Question:

Did the famous scholar At-Tabataba’i exclude the traditions of the Imams (a.) from his Tafsir Al-Mizan, which says that Mary (a.) was only the mistress of the world of her time and not for all times?

Answer:

The Qur’an states:

,,When the angels said: ,,O Mary, God has chosen you and made you pure and He has chosen you above the women of the worlds.” [Al Imran 3:42]

وإذ قالت الملائكة يا مريم إن الله اصطفاك وطهرك واصطفاك على نساء العالمين

Muhammad Husain At-Tabataba’i writes: ,,As for the statement that Mary was only chosen above the women of the worlds of her time, so this is literally rejected by the verse (3:42).” [Al-Mizan Fi Tafsir Al-Qur’an, Volume 3 page 218]

قال محمد حسين الطباطبائي: وأما ما قيل إنها مصطفاة على نساء عالمي عصرها فإطلاق الآية يدفعه

Muhammad Husain At-Tabataba’i writes: ,,Ibn Asakir reports from Abdullah Ibn Abbas that Prophet Muhammad (s.) said: ,,The mistress of the inhabitants of Paradise is Mary, the daughter of Imran. After that, it is Fatimah. After that, it is Khadijah. After that, it is Asia, the wife of Pharaoh.” Ibn Asakir narrated through Muqatil of Ad-Dahhak who reported from Abdullah Ibn Abbas that Prophet Muhammad (s.) said: ,,Four women are the mistresses of their worlds: Mary, the daughter of Imran, Asia, the daughter of Muzahim, Khadijah, the daughter of Khuwailid and Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad (s.) and the best of them as inhabitants of worlds is Fatimah.” Ibn Abi Shaibah reported from Abd-ur-Rahman Ibn Abi Lailah that Prophet Muhammad (s.) said: ,,Fatimah is the mistress of the women of the worlds after Mary, the daughter of Imran and Asia, the wife of Pharaoh and Khadijah, the daughter of Khuwailid.” [Al-Mizan Fi Tafsir Al-Qur’an, Volume 3 page 248]

قال محمد حسين الطباطبائي: وفيه أخرج ابن عساكر عن ابن عباس قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم: سيدة نساء أهل الجنة مريم بنت عمران ثم فاطمة ثم خديجة ثم آسية امرأة فرعون وفيه أخرج ابن عساكر من طريق مقاتل عن الضحاك عن ابن عباس عن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم قال: أربع نسوة سادات عالمهن مريم بنت عمران وآسية بنت مزاحم وخديجة بنت خويلد وفاطمة بنت محمد صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم وأفضلهن عالما فاطمة وفيه أخرج ابن أبي شيبة عن عبد الرحمن بن أبي ليلى قال قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم فاطمة سيدة نساء العالمين بعد مريم ابنة عمران وآسية امرأة فرعون وخديجة ابنة خويلد

Comment:

We reject this opinion and follow the reports [Here!] which declare Mary (a.) only as the mistress of her time and Fatimah (a.) as the mistress of all times.