Abdullah ibn Abbas

The account

Son of al-Abbas, born in the boycott years, Ibn Abbas was about thirteen at the Passing, and yet no name stands taller in the interpretation of the Book. The reason is a du'a: the Prophet ﷺ embraced him and said, "O Allah, teach him the Book," and in the narration of the ablution night, "O Allah, give him understanding in the religion and teach him the interpretation." The boy who set out water for the Prophet's wudu received in exchange the keys of tafsir.

His method built the science: he chased the companions door to door with a pillow under his arm, waiting at thresholds while they napped, answering when asked why the cousin of the Prophet begged knowledge at doors: knowledge is not attained with the body at rest. Umar seated the youth with the elders of Badr and proved his rank with the tafsir of Surah an-Nasr: the announcement of the Messenger's approaching death, which only Ibn Abbas saw. Hibr al-ummah, the learned of the nation, and its tarjuman al-Qur'an, he taught at Makkah until blindness, and died at Ta'if with the community's knowledge multiplied through his students for every century after.

The facts

• The du'a“Teach him the Book”
• TitlesHibr al-ummah · Tarjuman al-Qur'an
• MethodA pillow at the doors of the elders
• ProofThe tafsir of an-Nasr before Umar

The narrations

Read beside it

The words

• التَّفْسيرTafsirThe Qur'an
• مَكَّةMakkahHistory
• القُرْآنQur'anThe Qur'an
• سورَةSurahThe Qur'an
• التَّأْويلTa'wilThe Qur'an
• الأُمَّةUmmahHistory
• الكُرْسِيّKursiBelief
• القَلَمQalamBelief

Lights that name it

• He found a fast in Madinah and joined itIbn Abbas · Madinah, first year
• He was most generous in Ramadan, like a loosed windIbn Abbas · Ramadan
• Ramadan was when the text was checked against its sourceIbn Abbas, on the Prophet ﷺ in Ramadan
• No days are better for good work than these tenIbn Abbas · the first ten days of Dhul Hijjah

On the Path

• 6Nuh: Ark Building 950 Yearsنوح السفينة
• 9Ibrahim: Fire Cool & Peaceإبراهيم النار
• 11Kaaba Raisedالكعبة
• 38Badr: 313 vs 1000بدر
• 46The Passing of the Prophet ﷺوفاة النبي ﷺ
• 51The Preservation: Book, Sunnah, Chainحفظ الدين

People beside it

• Al-Abbas ibn Abd al-MuttalibUncle of the Prophet · The voice of Hunaynالعباس بن عبد المطلب
• Umar ibn al-KhattabAl-Faruq · Second caliphعمر بن الخطاب

Places

• Makkah · Umm al-QuraMother of cities · Sanctuary since the heavensمكة المكرمة
• Ta'ifThe city of stones that became a city of Islamالطائف