Enquiry:

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته I would like to raise a genuine exegetical question. I ask that the response engage with it directly. Please engage with the reasoning directly and not defer to 'trust the hikmah' and please do not treat the question itself as a reflection on my aqeedah... I am asking precisely because I want to understand the wisdom, not bypass it. Surah Yusuf presents Yusuf's (‏عليه السلام) beauty as so acute it drove women to cut their hands. This is a fitnah the Qur'an itself names explicitly: فلما رأينه أكبرنه وقطعن أيديهن Then, when they saw him, they exalted him (at his beauty) and (in their astonishment) cut their hands. (12:31) Yet, the narrative response is entirely internal. So, it is Yusuf's self-restraint, not concealment. He is given no instruction to cover or diminish his appearance. By contrast, An-Nur (24:31) and Al-Ahzab (33:59) prescribe external covering for women. This is partly framed around protection from harassment and recognition. My questions are: 1) What is the actual usul that determines when fitnah is addressed through the viewer/beholder's self-restraint versus the source's concealment? 2) Is this asymmetry grounded in textual reasoning that classical mufassirun addressed directly? Or is it a distinction that later fiqh imposed onto the narrative? I would value citations if available. Tabari, Qurtubi or Ibn Kathir's treatment of this comparison would be especially useful. BarakAllahu feekum for your patience. May Allah reward you all with goodness. __ Response ⤵️ https://t.me/madrasatunaa/502