In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Project Overview
God willing, this initiative serves as a useful proof of concept. The endeavor focuses on providing a comprehensive AI-assisted English translation of Tafsir al-Tabari, an esteemed Quranic exegesis. As of Sat, Jan 25, 2025, the entire translation has been posted on this site and is released under a creative commons license found on each post.
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About the Translation
Tafsir al-Tabari
Jāmiʿ al-bayān ʿan taʾwīl āy al-Qurʾān (883 CE)
Collection of Statements on the Interpretation of the Verses of the Qur’an
Author: Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (839 CE – 923 CE)
This project represents an experimental proof of concept. It is important to note that these texts are not peer-reviewed scholarly works and should not be cited as such. Nonetheless, they benefit from the robust capabilities of a large AI model. Users are encouraged to exercise discretion and common sense, as the information is provided “as is” and reflects current results, allowing individuals to draw their own conclusions for further research.
Discussion of this English Rendition
It is crucial to clarify that referring to this work as a “translation” might be somewhat misleading. A more accurate description would be a “meaning of” or “interpretation” work, akin to Arabic-to-English interpretations of the Quran. However, for simplicity, the term “translation” is used conventionally. As of November 2024, to the best of our knowledge, this was the first complete English translation of al-Tabari’s Tafsir.
Source Material: Archive.org
Processing Steps
- Original OCR Text Capture: The original documents were digitized using Optical Character Recognition (OCR), with error corrections implemented to rectify miscaptured words. This data was stored in a database in its original Arabic language.
- AI Translation: The Arabic text was translated into English which included processing through AI to present the text in a more coherent and reader-friendly format without altering the original meaning. This was called the “AI Sahaba” as a moniker for the AI to “understand” its purpose best.
- An initial released was made in November 2024 to Amazon, however, those were removed as the translations were not up the quality of the revised translations currently being worked on. Thus, rather than leave them, they were removed pending the completion of the better quality work.
- Multiple Python scripts were made for data cleanup, database posting, and more in order to manage the large dataset.
About Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari
Born in Amol, Tabaristan (modern-day Iran) in 839 CE and passing away in 923 CE, al-Tabari was a distinguished scholar and historian born 207 years after the Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). His most notable work, Tafsir al-Tabari, completed in 883 CE, is one of the earliest and most comprehensive Quranic interpretations that have survived in full.
Scholarly Contributions
Al-Tabari is renowned for synthesizing a broad range of opinions and sources, often presenting multiple, sometimes conflicting, interpretations of the same Quranic verse. His methodology involved documenting various views from a historian’s perspective, heavily relying on Hadiths (the sayings and actions of the Prophet Muhammad), as well as the interpretations of the Sahabah (companions of the Prophet) and the Tabi’in (the generation following the Sahabah). His meticulous citation of sources, including detailed chains of narration (isnad), underscores the scholarly rigor of his work.
Al-Tabari employed a rational approach in his commentary, frequently seeking to interpret the Quran using the Quran itself where feasible. His profound expertise in the Arabic language enabled him to elucidate complex terms and expressions, establishing Tafsir al-Tabari as a foundational reference in Quranic studies.
Support and Additional Works
If you find this work valuable, your support is greatly appreciated. Consider contributing via Buy Me a Coffee.
For those interested in exploring more of my work, I have published the following book on Amazon:
- “The Problem With Henry Jessup: “The Mohammedan Missionary Problem” 145+ Years Of Misinformation”
Purchase on Amazon
Contact
AI Coding and Published by Kamel Ibn Sabala
E-MAIL: kamel.ibn.sabala // a t // gmail dot . com
Definitions and Policies
Proof of Concept
According to Wikipedia, a proof of concept (also known as a proof of principle) is a realization of a certain idea, method, or principle to demonstrate its feasibility or viability. The objective is to verify that some concept or theory has practical potential. That is what this experiment is.
No Touch Policy
Throughout this project, a strict “no touch” policy was adhered to, limiting involvement to formatting adjustments such as modifying font sizes, adjusting text placement, and removing broken characters or irrelevant elements to enhance readability and document size. Crucially, the AI-generated text output was not altered, even in the presence of apparent errors, to preserve the integrity of this proof-of-concept experiment. Given the substantial size of the text, a complete review was not feasible; instead, periodic reviews for errors and status updates were conducted.
However, if there is an outrageous error, please e-mail me and I will take a look, please provide the URL.
Disclaimer
This work is an experimental proof of concept and should not be considered a scholarly peer-reviewed source. Information is provided “as is” and reflects current results, allowing users to draw their own conclusions for further research. Always exercise discretion and conduct your own research when utilizing this material.
Prayer for Forgiveness
If any mistakes have been made in producing this work, I pray that Allah, the ٱلْعَفُوُّ (The Pardoner), the ٱلْغَفُورُ (The Forgiving), the ٱلْرَّحْمَـانُ (The Most Merciful) – from among His many excellent names – may forgive me.