al-Tabari facts for kids

Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Jarīr ibn Yazīd al-Ṭabarī (Arabic: أبو جعفر محمد بن جرير بن يزيد الطبري), known as al-Ṭabarī (الطبري), was a famous Muslim historian and scholar. He was from Amol, a city in Tabaristan (modern-day Iran). He lived during the Islamic Golden Age, a time of great learning and discovery.

Al-Tabari was known for his amazing knowledge in many areas. He wrote important books on history and Qur'anic exegesis (tafsir), which is the interpretation of the Qur'an. People also called him a "polymath," meaning he was an expert in many different subjects. These included poetry, grammar, ethics, mathematics, and medicine.

His most famous works are his history book, History of the Prophets and Kings, and his Qur'an commentary, Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī.

Al-Tabari first followed the Shafi'i school of Islamic law (called a madhhab). But later, he developed his own way of understanding Islamic jurisprudence, which means Islamic law. His ideas about law were very advanced and kept changing throughout his life.

His own school of thought, called Jariri jurisprudence, was popular for about 200 years after he died. However, it eventually faded away.

Biography

Al-Tabari was born in Amol, Tabaristan, around 838 or 839 CE. This area is about 20 kilometers south of the Caspian Sea. He is thought to be either of Persian or Arab background.

He was a very bright child. By age seven, he had already memorized the entire Qur'an. At eight, he was qualified to lead prayers as an Imam. He started studying hadith (sayings and actions of Prophet Muhammad) when he was nine.

When he was twelve, in 850 or 851 CE, he left home to continue his studies. He always stayed connected to his hometown. He went back at least twice, but his strong opinions sometimes caused problems, leading him to leave quickly.

His first stop was Ray, where he stayed for about five years. There, he studied with a major teacher named Abu Abdillah Muhammad ibn Humayd al-Razi. He also learned about Muslim law from the Hanafi school. In Ray, he learned about early Islamic history, including the life of Prophet Muhammad.

After Ray, al-Tabari traveled to Baghdad to study with Ahmad ibn Hanbal. However, Ibn Hanbal had recently passed away. Al-Tabari then traveled through southern cities like Basra and Kufah. He met many respected scholars there.

Besides Hanafi law, he also studied the Shafi'i, Maliki, and Zahiri schools of law. He even studied with the founder of the Zahiri school, Dawud al-Zahiri. Al-Tabari copied many of his teacher's works by hand. This meant he was very knowledgeable in four major Sunni legal schools before he started his own.

When he returned to Baghdad, he worked as a tutor for a government official. He was known for being very ethical and honest. He once refused extra payment, saying he would only take the agreed amount.

In his late twenties, he traveled to Syria, Palestine, India, and Egypt. In Beirut, he learned about different ways to read the Qur'an. He also learned about the legal views of a famous jurist named al-Awza'i.

Al-Tabari returned to Baghdad around 870 CE. He had his own money from his family and also earned money from teaching. He never worked for the government or as a judge.

Al-Tabari was around 50 years old when he became very famous. He collected information about events as they happened, making his historical accounts very reliable.

In his later years, al-Tabari faced challenges from followers of the Hanbali school of thought. He believed that Ibn Hanbal was mainly a collector of traditions, not a legal scholar. This view angered some Hanbalites. They sometimes protested outside his house, causing disturbances. The police even tried to arrange a debate between al-Tabari and the Hanbalites, but they did not show up.

Al-Tabari died on February 17, 923 CE. Some stories say he was buried secretly at night because of fears of violence from the Hanbalites. However, other sources say he was buried in the morning. People who knew him remembered him positively.

Personal characteristics

Al-Tabari was described as tall and slender, with a dark complexion, large eyes, and a long beard. His hair and beard stayed black until he was very old. He took good care of his health, avoiding foods he thought were unhealthy. He was rarely sick until his last ten years.

He had a good sense of humor but was serious about important topics. He enjoyed writing and reciting poetry. He was also very polite and well-mannered, always using refined language. He was an expert in grammar and words, which helped him understand the Qur'an deeply. He knew Persian and understood words from other languages that had entered Arabic.

Al-Tabari was humble with his friends, visitors, and students. He was not proud of his knowledge or position. He did not hold grudges and forgave those who had wronged him.

Al-Tabari's Disagreements with Hanbalites

Al-Tabari's independent way of thinking (called ijtihad) sometimes led to disagreements. He had a conflict with some followers of the Hanbali school. Al-Tabari did not consider Ahmad ibn Hanbal a legal scholar (faqih), but rather a collector of traditions (muhaddith). This view upset the Hanbalites.

He was also accused of being a Jahmite (a type of heretic) and of having Shi'ite sympathies because of his respect for 'Ali ibn Abi Talib. At the same time, he angered the Shi'ites by defending the first three caliphs.

One major disagreement happened in Baghdad. Some Hanbalites asked al-Tabari about his view on a verse from the Qur'an (17:79) about the "Praiseworthy Station" (al-Maqam al-Mahmud) of Prophet Muhammad.

The verse says: "And some part of the night, awake for it (this would be) an optional prayer (or spiritual profit) for you; it may be that your Lord will exalt you to a Praiseworthy Station."^{[Quran 17:79 (Translated by Nurettin Uzunoğlu)]}

Most Qur'an interpreters believed this "Praiseworthy Station" was the highest place in Paradise. They also believed it meant Prophet Muhammad would be given the power to intercede for believers on the Day of Judgment.

However, some Hanbalites believed the "Praiseworthy Station" meant Prophet Muhammad would sit on God's Throne. Al-Tabari strongly disagreed with this idea. He said it was absurd and recited a verse meaning:

When they heard this, some Hanbali followers reacted strongly. They protested outside his home, causing a disturbance. This kind of opposition continued throughout his later life. The chief of police even tried to protect al-Tabari from these protests.

In 921 CE, a government official offered to arrange a debate between al-Tabari and the Hanbalites. Al-Tabari agreed, but the Hanbalites did not come. Despite these challenges, al-Tabari's friends and scholars who knew him well often said that the problems he faced were not as severe as some stories made them seem.

Works

Opening lines of the Quran from a Persian translation of Tabari's commentary

Al-Tabari wrote many books on history, theology, and Qur'anic commentary. His two most important works are:

• Tafsir al-Tabari (Commentary of al-Tabari): This is a detailed interpretation of the Qur'an.
• Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk (History of the Prophets and Kings): This is a historical record, often called Tarikh al-Tabari.

He published his legal texts, commentaries, and history books throughout his life. Scholars admired his dedication to learning, his fairness, and his independent judgment. He was careful about his sources, especially for religious topics. He was generally friendly and moderate.

Al-Tabari started in the Shafi'ite school of Islamic law. But he later created his own school, called the Jariri madhhab. This school, named after him, did not last as long as others.

His legal ideas were based on strong scriptural rules. Like some other scholars, he believed that agreement among scholars (Ijma) should be based on what the early companions of Prophet Muhammad agreed upon. He also thought that such agreement must be linked to a clear text, not just to logical reasoning.

His huge collection of writings includes three main titles:

• History of the Prophets and Kings – (Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk)

This is a massive history book, sometimes called the Annals. It covers world history from the time of creation according to the Qur'an, all the way up to 915 CE. It is famous for its detailed and accurate information about Muslim and Middle Eastern history. It is a very important source for historians today.

The book starts with creation stories, then talks about ancient leaders and prophets. It covers the history of the Sasanian Empire. For the time of Prophet Muhammad, al-Tabari used research from scholars who lived in the 700s. His history of the Muslim era, starting from 622 CE (the year Prophet Muhammad moved from Mecca to Medina), is organized year by year.

• The Commentary on the Qur'an – (Commentary al-Tabari)

This is his second major work, a commentary on the Qur'an. It is also very detailed. One story says that al-Tabari first planned for it to be 30,000 pages long! His students said it would take too long to write and read. So, he made it shorter, to 3,000 pages. It took him seven years to finish it.

This commentary is known as one of the largest Athari Tafsir (interpretations based on hadith, not just logic) available today. It was very popular and many copies were made, which helped it survive to this day. Other famous scholars, like Baghawi and Suyuti, used it a lot. It was also used to create the Tafsir ibn Kathir, which is a shorter version of al-Tabari's commentary.

• Tahdhīb al-Athār was a book al-Tabari started. It was about traditions passed down from the Companions of Muhammad. However, he did not complete this work.

Al-Tabari used many different historians and writers as his sources. He also included oral stories that were common at the time. He is mainly known as a great historian and Qur'an interpreter.

Translations of Tabari's book

Al-Tabari's books have been translated into many languages. Less than 50 years after he died, his History of the Prophets and Kings was translated into Persian by Muhammad Bal'ami in 963 CE.

Later, in 1879, a German scholar named Theodor Nöldeke translated the section about the Sasanian Empire into German. It has been reprinted many times.

A Dutch scholar, Michael Jan de Goeje, translated al-Tabari's history into Dutch. This translation was later put into English and published in 1998. Hermann Zotenberg published the history in French in four volumes.

In 1503, a part of his history was translated into Latin and published in Venice. Franz Rosenthal translated three volumes of al-Tabari's history into English in 1989, titled "History of the Middle East."

In 1971, a big project began to translate his entire History of the Prophets and Kings into English. This project, led by Ehsan Yarshater, resulted in 40 volumes. Many scholars from different universities worked on this huge task.

Other scholars like Ignác Goldziher and W. Montgomery Watt have also studied and written about al-Tabari's works. Many of his original manuscripts are kept in the Central Library of Astan Quds Razavi.

Many other authors and researchers, including Moshe Pearlman, Fred Donner, and Hugh N. Kennedy, have published books based on al-Tabari's history.

See also

In Spanish: Al-Tabari para niños

Images for kids

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  Tomb of al-Tabari in Baghdad, Iraq

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  Bal'ami's 14th century Persian version of Universal History by Tabari