What Al Aziz and Prophet Musa Teach About Masculinity
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious the Most Merciful
The stories of Prophet Musa and Al Aziz in the Quran present two very different models of manhood. One was a strong leader who supported the vulnerable and led his people. The other was a weak, passive man in authority who was unable to control his wife or manage his home.
The latter was Al Aziz, who represents an absence of true male leadership - chivalry, strength and an ability to establish order. This article showcases the difference between Prophet Musa and Al Aziz, and how their actions and mindsets help define traditional masculinity, and the consequences of its absence.
Al-Aziz: A Man Who Lacked Protective Jealousy
In the story of Yusuf عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ he enters the household of Al Aziz, the Treasurer of Egypt after being sold into slavery. Al Aziz had money, wealth and status yet, he is portrayed as a weak figure. This was after his wife tried to seduce Prophet Yusuf, by secluding him in their home.
And the lady, in whose house he lived, tried to seduce him. She locked the doors ˹firmly˺ and said, “Come to me!” He replied, “Allah is my refuge! It is ˹not right to betray˺ my master, who has taken good care of me. Indeed, the wrongdoers never succeed.”
They raced for the door and she tore his shirt from the back, only to find her husband at the door. She cried, “What is the penalty for someone who tried to violate your wife, except imprisonment or a painful punishment?”
After an investigation, it was concluded that the wife was guilty. In response to her moral transgression, Al Aziz gave a strange reaction.
O Joseph! Forget about this. And you ˹O wife˺! Seek forgiveness for your sin. It certainly has been your fault.”
Al Aziz's reaction was uncharacteristic. He’d discovered his wife was seized by an unbridled love towards another man – yet he remained passive. The situation should've ignited natural ghayrah (jealousy) and righteous anger.
Ibn Sīdah explains ghayrah in the context of marriage: “The man became jealous of his wife, and the woman became jealous of her husband” (Ibn Sīdah, cited in Ibn Manzur, Lisan al-ʿArab.)
The opposite is a dayooth: a man who passively witnesses sins such as illicit relations committed by his female relatives. Instead of expressing jealousy and confronting their behaviour, he does nothing. This is an evil trait prohibited in the Shar’iah, as it destroys the family. Its severity is outlined in a hadith in which the Prophet ﷺ said:
Abdullah ibn Umar reported: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Three persons will not be looked upon by Allah Almighty on the Day of Resurrection: one who disobeys his parents, a woman who imitates men, and a man who allows his women to fornicate.”
Sunan al-Nasā’ī 2562
Mulla Alī al-Qārī provides a detailed description of the dayyūth, defining him as one who is content with illicit sexual behaviour involving the women of his household, as well as other forms of wrongdoing. Al-Tibi expands on this definition, describing him as one who sees wrongdoing among the women of his household yet lacks protective jealousy (ghayrah) and does not prevent it. (al-Qārī, Mirqat al-Mafatih, 6:2390).
Al Aziz had the power, authority and wealth to punish his wife, enforce limits and strict boundaries and establish justice. It’s a man’s role to lead his household and confront disobedience, as outlined in Surah An-Nisa:
Men are the caretakers of women, as men have been provisioned by Allah over women and tasked with supporting them financially. And righteous women are devoutly obedient and, when alone, protective of what Allah has entrusted them with. And if you sense ill-conduct from your women, advise them first, if they persist, do not share their beds, but if they still persist,˺ then discipline them gently.
But if they change their ways, do not be unjust to them. Surely Allah is Most High, All-Great.
A man who shoulders responsibility, supports his family, navigates problems and corrects evil ensures harmony in his household. He expresses protective jealousy over his womenfolk and anger towards unrighteous conduct. His role is to ensure order, therefore Al Aziz’s passive reaction shows weak leadership and unmanly conduct.
The Consequences of Al-Aziz’s Passiveness: The Innocent Are Punished
Al Aziz's failure to act had severe consequences for Yusuf عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ. Rather than restore justice to his servant, who was wrongly smeared, he dismissed the incident. As a result, he failed to protect the victim of his wife’s harassment. This created further friction between Yusuf and the wife, since boundaries hadn’t been enforced. Al- Aziz’s passivity was evident when he failed to investigate the matter. Instead his wife’s relative exposed the transgressor:
And a witness from her own family testified: “If his shirt is torn from the front, then she has told the truth and he is a liar.
But if it is torn from the back, then she has lied and he is truthful.”
The rationale was that if the wife had run away from Yusuf, she would have torn his shirt from the front to escape him. If the shirt was ripped from the back, Yusuf had fled her advances. What is evident is that Al Aziz did not suggest this approach himself, or take any initiative to judge between them. The case involved his wife and servant, which delegates responsibility to him as the family’s leader. Instead, he forced the matter to be resolved by others. As a result, his wife ceased to respect him, as shown by her continued advances towards Yusuf:
“And if he does not do what I order him to, he will certainly be imprisoned and ˹fully˺ disgraced.”
And so it occurred to those in charge, despite seeing all the proofs of his innocence, that he should be imprisoned for a while.
These Quranic ayats draw attention to the social consequences when a problem is not properly confronted or rectified. A family became divided, the innocent had his reputation ruined - all due to an absent leader who couldn't bear the weight of his authority.
Yusuf’s case had already been settled. Al Aziz himself acknowledged his wife was at fault by ordering her to seek forgiveness. Despite all this, his approach was to remove the innocent party from the picture. This is a great injustice, one which rewards the perpetrator and punishes the innocent.
This reveals a strange duality to Al Aziz. He was clearly used to authority, being Egypt's treasurer, the second highest position after the king. He possessed great wealth and luxury which his wife enjoyed. He could support others and take responsibility for them, which is why he purchased Yusuf as a slave and brought him into the home. He treated him like a son and took care of him. Prophet Yusuf himself outlined Al Aziz's kindness, and why he'd never betray his master in regards to his wife.
Despite his good qualities, Al Aziz possessed a key flaw - an inability to establish order within his own household. He could support others financially and give them access to the social benefits of his position, but he couldn’t directly manage them. His wife operated without impunity, oppressing others and weaponising her authority. She was comfortable enough to slander Yusuf to her husband after being caught, showing an absence of fear towards any consequence. It was evident Al Aziz didn’t command respect in his house, as he was uninterested in its affairs.
This is why he couldn’t handle the pressure when confronted with his wife's transgression. Instead he preferred to make the problem disappear. Yusuf's imprisonment wasn’t due to guilt, but a passive master who couldn’t exercise his authority.
Prophet Musa: Protecting the Vulnerable
One of the most significant aspects of chivalry and manhood is serving others, supporting the weak and coming to their aid. This was where Al Aziz failed, and withdrew from problems rather than confront it. The opposite is shown in Prophet Musa عليه السلام. When he encountered the two female shepherds struggling to water their flocks, he intervened and assisted them. What made Musa's actions praiseworthy is that the women did not request his assistance, he merely acted when noticing a problem. Surah Al Qasas describes the incident:
When he arrived at the well of Midian, he found a group of people watering ˹their herds. Apart from them, he noticed two women holding back their herd. He asked them, “What is the matter?” They replied, “We cannot water ˹our animals˺ until the other shepherds are done, for our father is a very old man.”
The female shepherds mentioned they had no strong male guardian to take the livestock to the well. They were forced to wait for the other shepherds to finish using the well before they could take their animals. Prophet Musa sensed this vulnerability and stepped in out of concern. This was a significant gesture as he’d arrived in Madian, exhausted and a fugitive fearing for his life. He had no food or water and braved the sun with nowhere to sleep. He could’ve easily retreated to the shade first and called upon Allah, but he helped the women to observe their rights. This sets the precedent for male leadership and how to take responsibility for women, especially those with no strong male guardian.
Additionally, Prophet Musa showed restraint and respect towards the women, establishing boundaries and appropriate distance. After he’d assisted them he didn’t prolong the interaction unnecessarily. He withdrew to the shade, rather than seeking further contact. Later, when one of the women returned to invite him to her father's home, the Qur’an deliberately describes her manner:
“Then one of the two women came to him, walking bashfully.” (Qur’an 28:25
This behaviour was also reflected in Musa himself. Al Tabari reported that when he accompanied the woman to her father's home, he initially walked behind her. When the wind caused her clothing to reveal her form, he instructed her to walk behind him and guide him by describing the road, saying, “Walk behind me and describe the road to me, while I walk ahead of you, for we do not look at the backs of women.” This report illustrates Prophet Musa’s deliberate restraint, he actively established a boundary and controlled his own gaze.
(al-Tabari, The History of al-Tabari, vol. III, p. 44)
Yet Prophet Musa’s story does not end with merely avoiding temptation. His restraint acted alongside strength, responsibility and the willingness to help others. One of the women who observed his character recommended him to her father:
“O my father! Hire him. Surely the best one you can hire is the strong and trustworthy.”
These two qualities—strength (quwwah) and trustworthiness (amanah)—are significant. Musa was physically strong enough to assist the women, but his strength was accompanied by moral restraint and trustworthiness. He was not a man who exploited vulnerability when given the opportunity; he was a man who could be trusted precisely because he exercised control over himself.
The relationship consequently moved from an encounter between strangers to one governed by legitimate responsibility. Musa was offered employment within the household and marriage to one of the daughters:
“I wish to marry one of these two daughters of mine to you.”
Marriage provided a lawful framework for the relationship and transformed what had initially been an encounter between unrelated men and women into a family relationship. This is also consistent with the Prophet's ﷺ guidance to young men:
"O young people! Whoever among you can marry, should marry, because it helps him lower his gaze and guard his modesty (i.e. his private parts from committing illegal sexual intercourse etc.), and whoever is not able to marry, should fast, as fasting diminishes his sexual power."
Prophet Musa: Leading His Household
When Prophet Musa settled in Madian and married, he continued to uphold his responsibility to his family. After 10 years he journeyed back to Egypt with his wife and children. When nightfall arrived in the desert, they needed to find a fire to light. This is where Musa took responsibility in solving the problem. He gave out instructions:
He spotted a fire on the side of Mount Ṭur. He said to his family, “Stay here, ˹for˺ I have spotted a fire. Perhaps from there I can bring you some directions or a torch from the fire so you may warm yourselves.”
In this situation, Musa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ embodied a caretaker role, showing leadership and responsibility. Even when journeying in the desert, he advised them to remain behind to pre-emptively check for danger. This is a symbolic gesture in which a man anticipates danger and always plans ahead. He expresses concern for the future and does not wait until the calamity lands. He is the leader, and must stand guard to divert problems from his family.
Unlike Al Aziz, who witnessed disorder in his household and didn’t intervene, Prophet Musa was careful in managing his family and ensuring they were protected. The opposite of a weak man is one who can establish order and lead. He's a responsible guardian for his family, maintaining order and discipline.
In Sahih Muslim, the Prophet advised that “every one of you is a shepherd and every one is answerable with regard to his flock…A man is a guardian over the members of his family and shall be questioned about them.”
Similarly, the head of the family is called upon to protect himself and his loved ones from danger, as outlined in Surah Tahrim:
O believers! Protect yourselves and your families from a Fire whose fuel is people and stones
Conclusion
To summarise, Prophet Musa presents the ideal standard of manhood, which differs from the household of al-Aziz. Musa عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ embodied justice, care for others and responsibility. He stepped in to protect vulnerable women and continued this role when becoming the head of the household. For Al Aziz, he failed to set boundaries between Yusuf and his wife, leading to chaos and disorder. Overall, Prophet Musa’s story teaches that true manhood is the value of strength, responsibility and trustworthiness. This is the ideal standard for traditional manhood – qualities needed not merely to lead a household, but to serve and strengthen the Muslim community.
May Allah allow us all to learn from this reminder, embody its lessons, and carry them into our lives.
Research Resources
JazakAllahu khair for reading. Please benefit the ummah by sharing this knowledge. Feel free to download this article for offline reading or consult the bibliography below.
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al-Bukhārī, M. ibn I. (n.d.) Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, Hadith 5066, Book 67, Hadith 2. Available at: Sunnah.com (Accessed: 24 August 2026).
al-Nasāʾī, A. Sunan al-Nasāʾī, Hadith 2562, Book 23, Hadith 128.
al-Ṭabarī, M.J. (1987) The History of al-Ṭabarī, Volume III: The Children of Israel. Translated by W.M. Brinner. Albany: State University of New York Press, p. 44.
al-Qārī, ʿA. ibn S. (n.d.) Mirqāt al-Mafātīḥ sharḥ Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ, vol. 6, p. 2390.
Ibn Manẓūr, M. ibn M. (1955–1956) Lisān al-ʿArab. 15 vols. Beirut: Dār Ṣādir.
Muslim ibn al-Ḥajjāj (n.d.) Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim, Book 33, Hadith 24, Hadith 1829a. Available at: Sunnah.com (Accessed: 24 August 2026).
The stories of Prophet Musa and Al Aziz in the Quran present two very different models of manhood. One was a strong leader who supported the vulnerable and led his people. The other was a weak, passive man in authority who was unable to control his wife or manage his home. The latter was Al Aziz, who represents an absence of true male leadership - chivalry, strength and an ability to establish order. This article showcases the difference between Prophet Musa and Al Aziz, and how their actions and mindsets help define traditional masculinity, and the consequences of its absence.