عماد الدين أبو الفداء إسماعيل بن عمر بن كثير القرشي الدمشقي
Imam Ismail ibn Umar ibn Kathir (1300-1373 CE) was a Shafi'i scholar in Damascus, student of Ibn Taymiyyah, renowned for his Tafsir al-কুরআন al-Azim (Tafsir Ibn Kathir), one of the most widely read কুরআন commentaries globally, and Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, a comprehensive history from creation to his own era.
Ismail ibn Kathir was born in Busra, east of Damascus, in 1300 CE (701 AH). His father, a khatib (Friday sermon preacher), died when Ismail was young, and he was raised by his older brother before moving to Damascus in 1315 to pursue Islamic education. He studied under many of the greatest scholars of 14th-century Damascus, most influentially Ibn Taymiyyah, whose methodology of emphasizing কুরআন, Sunnah, and the practice of the early generations profoundly shaped his intellectual approach.
Ibn Kathir's Tafsir al-কুরআন al-Azim is one of the most important and widely read কুরআন commentaries ever produced. His methodology was to explain আল-কুরআন primarily through আল-কুরআন itself (using one verse to illuminate another), then through authentic hadith, then through the statements of the Companions and their successors. This approach, which he inherited from Ibn Taymiyyah, produces a commentary grounded firmly in primary sources rather than speculative interpretation. The tafsir is valued for its clarity, accessibility, and reliability, making it the go-to reference for Muslims worldwide seeking to understand the meaning of আল-কুরআন.
His historical work Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah (The Beginning and the End) is a monumental history spanning from creation through the events of his own time, integrating কুরআনic narrative, prophetic traditions, and historical sources into a comprehensive chronological account. It remains one of the most important Islamic historical texts. He lost his eyesight toward the end of his life but continued teaching until his death in Damascus in 1373 CE (774 AH).
Tafsir al-কুরআন al-Azim (Tafsir Ibn Kathir) — one of the most widely used কুরআন commentaries, renowned for its hadith-based approach
Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah (The Beginning and the End) — a comprehensive Islamic history from creation to the 14th century
Al-Ba'ith al-Hathith Sharh Ikhtisar Ulum al-Hadith — an important work on hadith sciences
As-Sirah an-Nabawiyyah (নবী করীমic Biography) — extracted from Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah, a detailed account of নবী করীম's life
Tabaqat ash-Shafi'iyyah — biographical dictionary of Shafi'i scholars