Mujahid ibn Jabr

Mujahid ibn Jabr (21-104 AH / 642-722 CE) was the preeminent Quranic commentator (mufassir) among the Tabiin generation, renowned for having undertaken a systematic study of the entire Quran under the personal supervision of the companion Abdullah ibn Abbas — the man the Prophet himself called the Interpreter of the Quran (Tarjuman al-Quran). Mujahid's full name is Mujahid ibn Jabr al-Makhzumi, and he was a freed slave (mawla) of the Makhzum clan of the Quraysh, born in Mecca where he spent most of his scholarly life.

Mujahid's method of studying tafsir with Ibn Abbas was methodologically unprecedented. He went through the entire Quran three times with his teacher, pausing at every verse to ask about its meaning, its context of revelation (asbab an-nuzul), and its full implications for understanding and practice. This thorough and systematic approach, repeated three times, gave him a comprehensiveness and depth of Quranic understanding that no subsequent student could match. Imam ash-Shafii said: "When the tafsir of Mujahid comes to you, it is sufficient for you." Al-Bukhari considered Mujahid one of his most important sources for tafsir material and relied on him extensively in his Sahih.

Beyond his study with Ibn Abbas, Mujahid also studied under other prominent companions including Aisha, Abu Hurairah, Abdullah ibn Umar, and Jabir ibn Abdullah. He was a prolific transmitter of hadith, and his narrations appear throughout the six canonical collections. His tafsir opinions were gathered and transmitted by his students and became the cornerstone of the Meccan school of Quranic interpretation, which was later incorporated into the major comprehensive tafsir works of scholars such as at-Tabari, Ibn Abi Hatim, and al-Baghawi.

Mujahid was also an exemplar of humility and devotion to scholarship. He lived simply, taught freely, and spent his entire life in the service of Quranic knowledge. He died in Mecca in approximately 104 AH (722 CE), reportedly while in the prostration position (sujud), having devoted every aspect of his life to the understanding and transmission of Allah's Book.