The History of the Prophets and Kings (Arabic: تاريخ الرسل والملوك Tārīkh al-Rusul wa al-Mulūk, popularly known Tarikh al-Tabari or Tarikh-e Tabari, Persian: تاریخ طبری) is an Arabic historical chronicle written by the Persian author and historian Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari died 310H (838-923) from the Creation to AD 915, and contains detail concerning Muslim and the Middle Eastern history. An al-Sila, appendix or continuation, was written by Abu Abdullah b. Ahmad b. Ja'far al-Farghani, a Turk student of al-Tabari.
Various editions of the Annals include:
An edition published under the editorship of M.J. de Goeje in three series, comprising thirteen volumes, with two extra volumes containing indices, introduction and glossary (Leiden, 1879–1901).
An edition published under the editorship of Muhammad Abu al-Fadl Ibrahim (1905-1981) in ten volumes (al-Qahira: Dar al-Ma'arif, 1960-1969.)
A Persian digest of this work, made in 963 by the Samanid scholar al-Bal'ami, translated into French by Hermann Zotenberg (vols. i.-iv., Paris, 1867–1874).
An English translation in 39 volumes (plus index), published by the State University of New York Press from 1985 through 2007. Various editors and 29 translators. ISBN 978-0-7914-7249-1 (hc), ISBN 978-0-7914-7250-7 (pb), Author: Tabari (various translators), Publisher: SUNY Press
Here is the list of titles for the 40-volume edition:
Vol. 01 General Introduction & from the Creation to the Flood (Franz Rosenthal)
Vol. 02 Prophets & Patriarchs (William Brinner)
Vol. 03 The Children of Israel (William Brinner)
Vol. 04 The Ancient Kingdoms (Moshe Perlmann)
Vol. 05 The Sassanids, the Byzantines, the Lakhmids, and Yemen (C.E. Bosworth)
Vol. 06 Muhammad at Mecca (W.M. Watt and M.V. McDonald)
Vol. 07 The Foundation of the Community - Muhammad at al-Madina, A. D. 622-626 (M.V. McDonald)
Vol. 08 The Victory of Islam (Michael Fishbein)
Vol. 09 The Last Years of the Prophet: The Formation of the State, A.D. 630-632-A.H. 8-11 (Ismail Poonawala)
Vol. 10 The Conquest of Arabia, A. D. 632-633 - A. H. 11 (Fred M. Donner)
Vol. 11 The Challenge to the Empires (Khalid Blankinship)
Vol. 12 The Battle of al-Qadisiyyah & the Conquest of Syria & Palestine (Yohanan Friedmann)
Vol. 13 The Conquest of Iraq, Southwestern Persia, & Egypt: The Middle Years of 'Umar's Caliphate, A.D. 636-642-A.H. 15-21 (Gautier H.A. Juynboll)
Vol. 14 The Conquest of Iran, A. D. 641-643 - A. H. 21-23 (G. Rex Smith)
Vol. 15 The Crisis of the Early Caliphate: The Reign of Uthman, A. D. 644-656 - A. H. 24-35 (R. Stephen Humphreys)
Vol. 16 The Community Divided: The Caliphate of Ali I, A. D. 656-657-A. H. 35-36 (Adrian Brockett)
Vol. 17 The First Civil War: From the Battle of Siffin to the Death of Ali, A. D. 656-661-A. H. 36-40 (G.R. Hawting)
Vol. 18 Between Civil Wars: The Caliphate of Mu'awiyah 40 A.H., 66 A.D.-60 A.H., 680 A.D. (Michael G. Morony)
Vol. 19 The Caliphate of Yazid ibn Mu'awiyah, A. D. 680-683 - A. H. 60-64 (I.K.A. Howard)
Vol. 20 The Collapse of Sufyanid Authority & the Coming of the Marwanids: The Caliphates of Mu'awiyah II & Marwan I (G.R. Hawting)
Vol. 21 The Victory of the Marwanids, A. D. 685-693-A. H. 66-73 (Michael Fishbein)
Vol. 22 The Marwanid Restoration: The Caliphate of 'Abd al-Malik: A.D. 693-701 - A.H. 74-81 (Everett K Rowson)
Vol. 23 The Zenith of the Marwanid House: The Last Years of 'Abd al-Malik & the Caliphate of al-Walid A.D. 700-715-A.H. 81-95 (Martin Hinds)
Vol. 24 The Empire in Transition: The Caliphates of Sulayman, 'Umar, & Yazid, A. D. 715-724-A. H. 96-105 (Stephan Powers)
Vol. 25 The End of Expansion: The Caliphate of Hisham, A.D. 724-738-A.H. 105-120 (Khalid Blankinship)
Vol. 26 The Waning of the Umayyad Caliphate: Prelude to Revolution, A.D. 738-744 - A.H. 121-126 (Carole Hillenbrand)
Vol. 27 The Abbasid Revolution, A. D. 743-750 - A. H. 126-132 (John Alden Williams)
Vol. 28 The Abbasid Authority Affirmed: The Early Years of al-Mansur (Jane Dammen McAuliffe)
Vol. 29 Al-Mansur & al-Mahdi, A.D. 763-786-A.H. 146-169 (Hugh Kennedy)
Vol. 30 The Abbasid Caliphate in Equilibrium: The Caliphates of Musa al-Hadi & Harun al-Rashid, A. D. 785-809 - A. H. 169-192 (C.E. Bosworth)
Vol. 31 The War Between Brothers, A. D. 809-813 - A. H. 193-198 (Michael Fishbein)
Vol. 32 The Absolutists in Power: The Caliphate of al-Ma'mun, A.D. 813-33 - A.H. 198-213 (C.E. Bosworth)
Vol. 33 Storm and Stress Along the Northern Frontiers of the Abbasid Caliphate (C.E. Bosworth)
Vol. 34 Incipient Decline: The Caliphates of al-Wathig, al-Mutawakkil & al-Muntasir, A.D. 841-863-A.H. 227-248 (Joel L Kraemer)
Vol. 35 The Crisis of the Abbasid Caliphate (George Saliba)
Vol. 36 The Revolt of the Zanj, A. D. 869-879 - A. H. 255-265 (David Waines)
Vol. 37 The Abbasid Recovery: The War Against the Zanj Ends (Philip M Fields)
Vol. 38 The Return of the Caliphate to Baghdad: The Caliphate of al-Mu'tadid, al-Muktafi & al-Muqtadir, A.D. 892-915 (Franz Rosenthal)
Vol. 39 Biographies of the Prophet's Companions & Their Successors: al-Tabari's Supplement to His History (Ella Landau-Tasseron)
Vol. 40 Index (Prepared by Alex V Popovkin under the supervision of Everett K Rowson)
The main purpose of Tabari was to write history according to the science of narration. That is to say he quotes the narrator without interfering in any way.
Among its content can be found:
Hadith of the pen and paper
Information about Zayd al-Khayr
Information about Utbah ibn Ghazwan
Muhammad ibn Abi Bakr being the first to attack in the killing of Uthman.
Some hadith regarding Aisha's age at marriage.
