Knowledge of the Prophet and Imam in Tafsīr “Min Waḥy al-Qur'ān”

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Abstract

The knowledge of the Prophet and the Imam, which in theological terminology is called ilm-i Imam (knowledge of Imam), although not religiously obligatory to believe in, has occasionally been discussed just as religiously obligatory in scholarly gatherings and religious Shī‘a circles, and many a time has in recent centuries challenged the Islamic seminaries and created inconsistent intellectual tendencies; to the extent that at times some had no choice except keeping silent or remaining cautious and conforming towards it.
In such an atmosphere, Sayyid Muḥammad Ḥusayn Faḍl Allāh – the author of Min Way al-Qur'ān – has not tolerated to remain silent on this issue and wherever the interpretation of the verses necessitated, he has dealt with it with a courageous penmanship and a Qur’ānic approach. But as to what he has had to say in this respect, in what intellectual trends has he been placed among the learned scholars, and what eminent intellectual features he enjoys, are the issues dealt with in this research.