al-Jazarī in his book al-Nashr fī al-Qirā’āt al-‘Ashr (The Dissemination of the Ten Readings), and he attested that al-Tabarī was an imam qualified to exercise independent reasoning (1).

Nevertheless, no one is permitted to follow al-Tabarī in rejecting or denying a reading, or in preferring one mass-transmitted reading over another. The Muslim community is unanimously agreed on this.

Ibn al-Jazarī said:

“Every reading that accords with the Arabic language in at least one valid respect, conforms to one of the Uthmanic codices—even if only as a possible reading of its written form—and has an authentic chain of transmission is a sound reading that may not be rejected or denied. Rather, it is one of the seven modes in which the Quran was revealed, and people are obliged to accept it, whether it was transmitted from the Seven Imams, the Ten Imams, or any other recognized imam. Whenever one of these three essential conditions is lacking, the reading is deemed weak, anomalous, or invalid, whether it is attributed to one of the Seven or to an authority even greater than they were. This is the correct position according to the leading critical scholars of both the early and later generations (2).”

6 – Presenting His Own Opinion and Refuting the Opposing View with Clear Proof

Al-Tabarī presents his own opinion and refutes the opposing view with clear proof that leads the reader to accept his position. When someone disagrees with him, he says:

“If they say such-and-such, we reply with such-and-such.”

His opinion may differ from the view of authorities whom he considers trustworthy, but proof has the greater claim to compel assent. This is the practice of imams qualified to exercise independent reasoning.

[7 – Exercising Independent Reasoning on Jurisprudential Questions]

If al-Tabarī began his scholarly life studying the Shāfi‘ī school, to the extent that he was counted among