Preface by Imām al-Nawawī (may Allah have mercy on him)

In the name of Allah, the Most Merciful, the Bestower of Mercy

All praise is due to Allah—the One, the Subduer; the Mighty, the All-Forgiving—Who wraps the night around the day as a reminder for those endowed with heart and sight and as an insight for people of intellect and reflection. He roused from among His creation those whom He chose, causing them to disdain this fleeting abode, occupying them with vigilant self-scrutiny and constant contemplation, continual admonition and remembrance. He enabled them to persevere in obedience to Him, to prepare for the abode of permanence, to beware of what angers Him and leads to the dwelling of ruin, and to maintain all of that despite changing states and conditions.

I praise Him with the most complete, purest, and most abundant praise.

I bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah—the Kind, the Generous, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful—and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, His beloved and close friend, the one who guided to a straight path and called to an upright religion. May Allah’s blessings and peace be upon him, upon all the prophets, upon every one of their families, and upon every righteous servant.

To proceed:

Allah the Exalted says: “I did not create the jinn and mankind except to worship Me. I seek no provision from them, nor do I need them to feed Me.” (Qur’an 51:56-57)

This is a plain statement that they were created for worship; therefore, it is incumbent upon them to devote themselves to that for which they were created and to turn away from worldly shares in a spirit of renunciation. For this world is an abode that perishes, not a place of permanence; a bridge to be crossed, not a residence of delight; a threshold of separation, not a station of everlasting stay.