The Introduction To The Tafsir Al-Mizan Of Allamah Tabatabai 2/2

A‘udhu bi-Llahi al-Sami‘ al-‘Alim, min al-shaytan al-rajim, Bismillah, Al-Rahman Al-Rahim, wa salla-Llahu ‘alaa sayyidina Muhammad wa ‘ala aalihi-t-tayyibin at-taahirin.

So inshaAllah in this lesson, we want to speak more about the theory of language with which 'Allamah Tabataba'i approaches the tafsir of the Holy Qur'an. And although 'Allamah Tabataba'i tries to stay away from imposing an intellectual framework on the Holy Qur'an, a level of presupposition is needed in any exercise of interpretation. And so 'Allamah Tabataba'i tries to lay out his theory of language in a coherent fashion, and does not seek to impose that on the Holy Qur'an, but just seeks to clarify that this is the perspective through which he understands language when it pertains to the scriptural sources.

So as we mentioned last time, 'Allamah Tabataba'i explains that the Holy Qur'an is very clear in its language. However, what has confused interpreters are not the concepts indicated by the words of the Holy Qur'an, but rather it is the referents, meaning the objects that are referred to by those concepts according to the level of existence within the context of the verse.

Going to be getting philosophical, so I am going to need your full attention. The function of language between human beings is so that we can indicate towards something in conversation without having to actually bring that thing in front of the eyes of the person was speaking to.

So, for example, you can refer to a specific mug or cup, and because the person who is speaking to, shares the concept with you of what that favorite mug is, they will be easily able to take their mind to the concept. So, for example, if you say somebody broke my favorite mug, the function of language is to take the listener to the concept of somebody breaking your favorite mug without you bringing somebody in front of them to smash the mug in front of their eyes.

That is the function of language. We use language out of convenience, but because of our day to day use of language and our constant occupation in the mundane and the fact that language is especially useful in carrying out our material and mundane matters, as soon as we hear something, our mind immediately race to the material reference of words that we hear.

So, for example, when an Subhana wa Ta'ala says: ' wa ladaynaa mazid' (50:35) [and with Us there is more] or: 'wa maa 'inda-Llahi khayr' (42:36) [ and that which Lies with God is better], or: 'thumma ilayhi turja'un' (2:128) [ then unto Him shall you be returned]. Then when we hear these expressions, our minds immediately move towards a spatial movement and we consider what is with Allah to be spatially separate from where we are.

However, 'Allamah Tabataba'i opines that language is designated for purposes, or designated for the spirit of the meaning rather than for specific reference. So, for example, if you take the word 'lamp', not too long ago, a lamp was constructed of a candle and a wick, and you will have to light it with some kind of fire in order to illuminate your night time. But today, when we think of a lamp, none of those original parts of the lamps used in medieval times, for example, are used in a modern lamp which works on electricity, and a light bulb, and perhaps has a lampshade, and so on.

And the same thing, if we take a scale. A medieval scale was made of two pans and something to balance those pans. Whereas nowadays with electronic scales, what is involved in making a scale is completely different. And the same thing for a 'weapon' in the times of the caveman, a weapon was erupted onto a stick and then, as human beings developed, became swords and bows and arrows and spears, then it became guns and cannon balls, and now weapons can be dropped out of the sky and remotely controlled by drones.

But in each of these three examples: the lamp, the scale and the weapon, there is a spirit to all of their meanings. The lamp is something with which you light up the night time. The scale is that with which you balance, what is the benchmark by which you judge. And the weapon is that thing with which you defend yourself or attack somebody else. And so words themselves are designated for their purposes, or designated for the spirit of the meaning, rather than for any specific reference.

And from here as well, you can see why 'Allamah Tabataba'i called his tafsir: 'al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur'an'- the scale in the interpretation of the Qur'an, because he sought to provide the benchmark when it came to interpretation, rejecting the interpretation of many of the interpreters before him and setting down a new methodology in interpreting the Holy Qur'an.

So it is from here that element of 'Allamah Tabataba'i criticizes the Ahl al-Hadith. As we explained in the previous session, 'Allamah Tabataba'i criticizes the approach of the Ahl-al-Hadith when they talk about the apparent meaning of the Holy Qur'an, when they say, for example, that Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala has a hand, an actual physical hand, or He sits on a throne, because the Holy Qur'an has said that He has a hand, and has said that He sits on a throne. 'Allamah Tabataba'i criticizes them to say that this is not the apparent meaning of the Holy Qur'an, but rather these are the referents that the mind may immediately move towards because of its occupation with the material world.

It is because when we talk about hands, we are used to the human hand, and when we talk about kings, we are used to them sitting on thrones, perhaps made out of gold and jewels and so on. So when the Ahl Al-Hadith say that they stick to the apparent meaning, it is not the apparent meaning, but it is the designation of certain referents that they are used to because of their existence in the material plane. And 'Allamah Tabataba'i believes that this completely confuses the meanings of the Holy Qur'an.

Rather, what a person should do is that they should investigate the plane with which the verse of the Holy Qur'an is concerned with. If the verse of the Holy Qur'an is speaking about Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala, and about Him having a hand, or a face, or sitting on a throne, then these verses should not be interpreted in the same way as human beings having hands and faces and sitting on thrones, and that is because the Holy Qur'an itself has expressed the transience of Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala, over any kind of material existence.

And thereafter 'Allamah Tabataba'i elucidates his method in the clearest of terms. He aims to explain the Holy Qur'an by the Holy Qur'an, explaining the meaning of the verses by examining the other verses that are relevant to that verse, not cherry-picking certain verses and ignoring others. And then through the reflection that the Holy Qur'an itself encourages, 'Allamah Tabataba'i hopes to explain what those verses mean, using perhaps some introductory concepts, but no concept that would rely on a theoretical framework which would be far removed from what a normal person would naturally be able to accept.

And then he seeks to clarify what the referents of the verses are by considering the verses themselves, and the planes with which they are concerned with, as he is very concerned that the Holy Qur'an should explain itself. And so by using other verses of the Holy Qur'an, part of the Qur'an is speaking for another part of the Qur'an.

And then 'Allamah Tabataba'i continues by saying that this is what he believes to have been the method of tafsir of the Holy Prophet, Salla-Llahu 'alayhi wa aalihi wa sallam, and his Family as they encouraged towards thinking about the Aayat of the Holy Qur'an, explained that it had a number of levels and that its outward was delicate and its inward was deep.

And so aside from the grammatical or linguistic introductory points or something that would be self-evident, 'Allamah Tabataba'i separates any philosophical discourse or sociological discourse from the interpretation of the Holy Qur'an under a separate title. And this is what is special about his work of tafsir.

Finally, before the end of his introduction, he specifies seven categories of topics that the Holy Qur'an deals with. The first are the concepts that deal with the names of Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala, His attributes in terms of life, knowledge, power, hearing, seeing, unity and so on, but as for the essence of Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala, that is above human conception.

The second category are the actions of Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala, in terms of His creation, His will, His guidance, His justice, His satisfaction, His anger and so on.

The third category are the topics of those things that are between Allah Subhana wa Ta'ala, and the human being, in terms of the veils, the pen, the throne, the chair, the heavens and the earth, the Angels, the devils, the jinn and so on.

The fourth category speaks about the human being before this world.

The fifth category talks about the human being in this world in terms of some historical details, sociological issues, prophethood, revelation, law, religion, the stories of the prophets and their stations.

The sixth topic is about the human being after this world in terms of the Barzakh and the resurrection

And the seventh topic is that which is linked to ethics, and personality development in terms of the stations of the Friends of God, the path of servitude, Islam, faith, sincerity and so on.

As for the verses that talk about the Divine Law, 'Allamah Tabataba'i does not investigate them in this tafsir. So that is the theory of language propounded by 'Allamah Tabataba'i, as well as the salient points that he covers in his introduction.

And InshaAllah, in the next video, we will start with the opening chapter of the Holy Qur'an, the Surat al-Fatiha.

Wa salla-Llahu 'alaa Sayyidina Muhammad, wa 'ala aalihi, at-tayyibin, at-tahirin.