At the time of publication, the author of this book, the eightynine year old scholar - Shaykh 'Abdul-'Azeez bin Baaz - passed away on the morning of Thursday 27th of Muharram, 142oH (corresponding to the 13th of May 1999 CE). His death is indeed a great loss to the Islaamic world. Due to the shortage of time, as well as due to other factors, it was decided that the brief biographical account of the Shaykh, which has been given in this book, was best left unchanged..