Al-Mughni. In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. [Introduction to the Tahqiq] Praise be to Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, and upon his family and all his companions. To proceed: Allah, the Almighty and Majestic, intended good for this nation when He provided it with guiding, righteous Imams who kept before their eyes the saying of the Chosen One—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—: 'Whomever Allah intends good for, He grants him understanding of the religion' (1). Islamic jurisprudence has received from the care, dedication, diligence, and sincerity of these few scholars what Allah has facilitated for everyone in need who seeks it, and for every questioner who seeks an answer. Among the things in which the jurists of Islam excelled was the authorship of texts (mutun) in every one of the schools of thought (madhahib), as a facilitation for the student of knowledge, to preserve it by committing it to memory and holding it in one’s heart, and to master its issues. Abu al-Qasim Umar ibn al-Husayn ibn Abd Allah al-Khiraqi (2), who died in the year 334 AH, was...
(1) Extracted by al-Bukhari in: The Chapter of Knowledge Before Speech and Action, from the Book of Knowledge; and in: The Chapter of the Saying of Allah the Almighty: {And know that anything of any booty that you get, the one-fifth of it is for Allah}, from the Book of Khumus (Fifth); and in: The Chapter of the Saying of the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—: 'A group of my nation will continue to be dominant upon the truth,' from the Book of al-I'tisam (Holding Fast to the Sunnah). Sahih al-Bukhari 1/27, 4/103, 9/125. And Muslim in: The Chapter of the Prohibition of Asking [for wealth], from the Book of Zakat; and in: The Chapter of his saying—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—: 'A group of my nation will continue to be dominant upon the truth,' from the Book of the Emirate (Imara). Sahih Muslim 2/718, 719, 3/1524. And al-Tirmidhi in: The Chapter of If Allah intends good for a servant, He grants him understanding of the religion, from the Chapters of Knowledge. 'Aridat al-Ahwadhi 10/114. And Ibn Majah in: The Chapter of the Virtue of Scholars and the Urging to Seek Knowledge, from the Introduction. Sunan Ibn Majah 1/80. And al-Darimi in: The Chapter of Emulating the Scholars, from the Introduction; and in: The Chapter of Whoever Allah intends good for, He grants him understanding of the religion, from the Book of al-Riqaq. Sunan al-Darimi 1/74, 2/297. And Imam Malik in: The Comprehensive Chapter on what has come regarding the people of Qadar (predestination), from the Book of Qadar. al-Muwatta 2/901. And Imam Ahmad in: al-Musnad 1/306, 2/234, 4/92, 95-99, 101. (2) Ibn Qudama provided a biography of al-Khiraqi in the introduction to this book, on pages 6 and 7. You may also find a biography of al-Khiraqi in: Tarikh Baghdad 11/234, Tabaqat al-Fuqaha by al-Shirazi 172, al-Ansab 5/92-93, al-Muntazam 6/346, al-Lubab 1/357, Wafayat al-A'yan 3/441, Siyar A'lam al-Nubala 15/363, Tadhkirat al-Huffaz 3/847, al-'Ibar 2/238, Duwal al-Islam 1/208, al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah 11/214, al-Nujum al-Zahirah 3/289, Tabaqat al-Hanabilah 2/75-118, Miftah al-Sa'adah 2/106-107, Kashf al-Zunun 446, 1415, 1626, Shadharat al-Dhahab 2/336-337, History of Arabic Literature by Brockelmann (Arabic translation) 3/314, History of Arabic Literature by Dr. Sezgin (Arabic translation) 1/3/235-236.
