How could Yoosuf have “inclined towards” the wife of al-‘Azeez when he was chaste?
Question

                What is the tafseer of this verse in Soorat Yoosuf (interpretation of the meaning):  

“And indeed she did desire him, and he would have inclined to her desire”

[Yoosuf 12:24]? 

If Yoosuf (peace be upon him) was chaste and refused to answer the call of the wife of al-‘Azeez, how could he have inclined towards her desires (i.e., how could that have entered his mind)?.
Praise be to Allah.
    Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

    “And indeed she did desire him, and he would have inclined 
    to her desire, had he not seen the evidence of his Lord”

    [Yoosuf 12:24]
Her desire was to commit 
    sin, but as for Yoosuf (peace be upon him), if he had not see the evidence 
    of his Lord, he would have inclined to her desire – because of human nature 
    – but he did not, because of the evidence mentioned. 

    Because he hadseen seen the evidence of his Lord, he did not 
    incline to her desire. 

    Abu Haatim said: I used to recite ghareeb al-Qur’aan 
    to Abu ‘Ubaydah, and when I reached the verse (interpretation of the 
    meaning): “And indeed she did desire him, and he would have inclined to 
    her desire” [Yoosuf 12:24], Abu ‘Ubayd said: This is to be understood as 
    meaning that he saw the proof of his Lord, and so he did not incline to her 
    desire. 

    Al-Qurtubi, al-Jaami’ li Ahkaam al-Qur’aan, 9/165. 

    Al-Shanqeeti said in Adwa’ al-Bayaan (3/58): 

    This may be answered from two angles: 

    1 – That what is meant by saying “Yoosuf would have inclined 
    to her desire” is that a thought crossed his mind, but the influence of 
    taqwa (piety) deflected that thought. One of them said: this is the natural 
    inclination and the instinctive desire that is restrained by taqwa. There is 
    no sin in that because this is something that is instilled in man and is not 
    under his control. It says in the hadeeth that the Prophet  (peace and 
    blessings of Allaah be upon him) used to divide his time equally among his 
    wives and treat them fairly, then he would say: “O Allaah, this is how I 
    divide that over which I have control, so do not take me to task for that 
    which is beyond my control” – meaning the inclination of the heart. [Abu 
    Dawood, al-Sunan, hadeeth no. 2134. 
This is like the fasting 
    person’s inclination towards cold water and food, while at the same time his 
    taqwa prevents him from drinking or eating whilst he is fasting. 

    The Prophet  (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) 
    said: “Whoever thinks of an evil action but does not do it, one hasanah will 
    be recorded for him.” [Narrated by al-Bukhaari in his Saheeh, no. 
    6491; Muslim, no. 207] 

    2 – Yoosuf (peace be upon him) did not think of doing 
    anything at all, because he was prevented  from doing so because of the 
    proof of his Lord. This view which was favoured by Abu Hasaan and others is 
    more correct according to the rules of the Arabic language. 

    Then he started to quote the evidence to support the view he 
    favoured. Based on the above, the meaning of the verse – and Allaah knows 
    best – is that if Yoosuf (peace be upon him) had not seen the proof of his 
    Lord, he would have inclined towards her desire, but because he had seen the 
    proof of his Lord he did not incline towards her desire and did not think of 
    it at all. Similarly, just thinking of something without doing it is not 
    regarded as a sin. And Allaah knows best. May Allaah send blessings and 
    peace upon his noble Prophet.