Taberî states that in Joseph's words mentioned in the verse, there is no explicit supplication or request for women's scheming to be kept away from him, but only a report that imprisonment is more beloved to him than disobedience. However, he explains that within this reporting there is contained a complaint to the Lord regarding what was done to him and indirectly a sense of request, similar to how when one person says to another 'if you don't visit me, you will hurt me,' it carries the meaning of a command to visit. Ultimately, he states that Allah accepted this indirect supplication and kept Joseph away from the disobedience that the wife of Al-Aziz and her companions desired.

قيل: إن في إخباره بذلك شكاية منه إلى ربه مما لقي منهن، وفي قوله: وذلك كقول القائل لآخر: إن لا تزرني أهنك، فيجيبه الآخر: إذن أزورك، لأن في قوله: إن لا تزرني أهنك، معنى الأمر بالزيارة.

According to Kurtubî, Joseph's words 'keep the scheming of women away from me' are actually in the nature of a supplication, as if he said 'O Allah, turn the scheming of women away from me'; and Allah accepted this supplication and protected him from falling into fornication. Regarding the issue of to whom the pronoun 'their scheming' refers in the verse, three views are narrated: to the women who invited him, to women in general, or to only the wife of Al-Aziz; the exegete indicates among these views that the general (comprehensive) meaning is more preferable.

تعرض للدعاء وكأنه قال : اللهم اصرف عني كيدهن فاستجاب له دعاءه ولطف به وعصمه عن الوقوع في الزنى كيدهن قيل : لأنهن جمع قد راودنه عن نفسه وقيل : يعني كيد النساء وقيل : يعني كيد امرأة العزيز على ما ذكر في الآية قبل والعموم أولى

According to this exegete, Joseph, peace be upon him, resisted in the most severe manner thanks to the great protection granted to him by Allah, and chose prison; this shows that despite his youth, beauty and perfection, and despite the invitation of a beautiful woman possessed of wealth and position, his resistance was at the level of perfection due to fear of Allah and hope in His reward. Furthermore, it is stated that the reason for being thrown into prison was actually, even after his innocence became evident, to prevent the spreading of rumors and to protect the woman's honor.

وذلك أن يوسف عليه السلام عصمه الله عصمة عظيمة وحماه فامتنع منها أشد الإمتناع واختار السجن على ذلك وهذا في غاية مقامات الكمال

According to Beydâwî, Joseph, peace be upon him, said that he preferred imprisonment to the fornication to which the women invited him; this preference arises from his consideration of the outcome, for although the soul desired fornication, this conduct is something the soul does not favor. The attribution of the invitation to all women is because they intimidated Joseph with the woman's opposition and encouraged him to obey, or because all of them had invited him to themselves. Allah's acceptance of his supplication was realized by making him steadfast upon protection and causing him to prefer the hardship of imprisonment to pleasure containing disobedience.

أحب إلي مما يدعونني إليه أي آثر عندي من مؤاتاتها زنا نظرا إلى العاقبة وإن كان هذا مما تشتهيه النفس وذلك مما تكرهه، وإسناد الدعوة إليهن جميعا لأنهن خوفنه من مخالفتها وزين له مطاوعتها.