in the name of god the most gracious the most merciful. this is a book that i wrote during the days of almutasim billah may god be pleased with him but it did not reach him for reasons that would take too long to explain. therefore i did not attempt to mention it. i wanted it to be a book of moderation and a just approach and not a book of extravagance in praising some people and drowning in satirizing others. if the book were like that it would be tainted with lies mixed with exaggeration and its foundation would be built on affectation and its words would come out in a way that is forced and obscured.
هذا كتاب كنت كتبته أيام المعتصم بالله، رضي الله عنه، فلم يصل إليه، لأسباب يطول شرحها، فلذلك لم أعرض للإخبار عنها. وأحببت أن يكون كتابا قصدا، ومذهبا عدلا، ولا يكون كتاب إسراف في مديح قوم، وإغراق في هجاء آخرين. وإن كان الكتاب كذلك شابه الكذب، وخالطه التزيد، وبنى أساسه على التكلف، وخرج كلامه مخرج الاستكراه والتغليق.