17- The statements of Ahmad bin Hanbal and Ishaq bin Rahwayh were narrated to us by Ishaq bin Mansur Kawsaj, who narrates from Ahmad and Ishaq bin Rahwayh.

18- I have not heard the statements in the chapters of Hajj, Blood Money, and Hudood from Ishaq bin Mansoor; these were narrated to us by Muhammad bin Musa Al-Asam with the chain «اسحاق بن منصور عن احمد و اسحاق بن راہویہ» .

19- Some reports of the statements of Ishaq bin Rahwayh have been conveyed to us by Muhammad bin Aflah, who narrates from Ishaq bin Rahwayh. We have mentioned these matters in our book related to our suspended (mauquf) narrations.

20- In referencing the statements related to the causes of hadith, the narrators of hadith, and history (the books of criticism and praise), I have relied on historical books. I have discussed most of the statements with Muhammad bin Ismail Bukhari, and some statements with Darimi and Abu Zur’ah. I have conversed about most statements with Muhammad bin Ismail Bukhari, and very few statements with Abdullah bin Ahmad and Abu Zur’ah Razi. In the knowledge of the causes of hadith, history, and chains of transmission, I have not found anyone in Iraq and Khorasan greater in knowledge than Muhammad bin Ismail Bukhari.

We have mentioned the statements of the jurists and the causes of the hadiths in our book because we were asked about these matters; for a long time, we did not do so. We mentioned the statements of the jurists and the causes of the hadiths for the reason that there is an expectation of benefit for people in this.

Because we have seen many Imams who engaged in writing and compilation, and no one before them had done this work,
among them are the following scholars:

1- Hisham bin Hassan,
2- Abdul Malik bin Abdul Aziz Ibn Jurayj,
3- Saeed bin Abi Aroubah,
4- Malik bin Anas,
5- Hammad bin Salamah,
6- Abdullah bin Mubarak,
7- Yahya bin Zakariya bin Abi Za'idah,
8- Wakee' bin Al-Jarrah,
9- Abdur Rahman bin Mahdi and others,
people of knowledge and virtue.
These distinguished ones undertook the work of writing and compilation, so Allah Almighty placed great benefit in their books. Our prayer is that Allah Almighty grants them immense reward for those deeds by which He benefited the Muslims. In the field of compilation, these Imams are our leaders.

Some ignorant people have criticized the Ahl al-Hadith for criticizing the narrators of hadith, whereas we have seen that some of the Imams among the Tabi‘in have spoken about the narrators of hadith; among them, Hasan al-Basri and Tawus spoke about Ma‘bad al-Juhani.

Saeed bin Jubair criticized Talq bin Habib.

And Ibrahim Nakha'i and Amir Sha'bi criticized Harith A'war.