 as for what you have charged me with i must mention what i have witnessed what i have been aware of and what trustworthy people of my time have told me. so forgive me for using euphemisms for names for they are either a shameful thing that we do not permit to be revealed or we are preserving in doing so a friendly friend and a noble man. it is sufficient for me that my name is one that there is no harm in naming and it does not affect us and the one named is a defect in mentioning him either because of fame that folding it up and leaving out clarification does not suffice or because the one being informed about is pleased with the appearance of his news and little denial from him of his transmission.
والذي كلفتني فلا بد فيه من ذكر ما شاهدته حضرتي، وأدركته عنايتي، وحدثني به الثقات من أهل زماني، فاغتفر لي الكناية عن الأسماء فهي إما عورة لا نستجيز كشفها، وإما نحافظ في ذلك صديقا ودودا ورجلا جليلا وبحسبي أن اسمي من لا ضرر في تسميته ولا يلحقنا والمسمى عيب في ذكره، إما لاشتهار لا يغني عنه الطي وترك التبيين، وإما لرضى من المخبر عنه بظهور خبره وقلة إنكار منه لنقله.