Imam at-Tabari

Muhammad ibn Jarir at-Tabari (224-310 AH / 839-923 CE) was one of the most prolific and influential scholars in Islamic history, renowned for his monumental contributions to both Quranic exegesis and historical writing. Born in Amol in Tabaristan (northern Iran), he began memorizing the Quran at age seven and traveled widely in search of knowledge, studying in Ray, Baghdad, Basra, Kufa, Syria, and Egypt under scholars such as Ahmad ibn Hanbal's students, Ismail ibn Ishaq, and Muhammad ibn Humayd ar-Razi.

At-Tabari's two greatest works are Jami al-Bayan an Tawil Ay al-Quran (Tafsir at-Tabari), the earliest surviving and most comprehensive classical commentary on the Quran, and Tarikh ar-Rusul wal-Muluk (History of the Prophets and Kings), an encyclopedic history stretching from creation to at-Tabari's own time. His tafsir method involves presenting all available interpretations from the Companions, the Successors, and early scholars with full chains of transmission, then stating his preferred view with his reasoning. This narration-based (bil-mathur) approach set the standard for later tafsir literature.

At-Tabari was also a mujtahid who founded his own school of fiqh (the Jariri school), which attracted followers for some time but eventually died out. He authored works on hadith, Islamic law, and creed. He settled permanently in Baghdad, where he taught until his death in 310 AH (923 CE). His works remain foundational references for scholars of tafsir, Islamic history, and jurisprudence across all schools.