۞ Ladies said in the City: "The wife of the (great) 'Aziz is seeking to seduce her slave from his (true) self: Truly hath he inspired her with violent love: we see she is evidently going astray." 30 Then, when she heard of their cunning talk, she sent unto them a messenger, and got ready for them a cushioned couch, and gave a knife to each of them. And she said: come forth to them. Then when they saw him, they were astonished at him, and they made a cut in their hands, and said: how perfect is God! no man is he: he is naught but an angel noble. 31 She said: "This is the one you blamed me for. I did desire his person, but he preserved himself from sin. Yet in case he does not do my bidding he will be put into prison and disgraced." 32 He said, "My Lord, prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me. And if You do not avert from me their plan, I might incline toward them and [thus] be of the ignorant." 33 Then his Lord answered to him, and averted their guile from him; verily He! He is the Hearer, the Knower! 34 Thereafter it occurred to them, even after they had seen the signs, to imprison him for a season. 35