Al-Dhahabi, full name Shams al-Din Abu Abdallah Muhammad ibn Ahmad ibn Uthman al-Dhahabi (1274–1348 CE), was a highly respected Islamic scholar, historian, and biographer from Damascus, Syria. He is best known for his extensive works in hadith literature and biographical studies of narrators of hadith. Al-Dhahabi authored numerous important works, including "Siyar A'lam al-Nubala" (The Lives of Noble Figures), a biographical dictionary containing detailed accounts of notable individuals in Islamic history. Additionally, he compiled "Mizan al-I'tidal" (The Balance of Justice), a critical examination of the reliability of hadith narrators. Al-Dhahabi's meticulous scholarship and critical analysis have had a profound impact on the study of Islamic history and hadith literature, earning him recognition as one of the leading scholars of his time.