May He join us all in the ranks of the triumphant, by a mercy from You, from the core of Your Unseen, O Most Merciful of the merciful!

The mention of the merit of one who attained his station came after twenty years of my life had passed in Monotheism: he is the leading figure, the scholar, the Gnostic, the brilliant, the complete, and the virtuous Zayn al-Din Abu Abd Allah al-Husayn ibn Ahmad al-Katib, better known as Ibn al-Hajjaj, the Baghdadi poet—may Allah be pleased with him, satisfy him, honor his station, and ennoble his resting place. He lived during the era of our Sheikh—may Allah raise his degree and be pleased with them both.

I had not encountered the reason for his [spiritual status] until the time of my authoring this blessed book. He was among the greatest poets, eloquent and logical. He praised caliphs, ministers, kings, and the illustrious among people. In the exoteric (Zahir), he has a vast Diwan (collection) containing panegyrics, satires, and more.

The dominant style in his exoteric poetry was obscenity (Bada'a) and satire (Hija'), to the point that the kings of his time and those who knew him feared him. Even the noble ladies (al-Khawatayn) in their secluded tents and palaces feared him. In this [style], he had specific aims and intentions.