No abstract

The Jāmiʿ al-bayān ʿan taʾwīl āy al-Qurʾān is fittingly recognised as representing an important milestone in the history of the discipline of tafsīr: within the work, al-Ṭabarī accomplished a uniquely comprehensive exegetical synthesis of literary, grammatical, legal and theological elements, bringing a broader sense of definition and purpose to the discipline of tafsīr. Among the characteristic features of the scholarship of al-Ṭabarī are the objectivity and consistency he brought to his work and such qualities resonate in his gauging of theological issues and topics. While it has been customary to view al-Ṭabarī's theology as being strictly informed by a rigidly traditionalist methodology, a circumspect review of theological discussions in the tafsīr reveals not only the author's accomplished marshalling of the attendant arguments and theses, but also the spirit of autonomy and resourcefulness with which he assesses points of doctrine and dogma. In this article an attempt is made to analyse aspects of the intertwined theological discourses of the tafsīr and related treatises, bridging them with materials articulated in the biographical sources. The aim is to explore the relationship between his approach to scholarship along with the standpoints to which he adhered and their impact upon attitudes towards his remarkable work and legacy.

While Part I of this article examined the role played by Kūfan readers and grammarians in the genesis of Arabic linguistic thought, furnishing a synopsis of issues such as origins, features, and influential individuals, Part II focuses upon a similar treatment of the contribution made by Baṣran readers and grammarians to the development of this tradition. The article will outline Baṣran readers' attempts to devise and implement improvements to orthography, vowel markings and diacritics. It will also gauge the extent to which endeavours therein were gradually augmented by a profoundly theoretical approach to linguistic aspects of the collation, authentication, and articulation of Qur'anic readings. A survey of this formative period will propose that while the service of scripture is the distinguished objective of early Basran linguistic activity, the accentuation of abstract considerations in approaches to scripture presages not only a shift in this tradition's focus, application, and design, but it also marks the emergence of the first pioneering grammarians who place Arabic linguistic thought on an altogether insular plane, composing literature which reflected the new perspective, while preparing the ground for the contributions of Sibawayhi and his many peers.