some said: “The realization of the punishment with which they were threatened.” Ta’wīl is what a matter ultimately comes to. Al-Dahhāk explained: “It means the eventual outcome of the punishment that Allah promised in the Quran would come to pass.” Ta’wīl is what a matter ultimately comes to.

Al-Tha‘labī said: “Its explanation.” This is untenable.

Al-Zajjāj said: “They had no knowledge of its ta’wīl.” Joseph the truthful, peace be upon him, said:

“O my father, this is the fulfillment of my earlier dream.”

He thus identified his parents’ actual prostration before him as the fulfillment of his dream.

Earlier, he had said:

“No food will come to you as your provision without my telling you its interpretation before it comes to you.”

That is, before its fulfillment comes to you. The meaning is: no food will come to you as your provision in a dream—for one of them had said:

“I saw myself pressing grapes for wine,” and the other said, “I saw myself carrying bread on my head”—

“without my telling you its interpretation” in waking life, “before it comes to you,” namely, the food. This is the view of most Quran commentators, and it is correct.

Some said: “No food will come to you as provision—that is, food you are given to eat and consume—without my telling you its interpretation: its description and varieties, what food you ate, how much you ate, and when you ate.” They said: “This is what diviners and soothsayers do.” He replied: “I am no soothsayer. This knowledge is only part of what my Lord teaches me.”

This view is untenable, for he said:

“Without my telling you its interpretation.”

One of them had said:

“I saw myself pressing grapes for wine,” and the other said, “I saw myself carrying bread on my head, from which birds were eating. Tell us its interpretation.”

Thus, they asked him to interpret what they had seen, and he told them its interpretation. The interpretation was not of food in