❖ Introduction to Imām Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī ❖
Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī (224 AH – 310 AH) was a distinguished historian, exegete, and jurist of Islamic history. His full name was Abū Ja‘far Muhammad ibn Jarīr ibn Yazīd al-Ṭabarī. He was born in Ṭabaristān, from which he acquired the title "Ṭabarī". He memorized the Qur’an at a young age and began writing Hadith by the age of nine. In pursuit of knowledge, he traveled extensively to cities such as Iraq, Kufah, Baghdad, and Beirut, benefiting from renowned scholars of his time.
❖ Scholarly Contributions of Al-Ṭabarī ❖
✔ Excelled in the sciences of Hadith, Tafsīr, Qirā’āt, Fiqh, and History.
✔ Authored approximately 26 books, with Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī and Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī attaining great prominence.
✔ Initially a follower of Shāfiʿī fiqh, but later adopted an independent ijtihādī stance.
❖ The Misunderstanding Regarding His School of Thought ❖
It is widely accepted that Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī adhered to the Sunni Shāfiʿī school. However, some confusion arises due to the existence of another scholar named Muhammad ibn Jarīr ibn Rustam al-Ṭabarī, a Rāfiḍī (Shīʿa). Since their names and kunyas are nearly identical, some people mistakenly conflate the two. Scholars have clarified that the Sunni Ṭabarī’s grandfather was Yazīd, whereas the Shīʿa Ṭabarī’s grandfather was Rustam.
(Ṭabaqāt al-Shāfiʿiyyah al-Kubrā 2/135; Mizān al-Iʿtidāl 3/498)
❖ Overview of Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī: Sources and Style ❖
The full title of Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī is "Tārīkh al-Rusul wa al-Mulūk" or "Tārīkh al-Umam wa al-Mulūk". This book is regarded as a foundational source of Islamic history, renowned for its comprehensiveness and early coverage.
Structure and Style
✔ Begins with the creation of the universe, covering events from Prophet Ādam (عليه السلام) to the Prophet Muḥammad ﷺ, and continues up to the year 302 AH.
✔ Events are presented chronologically, year by year.
✔ Topics include Hadith, Tafsīr, linguistics, literature, Seerah, and battles, all presented in an organized manner.
✔ Every narration is cited with its chain (isnād), but al-Ṭabarī did not critically evaluate these chains.
(Introduction to Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī)
Sources Utilized
✔ For Tafsīr: Reports from Mujāhid and ʿIkrimah
✔ For Sīrah: Abān ibn ʿUthmān and Ibn Isḥāq
✔ For conquests: Sayf ibn ʿUmar al-Asadī
✔ For Jamāl and Ṣiffīn battles: Abū Mikhnaf and al-Madā’inī
✔ For Umayyad era history: ʿAwānah ibn al-Ḥakam
✔ For Persian events: Arabic translations of Persian sources
❖ Weak and Fabricated Narrations in Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī ❖
Narrations from Fabricators
The book includes reports from known fabricators and unreliable narrators, which allowed false stories and inflammatory reports regarding the Companions (رضي الله عنهم) to enter the historical record. Among the most frequent are:
- Muḥammad ibn Sā’ib al-Kalbī – 12 narrations
- Hishām ibn Muḥammad al-Kalbī – 55 narrations
- Abū Mikhnaf Lūṭ ibn Yaḥyā – 612 narrations
(Madrasat al-Kadhdhābīn fī Riwayat al-Tārīkh, pp. 45–47)
❖ Al-Ṭabarī’s Clarification
In the introduction to his work, al-Ṭabarī writes:
"Whatever I have transmitted is not from myself but from earlier narrators. If any report appears flawed or strange, know that it is from the narrators—not from me."
(Muqaddimah Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī)
❖ Lack of Verification and Its Consequences
Al-Ṭabarī recorded weak and fabricated narrations without verification, which opened the door to discord and misguidance. The unfounded and conflicting stories concerning the Companions became a source of confusion—not only in his time but up to the present day.
❖ Views of Scholars
✔ Imām al-Dhahabī stated:
"Thiqah (reliable), ṣādiq (truthful), with slight Shīʿī inclination."
(Mizān al-Iʿtidāl 3/499)
✔ Maulana Muḥammad Nāfiʿ said:
"Ṭabarī uncritically copied the controversial material prepared during the time of the Abbasid caliph al-Muʿtaḍid, which targeted Abū Sufyān and Muʿāwiyah (رضي الله عنهما). This became a weapon for Shīʿī authors."
(Fawāʾid Nāfiʿah 1/57–58)
✔ Dr. Khālid ʿAllāl Kabīr remarked:
"Ṭabarī deliberately reported from fabricators and remained silent about their status. Later generations were misled due to this. It would have been better had Ṭabarī critically examined these narrations."
(Madrasat al-Kadhdhābīn fī Riwayat al-Tārīkh, pp. 67–68)
❖ Summary ❖
Tārīkh al-Ṭabarī is a valuable treasure of Islamic history, but its inclusion of weak and fabricated narrations opened the door to fitnah (discord). Ṭabarī reported various narrations with full isnād yet without applying verification, leading to many falsehoods becoming embedded in historical literature.
Although researchers have criticized this aspect of his work, al-Ṭabarī’s scholarly rank and contributions remain undeniable.
