Canon Status
Not canonical in any tradition. A work of history.
Date & Provenance
Composed in 915 CE.
Language & Manuscripts
Arabic manuscripts. Translated into English in 40 volumes by the State University of New York Press.
Why It Matters for Study
The most important universal history of early Islam. It begins with creation and charts Muslim and Middle Eastern history through to the Abbasid era.
" In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds." — Tabari, History (paraphrase)
Read the Text & External Resources
Public-domain translations and scholarly databases where the text can be read online or downloaded.
- " In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds." — Tabari, History (paraphrase) " In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds." — Tabari, History (paraphrase)
External links open in a new tab. Sources are chosen for public-domain or open-access availability; always verify edition and translation when citing in academic work.
Further Reading
Rosenthal, F. The History of al-Tabari. SUNY Press, 1989–2007.
Al-Tabari — Wikipedia|https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al-Tabari|Background and scholarly discussion.
Tabari History — Internet Archive|https://archive.org/details/historyoftabari|Full text and commentary.