The scholar behind the book: Allamah Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i (1904–1981) was born in Tabriz, Iran, into a family of scholars with fourteen generations of 'ulama. He studied in Najaf for ten years under great teachers, then returned to Tabriz, and in 1946 moved to Qum, where he revived the teaching of Islamic philosophy. His students included Shaheed Mutahhari and Shaheed Bahonar.
The book itself: Al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Quran — "The Balance in the Commentary of the Quran" — is 20 volumes in Arabic, about 11,000 pages, written between 1954 and 1974 in Qum. It has been translated into Persian (27 volumes) and Urdu, and partly into English. It is written for advanced Hawza students and scholars, though many educated readers study it with guidance.
The three-layer method: Al-Mizan is unique for its method, in three layers. Layer 1: the Quran interprets the Quran — Tabataba'i begins every discussion by collecting all related verses from across the Quran, noting the Muhkam verses and the Mutashabih ones, and showing how the Quran is internally coherent. Layer 2: the narrations of the Ahlul Bayt (as) — he then presents the relevant Imam narrations from all Shia sources, evaluates their strength, and notes where they give the Batin. Layer 3: philosophy — only when needed, for theological and metaphysical verses, he applies Sadrian philosophy and rational Kalam to give the deepest rational understanding.
What makes Al-Mizan unique: Four things stand out. It reads the Quran as a unified whole, connecting verses across Surahs on the same topic. It engages honestly and respectfully with Sunni scholarship — presenting and answering the positions of Ibn Kathir, Fakhr al-Din al-Razi, and Zamakhshari with evidence, never dismissing them. It addresses modern questions — evolution, creation, the beginning of the universe — but with scholarly caution, never forcing a scientific reading onto the verses. And it keeps its spiritual depth without losing scholarship: the "Mizan" (balance) of the title is the balance between reason and revelation.
His own words about the book: Tabataba'i said he wrote Al-Mizan to show that the Quran interprets parts of itself through other parts, and that the Quran needs no outside authority to explain it, except what Allah and His Messenger (SAW) have said. — to be checked.
Example
Imagine a great doctor who first listens to your whole body, then reads your medical reports, and only then — if needed — consults a specialist book. Al-Mizan works the same way: first the Quran explains itself, then the Imams (as) speak, and only then, when the verse is deep, does philosophy help. Nothing is forced; every layer adds to the one before it.
Key Terms
- Al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Quran (المیزان فی تفسیر القرآن) — "The Balance in the Commentary of the Quran"; Allamah Tabataba'i's 20-volume Tafsir
- Allamah Tabataba'i (علامہ طباطبائی) — Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i (1904–1981), author of Al-Mizan
- Hawza (حوزہ) — a Shia seminary; a centre of Islamic learning, such as in Najaf and Qum
- Sadrian philosophy (فلسفہ صدری) — the philosophy of Mulla Sadra, used by Tabataba'i for deep verses
Quran or Hadith
None used in this topic.
Fresh diagram to be drawn: A three-layer cake or three stacked blocks labelled: Layer 1 — Quran explains Quran; Layer 2 — Imam narrations; Layer 3 — Philosophy (when needed). A small portrait-style frame of Allamah Tabataba'i beside it (drawn, not a photo).
- Allamah Tabataba'i (1904–1981) wrote Al-Mizan in Qum over twenty years (1954–1974).
- Al-Mizan has 20 volumes and about 11,000 pages in Arabic.
- Its method has three layers: Quran explains Quran, Imam narrations, then philosophy when needed.