APPLICATION OF THE QURAN

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.