to expend within it my utmost effort by writing a concise annotation that contains subtle points of tafsīr, matters of language, syntax, and the variant recitations; rebuttals of those inclined to deviance and error; and numerous ḥadiths supporting the rulings we cite and the occasions of revelation—gathering their meanings together and clarifying what is obscure in either of them through the words of the early generations and those who followed them. I have composed it as a reminder for myself, a treasure for the day I am laid in my grave, and a righteous deed that will endure after my death.

Allah the Exalted says: “On that Day man will be informed of what he sent ahead and what he left behind” (Q 75:13),

and He says: “Every soul will know what it has sent forward and what it has left behind” (Q 82:5).

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When a human being dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: an ongoing charity, beneficial knowledge, or a righteous child who prays for him.”

My condition in this book is to attribute every statement to the one who uttered it and every ḥadith to the scholar who recorded it, for it is said, “One of the blessings of knowledge is to ascribe each saying to its speaker.” A ḥadith is often cited anonymously in books of fiqh and tafsīr so that only one versed in the ḥadith collections knows who transmitted it. Anyone uninformed about that remains bewildered, unable to distinguish the sound report from the weak. Mastering that distinction is a major discipline, and no citation may be used as proof or evidence until it is traced back to the eminent, trustworthy, and well-known Imams of the Muslim community who produced it.

We shall point to a number of such attributions in this book, and Allah is the One who grants success to what is right.

I have refrained from relating many of the narratives reported by exegetes and the accounts transmitted by historians, retaining only what is indispensable for clarification. Instead, I explain the verses that contain legal rulings through interpretive questions that reveal their meanings and guide the student to their implications. Thus, for every verse that carries one ruling, two, or more, I include issues that set out its causes of revelation, uncommon interpretations, and legal judgement. If a verse contains no ruling, I mention what it comprises of exegesis and explanation—continuing in this manner to the end of the work.

I have entitled it: The Compendium of the Rulings of the Qur’an and Clarification of What It Contains of the Sunnah and the Verses of the Criterion.

May Allah render it purely for His sake, and may He cause it to benefit me, my parents, and all who seek it by His grace. Surely He is the Hearer of supplication, ever near, ever responsive. Āmīn.