Mujtahidah Nusrat Beygum Amin and Makhzan al-Irfan: An Introduction to a Seminal Work of Female Qurʾanic Exegesis Part 1

Abstract

This article explores the life and Qurʾanic scholarship of Sayyidah Nusrat Beygum Amin (1895–1983), also known as Banu Amin, a pioneering female mujtahidah and one of the most prominent female scholars in 20th-century Iran. It centers on her magnum opus, Makhzan al-ʿIrfān [Treasury of Mysticism], a fifteen-volume Qurʾanic exegesis written in Persian. The article  culminates in an English translation of her reflective and spiritually charged introduction. The article highlights Banu Amin’s intellectual humility, her methodological caution against tafsīr bi’l-ra’y (interpretation based on personal opinion), and her firm commitment to deriving meaning through the light of wilāyah (divine guardianship) of the Prophet and the Ahl al-Bayt. She emphasizes the Qurʾan’s multilayered nature—its apparent (ẓāhir) and hidden (bāṭin) meanings—and its role as a legislative, metaphysical, and eschatological guide. The Qurʾan, in her view, is a living reality that intercedes in the afterlife and transforms in form across realms of existence. This translation represents the first time that her work has been translated into English. 

Keywords: Banu Amin, Makhzan al-ʿIrfān, female mujtahidah, Shiʿi exegesis, tafsīr bi’l-ra’y, spiritual commentary, Ahl al-Bayt, divine guidance

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Sayyidah Nusrat Beygum Amin’s (b. 1895, d. 1983) grave in Isfahan, located in the Takht-i Fulad cemetery, is a monument shaped like a headscarf or hijab.^[1]Nāhīd Ṭayyibī, Zindigānī-yi bānū-yi Irānī. Isfahan: Intishārāt-i Gulbahār, 1383 Sh. [2004]  This symbolic shrine embodies many of the values she espoused during her lifetime—particularly the ideals of anonymity and modesty in pursuit of divine proximity.

Her education began at a young age, and she reached the level of ijtihād at the age of forty, primarily through private lessons conducted in her home. One of her main teachers was Sayyid ʿAlī Najafābādī.^[2]Nāhīd Ṭayyibī, Zindigānī-yi bānū-yi Irānī. Isfahan: Intishārāt-i Gulbahār, 1383 Sh. [2004] She received ijāzah for ijtihād (literally, “permission,” referring to a formal scholarly endorsement of her religious expertise) from several notable mujtahids, including Muhammad Kāẓim Shīrāzī and ʿAbd al-Karīm Hāʾirī Yazdī. She also granted ijāzah to a number of scholars, most notably Āyatullāh Marʿashī Najafī.

Mujtahidah Amin gained recognition in scholarly circles especially after the publication of her first book, al-Arbaʿīn al-Hāshimiyyah, a collection and commentary on forty aḥādīth written in Arabic. Many prominent scholars sought audiences with her in Isfahan, including figures such as Shahīd Muṭahharī and ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī. During her meeting with ʿAllāmah and his wife, it is reported that they engaged in deep discussions on various verses of the Qurʾan for over two hours^[3]Nāhīd Ṭayyibī, Zindigānī-yi bānū-yi Irānī. Isfahan: Intishārāt-i Gulbahār, 1383 Sh. [2004] .

Having lived through the Pahlavi era, she witnessed a period in which secularism was pervasive in Iran, and hijab was discouraged or even banned at times.^[4]Reza Shah’s 1936 Kashf-i ḥijāb decree banned the hijab as part of a broader state-led modernization project, enforced through police action that forcibly unveiled women in public, aiming to erase Islamic symbols from the national image and align Iran with Western norms. See Janet Afary, The Iranian Constitutional Revolution, 1906–1911: Grassroots Democracy, Social Democracy, and the Origins of Feminism (New York: Columbia University Press, 1998), 203. Despite these political and social pressures, Mujtahidah Amin remained committed to religious and social reform. She established two all-female educational institutions: a girls’ high school and the first female ḥawzah (seminary).^[5]Tayyibi  

Although she authored and published more than ten books, she chose to do so under the pen name Bānū-yi Īrānī—meaning “An Iranian Woman.” Her life clearly reflects a commitment to the empowerment and education of women, yet she deliberately avoided personal acclaim and lived modestly, despite coming from a family of immense wealth.^[6]Fars News Agency, “Mujtahid Who Founded the First Women’s Seminary,” Fars News, accessed May 2, 2025, https://farsnews.ir/FarsNews/1547473219000941332/%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%AF%DB%8C-%DA%A9%D9%87-%D8%A7%D9%88%D9%84%DB%8C%D9%86-%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%87-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%85%DB%8C%D9%87-%D8%B2%D9%86%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%87-%D8%B1%D8%A7-%D8%AA%D8%A7%D8%B3%DB%8C%D8%B3-%DA%A9%D8%B1%D8%AF?lang=en  

While some attention has been paid to her biography and achievements in English^[7]See: Tayyebeh Cheraghi, “Lady Nusrat Beygum Amin,” Message of Thaqalayn 14, no. 3 (Autumn 2012): 109–130. and Mirjam Künkler and Roja Fazaeli, “The Life of Two Mujtahidahs: Female Religious Authority in Twentieth-Century Iran,” in Women, Leadership and Mosques, edited by Masooda Bano and Hilary Kalmbach, 127–160. Leiden: Brill, 2011.  (and much more in Persian), very little work has been done to translate or introduce her writings to an English-speaking audience. After exploring sections of Makhzan al-ʿIrfān and teaching them in my tafsīr classes, I decided to present parts of her work to highlight the humility and beauty with which she approaches the Qurʾan.

What follows is a translation of her introduction to Makhzan al-ʿIrfān [Treasury of Mysticism], edited by ʿĀlimah Asmāʾ S. Rashed.^[8]The original Farsi reference for this translation is as follows: Banu Amin, Makhzan al-‘Irfān dar Tafsīr-i Qurʾan, 15 vols. (Isfahan: Intishārāt-i Gulbahār, 1389 Sh./2010), accessed May 2, 2025, https://www.ghbook.ir/index.php?option=com_dbook&task=viewbook&book_id=10328&lang=fa This text introduces a deeply spiritual and intellectual approach to understanding the Qurʾan, emphasizing the importance of humility, sincerity, and divine guidance in its interpretation. In this introduction, Mujtahidah Banu Amin reflects on her personal journey and the motivations behind writing the fifteen-volume tafsīr, which was published in 1982, just a year before her passing. Despite her scholarly achievements, she describes her humility before God as one of the internal obstacles she faced in composing this monumental work.  She then reflects on the inner struggle between the desire to write Qurʾanic commentary and the fear of misinterpretation, ultimately choosing to offer a literal translation supplemented by commentary on clear verses [muḥkamāt]. She writes:

“I only sought that a drop from the vast ocean of divine grace might reach the palate of my soul. And [that I would] receive a share of this harvest of kindness and pick a flower from this divine garden and perfume my impure soul.”

After a synopsis of her journey in writing the tafsīr, she discusses her approach to the Qurʾan, which she presents as a comprehensive, divinely-revealed guide for human life, containing layers of meaning—both apparent and hidden—that demand reflection. But she also cautions against personal speculation. True understanding,  she argues, must be sought through the light of wilāyah—the guardianship of the Prophet and his purified household who alone possess knowledge of the Qurʾan’s deeper realities. The work underscores the Qurʾan’s multi-dimensional nature: as guidance, legislation, intercessor, and spiritual companion across the stages of existence. Through narrations from the Ahl al-Bayt and the Prophet, the text also highlights the Qurʾan’s unique metaphysical presence in the afterlife, reinforcing the need to engage with it not merely as a text, but as a living, divine reality.

 

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

فَبَشِّرْ عِبَادِ ‎١٧‏ الَّذِينَ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ ۚ

“So give good news to My servants who listen to the word [of Allah] and follow the best of it.”  39:17-18

إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَذِكْرَىٰ لِمَن كَانَ لَهُ قَلْبٌ أَوْ أَلْقَى السَّمْعَ وَهُوَ شَهِيدٌ ‎٣٧

“There is indeed an admonition in that for one who has a heart, or gives ear, being attentive.”  50:37

1. Introduction to the Book and Useful Reminders

O Allah, “Open my breast for me. Make my task easy for me.” 20:25-26

For some time now, I would occasionally think about writing a brief commentary of the Qurʾan—drawing from the words of the infallibles (peace be upon them) and gathering insights from the statements of the exegetes—hoping that perhaps I might be considered among those who ponder and interpret the Qurʾan.

But unfortunately, I perceived obstacles in my way, rendering this hazardous path not only difficult but arduous. On the one hand, I was held back by the weakness of my soul and my lowliness. On the other, God’s prohibitions against personal interpretation of the Qurʾan restrained me and I dared not enter that terrifying domain. Yet the sense of seeking would not let me rest.

For a time, I was stuck between fear and hope. Sometimes the desire to pursue this path would urge me forward, but other times fear and cowardice would take over, and I would fall into despair.

“O fly! The Simurgh’s domain is no place for you—
You parade yourself and cause us trouble profound.”^[9]Hafez. Diwan. Ghazal #449, “Ay ke mahjuri-yi ‘ushshaq rawa mi-dari“. Editor’s Note: The “simurgh” refers to a mystical bird, somewhat comparable to the phoenix in Western mythology. It represents the mysterious king of birds due to its majesty, benevolence, and beauty.

However, after I gave up on the idea of writing a full exegesis, considering that “what is feasible is not invalidated by what is difficult,” I decided to extract from the luminous teachings of the Ahl al-Bayt and limit myself to a literal translation of the verses—offering explanations for some of the decisive (muḥkamāt) verses, and avoiding discussion of the ambiguous (mutashābih) ones.

And I ask the scholars and experts of exegesis that if they find any mistakes or errors, to correct them with their wisdom and knowledge, refrain from undue criticism, interpret it correctly, and view it with benevolent consideration. 

And with a tongue of neediness, I beseech the Source of All-Sufficiency (God), pleading that if any error or mistake has appeared in this [work], to pardon me through His Godly generosity and forgiveness and not subject me to reproach or wrath. With my limited intellect and inadequate expression. I would never claim to be able to write a perfect commentary—I only sought a drop from the vast ocean of divine grace to reach the palate of my soul. [And I beseech Him to] receive a share of this harvest of kindness and pick a flower from this divine garden and perfume my impure soul. 

It is important to know that the Glorious Qurʾan is a mighty Word revealed from the source of Divinity. The realities contained in it are beyond the grasp of the small human mind, and are especially meant for the one who was directly addressed by it (the Prophet), and after him, it is transferred to his successors.

The Qurʾan is not like the conversations or letters people exchange with each other. Although it says, “Nor anything fresh or withered but it is in a manifest Book,” [Quran 6:59] much of the content regarding Islamic rulings and laws has been alluded to or rather, expressed in a symbolic manner.

Indeed, this is how great figures should speak to ordinary people, conveying greatly beneficial meanings through brief expressions. Notice how when a king writes a letter to one of his representatives, he often conveys most of the content in a complicated and cryptic manner—where the words carry profound meaning yet appear brief and concise on the surface.

If all the details and characteristics of the conditions of the acts of worship, transactions, penalties, and so on were explained in full, the Qurʾan would lose its miraculous nature, eloquence, and rhetoric and become like any ordinary detailed book. In fact, it would have to be many volumes long. That’s why the Qurʾan includes so much meaning in a single concise word—making it both a miracle and a legislative book.

 “Nor anything fresh or withered but it is in a manifest Book.” Here, the Manifest Book (kitābin mubīn) has been interpreted to mean the Qurʾan.

In al-Kāfī, Imam Ja‘far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) says:

 “God has made the Qurʾan a clarification of everything. And by Allah, He has not left out anything that the people need, except that He revealed it in the Qurʾan, and the Prophet (peace be upon him and his household) explained it.”

Another hadith says: “There is nothing that two people disagree about except that its instruction and ruling is found in the Qurʾan.”

In some narrations in al-Kāfī, it is reported that: 

“The Prophet (peace be upon him and his household) forbade excessive chatter and ruining wealth.” Someone asked, “O Messenger of Allah, where is that in the Qurʾan?” He replied with the verse: “There is no good in much of their secret talks, excepting him who enjoins charity or what is right or reconciliation between people.”  [Quran 4:114]

And he also said: “And do not give away your property which Allah has made for you a (means of) support to the weak of understanding” [Quran 4:5]

2. Some Virtues of the Glorious Qurʾan

The fundamental mission of prophets is to acquaint the masses with their duties of worship, the path toward the Divine Source, familiarity with the spiritual realm and becoming aware of their social and individual responsibilities. The Holy Qurʾan serves as a guide and comprehensive program that leads humanity toward happiness and then teaches them the path of attaining virtue and salvation. 

The Qurʾan is the cure for every illness. Allah the Exalted says: “We send down in the Quran that which is a cure and mercy for the faithful; and it increases the wrongdoers only in loss.” [Quran 17:82] 

The Qurʾan is a medicine for both physical and spiritual diseases. It outlines the instructions for human life from its beginning to its end in the best possible way.

By acting upon the teachings of the Qurʾan, a strong bond is formed between the human being and his Creator. The Qurʾan is the divine firm rope (ʿurwat al-wuthqā)—whoever clings to it is protected from every danger. The Qurʾan is Allah’s strong rope (ḥablallāh al-matīn) as the verse says: “Hold fast, all together, to Allah’s cord, and do not be divided.” [Quran 3:103] 

It is the cord that stretches from God to creation. In the words of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his household), the Qurʾan is the Greater Weight (thiql akbar). In a well-known hadith, the Prophet states: “I am leaving among you two weighty things: the Book of Allah and my family (ʿitrah). If you hold on to both of them, you will never go astray.”

When asked what these two weighty things are, the Prophet replied:

“The Book of Allah is the Greater Weight: one end is in God’s hand, and the other is in yours. If you hold on to it, you will never go astray. The Lesser Weight is my family (Ahl al-Bayt), and the two will never be separated until they come to me at the Pond of Kawthar.”

The Qurʾan is the straight path (ṣirāṭ al-mustaqīm) leading to Allah: “‘This indeed is my straight path…” (Surah al-Anʿām, 6:153) 

It is the criterion (furqān) that distinguishes truth from falsehood: “Blessed is He who sent down the Criterion to His servant that he may be a warner to all the nations.” [Quran 25:1].

It is the light of guidance:“… And follow the light that has been sent down with him….”  [Quran 07:157]

Through the teachings of the Qurʾan, closeness and kinship among humankind is achieved. The Qurʾan’s guidance brings order to the chaotic affairs of human life and enables every individual to understand their social responsibilities and personal duties.

The Qurʾan encompasses all social and individual laws for humanity. It has established in the best way – each in its proper place and based on justice – the duties of worship, methods of moral refinement, laws of transactions and social interactions, laws of rights, economic laws, criminal and penal laws, as well as judicial laws.

In short, the Qurʾan is a just ruler that defines human duties from the beginning of life till its end (from when the embryo is in the womb of its mother, to the time when the person is placed in the grave):  in the best way, the sweetest language, and the most correct way.

All the laws and guidance understood from this divine Book are based on reason and logic. Rather, if all the world’s rational people and lawmakers gathered together, they would never be able to establish anything resembling even the minutest of Qurʾanic laws.

Whoever uses this Divine Book as their guide and aligns their life’s path with its criteria, laws, and commandments shall never stray from the path of humanity. Within them will blossom the essence of true devotion, the spirit of fellowship, and religious bonds. They shall attain virtue and prosperity in both realms of existence. The Qurʾan is the leading guide and the sun of truth – radiating from the eternal wellspring of divine illumination, heralding for humanity a new dawn of hope and promise.

Maintaining a balanced development of body and soul depends on following the Qurʾan’s teachings and instructions. Discovering the path of perfection and acting with moderation is to act according to the ordinances of the Qurʾan.

3. In Understanding the Qurʾan, One Must Draw from the Light of Divine Guardianship (Wilāyah)

As previously mentioned, the inner secrets and mysteries of the Qurʾan are known only to the one it was revealed to (the Prophet), and after him, they are entrusted to those who recite the Qurʾan, and his manifestations, representatives, vicegerents and successors and they are those about whom the Verse of Purification was revealed: “Indeed Allah desires to repel all impurity from you, O People of the Household, and purify you with a thorough purification.” [Quran 33:33]

And they are firmly rooted in knowledge: “no one knows its interpretation except Allah and those firmly grounded in knowledge.”  [Quran 03:07]

In a narration from Imam Jaʿfar al-Ṣādiq (peace be upon him) it is reported: “We are the ones firmly grounded in knowledge and we know the interpretation of the Qurʾan.”

Shaykh Ṭabarsī, in his exegesis, reports a ṣaḥīḥ (authentic) hadith from the Prophet (peace be upon him and his household): “It is not permitted for anyone to interpret the Qurʾan except through sound hadith and clear textual evidence.”

There are many reports warning against interpreting the Qurʾan based on personal opinion. 

In explaining tafsīr and ta’wīl, it is said:

Tafsīr is uncovering the intended meaning of an ambiguous expression, while Ta’wīl is resolving one of its possible meanings to align with the apparent (text).

On the other hand, the Qurʾan praises those who derive rulings from it:

“…those of them who investigate would have ascertained it….” [Quran 04:83]

And the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him and his household) has stated: “The verses of the Qurʾan have the capacity to carry many meanings, apply to them the best of their meanings.”

Elsewhere, the Qurʾan is called: “…A clarification of all things.”  

And there are numerous similar verses and narrations that command contemplation (tadabbur) and reflection (tafakkur) upon the Qurʾan’s verses so that the meanings embedded within them may be comprehended. Were the interpretation (tafsīr) of the Quran impermissible, contemplation upon it would be rendered futile and fruitless. Furthermore, it would not be permissible to censure or blame those who do not contemplate and reflect upon the Quran: “Do they not contemplate the Qurʾan, or are there locks on the hearts?  [Quran 47:24]

It is evident that contemplation and reflection upon the Qurʾan is to understand its embedded meaning, whereby through such reflection, certain of its mysteries and hidden truths are unveiled. And understanding the literal meaning of the words is different from personal interpretation (tafsīr bi raʾi), which is what has been prohibited. 

The literal meanings of the Quran can be understood by any Bedouin Arab without requiring contemplation and reflection. Thus, God has simultaneously commanded reflection upon the Qurʾan and the articulation of its intended meanings while prohibiting interpretation based on personal opinion. According to the rules of logic, one cannot both command and prohibit regarding the same exact subject; the subject of the command must differ from the subject of the prohibition.