Question Summary:
Biography of Ibn Kathir (Rahimahullah)

Question Detail:

I want to ask how reliable is as sirah an nabawiyya by ibn kathir, and a background on who was ibn kathit and what manhaj did he follow was he hanafi?

Answer :

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
As-salāmu ‘alaykum wa-rahmatullāhi wa-barakātuh.
Ibn Kathir full name is Abu Al-Fidaa ibn Abi Hafs Shihabuddin Omar ibn Kathir. He was born in the year 701 AH in the city of Busra (بصرى). He moved to Damascus (دمشق) in the year 706AH. Ibn Kathir learned Fiqh from Burhaan Ud-Deen Ibrahim ibn Abdul-Rahman, learned Hadith from Isa ibn Mut’im.
In Ad-Durar Al-Kaminah (الدرر الكامنة), Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar AlAsqalani said, "Ibn Kathir worked on the subject of the Hadith in the texts (متون) and chains of narrators (رجال). He had a good memory, his books became popular during his lifetime, and people benefited from them after his death."
Ibn Kathir had immense knowledge in the field of Hadith, Tafsir and Fiqh. He gave Islamic verdict (Fatwas) and taught until he died. He was known for his precision and vast knowledge, and as a scholar of History, Hadith and Tafsir.
Ibn Kathir will be remembered by his famous books Bidaya Anihaya, Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Tabaqaat Ashafi’ah, Musnad Ul-Faaruq, Sira Al- Nabawiyya and Jami Ul-Masaneed.
Allamah Ibn Kathir became blind in his life and passed away on Thursday 26 of Sha’baan of the year 774 AH in Damascus.
The book Sirah Nabawiyyah by Ibn Kathir is reliable.
 
And Allah Ta’āla Knows Best
Immad Bin Arshad
Student Darul Iftaa
California, USA
Checked and Approved by,
Mufti Ebrahim Desai.
www.daruliftaa.net