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Spirit of Islam Issue 35 November 2015
then it cannot be because of the historical past; it is essential that it
also provides some beneficial guidance for the present-day.
Considered from this angle, the term ‘best story’ that appears in this
chapter of the Quran means ‘best method’—that is, the best method of
action.
The story of the Prophet Joseph who lived some 3500 years ago,
appears in both the Quran and the Bible. In his time, Egypt was under
monarchical rule, and the kingdom was an agrarian economy. The
king of Egypt ruled as the political authority and appointed Prophet
Joseph as the administrative authority. According to the Quran, the
law of the land remained with the king, while
the agricultural economy was under Prophet
Joseph’s control. The Bible describes this
arrangement in the words of the Egyptian
king as:
Only with regard to the throne will I be greater
than you.
(Genesis 41: 40)
Prophet Joseph got this opportunity because
of the personal bent of mind of the king as an
individual. In terms of applied understanding
of the Quran, one can say that in today’s age
this same opportunity is available to all believers in general, because
of the changed times. Democracy gives an elected ruler a few years
to rule. Today, the role of government is essentially to manage the
governance of a country. All fields other than governance, such as
businesses, education, media and religion, are free and open to all.
Every individual now has the right to do as he pleases in all the many
non-governmental spheres, provided that in seeking his goals he uses
peaceful methods and does not foment conflict against anyone else,
whether ordinary citizens or the government.
As a result of the global changes that have taken place through the
ages, the ‘best story’ has become a universal principle, an applied
living guide for people today. This is a case of applied reflection and
understanding of this chapter of the Quran.
This same method of applied interpretation is desirable for the whole
Quran. In this way, the Quran becomes a book of guidance for humanity
today, whereas if the Quran is studied in the light of the earlier-cited
principles of exegesis, it will only appear like a story of an age long
past.
o
There are two
levels of Quranic
comprehension—the
first is the Quran,
and the second is the
applied Quran.