The Commentary on the Quran, Vol. 2 by Al-Tabari: A Cornerstone of Islamic Scholarship
For over a millennium, Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari’s monumental work, Jami‘ al-bayan ‘an ta’wil ay al-Qur’an (The Comprehensive Exposition of the Interpretation of the Verses of the Quran), has served as the gold standard for Quranic exegesis. While the entire collection is a masterpiece of intellectual history, Volume 2 holds particular significance for students of theology, history, and law.
In this volume, Al-Tabari continues his meticulous approach to the text, bridging the gap between the divine word and human understanding through the lens of early Islamic tradition. The Methodology: Tafsir al-Ma’thur
Al-Tabari is the father of Tafsir al-Ma’thur, or "interpretation based on tradition." In Volume 2, readers witness his rigorous process firsthand. He does not merely offer his personal opinion; instead, he compiles a vast "chain of transmission" (isnad) for every interpretation. He draws from: The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh): Direct prophetic explanations.
The Sahaba (Companions): Insights from those who witnessed the revelation.
The Tabi’un (Successors): The second generation of scholars who codified early linguistic and legal nuances. Key Themes in Volume 2 The Commentary On The Quran Vol. 2 By Al-tabari
Volume 2 typically covers significant portions of Surah Al-Baqarah (The Cow), the longest chapter of the Quran. This section is foundational to Islamic life and covers several critical areas: 1. Legal Injunctions and Social Ethics
Al-Tabari provides exhaustive detail on the "Verses of Law." This includes the early establishment of prayer (Salah), charity (Zakat), and the ethics of social interaction. He navigates different legal opinions with the precision of a jurist, explaining why certain interpretations carry more weight than others. 2. Narrative History and Prophets
One of the most engaging aspects of Volume 2 is Al-Tabari’s inclusion of Isra'iliyyat (narratives derived from Judeo-Christian sources) to provide historical context to Quranic stories. He uses these to flesh out the histories of earlier prophets, though he always anchors the final truth in the Quranic narrative. 3. Linguistic Precision
Before Al-Tabari was a theologian, he was a master of the Arabic language. In Volume 2, he deconstructs complex grammatical structures and rare vocabulary. For the modern reader, this provides a window into the evolution of the Arabic language and how its nuances dictate theological outcomes. Why Volume 2 Remains Relevant Today
Unlike modern commentaries that might prioritize brevity, Al-Tabari’s Volume 2 is exhaustive. It is a "source book" rather than just a textbook. The Commentary on the Quran, Vol
Preservation of Thought: It preserves the views of early scholars whose own works have been lost to time.
Intellectual Honesty: Al-Tabari often presents multiple conflicting viewpoints on a single verse, allowing the reader to see the diversity of thought that existed in early Islam.
Academic Foundation: Whether you are an academic researcher or a devout student of the Quran, Volume 2 provides the necessary context to understand how Islamic law and theology were formed. Conclusion
The Commentary on the Quran, Vol. 2 by Al-Tabari is more than just a book of religion; it is a monument of human scholarship. It represents a time when the pursuit of knowledge required traveling thousands of miles to verify a single saying. For anyone looking to understand the Quran as it was understood by the earliest generations of Muslims, this volume is an indispensable resource.
This volume is dense with legal and theological discourse. Key sections include: The Verse of the Throne (Ayat al-Kursi, 2:255):
In the vast ocean of Islamic scholarship, few works command the reverence, authority, and sheer magnitude of Jāmiʿ al-bayān ʿan taʾwīl āy al-Qurʾān, commonly known as the Tafsir al-Tabari. For over a millennium, this monumental exegesis has stood as the bedrock upon which virtually all subsequent Quranic commentary is built. While the complete work spans thirty volumes in its original Arabic, the English-speaking world has been granted a priceless gateway through the translation project titled "The Commentary on the Quran Vol. 2 by Al-Tabari."
This specific volume—part of a wider ongoing translation effort by Oxford University Press and other academic institutions—is not merely a book; it is a time machine and a masterclass in classical hermeneutics. It allows the modern reader to sit at the feet of one of Islam’s greatest polymaths, Abu Ja’far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (839–923 CE). For students of theology, history, and Arabic literature, understanding Volume 2 is essential to grasping how early Muslims understood the Word of God.
For a reader trying to utilize this text, understanding how Al-Tabari writes is crucial.
No review of Tabari is honest without addressing this. Volume 2 contains stories from Jewish and Christian sources (e.g., details about the Golden Calf, the names of the magicians in Egypt). Later scholars like Ibn Kathir criticized Tabari for including too many of these "Israelite traditions."
However, reading Volume 2 carefully, you see that Tabari does not use these as belief (Aqida). He uses them as exegesis (Tafsir bi al-Ma'thur). He is trying to answer: What did the early commentators (many of whom were Jewish converts like Ka'b al-Ahbar) say? He reports it, but he rarely, if ever, endorses the wild mythological details. He is a historian recording the data, not a theologian sanctifying the data.
The influence of this volume cannot be overstated. Every major commentator who came after—Ibn Kathir (d. 1373), Al-Suyuti (d. 1505), Al-Alusi (d. 1854)—stood on the shoulders of Al-Tabari. When Ibn Kathir wrote his Tafsir (which is more popular today due to its brevity), he was essentially condensing and re-verifying Al-Tabari.
Furthermore, in the modern era, the printing of The Commentary on the Quran Vol. 2 and its companion volumes by publishing houses like Dar al-Tafsir and Mu’assasat al-Risalah revolutionized Islamic scholarship. For the first time, the ijtihad of a 3rd-century Hijri Imam became accessible to the masses, not just the elite.