According to the doctrine of early Imami Shi’ism, the authority to interpret the of the Qur’an belongs exclusively to ʿAlī and his descendants, the Imams. Consequently, most Tafsīrs written in Twelver Imami circles after the Occultation of the twelfth Imam are essentially comprised of traditions attributed to the Imams. Yet, an impressive revival of the Imami Tafsīr can be observed in the Ilkhanid period, and even more so during the Safavid era in Iran, in the context of interfacing between Imami Shi’ism, Sufism and philosophy.
