Commentary on Al-Bidaya wan-Nihaya by Ibn Kathir

What if a 14th-century scholar attempted to fact-check the entire universe — from the moment of creation all the way to the apocalypse? That's exactly what Allama Ibn Kathir did in his monumental masterpiece Al-Bidaya wan-Nihaya (البدایہ والنہایہ) — The Beginning and the End.In this episode we explore Volume 1 of the Urdu translation by Prof. Kokab Shadani, unpacking Ibn Kathir's ruthless methodology for separating historical truth from folklore, his cosmic map of the universe, the unseen world of angels and jinn, and the deeply human stories of the early prophets — from Adam to Ibrahim to Yusuf.Topics covered:Ibn Kathir's life and his strict Isnad-based fact-checking methodologyThe physical architecture of the cosmos — heavens, earth, and the Bahr al-MashhurAngels, Jinn, and Iblis — and why the name "Azrael" is not in the QuranThe origin of idol worship — how love and grief created the first false godsThe stories of Adam, Seth, Ibrahim, Yaqub, and YusufThis episode is a commentary and analysis based on Al-Bidaya wan-Nihaya (Tarikh Ibn Kathir), Volume 1, Urdu translation by Prof. Kokab Shadani, published by Nafees Urdu Academy, Karachi. We encourage listeners to read the original work.