Interpretive Innovations

Interpretive Innovations

Allameh Ṭabāṭabāʾī’s Hermeneutical Principles and Their Application to the Interpretation of Mutashābih Qurʾānic Verses

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Ensieh Sadat Dorri 1
Ebrahim Ebrahimi 2
1 PhD Student, Quranic and Hadith Sciences, Allameh Askari International University, Qom, Iran
2 Professor, Qur'an and Hadith Department, Faculty of Theology and Islamic Studies, Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/iij.2026.2078553.1062
Abstract
This study analyzes and critically reassesses Allameh Ṭabāṭabāʾī’s interpretive framework concerning the mutashābih (ambiguous) verses of the Noble Qurʾān. As a foundational step, his relevant discussions—primarily presented in his commentary on verse 7 of Sūrat Āl ʿImrān—were extracted and systematically organized. According to Allameh’s hermeneutical principles, mutashābih verses are those possessing multiple apparent meanings and the capacity to convey more than one possible interpretation, particularly those pertaining to metaphysical realities. Because the subjects of these verses lie beyond the realm of sensory perception, their initial reception tends to generate material or anthropomorphic conceptions in the mind of the reader. From the exegete’s perspective, however, the true meaning of these verses becomes discoverable through their referral to the corpus of muḥkam (clear and decisive) verses. Additionally, Allameh Ṭabāṭabāʾī classifies certain abrogated verses as mutashābih, although this category falls beyond the scope of the present investigation. In this research, ambiguous verses are classified under two thematic categories: (1) verses concerning divine attributes and actions, and (2) verses pertaining to the unseen realm (al-ghayb) and eschatology. Allameh regards the interpretive return of mutashābih verses to muḥkamāt as the primary criterion for resolving ambiguity. Nevertheless, in cases such as the verses relating to the “Balance” (al-mīzān) and the “Preserved Tablet” (al-lawḥ al-maḥfūẓ), he relies exclusively upon transmitted reports (riwāyāt) as interpretive tools. Furthermore, in his treatment of the “Shin” (al-sāq), he interprets the verse on the basis of common human behavior in moments of distress. This study thus reveals that while Allameh’s hermeneutical framework provides a systematic approach to mutashābih verses, its application in certain instances exhibits inconsistencies with his stated methodology.
Keywords
Muḥkam Verses
Mutashābih Verses
Allameh Ṭabāṭabāʾī
Hermeneutical Principles
Methodology of Qurʾānic Exegesis
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Interpretive Innovations

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 11 May 2026