as well as ʿAbd Allah and ʿAbd al-Malik; all of them were Successors. He related hadith from a number of Companions, and more than one leading imam declared him trustworthy. It is said that he died in the year 103 or 104 AH; others maintain that he passed away in Alexandria before the turn of the century, having lived past eighty years—Allah, Glorified and Exalted, knows best.

Mujahid ibn Jabr al-Makki (1)—Abu al-Hajjaj al-Qurashi al-Makhzumi, the freedman of al-Saʾib ibn Abi al-Saʾib al-Makhzumi—was one of the foremost imams among the Successors and among the Qurʾanic exegetes. He belonged to the inner circle of the scholar of this ummah and interpreter of the Quran, ʿAbd Allah ibn ʿAbbas, and was considered the most knowledgeable man of his age in tafsir. People even said that none sought knowledge purely for the sake of Allah except Mujahid, ʿAtaʾ, and Tawus.

Mujahid said, “Ibn ʿUmar once held my stirrup and said, ‘I wish my son Salim and my servant Nafiʿ possessed your memorization.’”

It is also reported that he presented the entire Quran to Ibn ʿAbbas thirty times. Mujahid himself said, “I recited the Quran to Ibn ʿAbbas twice, stopping at every single verse to ask him about it.” (2)

Mujahid died in prostration in the year 100 AH; some say 101, others 102, still others 103, and yet others 104 AH. He had surpassed eighty years of age—Allah knows best.

Section (3)
Mujahid transmitted hadith from the leading Companions and their scholars: from Ibn ʿUmar, Ibn ʿAbbas, Abu Hurayrah, Ibn ʿAmr, Abu Saʿid, and Rafiʿ ibn Khadij. A great many of the Successors narrated from him.

Al-Tabarani said: Ishaq ibn Ibrahim narrated to us; ʿAbd al-Razzaq narrated to us from Abu Bakr ibn ʿAyyash who said: Abu Yahya informed me that he heard Mujahid say, “Ibn ʿAbbas told me, ‘Do not go to sleep except in a state of wuduʾ (ritual ablution), for souls will be resurrected in the state in which they were taken.’”