month—the blessed month of Ramadan—in which I was confined to my home and, because of them, was unable to fast or sit in my library to continue the scholarly work to which I had devoted myself. It was therefore deemed expedient, in the interests of scholarship, for some of our brothers among the students of knowledge working at the “Islamic Library” to prepare the aforementioned indexes. I pray that Allah grants them success in this. I have entrusted my daughter, Umm Abd Allah—may Allah bless her, her husband, and her children—with explaining this in a statement that will conclude this preface:

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

All praise is due to Allah, and may blessings and peace be upon the Messenger of Allah, Muhammad.

To proceed: This is the fifth volume of the “Authentic Hadith Series,” now presented to its readers and those who have awaited it as a rich new contribution, joining its counterparts in the “Authentic” and “Weak” series. Its venerable author, my father, has given it the same care that he gave its predecessors: he produced it under his own close supervision, investing it with the essence of his knowledge and the fruit of his research. He personally oversaw the correction of its proofs and reviewed every stage of its typesetting and refinement, all while bearing the pains that have scarcely left him this year except briefly. He seized every opportunity by night or day to retreat to his library, making use even of every interval more suited to his rest, determined that the book should appear in the finest form he found satisfactory and attainable.

This continued until the book reached the indexing stage. As is well known, the Shaykh’s indexing is itself a field of knowledge and an art, especially the first index, “Subjects and Benefits,” for it provides a comprehensive abridgment of the book’s subjects and discussions