Person · Contextual definition
Ibn Kathir
- Timeline
- 1373 CE
- Region
- Mamluk Damascus
Syrian Qur'anic exegete and historian (c. 1301–1373 CE) who favors Ishmael in his reading of the sacrifice account.
Metadata
These are descriptive fields, not conclusions.
- Edition
- 3
Text
Ismaʿil ibn ʿUmar Ibn Kathir (c. 1301–1373 CE) was a scholar, Qur'anic exegete and historian associated with fourteenth-century Damascus. His works include a Qur'anic commentary and the historical al-Bidaya wa-l-nihaya. [1]
In his commentary on Qur'an 37:101, he identifies the son in the sacrifice scene as Ishmael. He argues from Ishmael's seniority and the announcement of Isaac after the rescue. He also records that others chose Isaac, while rejecting that view. This is a later interpretation of the Qur'anic passage; the passage itself does not name the son within the sacrifice scene. [2]
References and notes
- Edition catalogue and volume 1 title page, not the entire work. NYU/AUB catalogue metadata and title page of volume 1; read 14 October 2026. Return to the text ↑
- Commentary on Qur'an 37:101: Ishmael preference and mention of the Isaac view. Commentary on Qur'an 37:101, displayed lines 16–22; read 14 October 2026. Return to the text ↑
Research history
Substantive changes are retained here. Minor copy edits remain in the internal operational log.
-
Substantive record update
-
Substantive record update
Suggest a correction · Suggest a source for this record
Cite this record
IL Archive, «Ibn Kathir», Edition 3, https://ilarchive.com/en/people/ibn-kathir