Mujahid ibn Jabr
Mujahid ibn Jabr () (645–722 CE) was a Tabi‘in and one of the major early Islamic scholars. Biography. He was one of the leading Qur'anic commentators and a translator of the generation after that of the Prophet Muhammad and his Companions. He is the first to compile a written exegesis of the Qur'an, in which he stated “It is not permissible for one who holds faith in Allah and the Day of Judgment to speak on the Qur'an without learning classical Arabic.” He is said to have studied under Amir al-Mu'minin 'Ali ibn Abi Talib until his  martyrdom. At that point, he began to study under Ibn Abbas, a companion of the Prophet known as the father of Qur'anic exegesis. Mujahid ibn Jabr was known to be willing to go to great lengths to discover the true meaning of a verse in the Qur'an, and was considered to be a well-travelled man. However, there is no evidence he ever journeyed outside of the Arabian Peninsula. Works. It is related by Ibn Sa'd in the Tabaqat (6:9) and elsewhere that he went over the explanation of the Qur'an together with Ibn 'Abbas thirty times. Mujahid ibn Jabr  is said to be relied upon in terms of tafsir according to Sufyan al-Thawri, who said: "If you get Mujahid's tafsir, it is enough for you." His exegesis in general followed these four principles: Al-Tabari's "Jami' al-bayan" attributes a significant amount of exegetical material to Mujahid. Legacy. The view of Islamic Scholarship. He has been classed as a "Thiqah" (i.e. very reliable) hadith narrator. Al-A'mash said: After praising him in similar terms al-Dhahabi said: "The Ummah is unanimous on Mujahid being an Imam who is worthy in Ihtijaj.