A group of my sincere companions, eager to acquire knowledge, asked me to compose a book on the landmarks of revelation and its exegesis. I acceded to their request, relying on Allah Most High’s bounty and facilitation, and heeding the Messenger of Allah’s instruction concerning them. Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri, may Allah be pleased with him, relates that he said: “Men will come to you from all regions of the earth seeking understanding of the religion. When they come to you, treat them well.” (1)

I also followed the example of the early generations who committed knowledge to writing for the benefit of those who came after them. Nothing can be added to what they accomplished; yet every age must renew that which the passage of time has made remote, and in whose pursuit students have fallen short in diligence and effort—thereby alerting the hesitant and spurring on the sluggish.

Thus, with Allah Most High’s help and His gracious enabling, I compiled for them a work of moderate length, between the lengthy and tedious ⦗1/b⦘ and the short and deficient. I hope that it will benefit whoever devotes himself to mastering it.

Most of the exegetical reports which I have transmitted in it from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, the learned authority of this community, and from those after him among the Successors and the leading imams of the early generations—such as Mujahid, ‘Ikrimah, ‘Ata’ ibn Abi Rabah, al-Hasan al-Basri, Qatadah, Abu al-‘Aliyah, Muhammad ibn Ka‘b al-Qurazi, Zayd ibn Aslam, al-Kalbi, al-Dahhak, Muqatil ibn Hayyan, Muqatil ibn Sulayman, al-Suddi, and others—are among the material related to us by Shaykh Abu Sa‘id Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Shurayhi al-Khwarazmi, from works which I read to him, from the master Abu Ishaq Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Ibrahim al-Tha‘labi, from his teachers, may Allah have mercy on them.

• As for the exegesis of ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas, may Allah be pleased with them, the interpreter of the Quran, concerning whom the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “O Allah, teach him the Book,” (2) and said: “O Allah, grant him deep understanding of the religion,” (3) Abu Ishaq said: Abu Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Hamid informed us; Abu al-Hasan Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abdus al-Tara’ifi related to us; ‘Uthman ibn Sa‘id al-Darimi related to us; ‘Abd Allah ibn Salih related to us that Mu‘awiyah ibn Salih narrated to him from ‘Ali ibn Abi Talhah al-Walibi, from ‘Abd Allah ibn ‘Abbas. He also said: Abu al-Qasim al-Hasan ibn Muhammad ibn Habib informed us; ‘Abd Allah ibn Muhammad al-Thaqafi related to us; Abu Ja‘far Muhammad ibn Nasrawayh al-Mazini informed us; Muhammad ibn Sa‘id ibn Muhammad ibn al-Hasan ibn ‘Atiyyah ibn Sa‘d al-‘Awfi said: My uncle al-Husayn ibn