress .
Virtue lies not in bodily condition but in self-control rooted in mAni.
This QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies.
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A Mana-cum-Maghza Reading onA reorients QurAoanic sexual ethics toward equitable human accountability rather than gender-based suspicion .
This reading encourages a more equitable moral expectation, dismantling long-standing misogynistic interpretations that disproportionately place blame upon women .
When this narrative is read within contemporary contexts, a phenomenal-dynamic significance comes into view, particularly regarding gendered constructions of sexuality and moral responsibility .
The ethical imperative is not the suppression of sexuality nor the assignment of blame along gender lines, but the cultivation of self-control and responsible action.
Through this lens, the maghza of the narrative corrects interpretive traditions that have monopolized sexual agency in male bodies and relegated temptation to female bodies.
Traditional tafsr has often intensified the portrayal of the woman as the source of temptation while ennobling Ysuf as morally invulnerable.
Such interpretations mirror patriarchal assumptions rather than QurAoanic nuance .
This article argues that men and women both possess the capacity to be sexual subjects as well as sexual objects.
Sexuality fundamentally expresses the human self and represents one of the most evident aspects of human existence.
It is a social process through which desire is articulated and enacted, and can also be understood as an expression of erotic impulse that is socially constructed .
Human sexuality is transmitted from one generation to the next and is shaped by multiple interrelated factors, including politics, economics, cultural values, and religious teachings.
As a manifestation of sexuality, sexual desire is a normal and natural experience that may arise in both men and women.
One of the foundational principles of sexualityAiindeed the reason it is considered a vital human needAiis that sexuality is a healthy and natural dimension of human life .
Likewise, in verse 24, the term hamm attributed to ZulaykhA is met with hamm attributed to Ysuf, although the conditions and outcomes differ The sexual desire experienced by ZulaykhA is, in essence, a recurring phenomenon inherent to human beings across generations.
Modern studies indicate that endorphins stimulate or inhibit particular emotional responses, including sexual impulses .
While ZulaykhAAos coercive attempt to seduce Ysuf is clearly prohibited and morally unacceptable, the issue should not be placed on the mere presence of female desireAioften treated as tabooAibut rather on how sexual impulses are ethically governed.
Although sexuality in Islam is understood as a natural disposition .
shared by both men and women, its expression must conform to established ethical norms and social values .
Consequently, both men and women are positioned equally as moral agents in matters of sexuality.
The responsibility for sexual self-regulation is not imposed solely upon women.
it is required also of men, particularly when sexual behavior risks becoming harmful or abusive.
QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies.
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Siti Robikah.
Izza Royyani.
Muhammad K.
Ridwan In this sense, the ethical distinction drawn by the QurAoan is not based on gendered essentialism, but on the capacity to regulate desire according to divine guidance .
The moral crisis in this narrative arises not from sexuality itselfAi since sexual desire is part of human firahAibut from the misuse of power and absence of consent when ZulaykhA exploits her social authority to entrap Ysuf.
This dynamic reading provides a robust QurAoanic basis for rejecting contemporary forms of victim-blaming, domestic patriarchy, and the stigmatization of female sexuality, while affirming gender equality in moral accountability .
, p.
In modern legal contexts such as the discourse surrounding IndonesiaAos RUU P-KS, this maghza underscores the necessity of protecting sexual dignity regardless of gender and challenging social structures that normalize coercion .
Beyond these contextual layers, the narrative also gestures toward an idealeschatological significance in SyamsuddinAos frameworkAian ultimate ethical horizon where human dignity and spiritual integrity constitute the highest goal of civilization.
In this vision, sexuality is not a dangerous force to be policed disproportionately upon one gender, but a sacred trust requiring conscious governance by all.
The QurAoan anticipates a society in which the moral evaluation of sexual behavior is based on justice .
, dignity .
arAma.
, and mutual responsibility, not on patriarchal suspicion of womenAos desires or moral double standards that exonerate men while condemning women .
The figure of Ysuf as mukhla .
ivinely purifie.
underscores that ethical excellence arises through the harmonization of human desire with divine The figure of ZulaykhAAiwho is morally accountable not for her desire but for her coercive enactment of itAidemonstrates that sin is rooted in power abuse rather than in sexuality itself .
This ideal significance, therefore, aims to cultivate a global sexual ethic that upholds consent, self-control, spiritual maturity, and equal protection of bodily autonomy.
A careful intratextual reading demonstrates that these verses must be understood in relation to their broader narrative environment .
Preceding the seduction scene, the QurAoan portrays a gradual development of YsufAos charisma, moral consciousness, and spiritual maturity.
The events that followAifalse accusation, imprisonment, and eventual political elevationAireveal a trajectory of institutional violence and later vindication .
Within the larger architecture of the srah, the story outlines a narrative arc grounded in vulnerability, displacement of power, and the eventual reversal of injustice through divine intervention .
Sexual desire, therefore, is not an isolated problem in this narrative, but is situated within a continuum of trials testing YsufAos integrity in multiple domains: familial love and betrayal, bodily autonomy, personal freedom, and social authority.
QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies.
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A Mana-cum-Maghza Reading onA From this perspective, several interpretive implications emerge.
First, the story affirms dual moral gender agency: both Ysuf and ZulaykhA act with intention and will.
This challenges exegetical traditions that depict women exclusively as seductresses and men as passive recipients of temptation.
Second, the narrative highlights the significance of gendered power dynamics.
ZulaykhAAos social authority and positional dominance complicate any simplistic assignment of blame, directing ethical concern toward coercion and domination rather than desire alone .
Third, the conditional structure of the verse .
owlA an raA burhAna rabbi.
underscores the humanity of prophethood.
Ysuf is not portrayed as an ascetic figure detached from embodied impulse, but as a human being whose moral triumph is achieved through divine guidance and personal restraint .
Finally, the QurAoanAos literary style intentionally avoids erotic Unlike certain post-biblical narrative elaborations that sensationalize the episode, the QurAoan remains focused on the ethical stakes rather than graphic details, emphasizing moral outcome over voyeuristic Seen through this tripartite lens, the story of Ysuf and ZulaykhA emerges as a profound QurAoanic intervention in sexual ethics, dismantling interpretive traditions that pathologize womenAos sexuality and impose asymmetrical moral The QurAoan calls for a reevaluation of inherited gender norms and affirms that both men and women are fully sexual, fully responsible, and fully dignified beings before God.
In its ideal trajectory, the maghza of this narrative fosters a theologically grounded commitment to gender justice, reshaping how Muslim societies understand and legislate sexual relations.
It urges the development of social conditions in which sexuality reflects mutual respect and divine purposeAirather than serving as a site of domination and harm.
In this way, the ZulaykhA episode sustains ongoing ethical transformation, guiding contemporary Muslim engagement with issues of sexuality, consent, and gender equality within the overarching framework of QurAoanic moral vision.
Table 3.
Maghza Trajectory in the ZulaykhA Episode Interpretive Horizon Historical Contemporary Universal Maghza Outcome Moral endurance of prophets.
Console believers under trial Sexual ethics grounded in gender equality and Dignified human sexuality governed by taqwA and justice QiST: Journal of Quran and Tafseer Studies.
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Siti Robikah.
Izza Royyani.
Muhammad K.
Ridwan Conclusion This study has demonstrated that Q.
Ysuf 12:23Ae24, when read through Sahiron SyamsuddinAos mana-cum-maghza hermeneutical framework, offers a corrective to gender-biased interpretations that have historically dominated the exegetical tradition.
The literal, historical layer of the narrative .
reveals a moment of intense moral trial in the life of Ysuf, functionally positioned to console the Prophet Muuammad and strengthen the early Muslim community during a period of severe psychological and social crisis.
Sexual desire .
is portrayed not as a vice or weakness, but as an intrinsic human inclination experienced by both male and female figures.
What distinguishes Ysuf in this episode is not immunity from desire but his active moral governance, rooted in unwavering faith .
aqwA).
When extended into contemporary contexts .
henomenal-dynamic maghz.
, this narrative challenges patriarchal assumptions that link sexuality exclusively with women and rational restraint with men.
It affirms both genders as sexual subjects and moral agents, equally capable of desire and equally accountable for their actions.
The QurAoanAos critique is directed not at female sexuality per se, but at the abuse of power and violation of consentAiethical concerns that remain critically relevant today, particularly amid ongoing struggles against genderbased violence and the societal tendencies to blame women for sexual In this respect, the ethical trajectory of this narrative lends strong support to legal and social reforms that uphold bodily autonomy, protect individuals from coercion, and ensure justice irrespective of gender.
Ultimately, the mana-cum-maghza reading of the YsufAeZulaykhA narrative reveals the QurAoan as a text that not only recognizes and affirms the realities of human sexuality but also insists on ethical accountability and gender It calls for a recalibration of inherited gender norms in Muslim thought and practice, urging believers to construct social relations in which both men and women are treated as fully responsible moral beings.
Thus, this episode serves as a crucial QurAoanic paradigm for cultivating an equitable, dignified, and spiritually grounded sexual ethicAione that continues to speak powerfully to the ethical challenges faced by Muslim societies today.
Author Contributions Siti Robikah designed the study and led the manuscript writing.
Izza Royyani conducted the textual analysis and contributed to the interpretation.
Muhammad K.
Ridwan provided critical revisions and ensured overall All authors approved the final version of the article.
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A Mana-cum-Maghza Reading onA Acknowledgments The authors would like to express their appreciation to colleagues and reviewers who provided valuable feedback during the development of this We also extend our gratitude to the institutions that have supported our academic work and provided access to relevant research resources.
Any remaining errors or shortcomings are solely the responsibility of the authors.
Conflict of Interest The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Funding This research did not receive any financial support.
Bibliography