Ibn Kathir
Abū al-Fiḍā’ ‘Imād ad-Dīn Ismā‘īl ibn ‘Umar ibn Kathīr al-Qurashī al-Damishqī (Arabic: إسماعيل بن عمر بن كثير القرشي الدمشقي أبو الفداء عماد; c. 1300 – 1373), known as Ibn Kathīr (ابن كثير), was a highly influential Arab historian, exegete and scholar during the Mamluk era in Syria. An expert on tafsir (Quranic exegesis) and fiqh (jurisprudence), he wrote several books, including a fourteen-volume universal history titled Al-Bidaya wa'l-Nihaya.
Ibn Kathir | |
|---|---|
| Personal | |
| Born | c. 1300 / 701 H |
| Died | 18 February 1373 / 774 H |
| Religion | Islam |
| Era | Bahri Mamluk Sultanate |
| Region | Sham |
| Denomination | Sunni |
| Jurisprudence | Shafi’i |
| Creed | Athari |
| Notable work(s) | - Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-ʿaẓīm (Tafsir Ibn Kathir), a Quranic exegesis; - Al-Bidāya wan Nihāya ("The Beginning and the End"), a 14-volume history of Islam; - Kitāb al-jāmiʿ, a hadith collection. |
| Muslim leader | |
Influenced by | |
| Arabic name | |
| Personal (Ism) | Ismāʿīl إسماعيل |
| Patronymic (Nasab) | ibn ʿUmar ibn Kaṯīr بن عمر بن كثير |
| Teknonymic (Kunya) | Abū l-Fidāʾ أبو الفداء |
| Epithet (Laqab) | ʿImād ud-Dīn عماد الدين "pillar of the faith" |
| Toponymic (Nisba) | Ad-Dimashqi Al-Qurashi Al-Busrawi |
His tafsir is recognized for its critical approach to Israʼiliyyat, especially among Western Muslims and Wahhabi scholars. His methodology largely derives from his teacher Ibn Taymiyyah, and differs from that of other earlier renowned exegetes such as Tabari. He adhered to the Athari school of Islamic theology.