The Background of the Concept Al-Jary Applied by Al-Tabatabai in the Qur’anic Exegesis

Abstract

There are various narratives that associate the verses with the Imams and the ones considered their supporters and their enemies in the narrative interpretation and hadith books of the Ithna ‘Ashariyyah/Imamiyyah /Jafariyyah sects. Muhammad Husayn Tabâtabâî (1904-1981), the contemporary Ithna ‘Ashariyyah commentator, explains this association in the narratives with the concept of Al-Jary he developed. In this study, the analysis and the critique of the interpretations of the verses he put forward by applying the concept Al-Jary, was made from the perspective of verse-narrative compatibility. Additionally, the factors that impelled him to bring in this concept to the Shi’a-Usuli Qur’anic Sciences were tried to find out. As a result, it was understood that the meaning theoretically assumed to the verses was not reflected to the interpretation of the verses and the drive behind this approach was sectarian fanaticism. It was found out that he sank himself into the effort of preservation of the narratives that constitute an important amount in the Ithna ‘Ashariyyah literature of the narratives. On the other hand, it was noticed that he considered the esoteric (batıni) meaning and the concept of implicity (ta’wil) to support his aim.