Al-Dhahabī likewise produced a book on the subject (1), extremely concise in size. Because he relied solely on indicating the vowels with the pen, the work came to contain numerous errors and misreadings that run counter to the very aim of the book (2).
By Allah’s grace I later clarified those points in a volume I entitled Tabṣīr (3) al-Muntabih (4) bi-Taḥrīr al-Mushtabih (5). It is a single tome (6) in which I supplied full vocalization in the approved manner (7) and added a large amount of material that he had either overlooked or never encountered. Praise be to Allah for that (8).
[al-Mutashābih] (Names That Resemble One Another)
When the personal names coincide in both spelling and pronunciation, while the fathers’ names differ in pronunciation yet remain identical in spelling (9)(10)(11)—for example: Muḥammad ibn ʿAqīl, with the ʿayn carrying a fatḥah (12), and Muḥammad ibn ʿUqayl, with it carrying a ḍamma—the first is from Nīshāpūr,
(1) The word kitaban (a book) is missing in manuscripts A, D, T, Y, and K.
(2) Manuscript T reads al-kutub (the books). His book is entitled al-Mushtabih fi al-rijal Asmaʾihim wa-Ansabihim; it has been published.
(3) Manuscript H reads tabsira (instruction).
(4) Manuscript J reads al-mutanabbih (the alert one).
(5) The work is in print.
(6) Manuscript D adds wa-hadha (and this).
(7) Manuscript K has fa-dabatahu (so he recorded it accurately).
(8) Manuscript M reads wa-Allah aʿlam (and Allah knows best) instead of wa-lillahi al-hamdu ʿala dhalik (and praise be to Allah for that). In the margin of manuscript A—in the author’s own hand—it says: “Then it reached by audition … (A), the discussion,” and in the margin of manuscript D—also in his hand—“Then it likewise reached.” (A) One or more words are unclear.
(9) Manuscripts E, W, Z, H, and M read wa-ikhtalaf (and they differed).
(10) Manuscript A has iʾtilafihima (their agreement); manuscript E has ikhtilafihim (their disagreement); manuscripts W, Z, and T read ikhtilafiha (its disagreement), while a marginal note in W corrects this to maʿa iʾtilafihima (while the two agree).
(11) The word khattan (in handwriting) is absent from manuscript K.
(12) The phrase bi-fathi al-ʿayn (with the ʿayn pronounced with a fatḥa) is not found in manuscript B.