Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i or

Sayyid ''Sayyid'' (, ; ar, سيد ; ; meaning 'sir', 'Lord', 'Master'; Arabic plural: ; feminine: ; ) is a surname of people descending from the Prophets in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad through his grandsons, Hasan ibn Ali and Husayn ibn Ali ...

Mohammad Hossein Tabataba'i (16 March 1903 – 15 November 1981) was an Iranian scholar, theorist, philosopher and one of the most prominent thinkers of modern

Shia Islam Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, m ...

. He is perhaps best known for his ''

Tafsir al-Mizan ''Al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an'' ( ar, الميزان في تفسير القرآن, "The balance in Interpretation of Quran"), more commonly known as ''Tafsir al-Mizan'' () or simply ''Al-Mizan'' (), is a tafsir (exegesis of the Quran) written by ...

'', a twenty-seven-volume work of

tafsir Tafsir ( ar, تفسير, tafsīr ) refers to exegesis, usually of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' ( ar, مُفسّر; plural: ar, مفسّرون, mufassirūn). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, in ...

(

Quran The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Classical Arabic, Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation in Islam, revelation from God in Islam, ...

exegesis Exegesis ( ; from the Ancient Greek, Greek , from , "to lead out") is a critical explanation or interpretation (logic), interpretation of a text. The term is traditionally applied to the interpretation of Bible, Biblical works. In modern usage, ...

), which he produced between 1954 and 1972. He is commonly known as

Allameh ''Allāmah'' ( ar, عَلَّامة, Urdu and , meaning "learned"), also spelled ''Allāma'' and ''Allama'' and “ Allameh “, is an Islamic honorary title for a profound scholar, a polymath, a man of vast reading and erudition, or a great ...

Tabataba'i and the

Allameh Tabataba'i University Allameh Tabataba'i University (ATU; �ælɒːˈme tæbɒːtæbɒːˈʔiː fa, دانشگاه علامه طباطبائی, ''Danushgah-e 'lâmh-e Tâbatâbai'') is one of the largest and the leading specialized public university in humanities and ...

Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...

is named after him.

Biography

He received his earlier education in his native

Tabriz Tabriz ( fa, تبریز ; ) is a city in northwestern Iran, serving as the capital of East Azerbaijan Province. It is the List of largest cities of Iran, sixth-most-populous city in Iran. In the Quri Chay, Quru River valley in Iran's historic Aze ...

city, mastering the elements of Arabic and the religious sciences, and at about the age of twenty set out for the great

Shiite Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most ...

university of

Najaf Najaf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف) or An-Najaf al-Ashraf ( ar, ٱلنَّجَف ٱلْأَشْرَف), also known as Baniqia ( ar, بَانِيقِيَا), is a city in central Iraq about 160 km (100 mi) south of Baghdad. Its estimated popula ...

to continue more advanced studies. He studied at Najaf, under masters such as

Ali Tabatabaei Ali Qazi Tabatabai, also known as "Allamah Qadi" and "Ayatollah Qazi" (1285–1366 AH; 1869–1947 CE), was an Iranian alim (Islamic scholar) and mystic. He was the son of Husseyn and was born in Tabriz, Iran. He was born on 29 April 1866 in Tab ...

(in gnosis), Mirza Muhammad Husain Na'ini,

Sheykh Muhammad Hossein Qaravi Esfahani Mohammad Hossein Gharavi Esfahani also known as Kumpani () (1879-1942) was an Iraqi-Iranian Shia Scholar, philosopher, jurist and poet. Early life and family He was born on 2 Muharram 1296 AH (1879) in Kadhimiya, Iraq. He was the son of ...

(in Fiqh and Jurisprudence), Sayyid Abu'l-Qasim Khwansari (in

Mathematics Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

), as well as studying the standard texts of

Avicenna Ibn Sina ( fa, ابن سینا; 980 – June 1037 CE), commonly known in the West as Avicenna (), was a Persian polymath who is regarded as one of the most significant physicians, astronomers, philosophers, and writers of the Islamic G ...

's ''Shifa'', the ''Asfar'' of

Sadr al-Din Shirazi Ṣadr ad-Dīn Muḥammad Shīrāzī, more commonly known as Mullā Ṣadrā ( fa, ملا صدرا; ar, صدر المتألهین) (c. 1571/2 – c. 1635/40 CE / 980 – 1050 AH), was a Persian Twelver Shi'i Islamic mystic, philosopher, theo ...

, and the ''Tamhid al-qawa'id'' of Ibn Turkah. Along with Sayyid Husayn Badkuba'i, he was a student of two of the most famous masters of the time, Sayyid Abu'l-Hasan Jilwah and Aqa 'Ali Mudarris Zunuzi. In his later years he would often hold study sessions with

Henry Corbin Henry Corbin (14 April 1903 – 7 October 1978)Shayegan, DaryushHenry Corbin in Encyclopaedia Iranica. was a French philosopher, theologian, and Iranologist, professor of Islamic studies at the École pratique des hautes études. He was in ...

and

Seyyed Hossein Nasr Seyyed Hossein Nasr (; fa, سید حسین نصر, born April 7, 1933) is an Iranian philosopher and University Professor of Islamic studies at George Washington University. Born in Tehran, Nasr completed his education in Iran and the United St ...

, in which not only the classical texts of divine wisdom and

gnosis Gnosis is the common Greek noun for knowledge ( γνῶσις, ''gnōsis'', f.). The term was used among various Hellenistic religions and philosophies in the Greco-Roman world. It is best known for its implication within Gnosticism, where it ...

were discussed, but also a whole cycle of what Nasr calls ''comparative gnosis'', in which in each session the sacred texts of one of the major religions, containing mystical and gnostic teachings, such as the

Upanishads The Upanishads (; sa, उपनिषद् ) are late Vedic Sanskrit texts that supplied the basis of later Hindu philosophy.Wendy Doniger (1990), ''Textual Sources for the Study of Hinduism'', 1st Edition, University of Chicago Press, , ...

Tao Te Ching The ''Tao Te Ching'' (, ; ) is a Chinese classic text written around 400 BC and traditionally credited to the sage Laozi, though the text's authorship, date of composition and date of compilation are debated. The oldest excavated portion d ...

, the

Gospel of John The Gospel of John ( grc, Εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Ἰωάννην, translit=Euangélion katà Iōánnēn) is the fourth of the four canonical gospels. It contains a highly schematic account of the ministry of Jesus, with seven "sig ...

, were discussed and compared with

Sufism Sufism ( ar, ''aṣ-ṣūfiyya''), also known as Tasawwuf ( ''at-taṣawwuf''), is a mystic body of religious practice, found mainly within Sunni Islam but also within Shia Islam, which is characterized by a focus on Islamic spirituality, r ...

and Islamic gnostic doctrines in general. Tabataba'i was a philosopher, a prolific writer, and an inspiring teacher to his students who devoted much of his life to Islamic studies. Many of his students were among the ideological founders of the

Islamic Republic of Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...

, namely

Morteza Motahhari Morteza Motahhari ( fa, مرتضی مطهری, also Romanized as "Mortezā Motahharī"; 31 January 1919 – 1 May 1979) was an Iranian Twelver Shia scholar, philosopher, lecturer. Motahhari is considered to have an important influence on th ...

Muhammad Beheshti Mohammad Hosseini Beheshti ( fa, سیّد محمد حسینی بهشتی; 24 October 1928 – 28 June 1981) was an Iranian jurist, philosopher, cleric and politician who was known as the second person in the political hierarchy of Iran after t ...

, and

Mohammad Mofatteh Ayatollah Mohammad Mofatteh ( fa, محمد مفتح‎; 1928–1979) was an Iranian philosopher, theologian, and political activist, born in Famenin, Hamadan, Iran. After he finished his primary education in Hamadan, he left for the Islamic Sem ...

. Others like Seyyed Hossein Nasr and

Hassan Hassanzadeh Amoli Hassan Hasanzadeh Amoli ( fa, حسن حسن‌زاده آملی, 12 February 1929 – 25 September 2021) was an Iranian Shi'ite theologian known for his mystical tendencies and Islamic philosophy. He was among clerics who overcomed the tradition ...

remained and continued their studies in the intellectual non-political sphere.

Published works

In Najaf, Tabataba'i developed his major contributions in the fields of ''Tafsir'' (interpretation), philosophy, and history of the Shi'a faith. In philosophy the most important of his works is ''Usul-i falsafeh va ravesh-e-realism'' (

The Principles of Philosophy and the Method of Realism The Principles of Philosophy and the Method of Realism ( fa, اصول فلسفه و روش رئالیسم) is a book containing of 14 articles by Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai on Islamic philosophy and Epistemology which has been published in 5 volum ...

), which has been published in five volumes with explanatory notes and the commentary of

. If Ayatollah Haeri is considered the reviver of Qom's

hawza A hawza ( ar, حوزة) or ḥawzah ʿilmīyah ( ar, حوزة علمیة) is a seminary where Shi'a Muslim scholars are educated. The word ''ḥawzah'' is found in Arabic as well as the Persian language. In Arabic, the word means "to hold so ...

in an organizational sense, Tabataba'i's contributions to the field of

, philosophy and mysticism represent the intellectual revitalization of the

with lasting implications for the curriculum. His other major philosophical work is a voluminous commentary of ''Asfār al-'arba'eh'', the magnum opus of

Mulla Sadra Ṣadr ad-Dīn Muḥammad Shīrāzī, more commonly known as Mullā Ṣadrā ( fa, ملا صدرا; ar, صدر المتألهین) (c. 1571/2 – c. 1635/40 CE / 980 – 1050 AH), was a Persian Twelver Shi'i Islamic mystic, philosopher, the ...

who was the last of the great Persian (Iranian) Muslim thinkers of the medieval age. Apart from these he also wrote extensively on philosophical topics. His humanist approach is underlined by his three books on: the nature of man – before the world, in this world, and after this world. His philosophy is focused upon the sociological treatment of human problems. His two other works, ''Bidāyat al-hikmah'' and ''Nihāyat al-hikmah'', are considered among works of high order in Islamic philosophy. Several treatises on the doctrines and history of the

Shi'a Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest Islamic schools and branches, branch of Islam. It holds that the Prophets and messengers in Islam, Islamic prophet Muhammad in Islam, Muhammad designated Ali, ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his S ...

remain from him as well. One of these comprises his clarifications and expositions about Shi'a faith in reply to the questions posed by the famous French orientalist

. Another of his books on this topic ''Shi'ah dar Islam'' was translated into English by

under the title ''

Shi'a Islam Shīʿa Islam or Shīʿīsm is the second-largest branch of Islam. It holds that the Islamic prophet Muhammad designated ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib as his successor (''khalīfa'') and the Imam (spiritual and political leader) after him, most n ...

'', with the help of

William Chittick William C. Chittick (born 29 June 1943) is an American philosopher, writer, translator and interpreter of classical Islamic philosophical and mystical texts. He is best known for his work on Rumi and Ibn 'Arabi, and has written extensively on th ...

as a project of

Colgate University Colgate University is a private liberal arts college in Hamilton, New York. The college was founded in 1819 as the Baptist Education Society of the State of New York and operated under that name until 1823, when it was renamed Hamilton Theologi ...

. These books are claimed to serve as an excellent conduit by which popular misconceptions about the Shi'a faith may be removed further paving the way for a better ecumenical understanding amongst the various Muslim schools of thought. His written books number forty-four titles overall; three of which are collections of his articles on various aspects of Islam and the Qur'an.

List of publications

( fa, Shi’ah dar Islam) *

( fa, اصول فلسفه و روش رئالیسم ''Usul-i falsafeh va ravesh-i ri'alism'') in five volumes, with the commentary of Murtada Mutahhari. * Glosses al-kifayah ( fa, Hashiyahi kifayah). Glosses upon the new edition of the Asfar of Sadr al-Din Shirazi

appearing under the direction of 'Allameh Tabataba'i of which seven volumes have appeared. * Dialogues with Professor Corbin ( fa, Mushabat ba Ustad Kurban) Two volumes based on conversations carried out between 'Allameh Tabataba'i and

of which the first volume was printed as the yearbook of Maktab-i tashayyu’, 1339 (A.H. Solar) * Risalah dar hukumat-i islami, (Treatise on Islamic Government). * Hashiyah-i kifayah (Glosses upon al-Kifayah). * Risalah dar quwwah wafi'(Treatise on Potentiality and Actuality). * Risalah dar ithbat-i dha~t (Treatise on the Proof of the Divine Essence). * Risalah dar sifat (Treatise on the Divine Attributes). * Risalah dar ata (Treatise on the Divine Acts). * Risalah dar wasa'il (Treatise on Means). * Risalah dar insan qabl al-dunya (Treatise on Man before the World) * Risalah dar insan fi al-dunya (Treatise on Man in the World). * Risalah dar insan ba'd al-dunya (Treatise on Man after the World). * Risalah dar nubuwwat (Treatise on Prophecy). * Risalah dar wilayat (Treatise on Initiation). * Risalah dar mushtaqqat (Treatise on Derivatives). * Risalah dar burhan (Treatise on Demonstration). * Risalah dar mughalatah (Treatise on Sophism). * Risalah dar tahlil (Treatise on Analysis). * Risalah dar tarkib (Treatise on Synthesis). * Risalah dar i’tibarat (Treatise on Contingents). * Risalah dar nubuwwat wa manamat (Treatise on Prophecy and Dreams) * Manza’mah dar rasm-i- khatt-i-nasta’liq (Poem on the Method of Writing the Nasta’liq Style of Calligraphy). * Ali wa al-falsafat al-ilahiya (Ali and Metaphysics) * Qur'an dar Islam (The Qur'an in Islam).

Poetry

Tabataba'i was a poet who composed mainly in

Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...

, but occasionally in

Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic languages, Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C ...

. He also wrote articles and essays.

Notes

External links

Ashams Al-Sate'ah (الشمس الساطعة - the Bright Sun) - in Memory of Allameh Tabataba'i
by Allameh Tehrani
Biography of Allameh Tabataba'i
by

, preface of Shiite Islam
Biography of Allameh Tabatabaei
Taken from: “Stories from the life of Allama Tabataba'i(R) by Ahmad Luqmani, Allameh Tabataba'i, Meezane Ma`refit”, translated by S.K. Yusufali, Qum, Iran, 2006.

by Mohammad Yazdi ;Some of his works
Some of the books of Muhammad Husayn Tabatabai
in Bookfinder.com
al-MizanShiite IslamLight Within Me
*

A Shia Anthology A Shi'ite Anthology was written by Allameh Tabatabaei and translated by William Chittick, State University of New York Press. 1981. Created by the Prophet Muhammad and his twelve Imams, the Hadith is an ancient and profoundly influential body of r ...

A Shi'ite AnthologyVICEGERENCY (Risalah al-Wilayah)Kernel of the Kernel
– A Shi'a approach to

* (153

KiB The byte is a unit of digital information that most commonly consists of eight bits. Historically, the byte was the number of bits used to encode a single character of text in a computer and for this reason it is the smallest addressable unit ...