Yusuf and Zulaikha

About “Yusuf and Zulaikha”

Yusuf and Zulaikha is a story found in many versions across the Muslim world, based on the account of Prophet Yusuf in Sura 12 of the Qur'an. The tale was developed in Persia around the tenth century CE. In biblical and Qur'anic versions, Potiphar's wife is blamed for the sin and disappears from the story. However, in Turkic and Persian literature, the story includes a sexual union between Yusuf and Zulaikha, reflecting a mystical connection. The story exists in multiple languages, including Arabic, Persian, Bengali, Turkish, Punjabi, and Urdu. One of the most well-known versions was written in Persian by Jami in his work Haft Awrang. (Summary adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.)