Interpretation of Legal Verses between al-Tabari (d. 310 AH) and al-Tabrisi (d. 548 AH): A Comparative Study

Abstract

This study presents a comparative analysis of the differences in interpreting the verses of legal rulings (Āyāt al-Aḥkām) between two major schools of Islamic exegesis, represented by the works of Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari and Al-Fadl ibn al-Hasan al-Tabarsi. It aims to highlight points of agreement and divergence in their methods of legal reasoning, as well as to analyze the doctrinal and methodological foundations that influenced their understanding of the Qur’anic text and the derivation of legal rulings.
The study relies on analyzing selected examples of legal verses, focusing on issues where differences are most evident, such as rulings related to purification, prayer, inheritance, and others. It also sheds light on the methodology of Jami’ al-Bayan fi Ta’wil al-Qur’an, which emphasizes transmitted reports and the opinions of early scholars, in contrast to Majma’ al-Bayan fi Tafsir al-Qur’an, which combines linguistic, rational, and narrational approaches within the framework of the Imami school.The study concludes that the differences between the two schools are not limited to subsidiary legal rulings, but extend to foundational methodological principles, such as the sources of legislation, the authority of the Sunnah, and the role of reason in legal derivation. These differences are directly reflected in their interpretation of legal verses. Nevertheless, there remain areas of agreement that reflect the unity of the Qur’anic source despite the diversity of interpretive approaches.