Ibn Kathir أبو الفداء إسماعيل بن عمر بن كثير

'Imad al-Din Abu'l-Fida' Isma'il ibn 'Umar ibn Kathir rahimahullah (701 AH/1301 CE - 26 Sha'ban 774 AH/1373 CE) was one of the most distinguished Islamic scholars of the eighth Islamic century, excelling as a muhaddith, mufassir, faqih and historian. Born in Mijdal, a village on the outskirts of Busra to the east of Damascus, he grew up in Damascus where he studied under a wide circle of teachers. Most notable among them were Shaykh al-Islam Taqi al-Din Ahmad ibn Taymiyyah, Hafiz Jamal al-Din Abu'l-Hajjaj al-Mizzi, Shaykh 'Alam al-Din al-Qasim ibn Muhammad al-Barzali, and the historian al-Dhahabi, as well as Ibn al-Qayyim and numerous others. He obtained his first official appointment in 1341 and culminated his career with a professorial position at the Great Mosque of Damascus in June/July 1366. His most celebrated works include al-Bidayah wa'l-Nihayah (a comprehensive history), Tafsir al-Qur'an al-'Azim (widely considered among the most authoritative Qur'anic commentaries), and as-Sirat al-Nabawiyyah (biography of the Prophet ﷺ). He died on 26 Sha'ban 774 AH in Damascus and is buried in the Sufi Graveyard beside his teacher Ibn Taymiyyah.