The issue of the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) and the Infallible Imams’ (AS) knowledge of the unseen (‘ilm bi al-ghayb) is one of the foundational topics in Islamic theology, long debated among Muslim scholars and thinkers. Allamah Sayyed Muhammad Hussain Tabataba’i, as a prominent Shi’a exegete and an innovative intellectual, has addressed this issue through his distinctive theological and Qur’anic interpretive approach. This study primarily seeks to answer the following question: How does Allamah Tabataba’i define the scope and nature of the Prophet’s (PBUH) and Imams’ (AS) knowledge of the unseen, and on what theological-exegetical grounds does he deploy his arguments? The research methodology is descriptive-analytical, centered on an examination of al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an and other key works of Allamah. The findings indicate that, according to Allamah Tabataba’i, knowledge of the unseen in its essential and absolute form belongs solely to Allah. The Prophet (PBUH) and the Imams (AS), by divine permission and will, partake in this knowledge only to the extent allowed by their existential capacity. Relying on the principle of "interpreting the Qur’an by the Qur’an" and supported by rational arguments, Allamah emphasizes that while the knowledge of the Infallibles (AS) of the unseen is extensive and comprehensive, it does not entail any role in altering or bringing about external events; rather, it is merely a reflection of divine will and decree. Thus, his viewpoint constitutes a synthesis of exegetical insight and theological reasoning, offering a coherent and rational account of the Infallibles’ (AS) epistemic status in relation to the unseen – one that remains consistent with both Qur’anic teachings and rational principles.
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Soltani Esferizi,H . (2024). A Theological-Exegetical Study of the Prophet’s (PBUH) and Imams’ (AS) Knowledge of the Unseen in the Thought of Allamah Tabatabai. Ala’ Al-Rahman Exegetic Studies, 3(9), 55-74.
MLA
Soltani Esferizi,H . "A Theological-Exegetical Study of the Prophet’s (PBUH) and Imams’ (AS) Knowledge of the Unseen in the Thought of Allamah Tabatabai", Ala’ Al-Rahman Exegetic Studies, 3, 9, 2024, 55-74.
HARVARD
Soltani Esferizi H. (2024). 'A Theological-Exegetical Study of the Prophet’s (PBUH) and Imams’ (AS) Knowledge of the Unseen in the Thought of Allamah Tabatabai', Ala’ Al-Rahman Exegetic Studies, 3(9), pp. 55-74.
CHICAGO
H Soltani Esferizi, "A Theological-Exegetical Study of the Prophet’s (PBUH) and Imams’ (AS) Knowledge of the Unseen in the Thought of Allamah Tabatabai," Ala’ Al-Rahman Exegetic Studies, 3 9 (2024): 55-74,
VANCOUVER
Soltani Esferizi H. A Theological-Exegetical Study of the Prophet’s (PBUH) and Imams’ (AS) Knowledge of the Unseen in the Thought of Allamah Tabatabai. Ala’ Al-Rahman Exegetic Studies. 2024;3(9):55-74 (In Persian).
