Shining Sun: In Memory of 'Allamah Tabataba'i

Book excerpt: Shining Sun is a tribute to the life and thought of the renowned Islamic scholar, Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i, written soon after his death by one of his students. Shining Sun includes an overview of Tabataba’i’s life and transcriptions of discussions between Tabataba’i and his students. These discussions cover history, philosophy, mysticism, theology, and the Qur’an. Sayyid Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i (1902-1981), commonly referred to as the most learned (‘Allamah), was a prominent Muslim scholar who breathed new life into the Shi‘a seminaries by establishing courses on the interpretation of the Qur’an and by introducing a novel method of Qur’anic interpretation. He was a master of Islamic philosophy and a model of spirituality. "‘Allamah Tabataba’i is undoubtedly the major Shi`a thinker of modern times, and his impact on Persian philosophy and theology is incomparable. Anyone who approaches his work is bound to be impressed by it, and the fertility of his thought can be seen in the considerable contributions that his many students have continued to make to Islamic philosophy. It is wonderful to see the Persian tradition of respecting great personalities in writing continuing in modern times." - Oliver Leaman, University of Kentucky, USA