`Imad Ad-Deen Isma`il Ibn `Umar Ibn Katheer Al-Basri Ad-Dimashqi dilahirkan pada tahun 700 H, atau tidak lama selepas itu. Selepas kewafatan ayahnya, Ibn Katheer, yang ketika itu berusia tujuh tahun, dia berangkat ke Damsyik bersama abangnya yang lebih tua. Dia banyak berhutang budi atas ilmunya kepada Ibn Ashginah, Al-Amadi, Ibn `Asakir dan lain-lain, semoga Allah meredai mereka semua. Dia sangat menghormati Ibn Taimiyah, semoga Allah merahmati rohnya, yang pandangannya dia yakini, pertahankan dan kebanyakannya dia pegang, terutamanya berkenaan perceraian. Disebabkan perkara inilah dia mengalami ujian dan banyak menderita.

`Imad Ad-Deen Isma`il Ibn `Umar IbnKatheer Al-Basri Ad-Dimashqi was born in 700 A.H., or shortly afterwards. After the decease of his father, Ibn Katheer, aged seven then, headed for Damascus, accompanied by his elder brother. He owed much of his learning to Ibn Ashginah, Al-Amadi, Ibn `Asakir and others, may Allah be pleased with them all. He immensely revered Ibn Taimiyah, may Allah bless his soul, whose views he believed, defended and mostly abided by, particularly as regards divorce. It was on account of this that he went through an ordeal and was made to suffer a lot.

Ibn Katheer sangat dikenali kerana tahap ilmu yang luhur yang berjaya beliau capai dengan penuh kecemerlangan. Para ulama sebulat suara mengakui kealiman beliau, khususnya dalam bidang tafsir Al-Qur'an yang Mulia, Hadith dan sejarah. Ibn Habeeb menggambarkan beliau sebagai "ketua bagi semua orang yang bergiat dalam tafsir (Al-Qur'an). Beliau mengumpul dan mengelaskan seluruh (ilmu tersebut)."

Ibn Katheer was widely acclaimed for the sublime degree of learning that he so admirably attained. Scholars have unanimously attested to his wellversedness, particularly in the fields of the exegesis of the Glorious Qur'an, Hadith and history. Ibn Habeeb describes him as "the leader of all men engaged in the exegesis (of the Qur'an). He amassed and categorized all (the knowledge)

dia mendengarnya. Orang ramai kagum dengan fatwa-fatwanya dan mendapat manfaat daripada ajarannya. Fatwa-fatwanya menjadi sangat popular di seluruh negara. Beliau terkenal dengan ketepatannya dan diisytiharkan sebagai mercu tanda dalam sejarah, Hadith dan tafsir (al-Qur'an). Ibn Hijji, salah seorang muridnya, berkata: "Dari kalangan rakan sezaman kami, beliau (Ibn Katheer) adalah yang terbaik dalam menghafal Hadith-Hadith sahih dan yang paling berilmu dalam menilai tahap kebolehpercayaan dan kejujuran perawi Hadith, serta Hadith yang sahih dan tidak sahih. Rakan-rakan sejawat dan guru-gurunya mengakui setiap perkataan di atas. Saya sering mengunjunginya, dan setiap kali saya bersamanya, saya mendapat manfaat daripadanya." Ibn Katheer kehilangan penglihatannya tidak lama sebelum beliau meninggal dunia pada tahun 774 H. Beliau dikebumikan di perkuburan Sufi bersama gurunya Ibn Taimiyah. Antara karya beliau yang paling terkenal ialah karya agungnya dalam sejarah, Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah (Permulaan dan Pengakhiran). Beliau juga mensyarahkan sebahagian daripada Sahih Al-Bukhari (kitab Hadith-Hadith sahih). Secara keseluruhannya, keilmuan dan kepakaran beliau yang mengagumkan paling jelas dapat dilihat bagi sesiapa yang membaca dua karya agungnya yang paling masyhur, iaitu tafsirnya dan kitab sejarahnya.

he heard. People marveled at his fatwas and benefited from his teachings. His fatwas grew widely popular all across the country. He was renowned for his precision and was proclaimed as the beacon of history, Hadith and exegesis (of the Qur'an)." Ibn Hijji, one of his students, owed: "Of all our contemporaries, he (Ibn Katheer) was the best at memorizing authentic Hadiths and the most knowledgeable as to assessing the degree of reliability and honesty of Hadithnarrators as well as authentic and non-authentic Hadiths. His comrades and mentors acknowledge every word of the above. I would frequently visit him, and every time I was in his company I benefited from him." Ibn Katheer lost his eyesight shortly before he died in 774 A. H. He was buried at the Sufis cemetery along with his mentor Ibn Taimiyah. Among his best-known works is his masterpiece in history Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah (The Beginning and the End) .He also interpreted part of Al Bukhari's Sahih (book of authentic Hadiths). By and large, Ibn Katheer's admirable knowledge and well-versedness are best manifested to whoever reads his two best celebrated masterpieces; his interpretation and his book of history.