Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ began the Introduction as a series of lectures he dictated to his students in Damascus ending in 1233.

It has received considerable attention from subsequent authors who explained, abridged and set it to poetry and it became an example for latter books of its genre.

[1] As the Introduction was not officially named by the author, there exists some speculation as to its actual title, with different possibilities suggested.

[6] al-`Irāqī described the Introduction as "the best book authored by a hadith specialist in defining its terminology.

Their authors cited the quoted statements of the earlier works and began the arrangement and codification of relevant terms.

Examples of books authored in this manner are: Ma`rifah `Ulūm al-Ḥadīth by al-Ḥākim, Al-Kifāyah by al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī and the Introduction of Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ.

[8] The book began as a series of lectures Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ delivered at the Ashrafiyyah School in Damascus.

[3] While Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ arranged his work to a greater extent than previous authors on the subject, it had its limitations in organization because it began as a series of lectures.

As a large number of students were present at his lectures, memorizing or transcribing them, he was subsequently unable to revise this order.

[11] Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ, in his Introduction, codified the terminology established by those scholars before him based upon his reading of their works.

[10] In this manner, his book was based upon those principles established by the earlier hadith specialists combined with some elements of fiqh.

He began by discussing ṣaḥīḥ (authentic) as the first category, and then ḥasan (good) as the second, ḍa`īf (weak) the third, musnad (supported) the fourth and so on.

This includes the definition of a ṣaḥābī (companion), a tābi`ī (follower), the time periods of narrators, names and paidonymics among others.

Dickinson's translation features a biography of Ibn al-Ṣalāḥ derived from numerous sources, in addition to copious footnotes throughout.