Allameh Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba'i (1892-1981) is one of the greatest and most original thinkers of contemporary Islam. He was a prolific writer and an inspiring teacher, who devoted all his life to non-political Islamic studies. His interests were varied and the scope of his learning was vast. His books number about forty-four, three of which are collections of his articles on various aspects of Islam and the Qur'an.

Born in Iran, he stuidied in Najaf, where he developed his major contributions in the fields of tafsir (interpretation), philosophy, and history of the Shi'ah faith. In philosophy the most important of his works is Usul-e falsafeh va ravesh-e-realism (The Principles of Philosophy and the method of realism), which has been published in five volumes with explanatory notes and commentary of Murteza Mutahhari.

His other major philosophical work is a voluminous commentary of Asfar al-'arba'ah, the magnum opus of Mulla Sadra, the last of the great Muslim thinkers of the medieval age. Besides these, he wrote extensively on philosophical issues. His humanist approach is underlined by his three books on man - before the world, in this world, and after this world. His philosophy is overloaded with sociological treatment of human problems. His two other works, Bidayat al-hikmah and Nihayat al-hikmah, are considered among works of a high order in Muslim philosophy.

He wrote several treatises on the doctrines and history of the Shi'ah. One of these books comprises his clarifications and expositions about Shi'ah faith in reply to the questions posed by the famous French orientalist Henry Corbin . Another of his books on this topic Shi'ah dar Islam was translated into English by Seyyed Hossein Nasr under the title The Shi'ite Islam. These books serve as a good means of removing popular misconceptions about the Shi'ah and can pave the way for a better inter-sectarian understanding among Muslim schools.

If a single work is to be named as his masterpiece, al-Mizan can be mentioned without hesitation, which is the outcome of the 'Allamah's lifelong labor in the sphere of Qur'anic studies. His method, style and approach are uniquely different from those of all other exegetes of the Qur'an.

Among the aspects of Allamah Tabatabaei's personality is his unprecedented success as a great teacher. Among his pupils we find a group of such luminaries and thinkers of eminence in their own right as Morteza Mutahhari, Beheshti, Hasanzadeh Amuli, and Seyyed Hossein Nasr.

The 'Allamah was also a good poet. He composed the poetry mainly in Persian, but occasionally in Arabic also.

List of published works

• Al-Mizan (The Balance). The Allahma's most important single work, a monumental commentary upon the Qur'an of which nineteen of the projects & twenty volumes have been completed, and fourteen volumes already printed, in the origin Arabic as was in Persian translation.
• 'Usul-i-falsafeh va ravesh-i-ri'alism (The Principles of Philosophy and the Method of Realism) in five volumes, with the commentary of Murtada Mutahhari. * Hashiyahi kifayah (Glosses al-kifayah). Glosses upon the new edition of the Asfar of Sadr al-Din Shirizi Mulla Sadra appearing under the direction of 'Allahma Tabataba'i of which seven volumes have appeared.
• Mushabat ba Ustad Kurban (Dialogues with Professor Corbin) Two volumes based on conversations carried out between 'Allahma Tabataba'i and Henry Corbin of which the first volume was printed as the yearbook of Maktab-i tashayyu’, 1339 (A.H. Solar)
• Risalah dar hukumat-i islami, (Treatise on Islamic Government).
• Hashiyah-i kifayah (Glosses upon al-Kifayah).
• Risalah dar quwwah wafi'(Treatise on Potentiality and Actuality).
• Risalah dar ithbat-i dha~t (Treatise on the Proof of the Divine Essence).
• Risalah dar gifat (Treatise on the Divine Attributes).
• Risalah dar ata! (Treatise on the Divine Acts).
• Risalah dar wasa'ir (Treatise on Means).
• Risalah dar insan qabi al-duny& (Treatise on Man before the World)
• Risalah dar insan fl~i-dunya (Treatise on Man in the World).
• Risalafi dar insdn ba'd al-dunya (Treatise on Man after the World).
• Risalah dar nubuwwat (Treatise on Prophecy).
• Risalah dar walyat (Treatise on Initiation).
• Risalah dar mushtaqqat (Treatise on Derivatives).
• Risalah dar burhan (Treatise on Demonstration).
• Risalah dar mughalatah (Treatise on Sophism).
• Risalah dar tahlil (Treatise on Analysis).
• Risalah dar tarkib (Treatise on Synthesis).
• Risalah dar i’tibara’t (Treatise on Contingents).
• Risalah dar nubuwwat wa manarnat (Treatise on Prophecy and Dreams)
• Manza’mah dar rasm-i- khatt-i-nasta’li’q (Poem on the Method of Writing the Nasta’liq Style of Calligraphy).
• Ali’ wa’l-falsafat al-ilahiya (Ali and Metaphysics)
• Qur'an dar islam (The Qur’an in Islam).
• Shi’ah dar islam (Shi'ite Islam).

Allahmeh Tabataba'i is also the author of numerous articles.

See also

• Islamization of knowledge
• Islamic philosophy
• Ayatollah al-Shirazi

External links

• Al-Mizan website