Is Imam Ibn Kathir a Hadith scholar or a Qur'anic exegete, and is he a mudallis? And if he is not a mudallis, then what is the authenticity of the Hadith about Tha'labah, of whom it was said that he died in Uhud?
Source: FtawySummary from Ftawy's records · added here Sep 2, 2026
Ibn Kathir was an exegete and a scholar. No one among the specialists in the field, neither Ibn Hajar nor Al-Suyuti, mentioned that he was a mudallis (one who practices tadlis, i.e., conceals defects in a Hadith chain). Moreover, scholars from the eighth century CE onwards are not described as practicing tadlis. It is feared that the questioner might have confused him with Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, who was a mudallis. As for the story of Tha'labah, it is not clear what the questioner finds problematic in it.
Summary from Ftawy's records · added here
Reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
Read the full answer on Ftawyhttps://ftawy.com/en/questions/133175
Where this answer came from
- Source platform
- Ftawy
- Original fatwa ID
- 133175
- Added here
- . This is when the answer was added to El Fatwa, not the fatwa's date.
- Text
- Summary from Ftawy's records, reviewed by El Fatwa's sharia committee.
- Read the full ruling
- Read the full answer on Ftawy