`Imad Ad-Deen Isma`il Ibn `Umar IbnKatheer Al-Basri Ad-Dimashqi alizaliwa mwaka 700 A.H., au muda mfupi baadaye. Baada ya kufariki kwa baba yake, Ibn Katheer, akiwa na umri wa miaka saba wakati huo, alielekea Damascus, akiwa ameambatana na kaka yake mkubwa. Alidaiwa elimu yake kwa kiasi kikubwa kwa Ibn Ashginah, Al-Amadi, Ibn `Asakir na wengine, Allah awaridhie wote. Alimheshimu sana Ibn Taimiyah, Allah amrehemu roho yake, ambaye mitazamo yake aliiamini, aliitetea na mara nyingi aliifuata, hasa kuhusu talaka. Ni kwa sababu hii alipitia mateso makubwa na kuteseka sana.

`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 alisifiwa sana kwa kiwango cha juu sana cha elimu alichokipata kwa heshima kubwa. Wanazuoni wote kwa pamoja wamethibitisha ujuzi wake mkubwa, hasa katika fani za tafsiri ya Qur'an Tukufu, Hadith na historia. Ibn Habeeb anamweleza kuwa ni "kiongozi wa watu wote waliojishughulisha na tafsiri (ya Qur'an). Alikusanya na kupanga maarifa yote."

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)

alisikia. Watu walistaajabishwa na fatwa zake na kunufaika na mafundisho yake. Fatwa zake zilienea sana kote nchini. Alijulikana kwa usahihi wake, na alitangazwa kuwa nuru ya historia, Hadith na tafsiri (ya Qur'an). Ibn Hijji, mmoja wa wanafunzi wake, alisema: "Miongoni mwa wenzetu wote wa zama zetu, yeye (Ibn Katheer) alikuwa bora zaidi katika kukariri Hadith sahihi na mwenye ujuzi zaidi katika kutathmini kiwango cha kuaminika na uaminifu wa wapokezi wa Hadith, pamoja na Hadith sahihi na zisizo sahihi. Wenzake na walimu wake wanakubali kila neno la hapo juu. Mara nyingi nilikuwa nikimtembelea, na kila nilipokuwa pamoja naye nilinufaika kutoka kwake." Ibn Katheer alipoteza uwezo wa kuona muda mfupi kabla ya kufariki mwaka 774 A.H. Alizikwa katika makaburi ya Masufi pamoja na mwalimu wake Ibn Taimiyah. Miongoni mwa kazi zake maarufu zaidi ni kazi yake bora katika historia, Al-Bidayah wan-Nihayah (Mwanzo na Mwisho). Pia alifafanua sehemu ya Sahih ya Al-Bukhari (kitabu cha Hadith sahihi). Kwa ujumla, elimu yake ya kupendeza na ujuzi wake mpana vinadhihirika zaidi kwa yeyote anayesoma kazi zake mbili bora na zinazosifika zaidi: tafsiri yake na kitabu chake cha historia.

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.