Tafsir

The Interpretation of the Dreams

Yusuf said, يصَاحِبَىِ السِّجْنِ أَمَّآ أَحَدُكُمَا فَيَسْقِى رَبَّهُ خَمْرًا(O two companions of the prison! As for one of you, he will pour out wine for his master to drink;) to the man who saw in a dream that he was pressing wine. He did not direct this speech at him, however, so that to lessen the grief of the other person. This is why he made his statement indirect, وَأَمَّا الاٌّخَرُ فَيُصْلَبُ فَتَأْكُلُ الطَّيْرُ مِن رَّأْسِهِ(and as for the other, he will be crucified and birds will eat from his head.) which is the interpretation of the other man's dream in which he saw himself carrying bread above his head. Yusuf told them that the decision about their matter has already been taken and it shall come to pass. This is because the dream is tied to a bird's leg, as long as it is not truthfully interpreted. If it is interpreted, then it becomes a reality.

Ath-Thawri said that `Imarah bin Al-Qa`qa` narrated that Ibrahim said that `Abdullah bin Mas`ud said, "When they said what they said to him, and he explained their dreams to them, they replied, `We did not see anything at all.' This is when he said, قُضِىَ الاٌّمْرُ الَّذِى فِيهِ تَسْتَفْتِيَانِ(Thus is the case judged concerning which you both did inquire.)" The understanding in this is that he who claims that he saw a dream and was given its interpretation, then he will be tied to its interpretation, and Allah has the best knowledge. There is an honorable Hadith that Imam Ahmad collected from Mu`awiyah bin Haydah that the Prophet said, «الرُّؤْيَا عَلَى رِجْلِ طَائِرٍ مَا لَمْ تُعْبَرْ، فَإِذَا عُبِرَتْ وَقَعَت»(The dream is tied to a bird's leg, as long as it is not interpreted. If it is interpreted, it becomes a reality.)

After having made his call to truth, Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) turned to the dreams mentioned by two of his prison mates declaring that one of the two of them will get his release, return to his job and keep serving wine to his master. As for the other, the crime against him will stand proved and he will be crucified and birds will eat from his head.

An Example of Prophetic Compassion

Ibn Kathir has said: Though the dreams of both these prisoners were separate, and fixed was the interpretation of each, and also fixed was the fate that the royal cup-bearer will be acquitted and return to his job and the cook will be crucified. But, because of his prophetic compassion and clemency, he did not specifically mention as to who among the two will be hanged so that the person concerned may be spared from becoming obsessed by the very thought of it right from that time. Instead of that, he made a general statement saying that one of them will be re-leased and the other will be crucified.

At the end, he told them that the interpretation of their dreams given by him was not arrived at by conjecture. It was Divine decree which cannot be averted. Commentators who have called the dreams de-scribed by these people as false and made-up, they have also said: When Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) interpreted their dreams, they came up with the re-mark that they had just not seen any dream. They had simply made it up. Thereupon, Sayyidna Yusuf (علیہ السلام) said: قُضِيَ الْأَمْرُ‌ الَّذِي فِيهِ تَسْتَفْتِيَانِ (Destined is the matter you are asking about). In other words, it would mean: Whether you saw this dream, or did not, now the event will come to be as described - the purpose of which is that this is the punishment of the sin, of making up a false dream, committed by you, a punishment which has been identified in the interpretation of the dream.

يا صاحبيَّ في السجن، إليكما تفسيرَ رؤياكما: أما الذي رأى أنه يعصر العنب في رؤياه فإنه يخرج من السجن ويكون ساقي الخمر للملك، وأما الآخر الذي رأى أنه يحمل على رأسه خبزًا فإنه يُصْلب ويُتْرك، وتأكل الطير من رأسه، قُضي الأمر الذي فيه تستفتيان وفُرغ منه.

يقول لهما : ( ياصاحبي السجن أما أحدكما فيسقي ربه خمرا ) وهو الذي رأى أنه يعصر خمرا ، ولكنه لم يعينه لئلا يحزن ذاك ، ولهذا أبهمه في قوله : ( وأما الآخر فيصلب فتأكل الطير من رأسه ) وهو في نفس الأمر الذي رأى أنه يحمل فوق رأسه خبزا .ثم أعلمهما أن هذا قد فرغ منه ، وهو واقع لا محالة; لأن الرؤيا على رجل طائر ما لم تعبر ، فإذا عبرت وقعت .وقال الثوري ، عن عمارة بن القعقاع عن إبراهيم ، عن عبد الله قال : لما قالا ما قالا وأخبرهما ، قالا ما رأينا شيئا . فقال : ( قضي الأمر الذي فيه تستفتيان )ورواه محمد بن فضيل عن عمارة ، عن إبراهيم ، عن علقمة ، عن ابن مسعود به ، وكذا فسره مجاهد ، وعبد الرحمن بن زيد بن أسلم ، وغيرهم . وحاصله أن من تحلم بباطل وفسره ، فإنه يلزم بتأويله ، والله أعلم ، وقد ورد في الحديث الذي رواه الإمام أحمد ، عن معاوية بن حيدة ، عن النبي ، صلى الله عليه وسلم : " الرؤيا على رجل طائر ما لم تعبر فإذا عبرت وقعت "وفي مسند أبي يعلى ، من طريق يزيد الرقاشي ، عن أنس مرفوعا : " الرؤيا لأول عابر "