Description
Before you is the English translation of Al-Fusūl Fī Sīratir-Rasūl (Chapters from the Life of the Messenger) by the great Imām, Al-Hāfiz Ibn Kathīr (may Allah have mercy upon him). This translation was carried out over several years by the esteemed scholar and translator, Shaykh Abū Talhah Dāwūd Burbank (rahimahullāh), who, along with his wife, passed away in 2011 CE while performing Hajj with brothers from Salafi Publications. May Allah have mercy on them both.
The preparation of this book for publication has taken a number of years, and it is an honour to finally present it to our respected readers. We pray that Allah makes it a source of benefit, and rewards both the original author and the translator for their immense efforts.
The translator has provided extensive endnotes throughout the work. These include clarifications on the authenticity of narrations, definitions of key terms, and valuable insights derived from the Sunnah and scholarly writings. Breadcrumb references within the main text guide readers directly to the corresponding endnotes.
It should be noted that this translation was completed many years ago. Since then, the status of some individuals referenced in the notes may have changed. While they were regarded as being upon the correct creed at that time, some have since deviated from the straight path — may Allah guide us and them. As the great Imām Muhammad Ibn Sīrīn (rahimahullāh) warned: “Indeed, this knowledge is religion, so be careful from whom you take your religion.” With that, we leave the reader to benefit from this tremendous work.
About the Author
Al-Hāfiz Imāduddīn Abū al-Fidā’ Ismā‘īl Ibn Kathīr (701–774H, may Allah have mercy upon him) was born in Mijdal, a village near Busra in the province of Damascus. Orphaned at a young age, he moved to Damascus with his brother in 707H.
By the age of ten, he had memorised the Qur’an along with its various recitations, and he excelled in tafsīr. He later married Zaynab, the daughter of the great scholar Al-Hāfiz Abul-Hajjāj Al-Mizzī, under whom he studied closely. Ibn Kathīr also benefited immensely from Shaykhul-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah, becoming one of his most devoted students and defenders.
He mastered the sciences of tafsīr, hadīth, fiqh, and history, with particular expertise in narrators and hidden defects in chains of transmission. He served as the head of the Sālihiyyah School after the passing of Imām Adh-Dhahabī and briefly as the head of Dār al-Hadīth al-Ashrafiyyah.
Firmly upon the creed of the Salaf, Ibn Kathīr’s works—especially his renowned tafsīr—stand as a lasting testament to his scholarship. He passed away in Damascus on Thursday, 26th Sha‘bān 774H, where he was buried.
About the Translator
Abū Talhah Dāwūd Burbank was born on 20 October 1963 in Coalville, Leicestershire, UK, into a Christian family. At the age of 19, while studying at the University of Leicester, he embraced Islam after reading an English translation of the Qur’an.
In the mid-1980s, he travelled to Saudi Arabia to study at the Islamic University of Madinah. There, he learned Arabic and studied under leading scholars of the Sunnah, including Imams Ibn Bāz, Ibn ‘Uthaymīn, Rabī‘ al-Madkhalī, Hammād al-Ansārī, Muhammad Amān al-Jāmī, and others. He also became a close companion of Shaykh Abū Uwais ‘Abdullah Ahmad (rahimahullāh).
Upon his return to the UK, Abū Talhah dedicated himself to teaching and translating, refuting misguided ideologies, and clarifying the pure methodology of the Salaf. Alongside Shaykh Abū ‘Iyād Amjad Rafiq, he produced translations that provided much-needed clarity to English-speaking Muslims. His works include Explanation of the Creed of Imām al-Barbahārī, The Methodology of the Prophets in Calling to Allah by Shaykh Rabī‘, and Foundations of the Sunnah by Imām Ahmad (co-translated).
He co-founded Salafi Publications in 1997, where he remained a pillar of da‘wah. Known for his humility, sincerity, and precision, he was respected by both scholars and students of knowledge. Scholars such as Shaykh Rabī‘ al-Madkhalī and Shaykh ‘Ubaid al-Jābirī recommended him and acknowledged his reliability in translation and hadīth sciences.
Abū Talhah was known for meticulously following the Sunnah in every aspect of life. On 1 November 2011 (5th Dhul-Hijjah 1432H), he and his wife Umm Talhah passed away in Saudi Arabia en route to perform Hajj. May Allah envelop them in His vast mercy.
