The Separation of Tafsīr from Taṭbīq in ʿAllāma Ṭabāṭabā’ī’s Thought

Document Type : Scholary

Author

Assistant Professor, Department of Islamic Teachings, Faculty of Humanities, Bu- Ali Sina University, Hamedan, Iran

Abstract

The hadiths of “jary” (flow) and “taṭbīq” (application) constitute an important part of the Shiʿi hadith sources. A significant portion of the Shiʿi hadith sources have been dedicated to the hadiths of Jary and taṭbīq. ʿAllāma Muḥammad Ḥusayn Ṭabāṭabā’ī has dealt with these hadiths with extreme precision. His unique approach, concerning the hadiths of jary and taṭbīq, enjoys two unprecedented characteristics: 1) He has quoted many such hadiths being accompanied by his own brief, thoughtful accounts; 2) He has drawn a distinct line between the two realms of tafsīr and application (taṭbīq). Paying attention to such a subtle difference brings about an accurate understating of applicable hadiths in general. It wipes out many misunderstandings from the hadiths of Jary and taṭbīq in particular. Given the aforementioned points, it will be made clear from ʿAllāma Ṭabāṭabā’ī’s views how necessary and important is to separate the hadiths of jary (flow) and taṭbīq (application). Proper attention to this separation and distinction leads to a better understanding of applicable hadiths. Additionally, one of the significant achievements of this practice is preventing potential misinterpretations and religious misunderstandings. However, this separation solely prevents applicable hadiths from the exegetical process in its specific sense, otherwise, the fundamental assistance of these hadiths to exegetes in understanding the overall meanings of the verses remains intact.
    

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