Allamah Tabatabai and Maraghi on the Role of the Causes of Revelation in Understanding Quranic Verses

This article seeks to examine the causes of revelation according to Allamah Tababatai and Maraghi with reliance on two most important and respected exegetical works (e.g. Tafsir al-Mizan and Tafsir al-Maraghi) authored by these two prominent Shia and Sunni scholars, respectively. Given Allamah Tabatabai's exegetical school and its requirement, he is of the view that the cause and occasion of revelation do not play a very important role in interpreting the verses. However, he maintains that mentioning the traditions concerning the causes and occasion of revelation are effective in understanding the purport and context of the verses. As for Maraghi, he has collected more than three hundred verses in his commentary work taking into account specially those traditions which have something to do with the causes of revelation. He has transmitted those traditions which are authentic according to him. Maraghi's method in criticizing and studying the narrations is such that he evaluates and verifies their authenticity through the Quran and rational reasons.