وَهٰذَا حِينَ انۡتِهَاءِ الۡغَايَةِ بِنَا إِلَى قَطۡعِ الۡمُخۡتَارِ مِنۡ كَلَامِ أَمِيرِ الۡمُؤۡمِنِينَ عَلَيۡهِ السَّلَامُ [في بعض النسخ: صلوات الله عليه]، حَامِدِينَ لِلَّهِ سُبۡحَانَهُ عَلَى مَا مَنَّ بِهِ مِنۡ تَوۡفِيقِنَا لِضَمِّ مَا انۡتَشَرَ مِنۡ أَطۡرَافِهِ، وَتَقۡرِيبِ مَا بَعُدَ مِنۡ أَقۡطَارِهِ.
This is the end of our selection of the utterances of Amīr al-Muʾminīn, peace be upon him. We are praiseful to Allāh, the Glorified, for having enabled us to collect the scattered utterances from various sides and to bring together from different places the material that was lying far away.
وَتَقَرَّرَ [في بعض النسخ: ومقرّرين] الۡعَزۡمُ كَمَا شَرَطۡنَا أَوَّلًا عَلَى تَفۡضِيلِ أَوۡرَاقٍ مِنَ الۡبَيَاضِ فِي آخِرِ كُلِّ بَابٍ مِنَ الۡأَبۡوَابِ، لِيَكُونَ [في بعض النسخ: لتكون] لِاقۡتِنَاصِ الشَّارِدِ، وَاسۡتِلۡحَاقِ الۡوَارِدِ، وَمَا عَسَى [في بعض النسخ: عساه] أَنۡ يَظۡهَرَ لَنَا بَعۡدَ الۡغُمُوضِ وَيَقَعَ إِلَيۡنَا بَعۡدَ الشُّذُوذِ.
We intend, as we stipulated in the beginning, to leave some blank pages at the end of every chapter for the insertion of whatever we may obtain and the addition of whatever comes to us; for it is possible that some material which is not in our view at present, or which is not available, may become known to us and fall in our hands.
وَمَا تَوۡفِيقُنَا إِلَّا بِاللّٰهِ عَلَيۡهِ تَوَكَّلۡنَا وَهُوَ حَسۡبُنَا وَنِعۡمَ الۡوَكِيلُ.
We have no ability save through Allāh. In Him we trust, and He is Sufficient for us. He is the Best Supporter.
وَذٰلِكَ فِي رَجَبٍ سَنَةَ أَرۡبَعِ مِائَةٍ مِنَ الۡهِجۡرَةِ.
This book was completed in the month of Rajab, in the year 400 A.H.
وَصَلَّى اللّٰهُ عَلَىٰ سَيِّدِنَا مُحَمَّدٍ خَاتَمِ الرُّسُلِ، وَالۡهَادِي إِلَىٰ خَيۡرِ السُّبُلِ، وَآلِهِ الطَّاهِرِينَ، وَأَصۡحَابِهِ نُجُومِ الۡيَقِينِ.
May Allāh send blessings on our master Muḥammad, the last of the prophets, who guided us towards the best path; and his chaste descendants and his companions, who are the stars of conviction.
