he then wrote in his own hand: “All praise is due to Allah, who has raised aloft the banners of understanding and insight, set up the tokens of memorisation and transmission, enabled people of sound intellect to acquire the sciences and refinements, and strengthened those possessed of right guidance to draw on knowledge from near and far. He honoured this community with elevated isnads (chains of transmission) and adorned those of perfection with humility in their deeds toward every seeker and wayfarer. Blessings and peace be upon our master Muhammad—the most eloquent speaker of the Arabic tongue, from whose oceans of grace every narrator and seeker has drawn—and upon his noble family and righteous, eminent Companions. To continue: the bearer of this licence, whose name will follow, has read before our master, our lord, our shaykh and teacher, the Chief Judge, the hadith master of the age, Shaykh al-Islam, sovereign of the scholars, the last of the illustrious mujtahids—may Allah prolong his life and restore to us and to the Muslims the blessings that flow from him—the accomplished, distinguished, beneficial, eminent, literary preacher Shaykh Nur al-Din Ali, son of the servant in need of Allah the Exalted, al-Zayni Dawud al-Jawhari, adherent of the Hanafi school—may Allah make him useful—all of the noble book entitled Tawdih Nukhbat al-Fikr fi Mustalah Ahl al-Athar, composed by the aforementioned hadith master of the age. He read it with analytical study and careful verification, posing questions on what was difficult and clarifying it, over several sessions, as the hadith master of the age has noted in the margin of the said book. He also heard from him a number of his other works, among them the Introduction to Fath al-Bari, that same commentary on Sahih al-Bukhari, sessions from Sharh al-Alfiyya in hadith science by the shaykh of the hadith scholars and of Islam, Zayn al-Din Abd al-Rahim al-Iraqi—may Allah have mercy on him—and many sessions from the Amali Misriyya at the Baybarsiyya khanqah and at Dar al-Hadith al-Kamiliyya. Our master, our lord, our shaykh, Shaykh al-Islam and hadith master of the age mentioned above, has authorised the bearer of this ijaza to transmit the aforementioned books from him, together with everything else he is entitled to transmit, in numerous sessions. What is sought, by way of favour from our master and lord the Chief Judge, Shaykh al-Islam and hadith master of the age—may Allah prolong his life and restore to us and to the Muslims the blessings that flow from him—is that he honour the bearer of this ijaza and gladden his heart by marking it with his noble handwriting, granting him permission to transmit these works and all that has been mentioned, and authorising him to teach the said book and explain it to seekers, so that he may thereby gain distinction and honour among students and teachers. We ask the Generous Allah to preserve you for the Muslims, to establish you firmly on earth, and to return to us and to the Muslims the blessings you confer in this world and the next. These lines were written by Muhammad ibn Ali, known as Ibn Qamar, on the tenth of Jumada al-Akhira in the year 850 AH. Allah is sufficient for us, and He is the best disposer of affairs.” _________ (a) An unclear word; probably “some”.