the end of the fourth volume, but its final leaf has been lost, leaving no way to ascertain either. Nevertheless, it seems most likely that this manuscript was copied before the Zāhiriyyah manuscript discussed below, which was copied in 853 AH, since our collation showed that the Zāhiriyyah manuscript was copied from it.
The manuscript was copied “for the exalted library of our lord and master, the learned Salāh al-Dīn Ibn Khāss Turk, who puts his knowledge into practice—may it flourish through his continued life.” This inscription appears in gold ink on the title page of all three volumes, as do the book’s title, the border around it, and the frame enclosing the author’s name. Amir Salāh al-Dīn Ibn Khāss Turk was the governor of Homs and one of the amirs of the tablkhānah rank. Ibn Kathīr mentions him in al-Bidāyah wa-l-Nihāyah (18/ 581–582, 597), under the events of 759 and 760 AH.
On the title page of the first volume is a reading inscription stating: “Read in full, with prayers for mercy upon its author, by Husayn al-Fathī, servant of the Sunnah and resident in Mecca; may Allah treat him with gentleness.”
The manuscript begins: “All praise is due to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and the final outcome belongs to the God-fearing…” The first volume ends with the author’s statement at the close of the chapter on errors concerning the Hajj of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him: “All these are errors which we have pointed out, both in detail and in summary. Success comes through Allah Most High.”
The second volume begins with “A chapter on his guidance, peace and blessings be upon him, concerning sacrificial offerings, animals sacrificed at Eid, and sacrifices marking a child’s birth.” It ends with his concluding statement on the lessons and wisdom in the account of the three who were left behind: “For it was Allah, glorified be He, who held them back from the others; they did not stay back in this matter of their own accord. And Allah knows best.”
In his colophon, the copyist states that the following volume, the third, begins with the chapter on the Hajj of Abū Bakr al-Siddīq in the ninth year AH. Thus, the first two volumes contain the text of the book from its beginning through 3/ 745 of our edition, while the fourth contains 5/ 285–6/ 528.