'ABD ALLAH IBN AL-'ABBAS

born c. 619 died 687/688, at-Ta'if, Arabia also called Ibn Abbas, byname Al-hibr ("the Doctor"), or Al-bahr ("the Sea") a Companion of the prophet Muhammad, one of the greatest scholars of early Islam, and the first exegete of the Qur'an. In the early struggles for the caliphate, Ibn 'Abb as supported 'Ali and was rewarded with the governorship of Basra. Subsequently he defected and withdrew to Mecca. During the reign of Mu'awiyah he lived in the Hejaz, but frequently travelled to Damascus, the capital. After the death of Mu'awiyah, he opposed 'Ibn az-Zubayr, whom he refused to recognize as caliph, and was forced to flee to at-Ta'if, where he died. Ibn 'Abbas is renowned for his knowledge of both sacred and profane tradition and for his critical interpretations of the Qur'an. From his youth he gathered information concerning the words and deeds of Muhammad from other Companions and gave classes on interpretation of the Qur'an, his commentaries on which were later collected.