Mujahid ibn Jabr

Mujahid ibn Jabr
Born 642
Died 722[1]
Era Medieval era
Region Persian scholar

Mujahid ibn Jabr (Arabic: مُجَاهِدْ بِنْ جَبْر) (645-722 CE) was a Tabi‘in and one of the major early Islamic scholars.[2]

Name

Mujahid

Biography

He was one of the leading Qur'anic commentators of the generation after that of the Prophet Muhammad and his Companions. He is the first to compile a written exegesis of the Qur'an. He is said to have studied under Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali ibn Abi Talib until his martyrdom. At that point, he began to study under Ibn Abbas, a companion of the Prophet known as the father of Qur'anic exegesis. Mujahid ibn Jabr was known to be willing to go to great lengths to discover the true meaning of a verse in the Qur'an, and was considered to be a well-travelled man.[3]

Works

It is related by Ibn Sa'd in the Tabaqat (6:9) and elsewhere that he went over the explanation of the Qur'an together with Ibn 'Abbas thirty times.[2]

Mujahid ibn Jabr is said to be relied upon in terms of tafsir according to Sufyan al-Thawri.

His exegesis in general followed these four principles:[3]

  1. That the Qur'an can be explained by other parts of the Qur'an. For example, in his interpretation of Q 29:13, he refers to Q 16:25,
  2. Interpretation according to traditions,
  3. Reason,
  4. Literary comments.

Al-Tabari's Jami' al-bayan attributes a significant amount of exegetical material to Mujahid .

Legacy

Sunni view

He has been classed as a Thiqah (i.e. very reliable) hadith narrator.[2]

Al-A'mash said:

"Mujahid was like someone who carried a treasure: whenever he spoke, pearls came out of his mouth."[2]

After praising him in similar terms al-Dhahabi said: "The Ummah is unanimous on Mujahid being an Imam who is worthy in Ihtijaj .

Shi'a view

Shi'a have a very positive view of him.[3]

Non-Muslim view

Gregor Schoeler calls him "an eminent representative of the school of Mecca" and whose Tafsīr was nothing more than personal notes.[4]

References

  1. Manna' al-Qattan, Mabahith fi Ulum al-Quran, Maktaba al-Ma'arif, 1421H, p. 393
  2. 1 2 3 4 Mujahid
  3. 1 2 3 The Tafsir of Mujahid - The Earliest of Qur'anic Commentaries
  4. Mit-Ejmes

External links

(French) Complete biography of Mujahid Ibn Jabr

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