In 2005 Wikipedia's first sentence called it “born in amol”. Today it says “widely known for his historical works and expertise in quranic exegesis”.
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The opening as it read in 2005
Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Jarir at-Tabari ( AD 838 - AD 923 ), Iranian Sunni historian and theologian , was born in Amol, Tabaristan (south of the Caspian ), and studied in Ray (Rages) , Baghdad , and in Syria and Egypt . "Tabari" means from Tabaristan . He died in Baghdad in 923. Cast upon his own resources after his father's death, he was reduced to great poverty until he was appointed tutor to the son of the vizier Tibaidalläh ibn Yaliya . He afterwards journeyed to Egypt, but soon returned to Baghdad, where he remained as a teacher of tradition and law until his death. His life was simple and dignified, and characterized by extreme diligence. He is said to have often refused valuable gifts. A Shafi'ite in law , he claimed the right to criticize all schools, and ended by establishing a school of his own, in which, however, he incurred the violent wrath of the Hanbalites . His works are not numerous, but two of them are very extensive. The one is the Tãrikh ur-Rusul wal-Mulük (History of the Prophets and Kings), generally known as the Annals . This is a history from the Creation to AD 915 , and is renowned for its detail and accuracy. His second great work was the commentary on the Qur'an , which was marked by the same fullness of detail as the Annals . The size of the work and the independence of judgment in it seem to have prevented it from having a large circulation, but scholars such as Baghawi and Suyuti used it largely. A third great work was projected by Tabari. This was to be on the traditions of the Companions, etc., of Muhammad . It was not, however, completed.1
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Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari ( ; Abū Ǧaʿfar Muḥammad b.Ǧarīr b.Yazīd aṭ-Ṭabarī) (838–923) was one of the earliest, most prominent and famous Persian historian and exegete of the Qur'an ,who wrote exclusively in Arabic , most famous for his Tarikh al-Tabari ( History of the Prophets and Kings ) and Tafsir al-Tabari .Gaston Wiet, etc, "The Great Medieval Civilizations: cultural and scientific development.The great medieval civilizations.Part 1", Published by Allen and Unwin, 1975. pg 722:In the meantime another author, Tabari, Persian by origin, had been unobtrusively at work on two monumental pieces of writing, a commentary on the Koran ..Perry , "Tabari was an ethnic Iranian, but wrote exclusively in Arabic", Form and Meaning in Persian Vocabulary: The Arabic Feminine Ending, Published by Mazda Publishers in association with Bibliotheca Persica, 1991 George Rosen, Journal of the History of Medicine and Allied Sciences , Published by H.
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Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari ( / ˈ t ɑː b ər i / ; , ) (224–310 AH; 839–923 AD) was a prominent and influential Persian scholar, historian and exegete of the Qur'an from Tabaristan , modern Mazandaran in Iran .Even if today he's better known for his expertise in Islamic sciences ( Qur'anic commentary and law ) or history , he has been described as "an impressively prolific polymath .He wrote on such subjects as poetry , lexicography , grammar , ethics , mathematics , and medicine ." His most influential and best known works are his Qur'anic commentary known as Tafsir al-Tabari and his historical chronicle Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk ( History of the Prophets and Kings ), often referred to Tarikh al-Tabari .Al-Tabari founded his own madhhab which is usually designated by the name Jariri . Gaston Wiet, etc, "The Great Medieval Civilizations: cultural and scientific development. The great medieval civilizations. Part 1", Published by Allen and Unwin, 1975. pg 722:In the meantime another author, Tabari, Persian by origin, had been unobtrusively at work on two monumental pieces of writing, a commentary on the Koran ..
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Influential iranian scholar, historian and exegete of the Qur'an For other people named Al-Tabari, see Al-Tabari (disambiguation) .Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Jarīr ibn Yazid al-Ṭabarī ( / ˈ t ɑː b ər i / ; , ) (224–310 AH; 839–923 AD) was an influential iranian scholar, historian and exegete of the Qur'an from Amol , Tabaristan (modern Mazandaran Province of Iran ), who composed all his works in Arabic.Today, he is best known for his expertise in Qur'anic exegesis and Historiography but he has been described as "an impressively prolific polymath .He wrote on such subjects as world history , poetry , lexicography , grammar , ethics , mathematics , and medicine ." Al-Tabari's madhhab flourished among Sunni ulama for two centuries after his death before it eventually became extinct.It was usually designated by the name Jariri . Gaston Wiet , etc, "The Great Medieval Civilizations: cultural and scientific development. The great medieval civilizations. Part 1", Published by Allen and Unwin, 1975. pg 722:In the meantime another author, Tabari, Persian by origin, had been unobtrusively at work on two monumental pieces of writing, a commentary on the Koran .. Although it eventually became extinct, Tabari's madhhab flourished among Sunni ulama for two centuries after his death.
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Iranian scholar, historian and commentator on the Qur'an (839–923) For other people named Al-Tabari, see Al-Tabari (disambiguation) .Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Jarīr ibn Yazīd al-Ṭabarī ( ), more commonly known as al-Ṭabarī ( الطبري ), was a Muslim historian and scholar from Amol , Tabaristan .Among the most prominent figures of the Islamic Golden Age , al-Tabari is known for his historical works and his expertise in Qur'anic exegesis ( tafsir ), but he has also been described as "an impressively prolific polymath ".He wrote works on a diverse range of subjects, including world history , poetry , lexicography , grammar , ethics , mathematics , and medicine .His most influential and best known works are his Quranic commentary, known in Arabic as Tafsīr al-Ṭabarī , and his historical chronicle called History of the Prophets and Kings ( Tarīkh al-rusul wa-l-mulūk ), often referred to as Tarīkh al-Ṭabarī ("al-Tabari's History").Al-Tabari followed the Shafi'i madhhab for nearly a decade before he developed his own interpretation of Islamic jurisprudence .His understanding of fiqh was both sophisticated and remarkably fluid and, as such, he continued to develop his ideas and thoughts on juristic matters right to the end of his life.Al-Tabari's school ( madhhab ) of legal thought flourished among Sunni ulama for two centuries after his death, before it eventually became extinct. It was usually designated by the name Jariri jurisprudence . Women in the Qur'an, Traditions, and Interpretation .The traditionalist Abu Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (d. 923) authored a traditionist Qur'anic exegesis, Jami'al-bayan 'an ta'wil ay al-Qur'an (or fi tafsir al-Quran), and a traditionist History of the world.. Although it eventually became extinct, Tabari's madhhab flourished among Sunni ulama for two centuries after his death.
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Muslim scholar, historian, and Quranic exegete (839–923) For other people named Al-Tabari, see Al-Tabari (disambiguation) .Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad ibn Jarīr ibn Yazīd al-Ṭabarī ( Arabic : أَبُو جَعْفَر مُحَمَّد بْن جَرِير بْن يَزِيد ٱلطَّبَرِيّ ; 839–923 CE / 224–310 AH), commonly known as al-Ṭabarī ( Arabic : ٱلطَّبَرِيّ ), was a Sunni Muslim scholar , polymath , historian , exegete , jurist , and theologian from Amol , Tabaristan , present-day Iran .Among the most prominent figures of the Islamic Golden Age , al-Tabari is widely known for his historical works and expertise in Quranic exegesis, and has been described as "an impressively prolific polymath". He authored works on a diverse range of subjects, including world history , poetry , lexicography , grammar , ethics , mathematics , and medicine . Among his most famous and influential works are his Quranic commentary, Tafsir al-Tabari , and historical chronicle, Tarikh al-Tabari . Al-Tabari followed the Shafi'i school for nearly a decade before he developed his own interpretation of Islamic jurisprudence . His understanding of it was both sophisticated and remarkably fluid, and, as such, he continued to develop his ideas and thoughts on juristic matters right until the end of his life.Al-Tabari's school of jurisprudence "flourished among Sunni ulama for two centuries after his death", before it eventually became extinct.It was commonly designated as the Jariri school . Although it eventually became extinct, Tabari's madhhab flourished among Sunni ulama for two centuries after his death.
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Today
In 2005 Wikipedia's first sentence called it “born in amol”. Today it says “widely known for his historical works and expertise in quranic exegesis”. Read the current article and compare.
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Then
born in amol
Now
widely known for his historical works and expertise in quranic exegesis
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