A Comparison between Allamah Tabatabaii's Two Commentaries (Al-Mizan and Al-Bayan)

Before writing “Al-Mizan Commentary”, Allamah Tabatabaii wrote his first commentary work entitled “Al-Bayan fi Mowafeghatah Bayn Al-Hadith wa Al-Quran” (An Explanation on compatibility between Hadiths and the Quran) in which he takes interpretive hadiths into consideration and tries to explain compatibility between the Quran and hadiths. Using a descriptive-analytical method, the present paper discusses the similarities and differences between these two commentaries with the aim of introducing them and elaborating on the advantages of “Al-Mizan Commentary”. These two commentaries are similar in terms of explaining the aim of Quranic Chapters and reviewing hadiths.In terms of formal-structural differences, Al-Mizan Commentary has a relative comprehensiveness in interpreting Quranic verses. Al-Mizan is distinguishable from Al-Bayan in terms of transmitting and reviewing interpretive hadiths at the end of interpretive discussion and proposing independent thematic issues. Finally, some phrases in Al-Bayan are modified in Al-Mizan.In terms of formal-content differences, the important feature of Al-Mizan is variety in interpreting the Quran and paying attention to the role of context, which is not such extensive in Al-Bayan. Furthermore, some recitations of Quranic verses are reviewed and some Quranic doubts are resolved in Al-Mizan. References of Al-Mizan are also much more extensive.