The Views of Ṭabāṭabā'ī on Traditions ( aḥādith ) and Occasions of Revelation ( asbāb al-nuzūl ) in Interpreting the Qur'an

Abstract

ABSTRACT: This paper examines the relationship between the traditions, aḥādith , and interpretation of the Qur'an according to Muḥammad Ḥusayn Ṭabāṭabā'ī the author of al-Mīzān fī Tafsīr al-Qur'an , who is a member of Uṣūlī school of Shi'a scholars. In this paper I shall examine his views about the extent to which it is possible to use traditions in the process of interpretation. For doing so, his criteria for accepting a narration as a true hadith will be analysed. Definition of hadith as well as different categories of traditions such as frequent, mutawātir , and single, wāḥid , will be examined according to his view. Then, it will be shown that according to the Uṣūlī school of Shi'a there is a difference between solitary narrated traditions, which are about legislation and the codes of practice on the one hand, and traditions of belief, history, interpretation, and the like, on the other. The authentic solitary narrated traditions, validated by some special religious evidence, can be used in the process of legislation and the codes of practice, while single narrated traditions which are about belief, interpretation, etc., cannot be considered as such. Then the impact of these differences upon the interpretation will be investigated. In addition to that, Ṭabāṭabā'īs view about asbāb al-nuzūl , will be discussed to have a complete presentation of his view about the narrative approach, al-tafsīr al-riwā'ī , to the interpretation of the Qur'an.