Cast upon his own resources after his father's death, he was reduced to great poverty until he was appointed tutor to the son of the Vizier Tibaidallāh ibn Yaliya. He afterwards journeyed to Egypt, but soon returned to Baghdad, where he remained as a teacher of tradition and law until his death. His life was simple and dignified, and characterized by extreme diligence. He is said to have often refused valuable gifts. A Shafi'ite in Law, he claimed the right to criticize all schools, and ended by establishing a school of his own, in which, however, he incurred the violent wrath of the Hanbalites.
His works are not numerous, but two of them are very extensive.
The first of the two large works is the History of the Prophets and Kings, generally known as the Annals. This is a history from the Creation to AD 915, and is renowned for its detail and accuracy concerning Arab and Muslim history.
His second great work was The commentary on the Qur'an, which was marked by the same fullness of detail as the Annals. The size of the work and the independence of judgment in it seem to have prevented it from having a large circulation, but scholars such as Baghawi and Suyuti used it largely and it was also used for Tafsir ibn Kathir.
A third great work was projected by Tabari. This was to be on the traditions of the Companions, etc., of Muhammad. It was not, however, completed.