A critique and evaluation of the article "yusuf and zulaikha" in the leiden encyclopedia

One of the common stories narrated in the Holy Quran and the Old Testament (Torah), is the story of Yusuf and Zulaikha. Various angles of this story such as: Zulaikha's plan to deceit Yusuf (AS), and the way of Yusuf confronting Zulaikha, etc. have been stated in some works of Orientalists, including the article "Yusuf and Zulaikha" written by "Angelika Neuwirth", a German professor of Quranic studies, in the "Leiden encyclopedia". There are some shortcomings and incompatibility in those works with the Holy Quran such as: confirmation of the inherent nature of deceitful behavior in women, Yusuf's deviation and complete lack of attention to God, and Yusuf's sexual desire to Zulaikha, etc. Therefore, in the following article, an attempt has been made with a descriptive-analytical method, in addition to the necessity of answering the doubts and challenging the mentioned views. These results have also been obtained that according to the verses of the Holy Quran, there is no evidence in the Quran or even in hadith that confirm innate deceitfulness of the women. As for the prophet Yusuf (A.S) regarding Zulaikha's evil plan, in addition to his previous innocence and lack of will and desire to commit a sin, has never neglected for a moment remembrance of God, the Almighty, not in the scene that Zulaikha had prepared to harass him, nor in the other events and incidents that happened to him in this story