[Description of the Manuscript]

In editing the Tafsir of Ibn Abi Hatim, I relied on a single manuscript consisting of several parts, a copy of which I obtained from the Institute of Scientific Research at Umm al-Qura University, as well as a duplicate copy of it, which was made slightly clearer in many of its pages by our brother, Professor Muhammad bin ‘Abd Allah al-Huthi—may God reward him with good.

1- A part beginning from Surat al-Anfal to Surat al-Ra‘d, consisting of 260 leaves, with 23 lines on each page, in Maghribi script. Its original is in the Mahmudiyyah Library in Medina, number 50 Tafsir, and its number at the Research Institute is 108 Tafsir.

2- A part containing the Tafsir of Surat al-Mu’minun to the end of the Tafsir of Surat al-‘Ankabut, consisting of 284 leaves, with 24 lines on each page, in Maghribi script. Its original is in the Egyptian National Library (Dar al-Kutub al-Misriyyah), number 15 Tafsir, and its number at the Research Institute is 106 Tafsir.

3- A part beginning from the start of the Mus'haf to a portion of Surat Al ‘Imran, consisting of 248 leaves, with 23 lines on each page, in Maghribi script. Its original is in the Egyptian National Library, number 15 Tafsir, and its number at the Research Institute is 104 Tafsir.

4- A part containing the Tafsir of Surat al-Ma’idah to a portion of Surat al-Anfal, consisting of 243 leaves, with 24 lines on each page, in Maghribi script. Its original is in the Mahmudiyyah Library, number 49 Tafsir, and its number at the Research Institute is 107 Tafsir.

5- A part containing the Tafsir of the two Surahs, Al ‘Imran and al-Nisa’. Consisting of 205 leaves, with 23 lines on each page, in the customary Naskhi script. Its original is in the Ayasofya Library in Turkey.