After praising the Lord of Majesty, the Bestower of every good and Giver of every favor, and thanking Him—though we can never discharge the gratitude His blessings require nor attain the least portion of what His generosity deserves—and after invoking blessings and peace upon the clasp that fastens the necklace of all prophets, our master Muḥammad, sent as a mercy to the worlds, and upon his family, the Ark of Salvation, and his Companions, whose souls are purified:

By His grace, the printing of the text of Al-Minhāj in the jurisprudence of Imām Muḥammad ibn Idrīs al-Shāfiʿī (may Allah reward him with His good pleasure) has now been completed. This is the book to which the later scholars have entrusted their reliance; the fluidity of its phrasing and the breadth of its rulings have made it the foremost reference for muftis. It is far too famous to need introduction or to be identified for anyone who lays claim to knowledge. How could it be otherwise when its author is the leader of the later scholars and the refuge of discerning men of learning—the one who refined the Shāfiʿī school without overstatement, one of the two authorities whose preference is constantly consulted without dispute: Imām Muḥy al-Dīn Yaḥyā al-Nawawī—may Allah sanctify his secret and flood him with the lights of His boundless grace.