As of February 2025, I’m not aware of any full Arabic-to-English translation of Tafsir al-Tabari except this site, however, there are many partial translations I could find. Here I wanted to explore a comparison between two different translations.
And the other from this site (2025): Tafsir Viewer selecting 70:5 and under “Patience with Polytheists”
As you could imagine, I ran this analysis through an AI, and this was the comparative finding:
Other Site
This Site
Findings
Text 1: “فَاصْبِرْ صَبْرًا جَمِيلًا So exercise beautiful patience [70:5]”
Text 1: “Allah says: ‘So be patient with a beautiful patience’ (Quran 70:5).”
Same: Both texts quote the same verse and its translation.
Text 2: “meaning: steadfastness free of any impatience. Allah is saying to the Prophet: Be steadfast in the face of the harm that these mushrikoon do towards you and do not let the unpleasant things you encounter from them dissuade you from conveying the message that your Lord has commanded you to convey.”
Text 2: “This means: Be patient without any anxiety. He says to Muhammad (peace be upon him): Be patient in the face of harm from these polytheists, and do not let what you receive from them of evil prevent you from conveying the message that your Lord has commanded you to convey.”
Similar: Both texts emphasize patience in the face of harm from polytheists and the importance of conveying the message of Allah. The wording is slightly different, but the core meaning is the same.
Text 3: “And ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd used to say something about this ayah…”
Text 3: “Ibn Zayd used to say about this verse…”
Same: Both texts refer to Ibn Zayd’s commentary on the verse.
Text 4: “This was while Allah was commanding the Prophet to be pardoning towards the disbelievers and not to reciprocate their behavior, but then once He gave the command for jihad and harshness towards them He commanded them to be stern and engage in battle until they were left alone.”
Text 4: “This was when he was commanded to forgive them and not to fight them. But when he was commanded to wage war against them and be harsh with them, he was ordered to be severe and kill them until they desist.”
Similar: Both texts report Ibn Zayd’s claim that the command to forgive was later replaced with a command for warfare. Wording differs, but the meaning is consistent.
Text 5: “But there is no way that this can be true because none of the avenues through which such a claim could be validated can support his position.”
Text 5: “However, what Ibn Zayd said – that he was initially commanded to forgive them and then this command was abrogated – has no basis in fact.”
Similar: Both texts reject Ibn Zayd’s interpretation, stating it has no factual basis.
Text 6: “There is nothing in Allah’s command for His Prophet to exercise this beautiful patience in the face of the mushrikoon’s harm that would entail that this command is only applicable to certain times or situations to the exclusion of others.”
Text 6: “In reality, Allah’s command to His Prophet (peace be upon him) to be patient with the harm caused by the polytheists was not limited to certain circumstances, but rather it was a constant command that applied to all situations.”
Same: Both texts emphasize that the command to be patient is not time-bound or conditional, but rather applies universally.
Text 7: “From practically the time that Allah sent him as a prophet until his demise, the Prophet did not cease to encounter harm from the mushrikoon. But he remained steadfastly patient throughout it all regardless of whatever harm he faced.”
Text 7: “From the time he was sent as a prophet until his death, Muhammad (peace be upon him) remained patient in the face of harm from them, both before and after Allah permitted him to fight against them.”
Similar: Both texts explain that the Prophet remained patient throughout his life, before and after the permission to fight was granted.
Text 8: “This was the case both before and after Allah granted him permission to fight them.”
Text 8: “Both before and after Allah permitted him to fight against them.”
Same: Both texts convey the same idea regarding patience before and after the command to fight.