THE ROLE OF COMPANIONS AND SUCCESSORS’ REPORTS IN AL-ṬABARI’S TAFSIR: A SOURCE-CRITICAL ANALYSIS

This study investigates the methodological significance of Companions (ṣaḥаba) and Successors (tаbiʿun) reports in al-Ṭabari’s Jаmiʿ al-bayаn ʿan taʾwil аy al-Qurʾаn, one of the earliest comprehensive exegetical works in the Islamic tradition. Through source-critical analysis, the research explores how al-Ṭabari structures, evaluates, and privileges transmitted reports (athаr) in his hermeneutical framework. The findings demonstrate that the authority of the Companion and Successor tradition functions as the backbone of ṭabarian exegesis, informing linguistic explanation, legal reasoning, and theological positioning. Al-Ṭabari’s rigorous isnаd-based methodology shows multilayered reliance on early Islamic transmitters, yet employs rational preference (tarjiḥ) when divergent interpretations arise. This study contributes to understanding classical tafsir formation and the epistemological hierarchy governing early Qurʾаnic interpretation.

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