Journal Of Islamic Denominations

Journal Of Islamic Denominations

The Theoretical Foundations of Epistemology in al-Fakhr al-Rāzī as Measured by Al-Mīzān

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
mohammad hosein shirafkan 1
fatemeh pourmahdi amiri 2
1 Assistant Professor, General Education Department, Mazandaran University of Science and Technology, Behshahr, Iran
2 Graduate of Level Four (Advanced Seminary Studies), Hazrat Khadijah Specialized Higher School, Babol, Iran
10.22034/jid.2025.533985.2584
Abstract
In the interpretation of the Qur'an, the works of two prominent commentators, al-Fakhr al-Rāzī and Allamah Tabataba'i, represent two different and rich approaches to understanding and interpreting divine verses. Allamah Ṭabāṭabā'ī, in his invaluable commentary Al-Mīzān, addresses and critiques al-Fakhr al-Rāzī’s perspective on various issues. Allamah Ṭabāṭabā'ī’s criticisms of al-Fakhr al-Rāzī’s interpretation not only reveal the strengths and weaknesses of al-Fakhr al-Rāzī’s approach but also demonstrate the importance of critical and independent thinking in Islamic sciences. These criticisms teach us that to understand and interpret the Qur'an, one must use a comprehensive and profound approach that includes context, reason, history, and social realities. This paper, using a descriptive-analytical method, examines Allamah Ṭabāṭabā'ī’s criticisms regarding al-Fakhr al-Rāzī’s epistemological foundations in interpretation. The critique was carried out in three realms: the possibility of knowledge, the nature of knowledge, and the tools of knowledge, and Allamah Ṭabāṭabā'ī’s views were elucidated in relation to the foundations introduced by al-Fakhr al-Rāzī.
Keywords
Interpretation
Epistemology
Al-Mīzān
al-Fakhr al-Rāzī
Theoretical Foundations
Subjects
The Holy Qur’an.
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