Isma'il ibn Umar ibn Kathir al-Dimashqi (701-774 AH / 1300-1373 CE) was a highly influential Islamic scholar, historian, and mufassir (Quran commentator). Born in Bosra (Syria), he studied under numerous scholars including Ibn Taymiyyah and al-Mizzi. His Tafsir al-Quran al-Azim (Tafsir Ibn Kathir) is one of the most widely referenced Quran commentaries. He also authored Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, a comprehensive history of the world from creation to his own time, which remains an essential reference for Islamic history.