Abdullah ibn Abbas

Abdullah ibn Abbas was the son of al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, the Prophet's uncle. He was born approximately three years before the Hijrah in the valley of the Banu Hashim. His mother, Umm al-Fadl Lubabah, was among the earliest women to accept Islam. As a child, he was raised in close proximity to the Prophet. The Prophet once drew him close, placed his hand on his shoulder, and prayed: 'O Allah, give him understanding of the religion and teach him the interpretation of the Qur'an.' Despite being only thirteen when the Prophet passed away, Ibn Abbas had absorbed an immense amount of knowledge. After the Prophet's death, he pursued learning with extraordinary determination. He would go to the doors of the senior Companions — sleeping on their doorsteps in the midday heat, with dust blowing in his face — waiting to ask them about hadith they had heard directly from the Prophet. Some said to him: 'You are the Prophet's cousin, why do you humiliate yourself?' He replied: 'This is how knowledge is sought.' In time, those same Companions' sons would come to sit at his feet. Ibn Abbas became the foremost authority on tafsir in the first generation of Islam. His circle in Makkah attracted students from across the Muslim world. He would hold sessions on separate days for tafsir, fiqh, Arabic poetry, and history. Umar ibn al-Khattab used to include him in consultations alongside the senior Companions of Badr, and when some objected to his youth, Umar tested them with questions about Surah an-Nasr that only Ibn Abbas could fully answer. He narrated approximately 1,660 hadith, and his tafsir opinions form the backbone of classical Qur'anic commentary. Mujahid, Ikrimah, Ata ibn Abi Rabah, and Sa'id ibn Jubayr were among his most prominent students. He lost his eyesight in his later years and died in Ta'if in 68 AH. He was remembered as the most learned man of his generation, fulfilling the Prophet's supplication in full measure.