Allah al-Qāsim ibn al-Husayn ibn al-Mahdī Ahmad ibn al-Hasan ibn al-Mansūr bi-llāh al-Qāsim ibn Muhammad ibn 'Alī.” It was copied for him by “al-Husayn ibn Zayd ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn the Commander of the Faithful al-Qāsim ibn Muhammad ibn 'Alī” in 1153 at the palace in Sana'a.
Earlier, on fol. 218/b, the third part of the book ends, and the scribe states that the fourth part follows, beginning with the author’s words: “Section: We have covered a number of aspects of his guidance (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) concerning military campaigns, accounts of his life, expeditions and raiding parties.” This means that the fourth part in this manuscript is devoted to prophetic medicine. Curiously, we found no indication in the manuscript of where the first or second part ends. The scribe records the date of copying, stating: “The copying of all that was available of the blessed guidance was completed” on 17 Jumādā al-Ākhirah 1152 at the palace in Sana'a, “through the care of the great, generous and forbearing lord, the Commander of the Faithful …” He then mentions al-Mansūr bi-llāh, giving his titles and full genealogy back to 'Alī ibn Abī Tālib, may Allah be pleased with him.
One of its curious features is that whenever the scribe mentions 'Alī ibn Abī Tālib, he consistently adds: “May Allah honour his countenance in Paradise.”
In the margin of this page, Ahmad ibn Muhammad Qātin has written: “Collation against the exemplar from which it was copied has been completed, and its accuracy confirmed. It contains a few errors, most of which I have pointed out. Dated the night of Monday, the twelfth of Ramadān 1157.” If only Shaykh Ahmad had described the exemplar from which it was copied, for it appears to have been a valuable manuscript.
After al-Mansūr, the manuscript passed to his son al-Mahdī al-'Abbās ibn al-Husayn. A note at the beginning of the manuscript states that it belonged to his library in 1166. The manuscript’s subsequent owners are also mentioned, together with the dates on which they discussed and read the book; traces of these activities are scattered throughout its margins.