Jariri School

Overview

A now-extinct school of Islamic jurisprudence founded by Imam Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (839-923 CE), the famous historian and Quran commentator. The Jariri school attempted to synthesize the best positions of the existing schools while exercising independent legal reasoning. It was followed for a time in Baghdad and some other regions but gradually lost adherents. Al-Tabari's comprehensive approach to Islamic scholarship is preserved in his surviving works.

Key Beliefs

• Synthesis of existing madhab positions
• Independent ijtihad based on direct textual analysis
• Comprehensive consideration of all available evidence
• Balanced approach between textual literalism and rational interpretation