Ibn Kathir

Ibn Kathir (701 – 774 AH = 1302 – 1373 CE)

Isma'il ibn 'Umar (1) ibn Kathir ibn Daw' ibn Dir' al-Qurashi al-Busrawi, then al-Dimashqi, Abu al-Fida', 'Imad al-Din.

• Hadith master (Hafiz), historian, jurist (Faqih).

• Born in a village in the rural area of Busra al-Sham, he moved with his brother to Damascus in 706 AH and traveled in pursuit of knowledge. He passed away in Damascus.

• People transmitted and circulated his works during his lifetime.

Among his books:

• (Al-Bidayah wa-al-Nihayah – published), 14 volumes on history patterned after Al-Kamil by Ibn al-Athir, ending with the events of the year 767 AH (2) [It has been established that Ibn Kathir concluded his history in his year of death, 774 AH; see the (Overview) on (Al-Bidayah wa-al-Nihayah) in this program (Al-Maktabah al-Shamilah)].

• (Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari) [Explanation of Sahih al-Bukhari] – unfinished.

• (Tabaqat al-Fuqaha' al-Shafi'iyyin – manuscript) in Chester Beatty (3390), written during his lifetime in 749 AH [published].

• (Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Karim – published), ten volumes (3).

• (Al-Ijtihad fi Talab al-Jihad – manuscript) [Treatise on Striving in Jihad].

• (Jami' al-Masanid – manuscript) in eight volumes [published].

• (Ikhtisar 'Ulum al-Hadith) an abridgment on Hadith terminology, explained by Ahmad Muhammad Shakir in the book (Al-Ba'ith al-Hathith ila Ma'rifat 'Ulum al-Hadith – published).

• (Ikhtisar al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah) printed under the title (Al-Fusul fi Ikhtisar Sirat al-Rasul).

• (Risalah fi al-Jihad – published) [Treatise on Jihad].

• (Al-Takmil fi Ma'rifat al-Thuqat wa-al-Du'afa' wa-al-Majahil) five volumes on Hadith narrators (4).

(1) Footnotes:

In his book Al-Bidayah wa-al-Nihayah 14:184, it states verbatim: (Written by Isma'il ibn Kathir ibn Sannu al-Qurashi al-Shafi'i) with a printer's marginal note: (Thus in all original manuscripts).

In Al-Durar al-Kaminah: (Isma'il ibn 'Umar ibn Kathir ibn Daw' ibn Kathir al-Qaysi) or al-'Absi, as in another copy. We relied in our verification on the manuscript copy of Al-Tibyan due to its accuracy and clarity.

And I saw in Thabat al-Nadhrumi (manuscript) an authorization (ijazah) in Ibn Kathir's own handwriting, set in a line of poetry reading:

(I granted them what was requested of me, under its condition ... and its writer is Isma'il ibn Kathir)

(2) The supervisor of its publication indicated that these 14 volumes constitute the first section of the book, which is (Al-Bidayah / The Beginning). The second section (Al-Nihayah / The End) begins at the 15th volume, discussing tribulations and end-time battles (Al-Fitan wa-al-Malahim) at the end of time (two volumes).

(3) First printed in Bulaq on the margin of Fath al-Bayan by al-Qannawji in ten volumes, then published independently in four volumes. Subsequently, numerous editions were printed. Ahmad Muhammad Shakir abridged it, naming the abridgment (‘Umdat al-Tafsir ‘an al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir – published), of which five volumes were published.

(4) The two supplements to Tabaqat al-Huffaz by al-Husayni and al-Suyuti. Al-Durar al-Kaminah 1:373, Al-Badr al-Tali' 1:153, Al-Daris 1:36 and 2:582, Shadharat al-Dhahab 6:231, Adab al-Lughah 3:193, and the preliminary catalog. Al-Bidayah wa-al-Nihayah 14:324 and notes by 'Ubayd. See also ‘Umdat al-Tafsir 1:22–36.

Quoted from: "Al-A'lam" by al-Zirikli [with additions in square brackets]