وَكَذٰلِكَ يَجتَبيكَ رَبُّكَ وَيُعَلِّمُكَ مِن تَأويلِ الأَحاديثِ وَيُتِمُّ نِعمَتَهُ عَلَيكَ وَعَلىٰ آلِ يَعقوبَ كَما أَتَمَّها عَلىٰ أَبَوَيكَ مِن قَبلُ إِبراهيمَ وَإِسحاقَ ۚ إِنَّ رَبَّكَ عَليمٌ حَكيمٌ
That is how your Lord will choose you, and teach you the interpretation of dreams, and complete His blessing upon you and upon the house of Jacob, just as He completed it earlier for your fathers, Abraham and Isaac. Your Lord is indeed all-knowing, all-wise.’
EXEGESIS
Yajtabī (choose) comes from the root of jabā, which means to collect and to gather chosen items. Jibāyat al-kharāj is the processes of tax collection. The form ijtibāʾ means to gather something in order to select it for oneself. It is said that ijtibāʾ adds to the root a nuance of careful selection and exclusivity. Hence it is used to mean to select something exclusively for oneself.
Going beyond the linguistic meaning of the word, Tabatabai further elaborates that ijtibāʾ means to collect things together and protect them from disintegration. Thus when a servant of God is the object of ijtibāʾ of his Lord, He will target him with His mercy and single him out for increased favour; He puts his affairs in order and protects him from all kinds of deviation towards satanic paths, and guides him on the straight path. In other words, He would take charge of his affairs and assign him to Himself, so that no one else has a share in him.
Taʾwīl (interpretation) is from the root awl, meaning to return. From this root come words such as awwal (first), awlā (to have priority), and taʾwīl. It is said that they are all connected by the shared meaning of ‘being prior in a sequence of things’. Whenever we witness the final outcome of something, it has been preceded by a chain of events, or a statement or portent. That final outcome is then what is called the taʾwīl of that previous portent or event. Hence, the manifestation of a dream can be called its taʾwīl because it goes back to what was seen in the dream. In short, taʾwīl is the final outcome of something that has its roots in a previous event, statement, or portent.
In Sūrat al-Kahf, we encounter the story of Prophet Moses (a) and his journey with Prophet Khiḍr (a). During their travels, Prophet Khiḍr (a) performs certain actions that Prophet Moses (a) finds objectionable. However, Prophet Khiḍr (a) later explains the deeper purpose behind these actions, revealing their ultimate outcomes or taʾwīl. As the Quran states: This is the interpretation (taʾwīl) of that over which you could not maintain patience (18:82). In other words, the earlier actions were precursors to the results that Prophet Khiḍr (a) described.
Many verses of the Quran also have their taʾwīl, which cannot be known except through divine knowledge: It is He who has sent down to you the book. Parts of it are definitive verses, which are the mother of the book, while others are metaphorical. As for those in whose hearts is deviance, they pursue what is metaphorical in it, courting temptation and courting its interpretation. But no one knows its interpretation (taʾwīl) except Allah and those firmly grounded in knowledge (3:7).
For many verses of the Quran, we may only grasp their meaning in a limited fashion, and their true significance is beyond regular understanding. For example, when God describes paradise, He says, A description (mathal) of the paradise promised to the God-wary: therein are streams of unstaling water (47:15). This description of paradise is a mathal, an example and parable. The true reality of paradise is something that is beyond the framework of current human understanding and language and therefore any characterisations that may be given are descriptive (to some degree) out of necessity. It is like traveling back in time and trying to explain the internet to people who were born before electricity was invented. One must resort to simile out of necessity. So the description of paradise is limited and does not fully capture its true nature, No one knows what has been kept hidden for them of comfort (32:17).
However, it is not possible that the prophets of God should be constrained to such limited knowledge of these things, as they are tasked with informing people about them, and if they were to describe something which they have only grasped in a limited fashion themselves, they would be bound to misinform people of its nature. When people asked Prophet Muhammad (s) various questions about paradise and hell, it is not possible that he should describe them based on a limited understanding. This is one of the reasons for showing Prophet Muhammad (s) the realities of other dimensions on the Night of Ascension, whereby he was given a more complete understanding of these matters, so that when he spoke of these matters, he spoke based on true knowledge.
Hence, in this surah too, we are told how Prophet Joseph (a) was taught the taʾwīl of things, as discussed in the next section.
It is good to keep in mind that in classical Islamic works taʾwīl was often used interchangeably with tafsīr, however the two are not the same thing. For a detailed discussion on the meaning of taʾwīl, especially vis-à-vis Quranic exegesis, see the commentary on verse 3:7.
Aḥādīth is the plural of ḥadīth, which comes from the root ḥudūth. Ḥudūth means the occurrence of something with no prior existence. Every communication that reaches a person through hearing, inspiration, whether in wakefulness or in dreams, is called ḥadīth. This is because those words are something that have been brought to be, even though they were not before.
If we understand aḥādīth to be referring to dreams in this verse then it is because dreams are the inner dialogue (ḥadīth al-nafs) of a person. Some have also suggested that dreams may be the whisperings of angels or jinns. Or they are called that because dreams are something that people talk about. Or because they picture a story or an event in sleep.
Yaʿqūb (Jacob) is a word of Hebrew origin. It is said to mean ‘the one who takes by the heel’, or the ‘one who supplants’. Genesis 25:26 claims to explain why Jacob (a) was named as such, saying: ‘After that his [twin] brother [Esau] came out [of the womb], and his hand took hold of Esau’s heel, so he was named Jacob.’
EXPOSITION
This verse is a continuation of what Prophet Jacob (a) said to his son, Prophet Joseph (a), explaining to his son the significance of his dream.
That is how: the dream-vision was a sign that Prophet Joseph (a) had been chosen for prophethood. God giving him this vision is a sign of how He has chosen him and will elevate him to the station of prophethood. In other words, Prophet Jacob (a) is saying: ‘As you saw in your vision, your Lord will choose you.’
Your Lord will choose you: He will choose you for prophethood, the same as what is said elsewhere about Prophet Abraham (a): He chose him (ijtabāhu) and guided him to a straight path (16:121). Other things such as kingdom and a great future have also been suggested, albeit the latter is general and could include both prophethood and kingdom. There is no harm in understanding choosing here in a general fashion of a great future, but the rest of the verse makes it more obvious that Prophet Jacob (a) is specifically talking about prophethood. Keep in mind that this was not the moment Prophet Joseph (a) began receiving revelation, but rather the indication of the dream is that he will one day be chosen for that honour. What is apparent is that Prophet Joseph (a) began receiving revelation when he became an adult and was living in Egypt as described later, When he came of age, We gave him judgement and [sacred] knowledge (verse 22), where judgement should be referring to that.
And teach you: God may teach His servants things through their innate nature, through life experiences, or through inspiration and revelation, Who taught by the pen, taught man what he did not know (96:4-5). The knowledge that is being referred to here is likely a combination of all three. Prophet Joseph (a) had from a young age a special adroitness and acumen with regards to dreams. His understanding was also no doubt divinely inspired, Before the meals you are served come to you, I will inform you of its interpretation. That is among things my Lord has taught me (verse 37). But in addition to all these, certainly life experiences also taught him much, and apparently some of this was also utilised in deciphering the plan of God. This seems to be the purport of verse 21 in this surah, where God describes that the result of the ordeals that Prophet Joseph (a) went through with his brothers, being abandoned in the well, and being sold into slavery in a foreign country, was to establish him in the land: Thus We established Joseph in the land and that We might teach him the interpretation of dreams (taʾwīl al-aḥādīth).
It is important to note that the major factor in a person being blessed with and taught this knowledge by God is his sincere devotion to Him. That is among things my Lord has taught me. Indeed, I renounce the creed of the people who have no faith in Allah and who [also] disbelieve in the hereafter. I follow the creed of my fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is not for us to ascribe any partner to Allah (verses 37-38). Those who sincerely devote themselves to God are granted many blessings, one of which is knowledge and understanding.
The interpretation of dreams: taʾwīl al-aḥādīth is usually understood by exegetes to mean the interpretation of dreams, that is, their taʿbīr, or what is also sometimes called oneiromancy.
The context of the surah and the events it speaks of suggest that the meaning of aḥādīth is wider than just dreams – it is to understand the reality and true significance of any events that a person may be confronted with, whether asleep or awake, as evidenced for example by the verse, We revealed to him: ‘[A day will come when] you will surely inform them about this affair of theirs while they are not aware [of your identity]’ (verse 15). There is no doubt that God may give knowledge to some of His servants about the links between certain events and what will be the consequences of certain actions or events in the future. This meaning is perhaps more clearly understood in the later verse, Thus We established Joseph in the land and that We might teach him the interpretation of dreams (taʾwīl al-aḥādīth) (verse 21), where aḥādīth should mean much more than dreams, as the context does not lend itself any relevance to learning the interpretation of dreams, but rather the plan of God in a general sense.
Our examination in the Exegesis section also showed that taʾwīl in the Quran is used in a wider scope of meaning.
It is important to keep in mind that this wider meaning of taʾwīl al-aḥādīth is not in contradiction to the meaning of oneiromancy which would be included in the ability and knowledge of interpreting and deciphering the reality of events.
Also noteworthy is that this verse utilises the preposition min (untranslated here), which suggests partiality (tabʿīḍ), meaning that Prophet Joseph (a) has been taught some of that knowledge. In other words, God knows the taʾwīl of all things and He has imparted some of that knowledge to Prophet Joseph (a).
And complete His blessing upon you: completion of blessings happens when a person’s affair is entirely undertaken by God; in other words, when the person is admitted into wilāyat allāh. That, of course, includes, above all other things, providing continuous guidance on the right path, as in the case of Prophet Abraham (a): He chose him and guided him to a straight path (16:121). The whole story of Prophet Joseph (a) in this surah is a demonstration of this wilāyah and how every event in his life was under the close guardianship of Allah. This was in clear contrast with the state of his brothers who were given into the deceptions of Satan.
And upon the house of Jacob: the house of Prophet Jacob (a) was blessed by continuing the line of prophets in the offspring of Prophet Jacob (a), as God had blessed his fathers, granting them children who were prophets.
Tabatabai points out that when a member of a group is blessed, the individuals in it are also blessed in different ways according to what they deserve. In other words, when one member of the group is blessed with, for example, prophethood, they are all blessed by his presence among them. Certainly We gave the Children of Israel the book, judgement, and prophethood, and We provided them with all the good things (45:16). It is obvious that in this verse only some select individuals in the Children of Israel were blessed with prophethood.
Just as He completed it earlier for your fathers, Abraham and Isaac: who were also blessed with prophethood. Fathers here is given in the dual abawayn, but refers here to grandfather and great-grandfather.
This blessing in the offspring of Prophet Abraham (a) was foretold to him: So when he had left them and what they worshipped besides Allah, We gave him Isaac and Jacob, and each We made a prophet (19:49).
Abraham is mentioned before Isaac, even though he was the more distant of the two, because he was the greater of the two.
Your Lord is indeed all-knowing, all-wise: He knows who deserves what, and chooses His prophets wisely. As the surah’s main theme is about knowledge, the epithets at the end of its verses mostly remind of the all-inclusive knowledge of God (verses 19, 34, 78, 83, 100) or the lack of knowledge of people (verses 3, 21, 40, 68, 76, 96, 109).
The usage of the term your Lord throughout the verse also emphasises the mercy that God has directed towards Prophet Joseph (a).
Finally, it should be noted that this verse clearly demonstrates that Prophet Jacob (a) was aware that his son Joseph (a) would be selected for divinely appointed duty, therefore all later verses that discuss his fears for Prophet Joseph (a) or his sorrow for him should be read while keeping in mind that Prophet Jacob (a) knew Prophet Joseph (a) is not dead and of the future that God has planned for him.
INSIGHTS FROM HADITH
- From the Prophet: ‘The honoured one, son of the honoured one, son of the honoured one, son of the honoured one is Joseph, son of Jacob, son of Isaac, son of Abraham.’
REVIEW OF TAFSĪR LITERATURE
There are many alternative views as to what is meant by taʾwīl al-aḥādīth:
- The ability to understand the deeper meaning of every statement regarding the signs of God and the evidence of His oneness, and every other aspect of faith.
- It is to know the final outcome of things through knowledge given through prophethood and revelation. In other words, it is to miraculously know about things before they occur.
- It is to know the meaning of divinely revealed scriptures and the sunnah of the prophets and to know the objectives and goals of them that is often hidden to regular people.
- It is to know the stories of previous nations.
- Knowledge and understanding. Or a specific type of knowledge.
- The meaning of God’s revelations and the practices of His prophets, as per the verse, Allah has sent down the best of discourses (ḥadīth) (39:23).
As is obvious, these are all included in the broad meaning of taʾwīl al-aḥādīth that we explained in the Exposition.
Regarding the completion of the blessing, Tabatabai argues that worldly goods are blessings if they are used correctly, however if they are granted to one who is astray and under the influence of Satan then they are in fact a curse disguised as a blessing, Leave Me [to deal] with the deniers, the opulent (ulī al-niʿmah), and give them a little respite (73:11). He then observes that some may have worldly blessings such as wealth, but they do not have the other conditions necessary to enjoy those blessings, such as health or security. He argues that the completion of the blessing is to grant not only worldly blessing, but the opportunity to fully enjoy those.
INSIGHTS FROM OTHER TRADITIONS
- ‘Your name is Jacob. Your name shall not be called Jacob any more, but Israel shall be your name.’ So He called his name Israel. God said to him, ‘I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply. A nation and a company of nations will come from you, and kings shall come forth from you. The land that I gave Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you, and to your descendants after you I will give the land.’
- The Bible relates that Jacob (a) made the following supplication on his deathbed: ‘Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it on Ephraim’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh’s head, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn. He blessed Joseph and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who fed me all my life long to this day, the angel who redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys; let them be called by my name, and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.’
[1] Raghib, p. 186, j-b-ā.
[2] Tahqiq, 2/63, j-b-ā.
[3] Tibyan, 6/98.
[4] Mizan, 11/79.
[5] Lisan, 11/32, ʾ-w-l.
[6] Tahqiq, 1/190, ʾ-w-l.
[7] Tabrisi, 5/320; Thalabi, 5/198.
[8] Raghib, p. 222, ḥ-d-th.
[9] See the discussion in Tahqiq, 2/207-208, ḥ-d-th.
[10] Mizan, 11/79-80.
[11] Zamakhshari, 2/444.
[12] Tabrisi, 5/320; Tantawi, 7/320.
[13] Related in Mizan, 11/80.
[14] Arthur Jeffries, Foreign Vocabulary of the Quran (Leiden: Brill, 2007), p. 291.
[15] Brown-Driver-Briggs, Hebrew and English Lexicon, accessed at: https://www.sefaria.org/BDB%2C_%D7%99%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%A1%D6%B5%D7%A3.1?lang=bi&lookup=%D7%99%D7%95%D6%B9%D7%A1%D6%B5%D7%A3&with=Lexicon&lang2=en.
[16] Another way to understand it is to understand kadhālika to mean mithlu dhālika, in the sense that ‘just as God chose you for the dream, He will choose you for prophethood’ (see Zamakhshari, 2/444).
[17] Related in Tibyan, 6/98. Tabrisi, 5/320.
[18] Muhit, 6/239. Although Abū Ḥayyān considers it to be both prophethood and kingdom.
[19] Tibyan, 6/98; Zamakhshari, 2/444.
[20] See also Mizan, 11/83-84.
[21] Tibyan, 6/99; Tabari, 12/92; Thalabi, 5/198; Zamakhshari, 2/444; Baghawi, 2/476; Qurtubi, 9/129; Alusi, 6/377; Nemuneh, 9/310; Fadlallah, 12/166; Tantawi, 7/320; Munyah, 19/147-148. Related in Tabrisi, 5/320.
[22] Mizan, 11/79-81. A similar opinion is also adopted in Qutb, 4/1971-1972; Munyah, 14/147, 160.
[23] Mizan, 11/84-85.
[24] Tabrisi, 5/321.
[25] Muhit, 6/240.
[26] Tabrisi, 5/321; Razi, 18/421; Tantawi, 7/320.
[27] Mizan, 11/85.
[28] See also Razi, 18/421-422.
[29] Tabrisi, 5/319-320; Thalabi, 5/197; Ahmad, 2/96; Bukhari, 4/121; Tirmidhi, 4/356, h. 5119. See also Manaqib, 3/315.
[30] Related in Tibyan, 6/99.
[31] Related in Tabrisi, 5/320.
[32] Zamakhshari, 2/445.
[33] Related in Tabrisi, 5/320.
[34] Related in Tabari, 12/92.
[35] Alusi, 6/377.
[36] Zamakhshari, 2/444. Related in Razi, 18/420.
[37] Mizan, 11/81/82. See also verse 39:49.
[38] Genesis 35:10-12.
[39] Genesis 48:14-16.