Who was Ibn Katheer?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

If you refer to Ibn Katheer, the author of the interpretation of the Quran [which is known as Tafseer Ibn Katheer], then he was Ismaa'eel ibn ‘Umar ibn Katheer, who was specialized in Hadeeth and its sciences, and he was a historian and a jurist. He was born in 701 AH and died in 774 AH.

His well-known books are Al-Bidaayah wan-Nihaayah (the Beginning and the End) in history, and Tafseer Al-Quran Al-Kareem (Interpretation of the Quran), which is known as the interpretation of Ibn Katheer.

However, if you mean Ibn Katheer Al-Qaari’ (the Quran reciter), then he was ‘Abdullaah ibn Katheer Ad-Daari Al-Makki, Abu Ma’bad, he was one of the seven narrators of the modes of recitation of the Quran.

He was a Judge in Makkah. He was one of the Taabi’is (the generation that followed that of the Companions), and he was of Persian origin.

He was born in Makkah in 45 AH and died there in 120 AH.

The most famous narrators who narrated from him are: Al-Bazzi and Qunbul.

However, if you refer to someone else, then please clarify this to us.

Allaah knows best.