Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari

Abi Ja'far Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari (838-923 أبي جعفر محمد بن جرير الطبري) was one of the earliest, most important and famous Persian historians and explainers of the Qur'an, most famous for his "Tarikh al-Tabari" ("History of the Prophets and Kings") and "Tafsir al-Tabari".
Name.
Tabari (Persian: طبری), Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn Jarir at-Tabari, His name means "father of Jafar, named after the Prophet Muhammad, son of Jarir, from the province of Tabaristan".
Biography.
He was born in Amol, Tabaristan, some twenty kilometres south of the Caspian Sea, in the winter of 838-9. He was precocious. He left home to study in A.H. 236 (850-1) when he was twelve. He retained close ties to his home town. He did return at least twice, the last time in A.H. 290 (903) when his outspokenness caused some uneasiness and led to his quick departure.