The jokes on the stroll to the view in clarifying the elite of thought

Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalani Written by Ali Hassan Abdulhamid Al-Halabi Introduction to the First Edition All praise be to Allah, we praise Him, seek His help, and ask for His forgiveness. We seek refuge in Allah from the evil of ourselves and from the bad deeds. Whom Allah guides, none can misguide; and whom He misguides, none can guide. I bear witness that there is no deity but Allah alone, with no partner, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. As for what follows: The honor of sciences varies according to the honor of their meaning, and their value increases with the greatness of their benefit. There is no disagreement among the insightful: that the most noble of them is that which has the broadest benefit, the most complete usefulness, and the most lasting happiness in its acquisition. A person must acquire it, as it is the knowledge of Shariah, which is the path to happiness in the everlasting abode. No one has walked this path except that he is guided, and no one has clung to it but that he has not been disappointed, nor has anyone avoided it but that he has gone astray. So how can one be safe from the shade of the one who seeks refuge in His protection! And how abundant is the return of the one who adorns himself with His ornament! And among the most important and highest of these sciences is the knowledge of the Sunnah of the Messenger of Allah — peace and blessings be upon him, his family, his companions, and those who follow him. Knowing it is a noble matter, and a great affair: only those who have refined their souls through following the commands and prohibitions of Shariah, and have removed deviation from their hearts and tongues, can encompass it. It has roots, rulings, principles, rules, conditions, and terminologies, which scholars have mentioned, explained, and clarified. The seeker of knowledge needs to know and understand them. The works of the hadith scholars in this field have differed, diversified, and increased greatly. Their writings vary from a few pages to many sheets. These eminent scholars continue to compose, classify, refine, organize, verify, and scrutinize, continuing the legacy of past imams and following in the footsteps of previous scholars. Among the most excellent, enjoyable, and beneficial of these writings is the book of Hafiz Ibn Hajar: "Nukhbat Al-Fikr" (Selected Thoughts). Its beneficial and reputable commentary is "Al-Nuzha fi 'Ilm Al-Nahw" (Pleasure in the Science of Grammar). Despite their brevity, both contain the fundamental discussions, core principles, and essential aspects of this science. When I examined this book, looked into it, scrutinized it, and reflected upon it, I saw that the need of hadith students for it is very great, and its benefits are numerous for them. Its author, Allah, is very generous and precise, and all his efforts are directed toward this. However, I did not find a copy that is pleasing to the eye, beneficial to the students, and memorable for the knowledgeable, because most editions are marred by errors, misprints, and inaccuracies in verification and annotations. The explanations are lengthy and verbose, making it difficult to derive benefit from them. For all these reasons, I was motivated to verify, refine, and correct the text of "Al-Nuzha," so that it may occupy the proper place befitting its author and his high scholarly status, through these notes I have added in its margins. If I succeed in fulfilling this task well, that is from Allah’s grace and favor. If I fall short or make mistakes, Allah’s forgiveness is vast, and He is capable of everything.