Gradational-Revealed Exclusivism: Tabatabae's View of Plurality of Religions in Al-Mizan

Facing the plurality of religions one might raise various questions on truth, salvation and moral principles as how to behave toward the followers of other religions. Responses given by scholars on faith to the questions can be categorized in three views of “exclusivism”, “inclusivism”, and “pluralism”. Theoretically and practically it is important to ascertain in this regard the view of Islam as last and universal religion. In this way the present article is to examine the ideas of Allama Tabatabae as one the most prominent philosophers and exegetes who based his views on one Quran as the holy scripture of Islam hence using descriptive –analytic method he is looking into the problem of pluralism from within the text i.e. scriptural perspective rather than philosophical approach. Having present an outline of rival theories in facing the plurality of faiths and the views adopted by Allama Tabatabae the author concludes that true faith from his viewpoint is identified with “submission and devotion to God” the Divine Way and primordial tradition which although is of one same nature, has been revealed in various forms of Sharias in the course of history in proportion to the development of human capacities from imperfection to perfection and from undifferentiating to differentiating. The present manifestation of true faith is confined to Muhammadan Sharia which is the last, most complete, and comprehensive of all divine Laws. This model of recognizing truth can be called “gradational-revealed pluralism”.in addition to followers of true faith of Islam, In Allama’s view, salvation can also embrace followers of other faiths in case of not being guilty