The Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement Blog

Now the prophecies

Submitted by Ikram.

Application of prophecies is supposed to be self-serving

The other day a lawyer friend recounted an incident in the court. During a motion hearing before a judge the opposing attorney complained that my friend’s client’s declaration was self-serving and must be disregarded. The judge paused for a moment and then humorously commented “Counsel declarations are supposed to be self-serving” Da!

The moral of the story is that any argument which relates to the claimant can only benefit the recipient and should be self-serving otherwise it loses its purpose.

With the above in mind, read the following verses about Joseph (PBUH):

12:43. Now (it so happened that one day) the king said, `I saw (in a dream) seven fat kine which seven lean ones were eating, and seven green ears of corn and (as many) others withered. You nobles of the court! explain to me the real significance of my dream if you can interpret dreams.’

12:44. They said, `(These are) confused dreams and we do not know the interpretation of such confused dreams.’

Above verse draws the parallels between the court-nobles of then and literary-nobles of HMGA times, both call visions as confused dreams or misinterpretation of prophecies.

12:45 And of the two (prisoners) the one who had got his release and who (now) recalled (Joseph) to his mind after a long time, said, `I will inform you of its (true) interpretation, therefore send me (for the purpose to Joseph in prison).’

12:46 (So he went to Joseph in the prison and exclaimed,) `Joseph, you, the man of truth, explain to us the (real) significance of (a dream in which) seven fat kine which seven lean ones devour; and (of) seven green ears of corn and as many others withered, so that I may return to the people and they may know (the interpretation and thereby your exalted position).’

12:47. He (- Joseph) replied, `You shall sow for seven years working hard and continuously and let what you have harvested remain in its ear excepting a little whereof you may eat.

12:48. `Then there shall follow seven (years of famine) of great severity (and) these (years) shall consume all the stores you have laid by in advance for them except a little which you may have preserved.

12:49. `Then, thereafter shall come a year of rains in which people shall be relieved and in which (season) they will press (fruit and seeds).’

Now imagine, the critics must have challenged the veracity of above interpretation.
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12:54. And the king said, `Bring him to me. I will make him my special attache.’ And when he (- Joseph came and) spoke to him, he (- the king) said, `From this day you hold a (notable) position of honour (and) trust with us.’

12:55. (Joseph) said, `Appoint me over the treasures (- granaries and stores) of the land, for I am a careful keeper and possessed of knowledge (of the Job).’

Isn’t Joseph (PBUH) benefiting from his interpretations? Firstly, case against him (of Zulaikha) is dropped, secondly he is released from the prison, and thirdly, he becomes the chief treasurer, the highest office after the king, while his interpretation has yet to be fulfilled in fifteen years hence. There was no way for Joseph (PBUH) to prove any of his claims at the time, except that he interpreted the dream for two inmates before. Similarly, HMGA had done the groundwork of Islamic literature before his claims.

If HMGA applied the prophecies of Muhammad (PBUH) to himself, then it finds a precedence in the Quran.

12:56. That is how We granted Joseph high power in the country. He wielded authority therein wherever he chose. We bestow Our mercy on whomsoever We will and We suffer not the reward of the doers of excellent deeds to be lost.

Now, Quran testifies to the truthfulness of Joseph (PBUH) and explains the working of Divine system, where the manifestation of the prophecy results in virtuous gains for the society. Further, history proved that both Joseph (PBUH) and HMGA were correct in their interpretations. Just for clarification, HMGA cannot be compared to a prophet, but the above illustration elucidates the divine principles.