Allamah Tabatabai and Fakhr Razi on Quranic Verses Signifying Eternal Abiding at Hell (A Comparative Study)

In some Quranic verses as Nisaa 169, Ahzab 64, Jinn 23 and Hashr 17, time of sinful people`s punishment has been stated by the phrase: wherein they will abide for evermore. Eternity or limitedness of sinful people`s punishment has been known as an important problem attracting the minds of theologians, philosophers, mystics and commentators. Some have viewed all sinful people to be at eternal punishment and some other to be at limited punishment. However, Allamah Tabataba`i, a leading Shiite commentator, philosopher and mystic, and Fakhr Razi, a well-known Ash`arite commentator and theologian, explaining the problem on the basis of their principles in theology, philosophy and commentary, have taken a moderate view in this field and show some properties of those of eternal punishment among sinful people. In the paper, the two thinkers` proofs have been analytically studied and objections against them have been refuted.