Jariri

Al-Jarīriyyah was an Islamic legal school (madhhab) started by Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari. He was a famous scholar, Qur’an commentator, and historian who lived in the 3rd Islamic century (9th century CE) in Baghdad.

This school did not last for a long time and slowly disappeared. However, al-Tabari’s opinions and ideas were respected by many Sunni scholars. His school remained important for about 200 years after his death.[إنج 1]

Basic ideas of the school

Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari was an independent scholar. When he gave legal rulings, he followed a clear order:

  1. The Qur’an
  2. The Sunnah (teachings of the Prophet ﷺ)
  3. Scholarly agreement (ijmaʿ)
  4. Analogy (qiyās) when no clear text existed

The Qur’an

The Qur’an was the first and main source of Islamic law for al-Tabari. He believed that Qur’anic verses should be understood by their clear and normal meaning, unless there is strong proof to understand them differently.[1]

He repeatedly said that:

  • The Qur’an uses clear Arabic
  • It should not be taken away from its obvious meaning
  • Hidden meanings should not be accepted without proof

In simple words:

What the Qur’an clearly says should be accepted as it is.

The Sunnah (Prophetic teachings)

Al-Tabari believed that the Sunnah explains the Qur’an and protects people from mistakes.[2]

He said that when scholars disagree, the final answer is found in the Prophet’s Sunnah ﷺ.

He believed that:

  • Authentic reports from the Prophet ﷺ must be followed
  • Reliable single narrations are accepted
  • Weak reports should not be used as proof

Scholarly agreement (Ijmaʿ)

Al-Tabari believed that agreement of the main scholars is a valid proof in Islam.

He did not require every single scholar to agree. If the major scholars agreed, and only one or two disagreed, he still considered it ijmaʿ.

Later scholars like Ibn Kathir and Taqi al-Din al-Subki explained this clearly when discussing al-Tabari’s method.

Analogy (Qiyās)

Qiyās means solving new issues by comparing them to known rulings.

Al-Tabari used qiyās often. He defined it simply as:

“Connecting new issues to agreed-upon principles.”

Because of this, his method combined:

  • The way of hadith scholars
  • The way of reasoned judgment

Spread and disappearance of the school

Al-Tabari’s school spread mainly in Baghdad. Some of his students later traveled to Egypt.

However:

  • His followers were few
  • The school did not continue long
  • It disappeared by the 5th Islamic century[3]

Why the school disappeared

Scholars mention several main reasons:

  1. The four famous Sunni schools were stronger, better organized, and widely taught.
  2. No state or ruler officially supported al-Tabari’s school.
  3. Most of the school’s books and writings were lost over time.
  4. The Jariri school often argued with the Hanafi school, started by Abu Hanifa. They did not agree about something called istihsan, which means choosing what seems best. The Jariri school said this way was wrong and spoke strongly against it.[4]

Because of this, the school slowly faded, even though al-Tabari himself remained highly respected.

See also

Zahiriyya

Al-Thawri school

References

  1. ↑ Template:استشهاد بكتاب
  1. 1 2 Abdul Aziz bin Saad Al-Hallaf (1985). The Jurisprudence of Ibn Jarir al-Tabari in Matters of Worship (in Arabic) (First ed.). Mecca: College of Sharia and Islamic Studies. p. 69. Archived from the original on 2025-04-14. Retrieved 2025-12-25.
  2. ↑ Template:استشهاد بكتاب
  3. ↑ Template:استشهاد بكتاب
  4. ↑ Stewart, Devin J. (2002). "Muhammad b. Dawud al-Zahiri's Manual of Jurisprudence". In Weiss, Bernard G. (ed.). Studies in Islamic Legal Theory. Brill. p. 135.
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