Section: Interpreting the Qur’an by means of the statements of the Successors

When no explanation is found in the Qur’an itself, nor in the Sunnah, nor from the Companions, many leading imams have then referred to the words of the Successors—such as Mujāhid ibn Jabr, who was a marvel in exegesis. Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq related: “Abān ibn Ṣāliḥ narrated to us from Mujāhid, who said, ‘I presented the muṣḥaf to Ibn ʿAbbās three times, from its opening chapter to its close, stopping him at every single verse and asking him about it.’”

In another chain reaching al-Tirmidhī: al-Ḥusayn ibn Mahdī al-Baṣrī narrated to us, saying, “ʿAbd al-Razzāq told us, from Maʿmar, from Qatādah, that Mujāhid said, ‘There is not a verse in the Qur’an except that I have heard something concerning it.’” (1)

Likewise, with a separate chain: Ibn Abī ʿUmar narrated to us; Sufyān ibn ʿUyaynah told us, from al-Aʿmash, who said that Mujāhid declared, “Had I recited according to the reading of Ibn Masʿūd, I would not have needed to ask Ibn ʿAbbās about many of the verses I questioned him on.” (2)

Ibn Jarīr said: Abū Kurayb narrated to us; Ṭalq ibn Ghannām related to us, from ʿUthmān al-Makkī, from Ibn Abī Mulaykah, who said, “I saw Mujāhid ask Ibn ʿAbbās about…"