Title of the Abridged Epistle:

On the cover leaf of the manuscript copy the work is entitled: “This is a concise epistle distilled from a foundational essay by Shaykh al-Islām Taqī al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbd al-Ḥalīm ibn Taymiyyah on fighting the unbelievers—whether the cause is their belligerence or their unbelief.”

The printed edition, by contrast, bears the title: “A principle concerning fighting the unbelievers—whether it is because of their unbelief or in defense of Islam.”

In my view, the manuscript title is closer to what the author intended than the heading found in the printed version, and it accords more precisely with the contents of this abridged epistle. Accordingly, I have chosen to entitle it: “A Concise Principle on the Ruling of Fighting the Unbelievers, Trucing with Them, and the Prohibition of Killing Them Merely for Their Unbelief,” as this most faithfully reflects its subject matter.