Jami al-Bayan an Tawil Ay al-Quran (The Comprehensive Clarification of the Interpretation of the Verses of the Quran) by Muhammad b. Jarir al-Tabari (d. 310 AH / 923 CE) is the foundational work of classical Quranic exegesis and one of the most monumental scholarly achievements in Islamic history. Running to approximately 30 large volumes in standard print, its objective is to comprehensively gather all transmitted reports explaining the Quran from the Prophet ﷺ, Sahabah, and Tabiun, presenting them with their full chains of isnad while critically evaluating and adjudicating between competing interpretations. Tabari's manhaj represents the apex of tafsir bi-al-mathur: he does not merely transmit narrations but applies Arabic linguistic analysis and rational argument to resolve disagreements and declare a preferred position, often stating 'the correct opinion in our view is...' (wa-al-sawab inda-na). A scholar of extraordinary breadth who authored a monumental history of the world as well, Tabari was a mujtahid mutlaq who founded his own legal school (the Jariri madhhab, now extinct), drawing on Shafii and Maliki traditions. His theological orientation is broadly Athari Sunni. The work is universally regarded as the indispensable foundation of the classical tafsir tradition, referenced by virtually every subsequent Quranic scholar. More...