or by other means.

This third linguistic convention is the idiom of the Qur’an itself—the very language in which it was revealed—and we have already explained that in detail.

Consider, for instance, Jacob’s words to Joseph:
“Thus will your Lord choose you, teach you something of the interpretation of dreams, and perfect His favor upon you.”

Likewise, when two young men entered prison with Joseph,
“One of them said, ‘I see myself pressing wine,’ and the other said, ‘I see myself carrying bread on my head from which the birds are eating. Tell us its interpretation, for we see that you are a man of excellence.’”

Joseph replied, “No food you are provided will reach you but that I will have informed you of its interpretation before it comes to you.”

Later the courtiers said, “Confused dreams! We are not versed in interpreting dreams,”

and the survivor of the two prisoners, after some time had passed, said, “I shall inform you of its interpretation, so send me forth.”

When Joseph’s family eventually came to him in Egypt, “He drew his parents to himself and said, ‘Enter Egypt, God willing, in security,’”

and “He raised his parents upon the throne, and they all bowed to him; whereupon he said, ‘Father, this is the interpretation of my earlier vision—my Lord has made it come true.’”

Thus, the taʾwīl of those narratives that are dreams is the very reality to which they finally correspond, just as Joseph declared: “This is the interpretation of my earlier dream.”