Thus the Shaykh’s purpose in all of this was none other than the very book you now hold in your hands, dear reader! We have retained its title exactly as the Shaykh—may Allah have mercy on him—originally gave it. (1)

From its main text and concise documentation the Shaykh produced his well-known volume, The Prophet’s Prayer Described, and from that work he extracted his brief yet beneficial booklet, Abridgment of The Prophet’s Prayer Described.

Although many years have passed since its composition and only a few additions have been made to it, this book is still counted among the Shaykh’s foremost sources for a great number of his hadith verifications; anyone who has studied his writings and become familiar with his works will sense this. Even so, we know that the Shaykh was not eager to have it printed and circulated, feeling it required an extensive review and thorough study after all those years and the many developments that had taken place. (2)

In this remarkable book the Shaykh’s mastery of hadith and his juristic insight—bestowed upon him by Allah from his earliest days and setting him apart from his contemporaries—shine forth. When we examine the work we behold a towering scholar who took the Master of the first and the last as his model, championed his Sunnah with the strongest support, and sought shelter beneath the words of the noble, pure predecessors who followed the path of the beloved Chosen One. He investigated the issues, answered the questioner, and placed the believer on clear evidence concerning his religion and his prayer. How could it be otherwise, when he restored to the Prophet’s saying, “I have left you upon the clear white path; its night is like its day…,” its luster after blind partisanship had almost clouded it? May Allah continue to preserve him.