In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.

Introduction

All praise belongs to Allah. We praise Him, seek His help and His forgiveness, and we seek refuge in Allah from the evils of our own souls and from our misdeeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can lead astray, and whomever He leaves to stray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone, without partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and messenger.

“O you who believe, be mindful of Allah as He deserves to be feared, and do not die except in a state of submission to Him.” (Āl ʿImrān 102)

“O mankind, be mindful of your Lord who created you from a single soul, created from it its spouse, and spread from the two of them many men and women. Be mindful of Allah, in whose name you appeal to one another, and of the ties of kinship. Indeed Allah is ever watching over you.” (Al-Nisāʾ 1)

“O you who believe, be mindful of Allah and speak words that are right; He will set your deeds aright for you and forgive you your sins. Whoever obeys Allah and His Messenger has certainly achieved a mighty triumph.” (Al-Aḥzāb 70–71)

To proceed: the best speech is the Book of Allah, the finest guidance is the guidance of Muhammad; the worst matters are those newly introduced—for every novelty is an innovation, every innovation is misguidance, and every misguidance is in the Fire.

After this prelude, know that Ibn al-Mundhir’s book “Consensus” is one of a series of works in which he devoted exceptional care to questions of disagreement and agreement, so much so that his books in this field have become an indispensable reference for all who came after him, providing a clear map of where the leading jurists concur and where they differ in matters of jurisprudence.