The Process of Istiẓhār (Textual Inference) and Systematic Understanding of the Quran in Al-Mīzān fī Tafsīr al-Qur’ān

Document Type : Scholary

Authors

1 Professor of Qum seminary, Level 4, Qum, Iran

2 Assistant Professor, Quran and Hadith Higher Education Complex, Al-Mustafa International University, Qum, Iran

3 Seminary Student (Level 3) and PhD Candidate in Culture and Communication, Baqir al‑‘Ulum University, Qum, Iran

Abstract

In Al-Mīzān fī Tafsīr al-Qur’ān, ʿAllāmah Sayyid Muhammad Ḥusayn Ṭabāṭabā’ī introduces a novel and systematic approach grounded in the “process of istiẓhār” (deriving meaning from textual indications). The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive and step-by-step analysis of the istiẓhār process in ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabā’ī’s exegetical method, in order to clarify the stages and components involved in a systematic understanding of Quranic verses. Employing a library-based research method and content analysis of ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabā’ī’s exegetical approach in al-Mīzān, this article explicates the structure and stages of the istiẓhār process.
     The findings indicate that the istiẓhār process in ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabā’ī’s exegetical method, grounded in principles such as avoiding the imposition of extraneous views and affirming the probative authority of the apparent meanings of the verses, follows a coherent seven-stage structure. These stages include: 1. Lexical analysis based on philology, 2. Examination of the rules of the Arabic language, 3. Attention to the contextual flow of the verses (connected indicators), 4. Utilization of disconnected indicators (such as occasions of revelation). The core of this process is the fifth stage, 5. The interpretation of the Quran by the Quran, which guarantees the semantic interconnectedness of the verses. Finally, the inferred meaning is completed and consolidated through 6. Critical evaluation of earlier exegetical views, and 7. Recourse to reliable hadiths transmitted from the Ahl al-Bayt (peace be upon them).

Keywords

References

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The Quran: Contemporary Studies
Volume 4, Issue 14
Fourth year, Number 14, Winter 2026
March 2026
Pages 37-60

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