his fellow men, so long as he has neither authored a book nor composed poetry. It has also been said: Whoever authors a book exposes himself to both praise and blame. If he does well, he makes himself a target for envy and backbiting; and if he does poorly, he exposes himself to abuse and slander.” End quote.

I therefore hope that it will bring benefits of which I could not have hoped to attain even a part had I remained silent. I ask Allah of His bounty.

In conclusion, I say: “May Allah have mercy on whoever examines it with fairness, discovers an error therein, and brings it to my attention. It is indeed fitting for me to recite the poet’s words:

I praised Allah when He guided my heart
To what I have presented, despite my incapacity and weakness.
Who will point out an error so that I may retract it?
And who will grant me acceptance, if only for a single letter?

I seek refuge in the Lord of daybreak from the evil of what He has created, from the evil of the night when it grows dark, from the evil of those who blow upon knots, and from the evil of an envier when he envies. It is indeed fitting for me to recite the words of one of the accomplished:

I truly pity those who envy me, so greatly
Have their breasts been constricted by rancors. (1)
They behold what Allah has done for me—their eyes
Are in a garden, while their hearts are in a fire.
It is no fault of mine: I sought to hide my merits,
But it was as though I had hung them upon a beacon.

Yet whoever has Allah as his helper and places his trust in Him will not be harmed by the envy of the envious.” (2)

Glory and praise be to You, O Allah. I bear witness that there is no deity except You. I seek Your forgiveness and repent to You.

Written by
Muhammad ibn Abd al-Mu‘tī ibn Alī ibn Ahmad Āl Sinjāb.

The farthest and uppermost reaches of Upper Egypt. Abū Tisht. al-Salīmāt. Naj Bakkār.

Safar 1423 AH
Telephone: 6714326/096