This is the fourth volume of a set comprising of an English translation of the extracts from the writings, speeches, announcements and discourses of the Promised Messiah, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian [may peace be upon him], the Holy Founder of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community (1835-1908).
The book presents the extracts from the works of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) himself relating to the following four topics:
Family and personal background of the Promised Messiah (as)
Status of the Promised Messiah (as)
The purpose of the Promised Messiah’s (as) advent
Propagation and the establishment of a holy community and instructions
The original compilation, in Urdu, Arabic and Persian, from which these extracts have been rendered into English, was collated with great care and diligence by the late Syed Mir Dawud Ahmad, may Allah reward him for his labour of love. He published his selection in the form of a book, Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani, alaihissalato wassalam, apni tehriron ki ru sey, or ‘Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (as) of Qadian, According to His Writings.’
The original English translation was done by Hazrat Chaudhry Muhammad Zafrullah Khan (ra), a Companion of the Promised Messiah (as) who achieved great distinction as a statesman, jurist and scholar of comparative religious studies. Volume one and two were published by the London Mosque in 1979 and 1981 respectively during the lifetime of the revered translator. He also prepared the manuscripts of volumes three and four but these could not be published during his lifetime.
Second editions of volume one and two were published in 2004, and the first edition of Volume three was published in 2005. We are now happy to present the fourth volume of “The Essence of Islam,” which is also being published for the first time.
Under the direction of Wakalat-e-Tasnif, London, the translation was compared with the original text and compiled by Mr. Munawar Ahmed Sa‘eed with the support of the translation team working in Baitur Rahman Mosque in USA.
The publishers would like to express their appreciation for the help and support provided by Maulana Munir-ud-Din Shams, Additional Wakilut-Tasnif, who supervised the project and provided the vital link for seeking guidance from Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul-Masih V (aba). In Rabwah, Wakalat-e-Tasnif, headed by Professor Chaudhry Muhammad ‘Ali reviewed the document, incorporated the verses of the Holy Qur’an, added Urdu and Persian texts, and provided guidance in translating some difficult parts. Chaudhry Sahib was assisted by Dr. Muhammad Shafiq Sehgal, Raja Ata-ul-Mannan and Tahir Mahmood Mubashar.
In addition to some of those listed in the earlier Publishers’ Notes, the following members rendered valuable services for this volume: ‘Ayesha Usman, Jaleel Akbar, Luqman Tahir Mahmood, Rash-dah Rana and Siddiqa Sajid.
May Allah the Almighty give the best reward and grant abundant blessings, both in this world and in the hereafter, to all those who have assisted us in one way or the other, in the preparation of these volumes.
The system used for references is the same as adopted in Volumes I, II and III. All references, unless otherwise noted, are from the Holy Qur’an. In the text, the references to the Holy Qur’an are given exactly as they were given in the original writings. In the footnotes, references are given in the modern numerical system. In these references, we have counted Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim as the first verse and have used the numerical system in which the first number refers to the Surah (chapter) and the second number refers to the Ayah (verse).
References to the Books of the Promised Messiah (as) are based on the London Edition of the Ruhani Khaza’in published in 1984. References to Malfuzat and Majmu‘ah Ishtiharat are also based on the London edition.
Please note that this volume also includes references from the following source:
“Taqrireiń” which refers to a collection of the speeches made by the Promised Messiah (as) during Jalsa Salana Qadian on 29th and 30th December, 1904 and published in 1905.
The following abbreviations have been used in this book; readers are requested to recite the full salutations when reading the book:
sas. An abbreviation for sal-lallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, meaning “May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,” is written after the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (sas).
as. An abbreviation for ‘alaihis salam, meaning “May peace be upon him,” is written after the name of Prophets other than the Holy Prophet (sas).
ra. An abbreviation for radi-Allaho ‘anhu/‘anha/‘anhum meaning, “May Allah be pleased with him/her/them,” is written after the names of the Companions of the Holy Prophet (sas) and of the Promised Messiah (as).
In transliterating Arabic words we have followed the system adopted by the Royal Asiatic Society.
The words in the text in normal brackets ( ) and in between the long dashes — are the words of the Promised Messiah (as) and if any explanatory words or phrases are added by the publisher for the purpose of clarification, they are put in square brackets [ ].
Please note that headings that appear in italics throughout this book are part of the original text of the Promised Messiah (as) and the headings that are not in italics are added by the publisher.
May Allah accept our humble efforts and make this blessed task a source of guidance for many. Amin.
The Publishers