Surah Yusuf (12) — Ayah 32

(Ayah 32) ➊ In {قَالَتْ فَذٰلِكُنَّ الَّذِيْ …: ’’ ذٰلِكُنَّ ‘‘}, the demonstrative pronoun is {’’ذَا‘‘}, to which the pronoun of the addressee is attached after observing whether the addressee is male or female, singular, dual, or plural. For example, if you are addressing one person and want to point out a man to him and say something, you would say: {’’ذٰلِكَ الرَّجُلُ الْمَذْكُوْرُ‘‘} this is that mentioned man. If you are talking to a woman, you would say: {’’ ذٰلِكِ الرَّجُلُ الْمَذْكُوْرُ ‘‘} this is that mentioned man. If you want to say the same thing and your addressees are two, you would say: {’’ذٰلِكُمَا الرَّجُلُ الْمَذْكُوْرُ‘‘} this is that mentioned man. As Yusuf (peace be upon him) said to his two companions in prison: «{ذٰلِكُمَا مِمَّا عَلَّمَنِيْ رَبِّيْ }» [ یوسف : ۳۷ ] "This is what my Lord has taught me." It does not mean these are two things. In the verse under commentary, the wife of Aziz was addressing several women, so she said: «{ فَذٰلِكُنَّ الَّذِيْ لُمْتُنَّنِيْ فِيْهِ }» Now, the meaning of {’’ذٰلِكُنَّ ‘‘} is not all these women, but rather it means this is that person. Only because the addressees are plural feminine, {’’ذٰلِكُنَّ‘‘} is used. If the addressees were many men, then for the same meaning {’’ذٰلِكُمْ‘‘} would be used, as it is said: «{ ذٰلِكُمْ خَيْرٌ لَّكُمْ }» [ البقرۃ : ۵۴ ] "This thing is better for you."
➋ By adding "seen" and "taa" to {’’ فَاسْتَعْصَمَ ‘‘}, the meaning of seeking as well as emphasis is obtained. Here, the second meaning is intended, so it is translated as "he was completely saved" or you may say "he was absolutely saved." In {’’ لَيُسْجَنَنَّ ‘‘}, there is "noon ta'keed thaqeelah," so it is translated as "he will surely be imprisoned." {’’ وَ لَيَكُوْنًا ‘‘} is "noon ta'keed khafeefah," which is generally written as {’’ وَلَيَكُوْنَنْ ‘‘}, but the Arabic script is according to the pause (waqf), since "noon khafeefah" becomes "alif" in pause. For example, if you pause on this word, it will not be read as {’’لَيَكُوْنَنْ‘‘}, but rather as { ’’لَيَكُوْنَا‘‘ } with "alif," so this "noon" is written in the form of "alif," as in {’’خَبِيْرًا‘‘ } and {’’بَصِيْرًا‘‘}, etc., where the "noon tanween" is in the form of "alif" instead of {’’خَبِيْرَنْ، بَصِيْرَنْ‘‘}, that if there is no pause, read "noon," if there is a pause, read "alif." In Surah Al-‘Alaq, in {’’ لَنَسْفَعًا ‘‘}, there is also "noon ta'keed khafeefah" which is written in the form of "alif."
➌ Some commentators have explained that in {’’ لَيُسْجَنَنَّ ‘‘} there is "noon ta'keed thaqeelah," i.e., with shaddah, and in {’’ لَيَكُوْنًا ‘‘} there is "khafeefah," i.e., with sukoon, that in "thaqeelah" the emphasis is greater, so in the view of the wife of Aziz, having Yusuf (peace be upon him) imprisoned was certain, but she herself was not fully convinced of his being disgraced. After all, can such a noble, son of a noble, son of a noble, son of a noble, be disgraced? Therefore, she softened the word.