سُوْرَةُ يُوسُفَ
Surah Yusuf (12) — Ayah 43
وَقَالَ ٱلْمَلِكُ إِنِّىٓ أَرَىٰ سَبْعَ بَقَرَٰتٍ سِمَانٍ يَأْكُلُهُنَّ سَبْعٌ عِجَافٌ وَسَبْعَ سُنۢبُلَـٰتٍ خُضْرٍ وَأُخَرَ يَابِسَـٰتٍ ۖ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلْمَلَأُ أَفْتُونِى فِى رُءْيَـٰىَ إِن كُنتُمْ لِلرُّءْيَا تَعْبُرُونَ ﴿43﴾
Translation by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan & Dr. Taqi-ud-Din al-Hilali
And the king (of Egypt) said: "Verily, I saw (in a dream) seven fat cows, whom seven lean ones were devouring, and seven green ears of corn, and (seven) others dry. O notables! Explain to me my dream, if it be that you can interpret dreams."
Word by Word — Arabic, Transliteration & Meaning
وَقَالَ
waqāla
And said
ٱلْمَلِكُ
l-maliku
the king
إِنِّىٓ
innī
Indeed, I
أَرَىٰ
arā
[I] have seen
سَبْعَ
sabʿa
seven
بَقَرَٰتٍۢ
baqarātin
cows
سِمَانٍۢ
simānin
fat
يَأْكُلُهُنَّ
yakuluhunna
eating them
سَبْعٌ
sabʿun
seven
عِجَافٌۭ
ʿijāfun
lean ones
وَسَبْعَ
wasabʿa
and seven
سُنۢبُلَـٰتٍ
sunbulātin
ears (of corn)
خُضْرٍۢ
khuḍ'rin
green
وَأُخَرَ
wa-ukhara
and others
يَابِسَـٰتٍۢ ۖ
yābisātin
dry
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا
yāayyuhā
O
ٱلْمَلَأُ
l-mala-u
chiefs
أَفْتُونِى
aftūnī
Explain to me
فِى
fī
about
رُءْيَـٰىَ
ru'yāya
my vision
إِن
in
if
كُنتُمْ
kuntum
you can
لِلرُّءْيَا
lilrru'yā
of visions
تَعْبُرُونَ
taʿburūna
interpret
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim — Hafiz Abdus Salam Bin Muhammad Bhutvi
Tafsir al-Quran al-Karim is a 4-volume Quran commentary by Hafiz Abdus Salam bin Muhammad Bhutvi, a renowned Salafi (Ahl al-Hadith) scholar and Sheikh ul-Hadith from Pakistan. Based on over 45 years of teaching and research, this tafsir follows the methodology of Tafsir bil-Ma'thur — interpreting the Quran through authentic Hadith, statements of the Companions, and the understanding of the early generations (Salaf). It is distinguished by its complete avoidance of Israeliyyat (Judeo-Christian narratives) and unverified reports. The tafsir is originally written in Urdu, translated to English by tohed.com.
(Ayah 43) ➊ {وَ قَالَ الْمَلِكُ اِنِّيْۤ اَرٰى …:} This dream of the king of Egypt was, in Allah’s decree, the cause for Yusuf (peace be upon him) to be released from prison with honor and respect. This dream greatly frightened and disturbed the king of Egypt, so he gathered all his experts in dream interpretation and all his chiefs, narrated the dream to them, and requested its interpretation.
➋ { يٰۤاَيُّهَا الْمَلَاُ اَفْتُوْنِيْ فِيْ رُءْيَايَ … :} From this, it is understood that the interpretation of dreams also holds the ruling of a fatwa; just as giving a fatwa without knowledge is not permissible, so too should the interpretation of dreams only be given if one truly has knowledge of it. Otherwise, those who interpret without knowledge will fall under the purview of the hadith in which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ لاَ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَرِعُهُ مِنَ الْعِبَادِ، وَلٰكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ حَتَّی إِذَا لَمْ يُبْقِ عَالِمَا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُءُوْسًا جُهَّالاً، فَسُئِلُوْا فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَضَلُّوْا وَ أَضَلُّوْا ] [ بخاری، العلم، باب کیف یقبض العلم : ۱۰۰ ] “Allah will not take away knowledge by snatching it from the hearts of the scholars, but He will take away knowledge by taking away the scholars (i.e., their death), until when He leaves no scholar, people will take ignorant leaders; then they will be asked and they will give fatwas without knowledge, so they will go astray and will lead the people astray.” Those who interpret dreams by guesswork and conjecture should consider their own end in light of this hadith.
➌ It appears that the king did not expect his courtiers to be able to interpret this dream, which is why he said: “If you do interpret dreams.”
➋ { يٰۤاَيُّهَا الْمَلَاُ اَفْتُوْنِيْ فِيْ رُءْيَايَ … :} From this, it is understood that the interpretation of dreams also holds the ruling of a fatwa; just as giving a fatwa without knowledge is not permissible, so too should the interpretation of dreams only be given if one truly has knowledge of it. Otherwise, those who interpret without knowledge will fall under the purview of the hadith in which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: [ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ لاَ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَرِعُهُ مِنَ الْعِبَادِ، وَلٰكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ حَتَّی إِذَا لَمْ يُبْقِ عَالِمَا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُءُوْسًا جُهَّالاً، فَسُئِلُوْا فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَضَلُّوْا وَ أَضَلُّوْا ] [ بخاری، العلم، باب کیف یقبض العلم : ۱۰۰ ] “Allah will not take away knowledge by snatching it from the hearts of the scholars, but He will take away knowledge by taking away the scholars (i.e., their death), until when He leaves no scholar, people will take ignorant leaders; then they will be asked and they will give fatwas without knowledge, so they will go astray and will lead the people astray.” Those who interpret dreams by guesswork and conjecture should consider their own end in light of this hadith.
➌ It appears that the king did not expect his courtiers to be able to interpret this dream, which is why he said: “If you do interpret dreams.”
