For a reader trying to utilize this text, understanding how Al-Tabari writes is crucial.
If you open "The Commentary on the Quran Vol. 2 by Al-Tabari," you will immediately notice a stylistic feature that may be jarring to the modern reader: long chains of names. For example, before explaining a verse about divorce, Al-Tabari writes: "Hannad informed us on the authority of Abu Mu’awiyah, on the authority of Al-A’mash, on the authority of Ibrahim..." The Commentary On The Quran Vol. 2 By Al-tabari
This is not mere pedantry. This is the engine of Islamic orthodoxy. Al-Tabari does not want you to take his word for it. He wants you to audit his sources. In Volume 2, when discussing the abrogation (naskh) of certain verses regarding alcohol or warfare, Al-Tabari lays out contradictory opinions from early scholars like Ibn Abbas and Mujahid, then weighs the strength of their chains. This makes Volume 2 an essential resource for anyone studying Hadith sciences (Mustalah al-Hadith). For a reader trying to utilize this text,
Volume 2 begins in medias res with the controversy of the Qibla shift from Jerusalem to Mecca. Al-Tabari dedicates dozens of pages to the reactions of the Jews of Medina and the hypocrites. He brilliantly collates reports explaining why the change occurred—testing the faithful versus the faint-hearted. He explores the linguistic root of Qibla (direction) and even includes a map-like description (in text) of the Kaaba’s position relative to Medina. For example, before explaining a verse about divorce,