۞ And women in the city said: "The wife of Al-'Aziz is seeking to seduce her (slave) young man, indeed she loves him violently; verily we see her in plain error." 30 When she heard their sly whispers, she sent to them, and made ready for them a repast, then she gave to each one of them a knife. 'Come forth, attend to them,' she said. And when they saw him, they so admired him that they cut their hands, saying, 'God save us! This is no mortal; he is no other but a noble angel.' 31 She said: "There before you is the man about whom ye did blame me! I did seek to seduce him from his (true) self but he did firmly save himself guiltless!.... and now, if he doth not my bidding, he shall certainly be cast into prison, and (what is more) be of the company of the vilest!" 32 He said: "O my Lord! the prison is more to my liking than that to which they invite me: Unless Thou turn away their snare from me, I should (in my youthful folly) feel inclined towards them and join the ranks of the ignorant." 33 His Lord heard his prayer, and averted the women's wiles from him. He verily hears and knows everything. 34 Then it seemed good to them, after they had seen the signs, that they should imprison him for a while. 35