Abd Allah ibn Abbas

Abd Allah ibn Abbas (Arabic: عبد الله ابن عباس‎) or ′Abd Allah ibn al-′Abbas otherwise called (Ibn Abbas; Al-Habr; Al-Bahr; The Doctor; The Sea) was born c. 619 CE. He was the nephew of the Maymunah bint al-Harith, who later became Muhammad's wife. He was one of Muhammad's cousin and one of the early Qur'an scholars.

During the early struggles for the caliphate, he supported Ali, and was given the job of governor of Basra as a reward. He did not stay long and he withdrew to Mecca. During the reign of Muawiyah I, he lived in Hejaz and would travel to Damascus often. After Muawiyah I died, he opposed Abd Allah ibn al-Zubayr and fled to at-Ta'if, where he died in around 687 CE.

'Abd Allah ibn Abbas was known for his knowledge of traditions as well as his critical interpretation of the Qur'an. From early on, he gathered information from other companions of Muhammad and gave classes and wrote commentaries.

Biography

Family

He was the second son of a wealthy merchant, ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, thus he was called Ibn Abbas (the son of Abbas). His mother was Umm al-Fadl Lubaba, who prided herself in being the second woman who converted to Islam, on the same day as her close friend Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, Muhammad's wife.