Tabari: Selections from The Comprehensive Exposition of the Interpretation of the Verses of the Qur'an

Tabari's Comprehensive Exposition of the Interpretation of the Verses of the Qur'an, also known as Tabari's Tafsir, is one of the great monuments of classical Arabic and Islamic scholarship which, over a millennium, has been a fundamental reference work for scholars engaged in the tradition of Qur'anic exegesis. This two-volume translation focuses on thirty selected verses and Suras, or Chapters, associated with special merits and blessings and also includes Tabari's own introduction to the Comprehensive Exposition.

Review

«Scott Lucas' abridged translation of al-Tabari's famous Quranic commentary strikes a perfect balance between eloquence and accuracy. This fine work will therefore be warmly received by anyone wishing to gain access to the inexhaustible treasures of the Quran.»---Mohammed Rustom, Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies at Carleton University and Assistant Editor of "The Study Quran: A New Translation and Commentary".

About the Author

Muhammad bin Jarir al-Tabari (224-310 AH; 839-923 AD) was one of the most famous Muslim scholars of medieval Islamic civilization. A native of north-eastern Iran, he lived for forty years in Baghdad, where he composed numerous books in Arabic in the fields of Islamic law, Quranic commentary, and history. The only two large books of his to survive are the «History of Messengers and Kings» and his Tafsir, or Quranic commentary, «Comprehensive Exposition of the Interpretation of the Verses of the Quran».

The translator, Scott Lucas, is Associate Professor of Islamic Studies in the School of Middle Eastern and North African Studies at the University of Arizona.