Abd-Allah ibn Abbas

Abdullah ibn Abbas (Arabic: عبد الله ابن عباس) was one of the cousins of Islamic Prophet Mohammed. He was born just three years before the Hijrah. When the Islamic Prophet Mohammed died, Abdullah was only thirteen years old. When he was born, Umm al-Fadl Lubaba (Abdullah ibn Abbas’ mother) took him to the Islamic Prophet Mohammed who put some of his saliva on the babe's tongue even before he began to suckle. This was the beginning of the close and intimate tie between Ibn Abbas and the Islamic Prophet Mohammed that was to be part of a life-long love and devotion. He is revered by Shi'as and Sunnis alike for his knowledge. He was a hafiz and an expert in the exegesis of the Quran, as well as an authority on the Sunnah of Islamic Prophet Muhammad due to his zeal in acquiring new knowledge.

His knowledge

When Abdullah was a child, Muhammad would often draw him close, pat him on the shoulder and pray, "O Lord, make him acquire a deep understanding of the religion of Islam and instruct him in the meaning and interpretation of things."

During the lifetime of Muhammad, Abdullah did not miss any of Muhammad's assemblies and he would commit to memory whatever Muhammad said. After Muhammad died, he would make sure to go to as many Sahaba as possible. Especially those who knew Muhammad the longest, and learn from them whatever Muhammad had taught them. Whenever he heard that someone knew a hadith of Muhammad which he did not know he would quickly go to him and record it. He would subject whatever he heard to close scrutiny and check it against other reports. He would go to as many as thirty Companions to verify a single matter.

Abdullah described what he once did on hearing that a companion of Muhammad knew a hadith unknown to him:

"I went to him during the time of the afternoon siesta and spread my cloak in front of his door. The wind blew dust on me (as I sat waiting for him). If I wished I could have sought his permission to enter and he would certainly have given me permission. But I preferred to wait on him so that he could be completely refreshed. Coming out of his house and seeing me in that condition he said, 'O cousin of the Prophet! What's the matter with you? If you had sent for me I would have come to you.' 'I am the one who should come to you, for knowledge is sought, it does not just come,' I said. I asked him about the hadith and learnt from him."

Abdullah ibn Abbas was not content just to accumulate knowledge. He felt he had a duty to the ummah to educate those in search of knowledge and the general masses of the Muslim community. He turned to teaching and his house became a university in the full sense of the word, a university with specialized teaching but with only one teacher, Abdullah ibn Abbas.

He taught many people about Islam, including among the Sahaba Umar ibn al-Khattab and among the Taba'een Atiyya bin Saad and Sa'id bin Jubayr.

During the Reign of Ali ibn Abi Talib

One of his remarkable achievements was that he convinced 20,000 of 24,000 Kharijites to return to Ali. He used his immense knowledge of the Qur'an and the biography of Muhammad to convince them and hence stopped them from rebelling against Ali, the Caliph.

During the Reign of Yazid I

He gave an oath of allegiance to Yazid ibn Muawiyah the son of Abu Sufyan. Shi’a contended that he used Taqiyya. While the Sunnis remain neutral about Yazid, they believe Ibn abbas was for the unity of the Muslims and hence did not revolt against rulers who were basically unjust.

Last days

He died in 68 Hijri

Legacy

His son was Ali ibn Abdullah. From ibn Abbas’ lineage came the Abbasid dynasty, which replaced the Umayyad dynasty. He is considered to be the most knowledgeable of the Sahaba in tafsir. A book entitled tanwir al-miqbas min Tafsir Ibn Abbas is a complete tafsir of the Qur'an. All explanations of which are said to go back to Ibn Abbas. On the question of authenticity, Ibn Abbas is highly respected by both Shi’as and Sunnis, although Shi’a suffered sever persecution during the Abbasid Dynasty.

External links

http://www.youngmuslims.ca/online_library/books/ulum_al_quran/Ch6S1s7s4.htm

Arab people | Muslims | Sahaba

عبد الله بن عباس | 'Abd Allah ibn 'Abbas