1 - The manuscript is, by its very nature, a fatwa: someone submitted a question concerning a particular matter, and this fatwa was issued in response.

2 - The inquiry concerned only one hadith, containing a single reported formula of praise. Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy on him) answered the question, then supplemented his answer by citing the scriptural texts he could recall concerning formulas and expressions of praise. His collection of these texts was therefore supplementary, rather than the principal subject the question sought to clarify.

In light of these observations, and guided by the established practice for works of this kind, an appropriate title would be:

A Fatwa on the Formula of Praise: “Praise be to Allah—praise commensurate with His blessings and equal to His further bounty.” And Allah knows best.

Editions of the Book:

The book has been published twice:

The first edition was published by Dār Ibn Khuzayma in Riyadh in 1414 AH, edited by Fahd ibn ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz al-ʿAskar. He entitled it Matāliʿ al-Saʿd bi-Kashf Mawāqiʿ al-Hamd (The Dawning of Felicity through Revealing the Occasions of Praise), explaining in his introduction that the title was inspired by the treatise’s conclusion.

His care for the work is evident, and his edition is the better of the two.

The second edition was published by Dār al-ʿĀsima in Riyadh in 1415 AH, edited by Muhammad ibn Ibrāhīm al-Saʿrān. He entitled it Jawāb fī Siyagh al-Hamd (A Response Concerning Formulas of Praise), explaining in his introduction that Shaykh Bakr Abū Zayd—may Allah preserve him—had suggested this title to him.