Contribution of the Umayyad period to
the Quranic studies.
 
Umayyad Period
When Islam spread far and wide the necessity of reading the Quran correctly was felt. It was during the Umayyad period in 75 A.H. that Hajjaj Bin Yusuf the governor of Iraq ordered the provision of notation marks,Fatha Damma Kasra and Naqta. This work was successfully done by Khalil Bin Ahmad, Nasr Bin Asim Yahya and others. In this way the correct reading of the Quran by the Non-Arab Muslims was ensured and since Arabic and Islam constituted a unifying force among the Muslims there development a belief of the divine origin of the language. It was the Quran that presented the height of linguistic achievement of Arabic language and now Arabic was the national language of the Muslims empire including Spain which gradually evolved as a literary language in the Muslim world.
Literary Arabic is the form of language which is found in the Quran. Throughout the World it is uniform. It is therefore that the Quran was the Centre of study in all literary circles of the Muslim world. The Umayyad period produced numerous scholars of Quranic studies under whose care Ilmut - Al - Tafsir advanced by leaps and bounds. We shall mention here some of the prominent commentators of the Holy Quran whose services to this science will he remembered for all time to come. Before we begin we shall define what this science is.
The literary meaning of Tafsir is explanational interpretation, It is defined by Al - Zarkashi as under:
التفسیر فی اللغۃ فھو راجع الی الاظھار والکشف و اصلہ فی اللغۃ من التفسیر۔
The science of Tafsri in Islamic sciences is the root and source of all other sciences and it is the key to wisdom and the most dignified, high and elevated as compared to even Hadith and Fiqh sciences. They are subordinate to the knowledge contained in the book of God.
The Prophet of Islam (P.B.U.H) was the first to explain the meaning of the Quran. Then followed his companions who were witness to the revelation and knew full well the environment under which the book was revealed. Above all Arabic the language of the Quran was their mother tongue and they could better appreciate the linguistic beauties and the rhetorical devices used in the book of God. Then followed those who enjoyed the company of the companions of the Prophet called (Taba Tabieen) The period of the Umayyad rule includes both of them and it is therefore that it enjoys the privilege of being profited by the services of both in this regard. Here we shall confine our study to only a few of them so far as it concerns our subject and helps us in peeping through it the development Arabic literary prose during the period.
Here are some of the prominent commentators of the Holy Quran whose contributions to the science is recognized by all.
(i) Abdullah Ibn Abbas.
Abdullah Ibn Abbas is the cousin of the Prophet of Islam (P.B.U.H.) whose service to the science of Tafsir is recognized by all. When the Prophet died he was only thirteen years old. He is called Abn Al Mufassireen the father of the commentators of the Holy Quran His merit was recognized by all those who lived during his days including the companions of the Prophet. It is said that the Prophet (P.B.U.H.) had prayed for him in the following words:
اللّٰھم فقّھہ فی الدین و علّمہ التاویل، و فی روایۃٍ اللّٰھمّ الحکمۃ۔۔۔۔ اللھم علمہ الکتاب والمراد من الکتاب القراٰن۔
His commentary has been preserved and has reached as in full.
Now we shall give below a short account of the commenters of the Quran who lived during the rule of the Umayyad dynasty only.
(ii) Said bin Jubair (45- 95 A.H /665 - 714 A.D.)
Said Bin Jubair was one of the most prominent of the sahaba who enjoyed the company of Abdullah Ibn Abbas Ali Bin Hatim Abdullah Bin Umar and many important companions of the Prophet and he himself rose to a high reputation among his contemporaries. He is recognized as Imam in the science of Tafsir. He is one of the victims of the atrocities of Hajjaj Bin Yusuf who killed him in the prime of his life in the year 95 A.H,.
(iii) Mujahid Bin Jabr (21 - 101 H. 642 - 722 A.D.)
Mujahid Bin Jabr is one of the important students of Hazrat Abdullah Bin Umar who paid great attention in learning the science of Tafsir for which he was reputed among his contemporaries. About him Sufyan Al-Sawri said.
اذا جائک التفسیر من مجاھد فحسبک۔

Ibn Kathir the renowned commentator of the Quran has paid tribute to him in to following words:
اذا لم تجد التفسیر فی القراٰن ولا فی السنۃ ولا وجدتہ عن الصحابۃ، فقد رجع کثیر من الائمۃ فی ذٰلک الی اقوال التابعین کمجاھد بن جبر فانّہ کان اٰیۃ فی التفسیر۔
Hazrat Mujahid was explaining the meaning of the Quran on the basis of the verses of the Quran itself which is called
تفسیر القراٰن بالقراٰن
He had a vast knowledge of the Quran and it is in the light of his study that explains the meaning. Though we find bracliyat also in his Tafsir but it is rare۔
(4) Ikrmah ) (عکرمۃ)A. H . / 645 - 723 A . D
Ikram is a reputed commentator of the Quran and in his days he was at the top among the scholars of divinity. He had seen the days of many companions of the Prophet of Islam (P.B.U.H.) As a jurist also he rose to fame, Sabi Says:
ما بقی احد اعلم (بالقراٰن) بکتاب اللہ من عکرمۃ۔
He worked as a mufti even in the lifetime of Hazrat Abdullah Bin Abbas.
He lived in Basra also for some time. His published commentary of the Quran has not reached us but he is often quoted by Tabari Ibn Kathir and others in their commentaries. One particular aspect of the commentary of Ikrama discusses the points of grammar and rhetorical devices also in his Commentary.
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