Written and collected by Zia H Shah MD

Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i (circa 1940s) was a leading Shi’a scholar of the 20th century.

Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i (1903–1981) was a renowned Iranian Shi’i scholar, theologian, and philosopher widely regarded as one of the most prominent thinkers of modern Shia Islamen.wikipedia.org. Often referred to by the honorific Allameh (meaning polymath or distinguished scholar), he made lasting contributions in Islamic philosophy and Quranic exegesis. Allameh Tabataba’i is perhaps best known for his Tafsir al-Mizan, a monumental Quran commentary in multiple volumes that he produced between 1954 and 1972 en.wikipedia.org. His intellectual pursuits spanned diverse fields – as noted in his biographical profile, his main interests included “epistemology, Islamic metaphysics, … ontology, and Quranic exegesis” en.wikipedia.org – reflecting the breadth of his scholarship. This academic biography presents a detailed account of Tabataba’i’s life, works, influence, and legacy, from his early education in Iran and scholarly training in Iraq, to his major writings and the revival of Shi’a philosophical thought in Qom, his indirect impact on modern Shi’a discourse and the Iranian Islamic Republic, and an assessment of his enduring intellectual legacy.

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