Book excerpt: Abdullah ibn Abbas (Arabic: عبد الله ابن عباس‎) or ′Abd Allah ibn al-′Abbas otherwise called (Ibn Abbas; Al-Hibr; Al-Bahr; The Doctor; The Sea) was born c. 619 CE. He was one of Prophet Muhammad's companions and one of the early Qur'an scholars.During the early struggles for the caliphate, he supported Ali, and was given the job of governor of Basra as a reward. He did not stay long and he withdrew to Mecca. During the reign of Muawiyah I, he lived in Hejaz and would travel to Damascus often. Abdullah ibn Abbas was known for his knowledge of traditions as well as his critical interpretation of the Qur'an. From early on, he gathered information from other companions of Prophet Muhammad SAW and gave classes and wrote commentaries. He was the second son of a wealthy merchant, ‘Abbas ibn ‘Abd al-Muttalib, thus he was called Ibn Abbas (the son of Abbas). His mother was Umm al-Fadl Lubaba, who prided herself in being the second woman who converted to Islam, on the same day as her close friend Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, Muhammad's wife. The father of Abdullah Ibn Abbas and the father of Muhammad were both sons of Shaiba ibn Hashim, better known as ‘Abdu’l-Muṭṭalib. Shaiba bin Hashim's father was Hashim ibn Abd Manaf, the progenitor of the Banu Hashim clan of the Quraish tribe in Mecca. Abdullah ibn Abbas was constant in his devotions. He kept voluntary fasts regularly and often stayed up at night in Prayer. He would weep while praying and reading the Quran. And when reciting verses dealing with death, resurrection and the life hereafter his voice would be heavy from deep sobbing. He passed away at the age of seventy one in the mountainous city of Taif.