Tafseer Usool at-Tafseer

knowledge, some of which overlapped with that of others and some of which did
not. Consequently, some of the students traveled to other Islaamic centers to study
under other sahaabah, while others stayed with their teachers until their deaths.
Schools of Tafseer
The most notable centers of tafseer which evolved during this period were
those of Makkah, Madeenah, and ‘Iraaq. In Makkah, the tafseer school of Ibn
‘Abbaas became the most prominent. ‘Abdullaah ibn ‘Abbaas was considered to
be the greatest tafseer scholar among the sahaabah. He reported that once the
Prophet (r) hugged him and prayed for him as follows,
الل َّهم ف َق ِّهه فِي الدينِ‏ وعل ِّمه الت َّأْوِيلَ‏ .)
“O Allaah, give him a deep understanding of the religion and make him skilled in
interpretation.” 29
‘Abdullaah ibn Mas‘ood, the great scholar among the sahaabah, was reported to
have conferred on him the title, “Tarjumaan al-Qur’aan,” 30 “Translator of the
Qur’aan.” The most famous students of Ibn ‘Abbaas were Mujaahid ibn Jabr,
‘Ikrimah (the freed slave of Ibn ‘Abbaas), Sa‘eed ibn Jubayr, Taawoos ibn
Keesaan al-Yamaanee, and ‘Ataa ibn Abee Rabaah. 31
In Madeenah, the most noted school of tafseer was that of Ubayy ibn Ka‘b,
who was considered by most of his contemporaries as the top reciter of the
Qur’aan. Ubayy was also the first person chosen by the Prophet (r) to record the
revelation of the Qur’aan. 32 The Prophet (r) was reported to have said to him,
)
(
{
) إِن الل َّه أَمرنِي أَن أَق ْرأَ‏ عل َيك }
لَمْ‏ یَكُنِ‏ ال َّذِینَ‏ كَفَرُوا مِنْ‏ أَھْلِ‏ الْكِتَابِ‏
“Verily, Allaah, the Most Great and Glorious, has commanded me to recite to
you, ‘Lam yakunillatheena kafaroo.’ (Soorah al-Bayyinah).” When Ubayy
29 Collected by Ahmad (al-Musnad, no. 2274). A version mentioning only the first half of the
Prophet’s supplication on his behalf is reported in Sahih Al-Bukhari, vol. 1, p. 106, no. 145, and
Sahih Muslim, vol. 4, pp. 1320-1, no. 6055.
30 Collected by al-Haakim and by Ibn Sa‘d in at-Tabaqaat. See Siyar al-A‘laam an-Nubalaa’, vol.
3, p. 347.
31 Al-Itqaan fee ‘Uloom al-Qur’aan, vol. 2, p. 242. It is interesting to note that all of these great
scholars were former slaves.
32 According to al-Waaqidee. Quoted in Al-Isaabah fee Tamyeez as-Sahaabah. Perhaps he meant
in Madeenah.