by Imām al-Ṭabarī
Tarikh al-Tabari, formally titled Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk (History of the Prophets and Kings), is a monumental universal history composed by Imam al-Tabari in Baghdad and completed around 303 AH (915 CE). The work spans history from creation to al-Tabari's own time, with a particular focus on Islamic history. Distinguished by its rigorous methodology, it presents multiple accounts of events along with their chains of transmission (isnad), allowing readers to assess conflicting versions. As a vast compilation of earlier sources—many of which are now lost—Tarikh al-Tabari laid the foundation for later Islamic historiography and remains a crucial primary source for the first three centuries of Islamic history.
The historian and mufassir of the Ummah - al-Ṭabarī, whose pen united revelation and history in works that still illuminate the path of knowledge and faith.
The Khalīfah who turned Baghdad into the heart of civilization - Hārūn al-Rashīd, whose reign blended splendor with justice, learning, and humble servitude before Allah.
The Khalīfah who made Baghdad the cradle of learning - al-Maʾmūn ibn Hārūn al-Rashīd, patron of Bayt al-Ḥikmah, where ʿaql and waḥy met in pursuit of Divine truth.
