النُّسُخُThe copiesالمُعْتَمَدَةُapprovedفِيinهَذِهِthisالطَّبْعَةِedition
The copies approved in this edition.
تَحْتَفِظُThe librariesخَزَائِنُtreasuresالْكُتُبِof booksفِيinالشَّرْقِthe Eastوَالْغَرْبِand the Westبِـwithأَكْثَرَmore thanمِنْofعِشْرِينَtwentyخَمْسَةٍfiveنُسَخٍcopiesخَطِّيَّةٍmanuscriptsمِنْofهَذَاthisالْكِتَابِbook.
The libraries of books in the East and the West hold more than twenty-five copies of this book.
وَقَدْAndتَيَسَّرَit was easyالْحُصُولَto obtain--بِفَضْلِthanks toاللَّهِAllahسُبْحَانَهُthe Exalted--عَلَىonأَرْبَعِfourنُسَخٍcopiesقَدِيمَةٍancientكُلِّهَاallمِنْfromالْقَرْنِthe centuryالثَّامِنِeighthوَandنُسِخَتْone was copiedإِحْدَاهُمَاone of themبَعْدَafterوَفَاةِthe death ofالْمُؤَلِّفِthe authorبِتِسْعِby nineteenعَشَرَةِyears.
And it was easy to obtain - thanks to Allah the Exalted - four ancient copies, all from the eighth century, and one of them was copied nineteen years after the author's death.
وَهَذِهِAnd theseهِيَareالْأُصُولُthe main sourcesالمُعْتَمَدَةُapprovedفِيinهَذِهِthisالطَّبْعَةِedition,
And these are the main sources approved in this edition,
وَقَدْAndأُضِيفَتtwo were addedإِلَيْهَاto itنُسَخَتَانِtwo copiesمِنْofالنُّسَخِthe copiesالْمُتَأَخِّرَةِlaterلِلِاسْتِئْنَاسِfor referenceبِهُمَاwith them.
and two later copies were added for reference.
وَقَبْلَAnd beforeأَنْthatآخِذَI startفِيinوَصْفِهَاdescribing it,أُحِبُّI would likeأَنْtoأَشْكُرَthankلِكُلِّeveryoneمَنْwhoكَانَتْhadلَهُto himيَدٌa handفِيinالْحُصُولِobtainingعَلَيْهَاit,وَلَاespeciallyسِيَّمَاhis eminenceفَضِيلَةُthe virtueالشَّيْخِSheikhعَبْدِ اللَّهِAbdullahبِنْbinصَالِحٍSalehالْبَرَاكِAl-Barakالَّذِيwhoتَكَرَّمَhad the honorبِتَزْوِيدِنَاof providing usصُورَةًa copyمِنْofنُسْخَةٍthe copyالإِسْكُورِيَالEscorialوَandالْأُسْتَاذُthe professorوَلِيدٌWalidبِنْbinأَحْمَدَAhmedالْحُسَيْنِAl-Husseinرَئِيسَthe editorتَحْرِيرِof the magazineمَجَلَّةِmagazineالْحِكْمَةِAl-Hikmahالَّذِيwhoأَسْعَفَنَاhelped usبِصُورَةٍwith a copyمِنْofنُسْخَةٍthe copyبَايَزِيدِBeyazidالْعُمُومِيِّthe public.
And before I begin to describe it, I would like to thank everyone who had a hand in obtaining it, especially His Eminence Sheikh Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Barak, who had the honor of providing us a copy of the Escorial edition, and Professor Walid bin Ahmed Al-Hussein, the editor of the Al-Hikmah magazine, who helped us with a copy of the Beyazid public edition.
أَمَّاAs forأَخِيmy brotherالشَّيْخِSheikhعَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِAbdulazizبِنْbinفَيْصَلِFaisalالرَّاجِحِيِّAl-Rajhiمُدِيرِthe directorقِسْمِof the departmentالْمَخْطُوطَاتِof manuscriptsفِيinمَرْكَزِthe CenterالْمَلِكِKingفَيْصَلِFaisalلِلْبُحُوثِfor researchوَالدِّرَاسَاتِand studiesالإِسْلَامِيَّةِIslamic,فَلَمْhe did notيَأْلُspareجُهْدًاeffortكَعَهْدِهِas he is accustomedفِيinتَيْسِيرِfacilitatingالِاسْتِفَادَةِbenefitمِنْfromمُقَتَنِيَّاتِthe possessionالْقِسْمِof the sectionفَجَزَاَهُمُSo may Allah reward themاللَّهُAllahجَمِيعًاallخَيْرَgoodالْجَزَاءِreward.
As for my brother Sheikh Abdulaziz bin Faisal Al-Rajhi, the director of the manuscripts department at the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, he did not spare efforts as he is accustomed in facilitating benefit from the section's possessions. So may Allah reward them all with good.
وَإِلَيْكُمْAnd now to youالآنnowوَصْفَهَاits description,(۱)(1)نُسْخَةٌcopyالإِسْكُورِيَالthe Escorial(س)(S):
And now to you its description: (1) Copy of the Escorial (S):
رَقْمُهَاIts numberفِيinمَكْتَبَةِthe libraryالإِسْكُورِيَالof the Escorial:٧٤٣743وَهِيَand it isبِخَطِّin the handwritingالنُّسَخِof copyingفِيinوَرَقَةٍa paper,عَدَدِthe numberالْأَسْطُرِof linesفِيinكُلِّeachصَفْحَةٍpageبَيْنَbetween٢٢22وَand٢٣23سَطْرًاlines.
Its number in the library of the Escorial is 743, and it is in the handwriting of copying on paper, with the number of lines on each page between 22 and 23 lines.
كُتِبَتْThis copy was writtenهَذِهِthisالنُّسْخَةُcopyسَنَةَin the year٧٧٠770كَمَاasفِيinخَاتِمَتِهَاits conclusionالَّتِيwhichنَصُّهَاits text is:تَمَّIt was completedبِحَمْدِwith the graceاللَّهِof Allahتَعَالَىthe Exaltedوَعَوْنِهِand His helpوَحُسْنِand His goodتَوْفِيقِهِsuccessفِيinخَامِسِthe fifthعِشْرِينَtwentyصَفَرٍSafar--خَتَمَتْcompletedبِالْخَيْرِwith goodوَالظَّفَرِand victory -لِسَنَةِfor the yearسَبْعِينَ70وَandسَبْعِمِئَةٍ700.
This copy was written in the year 770, as noted in its conclusion, which reads: 'It was completed with the grace of Allah the Exalted and His help and success in the fifth twenty of Safar - completed with good and victory - for the year 70 and 700.'