Such a taʾwīl, then, is known to none but Allah. As for the word taʾwīl when it is taken to mean diverting a term from its outward sense to something contrary to it on the basis of an accompanying proof, the early generations never intended that by the word taʾwīl, nor is that the sense of taʾwīl in the Book of Allah, Mighty and Majestic.

A group of later writers, however, restricted the term taʾwīl to this usage. In the Qur’an, by contrast, taʾwīl refers to what a statement ultimately comes to, even when that coincides with its apparent meaning, as in His words:

“Are they waiting for anything but its fulfilment? The day its fulfilment comes, those who had forgotten it before will say…” (Al-Aʿrāf 7:53).

The same applies to the interpretation of dreams, as Joseph the Truthful said, “This is the interpretation of my earlier dream” (Yūsuf 12:100), and, “I will inform you two of its interpretation” (Yūsuf 12:37); and as He, Most High, says, “That is better and yields the finest outcome” (Al-Nisāʾ 4:59).

The matter is dealt with at length elsewhere. What concerns us here is that the Christians have no proof—neither in the outward wording of the texts nor in their inner purport—as the Exalted says: