بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

الْحَمْدُ للهِ الَّذِي يَفْتَتِحُ بِحَمْدِهِ كُلَّ رِسَالَةٍ وَمَقَالَةٍ ،

Praise be to Allah, who initiates every message and discourse with His praise,

وَالصَّلَاةُ عَلَى مُحَمَّدٍ الْمُصْطَفَى صَاحِبِ النُّبُوَّةِ وَالرِّسَالَةِ ،

and blessings upon Muhammad, the Chosen One, the possessor of prophethood and the message,

وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَأَصْحَابِهِ الْهَادِينَ مِنَ الضَّلَالَةِ.

and upon his family and his companions who are the guides away from error.

أَمَّا بَعْدُ:

To proceed:

فَقَدْ سَأَلْتَنِي أَيُّهَا الْأَخُ فِي الدِّينِ ،

You have asked me, O brother in religion,

أَنْ أَبُثَّ إِلَيْكَ غَايَةَ الْعُلُومِ وَأَسْرَارَهَا ،

to impart to you the essence of the sciences and their secrets,

وَغَائِلَةَ الْمَذَاهِبِ وَأَغْوَارَهَا ،

and the dangers of the schools of thought and their depths,

وَأَحْكِيَ لَكَ مَا قَاسَيْتُهُ فِي اسْتِخْلَاصِ الْحَقِّ مِنْ بَيْنِ اضْطِرَابِ الْفِرَقِ ،

and to recount to you what I endured in extracting the truth from amidst the confusion of the sects,

مَعَ تَبَايُنِ الْمَسَالِكِ وَالطُّرُقِ ،

along with the divergence of paths and ways,