عبداللہ بن عباسؓ کے تفسیری مصادر میں سیرت کا تناظر

The Context of the Prophet's Biography (Seerah) in the Exegetical Sources of Abdullah ibn Abbas (RA)

Abstract

This research paper seeks to expound on the importance of Seerah (Biography of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ) to the methodology of exegesis of a great companion and scholar, Abdullah ibn Abbas (رضی اللہ عنہما), who was popularly referred to as Hibr al-Ummah and Tarjuman al-Qur an describing his fundamental work in exegesis. The paper brings out the fact that Ibn Abbas was not confined to literal or linguistic tafsir. Rather, he strongly depended upon the life experiences of the Prophet ﷺ in particular in explaining verses revealed in relation to major events such as the battles of Badr and Uhud, social regulations such as inheritance and marriage and moral rules such as patience, justice and compassion. His tafsir is representative of a holistic arrangement in which Seerah was an interactive context (and a commentary). The paper has also shown that the tafsir of Ibn Abbas relied on oral narration by the Prophet ﷺ, narrations of the senior companions, and carefully and selectively used reports of the People of the Book. The research highlights that Ibn Abbas instructed his pupils (Mujahid, Ikrimah and Tawus) on the significance of incorporating Seerah in tafsir thus introducing a scholarly tradition that was subsequently emulated by classical exegetes such as al-Tabari, Ibn Kathir and al-Qurtubi. The argument of the research is that in the contemporary setting, the methodology of Ibn Abbas provides a solid framework against misinterpretation of the Quran in the present time by focusing on the practical application of the Prophet as the step stone towards deciphering the divine revelation. The paper sums up to conclude that the revitalisation of this Seerah-based tafsir method is a requirement in maintaining the integrity, relevance and understandability of the Qur?an, both within the traditional and academic contexts. This research recommends additional collections of the tafsir of Ibn Abbas with the context of the events of prophets to be included in the curricula and websites to be used in making the general populace comprehend and get involved in the study of the Quran through the prism of Seerah.