Quran Universe
12:24

وَلَقَدۡ هَمَّتۡ بِهِۦۖ وَهَمَّ بِهَا لَوۡلَآ أَن رَّءَا بُرۡهَٰنَ رَبِّهِۦۚ كَذَٰلِكَ لِنَصۡرِفَ عَنۡهُ ٱلسُّوٓءَ وَٱلۡفَحۡشَآءَۚ إِنَّهُۥ مِنۡ عِبَادِنَا ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَ

Walaqad hammat bihi wahamma biha lawla an raa burhana rabbihi kathalika linasrifa AAanhu alssooa waalfahshaa innahu min AAibadina almukhlaseena

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.

Word by word
  1. وَلَقَدۡAnd certainly
  2. هَمَّتۡshe did desire
  3. بِهِۦۖhim
  4. وَهَمَّand he would have desired
  5. بِهَاher
  6. لَوۡلَآif not
  7. أَنthat
  8. رَّءَاhe saw
  9. بُرۡهَٰنَthe proof
  10. رَبِّهِۦۚ(of) his Lord
  11. كَذَٰلِكَThus
  12. لِنَصۡرِفَthat We might avert
  13. عَنۡهُfrom him
  14. ٱلسُّوٓءَthe evil
  15. وَٱلۡفَحۡشَآءَۚand the immorality
  16. إِنَّهُۥIndeed,he
  17. مِنۡ(was) of
  18. عِبَادِنَاOur slaves
  19. ٱلۡمُخۡلَصِينَthe sincere
Yusuf · 12:24Makkah

A thought crossed his mind. A proof from his Lord stopped it.

Turning away from a sin you were drawn to

The moment
her intentshe was determined
a passing thoughtit crossed his mind
then
his Lord's proofleft unspecified
What is counted
the thought itselfI am already ruined
leaving it for Allahwritten as a good deed

Al-Baghawi explained the verse as a thought crossing the mind. He cited the hadith that a bad deed intended but left for Allah's sake is written as a good deed. At-Tabari said the proof Yusuf saw is best left vague, as Allah left it.

The pull is real. You did not choose to feel it. The screen is open, the opportunity is right there. Feeling drawn is not the failure. Turning away for Allah is the win.

If I even felt drawn to it, I am already as bad as if I did it.

Being tempted is human, and walking away for Allah is counted as good.

Try this

Next time you resist something, tell Allah quietly: I left this for You.

Simplified reflection. Read the tafsir for scholarship.draft
Tafsir Ibn Kathir

And indeed she did desire him, and he would have inclined to her desire, had he not seen the evidence of his Lord. Thus it was, that We might turn away from him evil and immoval sins. Surely, he was one of Our Mukhlasin servants.) This is about the thoughts that cross the mind, according to Al-Baghawi who mentioned this opinion from some of the analysts. Al-Baghawi next mentioned here a Hadith that he narrated from 'Abdur Razzaq, from Ma'mar, from Hammam, from Abu Hurayrah, from the Messenger of Allah (pbuh (24)

يَقُولُ اللهُ تَعَالَى: إِذَا هَمَّ عَبْدِي بِحَسَنَةٍ فَاكْتُبُوهَا لَهُ حَسَنَةً، فَإِنْ عَمِلَهَا فَاكْتُبُوهَا لَهُ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا، وَإِنْ هَمَّ بِسَيِّئَةٍ فَلَمْ يَعْمَلْهَا فَاكْتُبُوهَا حَسَنَةً، فَإِنَّمَا تَرَكَهَا مِنْ جَرّائِي، فَإِنْ عَمِلَهَا فَاكْتُبُوهَا بِمِثْلِهَا

(Allah the Exalted said, 'If my slave intends to perform a good deed, then record it for him as one good deed; if he performs it, then record it for him multiplied ten folds. If he intends to commit an evil act but did not commit it, then record it for him as one good deed, if he left it for My sake. But if he commits it, then write it as one evil deed.')

This Hadith was also collected in the Two Sahihs using various wording, this is one of them. It was also reported that the Ayah means that Yusuf was about to beat her. As for the evidence that Yusuf saw at that moment, there are conflicting opinions to what it was. Ibn Jarir At-Tabari said, "The correct opinion is that we should say that he saw an Ayah from among Allah's Ayat that repelled the thought that crossed his mind. This evidence might have been the image of Ya'qub, or the image of an angel, or a divine statement that forbade him from doing that evil sin, etc. There are no clear proofs to support any of these statements in specific, so it should be left vague, as Allah left it. Allah's statement next,

كَذَٰلِكَ لِنَصْرِفَ عَنْهُ السُّوءَ وَالْفَحْشَاءَ

(Thus it was, that We might turn away from him evil and immoral sins.) means, 'Just as We showed him the evidence that turned him away from that sin, We save him from all types of evil and illegal sexual activity in all his affairs,' because,

إِنَّهُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا الْمُخْلَصِينَ

(Surely, he was one of Our Mukhlasin servants.) meaning, chosen, purified, designated, appointed and righteous. May Allah's peace and blessings be on him."