Hafiz[1], Ibn Kathir Al-Dimashqi[2]

He is Ismail son of Umar son of Kathir son of Dhaw son of Kathir son of Dhaw son of Zarae; the Sheikh, the Imam and the authority in scholarship Imaduddin Abul-Fidaa, son of Sheikh Shihabuddin Abu Hafs Al-Qurashi Al-Basri Al-Dimashqi Al-Shafi'i; known as Ibn Kathir.

He was born in AH 701/AD 1301 in Mujaidel village in the region of Busra Al Sham, and lived in Damascus.

Childhood and Education:

His father was a Khatib[3] in the rural village of Mujaidel until he died in AH 703.

Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on his soul, turned to scholarship since early age, and when he reached seven years old, he traveled accompanying his brother Abdul-Wahhab to Damascus which was the club of scholars and capital of knowledge.

Ibn Kathir settled in Damascus and became one of her sons and one of her scholars, a Khatib and a teacher in it. Besides, he loved her from the bottom of his heart and did not depart her until he died and was buried in her soil.

Allah Almighty has bestowed him with a sharp memorization, excellent memory and super talent, as he was capable of memorizing sciences and texts of books and collecting information, and that appeared his books.

He memorized Holy Qur'an when he was eleven years old as he stated in his chronicle, and he memorized "At-Tanbih" in Shafi'i Jurisprudence, and he explained it when he was eighteen years old. He also memorized "Mukhtasar Ibn Al-Hajib" in Principles of Jurisprudence (Usoul). In addition, he memorized various texts in sciences, so a number of scholars called him "texts memorizer".

Sheikhs:

The most famous is his senior brother Abdul-Wahhab ibn Kathir Kamaleddin, Al-Kasem ibn Asaker, Muhammad ibn Muhammad Al-Shirazi, Ishaq ibn Yahya Al-'Amedi, Ibn Qadi Shahba, Ibn Az-Zamlakani, Sheikh ul-Islam; Ibn Taymiyya, Hafiz Abu Al-Hajjaj Al-Muzzi, Historian of Islam Al-Zahabi and others.

Students:

The most famous of them are Ibn Al-Jazari, Az-Zarkashi and others.

Death:

Historians agreed that Ibn Kathir, may Allah have mercy on his soul, died in Damascus on Thursday the 26th of Shaaban in AH 774/AD 1373, at the age of 74 years old, and his funeral procession was greatly well-attended. Besides, he was buried, as he requested in his own will, in the soil of Sheikh ul-Islam Ibn Taymiyya due to his love to him and to the influence he had upon him.

[1] Scholar in Hadith (traditions of prophet Muhammad peace be upon him) like Muhaddith.

[2] The Damascene.

[3] An orator who delivers the Friday sermons.