A Study of the Traditional Sources of the Commentary of al-Mīzān and the Intermediator Reflection of the Narrations from the Early Sources

Without doubt one of the most valuable exegeses is the commentary of al-Mīzan. After interpreting a group of verses, the author paid a special attention to narratives, under the title of “traditional discussion” with reference to both Shī'ī and Sunnī sources. In spite of numerous studies of al-Mīzan's traditions, their sources have not been investigated until now. In this research, based on the descriptive-analytical method, the sources of the book’s narrations have been studied and analyzed. Regarding many evidences, it is concluded that for Shi’a sources Allamah Ṭabāṭabā’ī referred mostly to the books of Al-Ṣāfī, Al-Burḥān, Nūr al-Thaqalayn and Biḥār al-'Anwār. However, he directly quoted from the original source of a narrative without mentioning these intermediator sources.
He has applied such a method in quoting Sunni materials as well, referring to the intermediator sources such as Al-Burḥān, Biḥār al-'Anwār, Al-'Itqān and Durr al-Manthūr. It is worth mentioning that the purpose of this paper is not to criticize Allamah’s way, for his method was as the same as the previous scholars’, but rather it seeks to demonstrate that while using al-Mīzan’s exegetical narratives the researches may not find themselves needless of considering and referring to the original sources of narratives.