What did Ibn Kathir say about the prophets?
Ibn Kathir's Stories of the Prophets is the standard classical retelling — drawing from Qur'anic narrative, authentic hadith, and the earlier tafsir tradition to reconstruct each prophet's life.
10 passages from 9 books in the library
Ibn Kathir affirms the long, unbroken line of prophets sent by Allah, culminating in Muhammad, peace be upon him, "the unlettered prophet," the trustworthy. The passages relate the Prophet being asked how many prophets there were, and the vision on the Day of Resurrection in which a prophet passes with a whole nation, another with only one or two followers, and another with none. They preserve his words describing himself as "the messenger of mercy, the messenger of repentance," and honour Yusuf as a prophet, son of a prophet, son of a prophet. The accounts weave together the prophets' shared mission and the Prophet's own character.
Drawn from the classical sources below — in the scholars' own words.
The classical approach.
These passages are drawn from 9 books by Imam al-Ghazali and Ibn Kathir — part of the classical Sunni tradition that carries over a thousand years of reflection on the Qurʾān, the authentic Sunnah, and the consensus of the early community. Nothing below is a paraphrase. The words are the scholars' own, translated from the original Arabic manuscripts.
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
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"Bless Muhammad, Your servant, prophet, and messenger, the unlettered prophet, Your trustworthy"
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
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"The Prophet, peace be upon him, said, I asked, O Messenger of Allah, how many prophets were"
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
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"is Joseph, the Prophet of Allah, son of the Prophet of Allah, son of the Prophet of Allah,"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"A prophet would pass by with one man, a prophet with two men, a prophet with none."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"gathered. I am the messenger of mercy, the messenger of repentance, the messenger"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"An Arab once asked the Prophet, Peace be upon him, O Messenger of God, a man loves a people though he has not joined them in deeds."
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"Referring to the natural whiteness surrounding the pupil another woman came to the Prophet asking Oh messenger of Allah"
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"Suhaib replied I am only eating with the other side O messenger of God and the Prophet peace be upon him smiled a"
14th century · Bosra, Syria
Monumental history Al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah, the world's most widely read Qurʾanic commentary, and the classical Stories of the Prophets.
More on Ibn Kathir →
· Provenance →
-
"The response was, It is forbidden for the prophets to drink from it until that prophet drinks, and it"
11th–12th century · Ṭūs, Khurāsān
Reviving the inner life of Islam through the Iḥyāʾ ʿUlūm al-Dīn — one of the most influential works ever written in any religious tradition.
More on Imam al-Ghazali →
· Provenance →
-
"spoke well of him. The Messenger asked, how is his intellect? They replied, O Messenger of Allah, we"
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