Introduction

By the Sage, Dr. Ali Sulayman al-Ahmad:

In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Verily, this collection has a story that no one is more entitled to narrate than I; for—by the grace of Allah—I was the catalyst for its composition and compilation. What prompted this was that we were once reviewing the disputes occurring among the adherents of this school of thought (Madhhab) in our time, the objections resulting from narrow-mindedness and ill-intent, and the flimsy arguments and proofs with which the innovators and dissenters supported their claims, until the matter led to the spread of obstinate denials.

There arose among them those who went as far as to cast doubt upon "The Image" (al-Surah); rather, they proceeded to refute it entirely and in detail, calling for relief from its worship, thereby confirming Iblis’s suspicion regarding them. Each of them makes the narrations and sayings of the Infallibles (al-Ma'sumin) their foundation, yet these are cited out of their proper context. Some of these [narrations] would implicate them if cited, or they [simply] follow the first understanding that occurs to their minds. Had they referred what was ambiguous to them to the definitive (Muhkam) sayings of the Imams, their objectives would have been elucidated, and feet would have stood firm upon the Straight Path.