The Textual Dimension in Allāmah al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī’s Thought: A Text Linguistics Approach

Abstract

This study examines the textual dimension in ʿAllāmah al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī’s al-Mīzān, emphasizing textual cohesion. For him, the Qur’an is an integrated text in which verses interpret one another, and its coherence arises from a network of interrelated meanings. Internal cohesion is manifested in the contextual shaping of meaning, while external cohesion appears in the interaction between the muhkam (clear) and mutashābih (ambiguous), forming a comprehensive thematic unity. Central to his approach is taʾwīl, regarded as an objective reality mediated by language. The study concludes that al-Ṭabāṭabāʾī provides a pioneering model in highlighting cohesion as essential to understanding the Qur’anic text .