Monday, March 23, 2009

The Sources of Tarikh al-Tabari

Al-Tabari's Methodology of his Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk.


Al-ÙabarÊ (d. 310 A.H.) wrote his TÉrÊkh al-Rusul wa al-MulËk (The History of the Prophets and Kings) which also known as TÉrÊkh al-ÙabarÊ has voluminous history starting with a discussion on the creation of the universe. He gave detailed account of Islamic history from genealogy of the Prophet (SAW) up to the year 302 A.H.

1. Sources of Al-Tabari's Tarikh

Al-ÙabarÊ depended mostly on the narrations which had already found their way into the works of his predecessors. Rather than collecting only those narratives which were according to his liking, he wrote in detail about each particular event without giving his own opinion. He gave the chain of transmitters (isnÉd) like the traditionalist that he was. He did not fail to mention the authors from whose works he took his material. For instance, relating to the story of Adam whom was taught all the names, al-ÙabarÊ quoted from Ibn ÑAbbÉs. He writes:
According to AÍmad b. IshÉq al-AÍwazÊ-AbË SharÊk (b. ÑAbd AllÉh al-NakhÉÑÊ)-ÑÓÎim b. Kulayb-al-×asan b. SaÑd-Ibn ÑAbbÉs, commenting on: “And He taught Adam all the names,” as follows: He taught him the name of everything, down to fart and little fart.

Up to the end of pre-Islamic portion, he presented events without giving any date or year for their occurrence, because of the non-availability of dependable information. From the Islamic era he wrote annalistically up to the year 302 A.H. The annalistic method of history writing is a unique contribution of Muslim historians. Europe was ignorant of it up to the year 1597 C.E.
As a scholar convinced of the preeminence of the material with which he dealt, al-ÙabarÊ was not inclined to waste time and space on such mundane matters as when and where he had contact with his authorities. Occasionally, he might very well have indicated such data, for it was the custom to keep notes including the name of teacher and the time of attendance at his classes. In fact that he often referred to someone with whom he undoubtedly had some personal contact; but later, he used the source that was transmitted to him by that individual in its written (published) form and quoted from it while pretending all the time to rely upon oral transmission.
Among the sources of the TÉrÊkh, al-ÙabarÊ’s own TafsÊr has always been consulted and cited. The Material quoted here by al-ÙabarÊ was no doubt taken from earlier Qur’Én commentaries, most of them still lost or imperfectly known. Some of those commentaries have recently been published; such as the works of SufyÉn al-ThawrÊ, MujÉhid, and MuqÉtil.
Most prominent among his teachers was Ibn ×umayd. AbË ÑAbd AllÉh MuÍammad b. ×umayd al-RÉzÊ was in his seventies at the time, and he died a decade later in 248 A.H. He became one of al-ÙabarÊ’s most frequent cited authorities. Ibn ×umayd had lectured in Baghdad and had been there by Ibn ×anbal, who is even said to have transmitted traditions on his authority. In al-ÙabarÊ’s time, Ibn ×umayd had apparently retired to his native city, in which al-ÙabarÊ could have continued his study with him there. Thus, the material he quoted on Ibn ×umayd’s authority was acquired by him in Rayy. Another teachers from al-ÙabarÊ,s days in al-Rayy al-MuthannÉ b. IbrÉhÊm whose nisbah was al-ÓmulÊ, and AÍmad b. ×ammÉd al-DËlÉbÊ.
It is significance that the instruction which al-ÙabarÊ received from Ibn ×umayd in al-Rayy extended to the historical works of Ibn IsÍÉq, famous above all as the author of the life of MuÍammad (al-SÊrah). He thus learned about pre-Islamic and early Islamic history. In al-ÙabarÊ’s case, more importantly, it would seem that in the process, the seeds were planted for his wider interest in history which later culminated in the writing of his great history. According to YÉqËt, Ibn KÉmil is supposed to have reported that it was under the guidance of AÍmad b. ×ammÉd al-DËlÉbÊ on the authority of SalÉmah b. al-FaÌl that al-ÙabarÊ studied Ibn IsÍÉq’s MubtadÉ’ and MaghÉzÊ and thus laid the groundwork for TÉrÊkh. However, in the TÉrÊkh itself, the isnÉd is always Ibn ×umayd-SalÉmah-Ibn IsÍÉq. Al-ÙabarÊ later on continued his study of Ibn IsÍÉq. In KËfah, both HannÉd b. al-SÉrÊ and AbË Kurayb tranmitted to him information from Ibn IsÍÉq’. According to another recension, that of YËnus b. Bukayr (d. 199 A.H.). At the same time, al-ÙabarÊ probably did not receive instruction in special course devoted entirely to Ibn IsÍÉq. It was rather through incidental reference that he learned more about him there.
Scholars in al-BaÎrah whom al-ÙabarÊ met during his visit there included men quoted again and again in his works. Among them were; MuÍammad b. ÑAbd al-AÑlÉ al-ØanÑÉnÊ (d. 245 A.H.), MuÍammad b. MËsÉ al-×arashÊ (d. 248 A.H.), and AbË al-AshÑath AÍmad b. al-Miqdam (d. 253 A.H.), meanwhile in KËfah, among others, IsmÉÑÊl b. MËsÉ al-FazarÊ (d. 245 A.H.) and SulaymÉn b. ÑAbd al-RaÍmÉn b. ×ammÉd al-ÙalÍÊ (d. 252 A.H.). The two men from whom he profited most in those years were MuÍammad b. BashshÉr, known as BundÉr (d. 252 A.H.) in BaÎrah, and AbË Kurayb (d. 247 or 248 A.H.) in KËfah.
The History, on the other hand was in accordance with the basic character of Muslim historiography, never really superseded. It remained the unique source for the period it covered, even when other sources for it were still available. Later historian constantly used al-ÙabarÊ’s work, at first directly, but then, in the course of time, usually indirectly through other histories such as the one of Ibn al-AthÊr. The new works offered much of al-ÙabarÊ’s information in a shortened form and naturally, added much subsequent history. Thus, they were easier to handle and had the advantage of being of greater interest for the majority of readers who wanted to learn about events close to their own times. Some, if not many, later historians continued to use al-ÙabarÊ and even seek out earlier sources, but manuscripts became increasingly difficult to find.


Note : Plz change this font (AHT Times New Roman) into Times New Roman when you copy this article (in order to avoid any effect of Arabic transliteration).. tq .

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