A Critical Study of Allameh Tabataba’i and Ayatollah Javadi Amoli’s Basic Tenets on the Independence of the Quran and its Impact on the Application of Interpretational Narrations

One of the most fundamental ideas of Allameh Tabataba’i in Tafsir al-Mizan and that of Ayatollah Javadi Amoli in Tafsir-e Tasnim is belief in the independence of the Quran in authority, indication, and interpretation. They believe that the holy Quran, which claims to be enlightener of everything, is independent in both authority and in stating the signification and connotation of the verses. Of course, both interpreters have employed other interpretational sources such as narrations and historical evidence in their interpretation, which seems to be in conflict with the belief in the independence of the Quran. However, this conflict is resolved by Ayatollah Javadi Amoli’s explanation referring to the non-monopoly of the Quran in authority and indication in his interpretive method and in that of his master, Allameh Tabataba’i. One of the instances confirming this explanation is the use and impact of the narrations related to the occasions of revelation and comparative narrations contributing to the understanding and interpretation of these two commentators. Making an attempt to explain the types and function of narrations in the interpretation process of these two commentators, this article deals with a critical examination of the basis of the independence of the Quran and the impact of narrations on the understanding and the interpretation of Allameh Tabataba’i and Ayatollah Javadi Amoli.