He was raised in a household of knowledge and piety, his father is ‘Umar ibn Hafs ibn Katheer who studied under an Nawawee and al Fazaaree, he was the Khateeb of his village. He died while he was three and the family moved to Damascus. His brother, ‘Abdul Wahaab then looked after the family and exerted a great deal of effort in their upbringing after the loss of their father, ibn Katheer said concerning him: ‘He was a brother to us, a soft caring person… I studied under him, and Allaah made easy under him what He made easy, and facilitated under his hands what was difficult.
Al Haafidh adh Dhahabee stated: ‘I studied with the Faqeeh, the Muftee, the Muhaddith, the virtuous ‘Imaad ad deen Isma’eel ibn ‘Umar ibn Katheer…he paid a great deal of attention to narrators, texts and Fiqh, he practiced Takhreej, debated, authored books and applied Tafseer.”
Al ‘Allaamah ibn Naasir ad Deen: ‘Ash Shaykh al Imaam al ‘Alaamah al Haafidh ‘Imaad ad Deen, the most trustworthy of the Muhaddithoon, the reference point of the historians, the icon of the Musfasiroon.’
Al Haafidh ibn Hajar stated: “His books spread far and wide during his lifetime, and people benefited from them after his death.”
He passed away in Damashq and was buried beside his Shaykh - ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon them both.