When the Hanafi scholar Mufti Ghulam Rasool of ‘Daarul Uloom Qadriyah Jilaniyah, London’ quoted Ibn Jareer Tabari in his work was confronted with a question about the authenticity of Ibn Jareer Tabari to which he replied in the following compelling manner:
“Question1: You have quoted the statements of Ibn Jarir Tabari but he was a Shia so how can be his statements and references be reliable ?
Answer: There are two Tabaris. One is from Ahle Sunnah who is known as Abu Jaffar Muhammad bin Jareer bin Yazeed bin Katheer bin Ghalib Tabari whose statements and reference have been quoted by us and he is Ahle Sunnah. He was born in 224 H. He was an outstanding Scholar.
Khateeb Baghdadi (d. 423 H) wrote that Jareer Tabari was unique in knowledge and merits. No one was equal to him during his period. He was Hafid of Quran, Muffassir, master in Quranic injunctions, aware of Nasikh and Mansukh (abrogating and abrogated verses), scholar in historical incidents and an esteemed Muhaddith. Ibn Jareer initially adhered to Shaf’ii school and then claimed of doing Ijtihad and let the foundation of his Naqahi school but that school did not sustain for longer period, in fact it was finished during his life.
Ibn Khuzimah (d. 361 H) wrote that there has been no scholar like Ibn Jareer.
Muhdith bin Khaliwia ( d. 370 H) has also praised Ibn Jareer excessively.
Ibn Taimiyah also wrote: “Muhammad bin Jareer was a prestigious Muffassir” [Fatawa Ibn Taimiyah, Vol 2 page 192].
Allamah Daudi (d. 945 H) wrote: “ Ibn Jareer was an esteemed scholar of abrogated (verse) and abrogating (verses), difficult and abstruse matters, Qisas and Akhbar and other studies.” [Tabaqat al Muffassareen, page 23].
Yaqut al Hamawi (d. 226 H) also wrote that Ibn Jareer was an esteemed scholar and a exalted commentator of Quran.
Hafid Ibn Kathir (d. 775 H) wrote: “Ibn Jareer was among the great scholars. Rulings are derived from his statements and people refer to his merits. He was Hafid of the book of Allah and was aware of all types of recitation and meanings. He was jurist in Ahkam and was scholar in Sunan and Taraiq, Sahih and Saqim, Nasikh and Mansukh. He was aware of the statements of Sahaba, Tabaeen and people who came after them.” [ Al Badayah wal Nihayah, Volume 11 page 145].
Ibn Khalkan (d 681 H) wrote that Ibn Jareer was among the Imams of Mujtahdeen.
Hafid Ibn Hajar Asqalani wrote: “Muhammad bin Jarir Tabari has been a very valuable commentator [Muffassir]. Ahmed bin Ali Sulemani has said inappropriate words for him that he used to make hadith for Rafdis . This is an allegation against Ibn Jarir and a blatant lie against him, because Ibn Jarir is amongst the Akabir Imams of Islam”[ Lisan al Mizan, Volume 5 page 100].
Hafid Dahabi ( d 748 H) wrote: “Muhammad bin Jareer Tabari was a respected Imam, Muffassir, Thiqa and truthful. He was amongst the Akabireen of Islam. There was another person namely Muhammad bin Jarir bin Rustam who was a Rafidhi.” [Mizan al Eitadal, Vol 3 page 35].
So it has been proved that there were two people by the name of Ibn Jareer Tabari. One was a Rafidi whose name was Muhammad bin Jareer bin Rustam while the second one is from Ahle Sunnah wal Jamat. He was an esteemed scholar and Muffassir and belong to the fourth group of Mufassareen. His Tafseer Ibn Jarir is very exalted and popular. Allamah Suyuti (d. 911 H) states that there is no Tafseer like Ibn Jarir. He has written various books among them are Tarikh al Ummam wal Maluk, Kitab al Qirat, Kitab al Tanzeel, Ikhtilaf wa Ulema wa Tarikh al-Rijal, Ahkam Shara’a al-Islam, Tabsarah fi Usool al-Deen, etc .
And there is a third Tabari who has been mentioned by Allamah Suyuti in ‘Tabqat al-Musfasareen’, his name is Ibrahim bin Ali bin al-Hussain Abu Ishaq Tabari. He had plenty of expertise in the knowledge of Tafseer and Faraiz and was a Qadhi in Makkah. He narrates from Abu Yala Sadad Hussain bin Muhammad (d. 515 H) while Hibatullah bin Hassan bin Asakir (d. 563 H) is his student. Ibrahim Tabari died in 523 H.
There is a fourth Tabari as well whose name is Ahmad bin Abdullah Abul Abbas Tabari. We have mentioned about him in ‘Hasab aur Nasab’ Volume 1. He died in the year 694 H.”
Hasab aur Nasab, Volume 3 pages 72-75 (Published by Daarul Uloom Qadriyah Jilaniyah London)
Moreover the Imam of Salafies Ibn Tamiyah also stated about Imam Tabari:
“The tafseers which are in the hands of the people, the most correct of these is Tafseer Muhammad bin Jarir al-Tabari, he mentions the statements of salaf with correct isnaad, this tafseer doest not contain bida’a nor it is narrated from the unreliable ones”
Majmo’a al-Fatawa, Volume 13 page 385
Also see following Sunni websites for the biography of Imam Ibn Jarir Tabari:
1.
http://kitaabun.com/shopping3/article_info.php?articles_id=15
http://www.bysiness.co.uk/ulemah/abu_jafar_muhammad_attabari.htm
2.
http://www.bookrags.com/biography-muhammad-ibn-jarir-al–tabari/index.html
http://www.almeshkat.net/books/open.php?cat=18&book=1154 – Cached