Ibn Kathîr's tafsir in the context of the sirah-tafsir relationship -relations with the polytheistsin Madinah Period-

Abū al-Fidā' Ibn Kathīr, who lived during the Mamluk period (1250-1517), is known for his works in history, tafsir, and hadith. His work, particularly "Al-Bidayah wa'n-Nihayah", has made him prominent among great historians. This work, consisting of fourteen volumes, is a comprehensive history of Islam, narrating the events chronologically from the beginning until 1365-1366. His work "Tafsir al-Qur'an al-Azim" is considered one of the finest examples of narrated tafsir. Ibn Kathīr, in his work, primarily uses similar verses as a method to interpret the verses. He then narrates various reports that contain the reasons for the revelation of the verses. However, the author not only narrates the reports but also evaluates them in terms of text and chain of narrators, aiming to distinguish the authentic from the weak. This enhances the value and reliability of the work. Another importance of the work is its rich content related to Siyer. Indeed, the Qur'an contains important information about the life of the Prophet Muhammad, the challenges he faced during the propagation and clarification process, his relationships with his companions, the battles he participated in, the treaties made, the specific qualities of the believers, and his interactions with hypocrites, polytheists, and the People of the Book. Therefore, the Qur'an is the most important source of Sirah. In order to understand the life of the Prophet accurately and comprehensively, it is essential to have a good understanding of the Qur'an. In this regard, the evaluation of Ibn Kathīr's al-Qur'an al-Azim in terms of Sirah forms the basis of this study. Thus, the aim is to reveal the Sirah-Tafsir relationship within the context of the Sirah information provided by the work. The main framework of the thesis includes Ibn Kathīr's life, his teachers, his students, his works, his role as a historian and commentator, and it mainly focuses on the relationships with the polytheists, which cover a significant part of Siyer. In terms of periodization, the focus is on the relations with the polytheists during the Medina period. General observations about the relations with the polytheists during the Medina period are mentioned, as well as the topics reflected in the tafsir. However, the study does not include the People of the Book and the hypocrites in the Medina period, as it is beyond the scope of the research. Nevertheless, in some sections, such as the Battle of the Trench, their betrayals are mentioned to some extent. The most important result reached in iv the study is that tafsir sources should be consulted in Sirah studies. Because it is observed that tafsir sources provide researchers with the opportunity to fill the gaps in Sirah and history works.