Abu Muhammad 'Abdu’l-Malik ibn Hisham said:

This is the book of the biography of the Messenger of Allah (sas) Muhammad ibn 'Abdullah, ibn 'Abdul-Muttalib (whose name was Shayba), ibn Hashim (whose name was Amr), ibn 'Abdu Manaf (whose name was al-Mughlra), ibn Qusayy (whose name was Zayd), ibn Kilab, ibn Murra, ibn Ka'b, ibn Lu’ayy, ibn Ghalib, ibn Fihr, ibn Malik, ibn al-Nadr, ibn Kinana, ibn Khuzayma, ibn Mudrika (whose name was 'Amir), ibn Ilyas, ibn Mudar, ibn Nizar, ibn Ma'add, ibn 'Adnan, ibn Udd (or Udad), ibn Muqawwam, ibn Nahur, ibn Tayrah, ibn Ya'rub, ibn Yashjub, ibn Nabit, ibn (Prophet) Isma'il, ibn Ibrahim, [ the intimate friend of the Compassionate Allah] , ibn Tarih (who is Azar), ibn Nahur, ibn Sarugh, ibn Ra'u, ibn Falikh, h. ' Aybar r ibn Shalikh, ibn Arfakhshadh, ibn Sam, ibn (Prophet) Nuh, ibn Lamk, ibn Mattushalakh, ibn Akhnukh, [ who is the prophet Idris ], ibn Yard, ibn Mahlil, ibn Qaynan, ibn Yanish, ibn Shith, ibn Adam (as)

Ibn Hisham said: I will, with the help of Allah Almighty start this book with Ismail the son of Ibrahim, the ancestor of the Messenger of Allah (as), all the descendants down to the Prophet(sas) mentioning what was known about them and leaving aside the other sons of Ismail for summarization. Thus I will deal with what is relevant to the biography of the Messenger of Allah (sas). I will also refrain from citing some of what Ibn Ishaq had examined in this book which did not mention the Prophet (sas), or any irrelevant Quranic verses, nor include anything which is a reason, interpretation, or witness serving this book. Besides, I will omit the poems which we unknown to those specialized in poems and some thing which wer not admitted by Al-Bakka'ee to be narrated. Otherwise I will write everything with the guidance of Allah Almighty so as to narrate after him (Ibn Ishaq) and to make it known.