Ibn Kathir

Ismail ibn Umar ibn Kathir ad-Dimashqi (700-774 AH / 1301-1373 CE) was a leading Shafii scholar, mufassir, historian, and hadith master whose works are among the most widely read and referenced in the Islamic world. Born in the village of Busra in southern Syria, he moved to Damascus as a young child after his father's death. He studied under al-Mizzi (whose daughter he married), adh-Dhahabi, Ibn Taymiyyah, and other prominent scholars of the Levant.

Ibn Kathir's two most famous works are Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim (Tafsir Ibn Kathir), one of the most widely read and trusted Quranic commentaries, and al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah (The Beginning and the End), a comprehensive history from creation to Ibn Kathir's own time. His tafsir follows the narration-based (bil-mathur) methodology, explaining the Quran primarily through other Quranic verses, authentic hadith, and the statements of the Companions and Successors. It is valued for its emphasis on sound narrations and its avoidance of weak hadith and Israelite traditions (isra'iliyyat). He also authored al-Baith al-Hathith (an abridgment of Ibn as-Salah's hadith sciences), a seerah of the Prophet, and several other works.

Ibn Kathir went blind toward the end of his life but continued to teach and dictate until his death in Damascus in 774 AH (1373 CE). His Tafsir has become one of the most printed and translated Islamic texts in modern times, and al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah remains the standard historical reference for many periods of Islamic history. His legacy as a scholar who combined hadith rigor with accessible presentation continues to benefit Muslims worldwide.