al-Bidayah wa'an-Nihayah (The Beginning and the End) or Tarikh ibn Kathir (The history of Ibn Kathir) is a classic work by the Sunni scholar Ibn Kathir.
It is considered to be one of the most authoritative sources on Islamic history. A unique aspect of the book is that it not only deals with past events, but also speculates about future events mentioned by Muhammad. The different volumes of the book deal with the beginning of creation and the sending of man upon the earth according to Islam, the lives of the Prophets of Islam, and the times of the Sahabah (Muhammad's companions) up to the 8th century. The last volume records predictions of future events such as signs of the day of judgment (Qiyamah) – when Muslims believe people enter Jannah (paradise) or Jahannam (hell).