Ayatullah Marʿashi Najafi spoke highly of Allamah Tabaṭabaʾi for authoring one of the most profound and successful Qur’an to Qur’an commentaries, Tafsir al‑Mizan. His scholarship was so vast that other leading scholars expressed amazement, remarking metaphorically, How can the earth bear the weight of his knowledge?

Ayatullah Pahlavani, in one of his discussions with his students, reflected upon the letter written by a 22 year old student to Allamah Tabaṭabaʾi.

Letter from a 22 years old student:

In the Name of God, the Most Merciful, the Most Compassionate

To the honored presence of the great philosopher and Grand Ayatollah, His Excellency Tabataba’i; may God prolong your life, InshaAllah.”

Peace be upon you, and the mercy and blessings of God be upon you.

I am a 22‑year‑old youth, educated up to the fifth grade of mathematics. My current occupation is religious studies in the seminary of Qom, at the level of Lum‘a and Usul al‑Fiqh. I am the son of a cleric. I have completed two years of military service in Tehran. I spent six years of my childhood in Qom, received my primary and most of my secondary education there, and lived a few years in Kermanshah as well.

I have come to believe that perhaps only you can answer my question. In the environment and circumstances in which I live, the desires of the self and worldly ambitions overpower me. I feel enslaved by them, and they prevent me from moving toward God and progressing along the path of my true potential. I seek your guidance; kindly tell me what practices I should undertake to gain mastery over the self. To break this evil spell that afflicts everyone, and so that happiness may govern me.

I remind you that I do not seek mere advice; others (scholars) claim to advise abundantly. I need practical instructions for success. Just as you had in your studies in Najaf under your philosophy teacher. The one known to have mastery of Ḥikmat al-Ishraq, the Illuminations philosophy (as is heard).

I think that orally you may not be able to answer this question (indirectly requesting a written answer). Moreover I am ashamed to waste your precious time. Therefore I request you (as my spiritual) father. If you deem it appropriate and can lend authenticity to this matter, I would be deeply grateful for your guidance. If not, I ask only that you kindly overlook my inadequate thoughts, set aside this letter in private, and leave me to my own reflections. With sincere thanks.

Signed: 23/10/1355 (January 13, 1977)

Reply of Allamah Tabataba’i to the Letter

Peace be upon you as well

To succeed and reach the aim you have written on the paper; it is necessary to summon resolve, repent, and engage in vigilance (muraqaba) and self‑accounting (muhasaba). Each morning upon waking, make a firm intention that in every action which arises, you will seek the pleasure of God, the Exalted. Then, in every task you undertake, consider the benefit for the Hereafter. If it offers no eternal benefit, refrain from it, regardless of what it may be. Continue this state until nightfall. At bedtime, devote four or five minutes to reflecting on the deeds of the day, reviewing them one by one. For each action that was in accordance with God’s pleasure, give thanks; for each action that was a failure, seek forgiveness. Continue this practice daily. Though at first it seems hard and bitter to the soul, it is in fact the key to salvation and success.

And each night before sleep, make a sincere effort to recite the chapters of the Musabbihat; namely Surah al‑Hadid, al‑Hashr, al‑Saff, al‑Jumu‘ah, and al‑Taghabun. If you cannot, then at the very least recite Surah al‑Hashr. After twenty days of this practice, write to me describing the states of your heart and soul. God willing, you will succeed.

Peace be upon you. Muhammad Husayn Tabataba’i

Reflections & Mystical Analysis (Derived from the Original Text)

This exchange, when viewed through the lens of the teachings of Ayatullah Pahlavani and other teachers, reveals several profound lessons:

1. The Road to God Is Open—Especially for the Youth:

The young man was only twenty-two, yet Allamah treated him with utmost seriousness. The spiritual path has never been confined to elders; its gates stand open to any heart awakened to its own need. It is neither fitting nor wise to limit the journey toward God by age or any outward measure. Human beings carry inner realities and divine secrets that are often hidden from our sight, and thus we must not obstruct the light from reaching others based on judgments that may themselves be veiled or flawed.

2. The Greatest Step Is Recognizing One’s Own Ailment:

In spiritual medicine, as in physical medicine, diagnosis must precedes cure. This young seeker discerned within himself the subtle tyranny of the lower self, a recognition that itself is a form of grace. Such clarity of inward vision is rare, and when it appears, it signals that the heart has already begun its return to God.

3. True Guidance Comes From Authentic Healers of the Soul:

He sought instruction not from every claimant of spiritual authority, but from a realized sage. Many wander for years chasing false lights; he sought the sun itself.

This underscores a profound lesson: not every teacher can awaken or heal the hidden depths of the soul.

4. Allamah’s Method: Resolve → Repentance → Vigilance → Accounting:

These four pillars form the foundation of the spiritual journey:

Resolve (himmah): the soul’s first uprising against its own inertia. Repentance (tawbah): the cleansing that makes divine nearness possible. Vigilance (muraqabah): watchfulness over one’s states throughout the day. Self-accounting (muhasabah): nightly review, polishing the mirror of the heart.

Without these, no seeker advances.

5. The Musabbiḥāt Are Keys to Inner Illumination:

The Musabbihat are a group of Qur’anic chapters (Surahs) that begin with the glorification of Allah, using words like “Sabbaha,” “Yusabbihu,” or “Subḥān.”,

the opening verses of Surah al-Hadid, the final verses of Surah al-Hashr, and Surah al-Ikhlas.

These chapters are gateways to Tawḥīd for the deep seekers of the end-time community. It is narrated that God revealed these verses specifically for those who think deeply.

6. The Qur’an Contains Wells Whose Depth Requires a Lifetime:

Imam Khomeini wrote that Surah al-Hashr contains treasures of knowledge and spiritual training worth a lifetime of reflection. One could spend seventy or eighty years contemplating its final verses, and still only touch the edge of their light.

7. Spiritual States Change Within Days When Practice Is True:

Allamah requested a report after only twenty days, a clear sign that real transformation can manifest swiftly when the seeker’s heart is sincere and his discipline steadfast. He did not merely respond and leave the student to struggle in isolation; he asked for a follow-up, ensuring the guidance bore fruit in practice.

Translated from Persian text by Syed Muhammad Ali Jaffery