A Comparative Study of the Verse of Ikmal from the Perspective of Fakhr Razi and Allameh Tabatabaei

One of the important Islamic issues is the leadership of the society after the Prophet has been the issue of conflict between Islamic thinkers for past few centuries. This paper uses a descriptive-analytical method and uses library sources to study the interpretive views of Fakhr Razi and Allameh Tabatabaei comparatively about the verse of Ikmal ("Today, I have perfected your religion for you, and I have completed My blessing upon you, and I have approved Islam as your religion.", Qur'an: 5:3) and through explaining the basics of the two views, points out the commonalities and differences between the two and finally criticizes the controversy over the verse. These two interpreters agree on some issues, such as the type of intertextual view in explaining the verse. However, regarding the interpretation of the word al-Youm, the cause and time of revelation and the meaning of the verse have different views. Some of the most important principles of Fakhr Razi is to refer to literary-verbal contexts and topics, the sayings of the Sahabah (companions) and followers as being evidence without mentioning the opposing narrations, the belief in consensus, and the belief in the absence of the text of appointing an Imam. In contrast, considering the Prophet's and Ahl al-Bayt tradition as evidence in interpretation, believing in the necessity of the text in determining the Imam and paying attention to the correct narrations as the cause of revelation and believing in the exclusive meaning of the verse on Ali are some of the most important principles of Allameh Tabatabaei in explaining the meaning of the verse.