Abd Allah ibn Abbas

Born around 619 CE to Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib, Muhammad's uncle, he grew up inside the inner circle of early Islam. From the beginning he gathered knowledge directly from the companions, studying their accounts and questioning how the Qur'an should be read. When the caliphate fractured after Muhammad's death, he backed Ali and was appointed governor of Basra, though he withdrew to Mecca not long after. Under Mu'awiya I's reign he lived in Hejaz, travelling often to Damascus, teaching and writing commentaries that would anchor Qur'anic exegesis for centuries. After Mu'awiya died in 680 CE, he moved to At-Ta'if, where he died around 687 CE.