In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Introduction:
All praise is due to Allah; we praise Him, seek His help, guidance, and forgiveness, repent to Him, and seek refuge in Allah from the evils within ourselves and from our misdeeds. Whomever Allah guides, none can mislead, and whomever He leaves to stray, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah alone with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. May Allah’s blessings and abundant peace be upon him, his family, and his companions.

To proceed:
These are foundational principles and maxims for interpreting the Noble Quran—lofty in stature and immense in benefit. They assist the reader and the contemplative in understanding the speech of Allah and in being guided by it; indeed, what they contain is greater than can be expressed in words. They open for the servant avenues of exegesis and pathways to understanding from Allah that render many commentaries lacking these beneficial inquiries unnecessary.

I hope in Allah and ask Him to bring to completion what we have intended to present, and to open for us from the treasures of His generosity and bounty that which serves as a means to attain beneficial knowledge and perfect guidance.

Know that the science of tafsir is, without exception, the noblest, most virtuous, most obligatory, and most beloved of sciences to Allah. Allah has commanded reflection upon His Book, contemplation of its meanings, and seeking guidance through its verses; He has praised those who do so, placed them in the highest ranks, and promised them the most splendid gifts. Were a servant to spend the jewels of his lifetime in this discipline, it would not be excessive in comparison to what is the loftiest of aims, the greatest of objectives, the root of all foundations, the cornerstone of happiness in both abodes, and the rectification of matters of religion, worldly life, and the Hereafter. Through it the servant attains a life