Foreword

The Holy Quran makes many magnificent prophecies about the latter days, including:

“And when the books are spread abroad” (al-Takwir:11)

A hadith of the Holy Prophet(sa) is helpful in interpreting this verse. He is reported to have said that when ‘Isa, the son of Mary, will come, there will be an abundance of wealth, and this wealth will flow so abundantly that nobody will accept it. (See Bukhari, Kitabul Anbiya’ babu nuzule ‘isabne Maryam).

This Prophecy was magnificently fulfilled in the person of Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad(as) of Qadian, the Promised Messiah and Mahdi in whom various prophecies about the second coming of Jesus (Hazrat ‘Isa(as)) have been fulfilled. He himself declared that: “The treasures that laid buried for more than a thousand years; are now being distributed by me to the one who is ready to accept them.”1

The Promised Messiah(as) wrote more than 91 books, and issued many announcements elucidating the deeper meanings of the Holy Quran and beauties of Islam. He challenged all other faiths to come up with anything which comes even fractionally close, but with no response. As he says:

[Urdu] No one came forward to test me even though; I issued challenges and invitation all around.2

Moreover, his spoken words and letters have also been printed.

Alhamdolillah that the members of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama‘at have been blessed with serving and spreading the works of the Promised Messiah(as). Publication of his books into a twenty-three volume set known as Ruhani Khaza’in (Spiritual Treasures) was done in 1960s under the auspices of Al-Shirkatul Islamiyyah Limited, Rabwah, Pakistan and included Introduction of the books by Hazrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shams(ra), who also prepared most indexes for the books. It was reprinted in England in 1984. His Ishtiharat [announcements], Maktubat [letters] and Malfuzat [spoken words] have also been published from Pakistan and then from England and India.

The Holy Quran is the foundation upon which all works of the Promised Messiah(as) are based. In this sense, everything the Promised Messiah(as) has written is a commentary on the Holy Quran. A selection containing the commentary of various verses of the Holy Quran has been compiled into a book as Tafsir bayan farmudah Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani(as), [Commentary by Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Qadian(as)]. His dreams, visions, and verbal revelations have been collected into a book as Tadhkirah, an essential read for all those who wish to study the spiritual status of the Promised Messiah(as) and Imam of the age.

One of the visions of the Promised Messiah(as) was:

I saw in a vision that I was standing on a pulpit in the city of London and was setting forth the truth of Islam in the English language, in a very well reasoned address. Thereafter, I caught several birds who were sitting upon small trees and were of white colour and their bodies resembled the bodies of partridges.3

The Promised Messiah(as) added about this vision:

I interpreted this vision as meaning that though I would not be able to travel to that country, my writings will be published there and many righteous English people will be attracted to the truth.4

English translations of his works started during his lifetime. Some of his books include excerpts translated into English. The Review of Religions and the Sunrise magazine, published in Lahore, started publishing English translations of excerpts of the books of the Promised Messiah(as). An important landmark was the publication of excerpts from the writings of the Promised Messiah(as) on the occasion of the first centenary of the establishment of Jama‘at-e-Ahmadiyya in 1989, which was prepared and translated into English under the direct supervision of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih IV(rh) and translated into 100 languages.

Now, under the supervision of Hazrat Khalifatul Masih V(aba), Vakalat-e-Tasnif and Additional Vakalat-e-Tasnif, are busy in the translation work, to this day not just in English but in many different languages of the world. So far, Jama‘at has published the English translation of the following Books of the Promised Messiah(as):

• Paigham-e-Sulah (A Message of Peace)

• Eik Ghalati Ka Izalah (A Misconception Removed)

• Barakatud-Du‘a’ (The Blessings of Prayer)

• Government Angrezi Aur Jihad (British Government and Jihad)

• Tajalliyyat-e-Ilahiyyah (Divine Manifestations)

• Taudih-e-Maram (Elucidation of Objectives)

• Chashma’-e-Masihi (The Fountain of Christianity)

• Masih Hindustan Mein (Jesus in India)

• Lecture Ludhiana

• Lecture Lahore

• Lecture Sialkot

• Hamari Ta‘lim (Our Teaching) [Part of the Kashti-e-Nuh]

• Islami Usul Ki Philosophy (The Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam)

• Tadhkiratush-Shahadatain (The Two Martyrs)

• Mi‘yarul-Madhahib (The Criterion for Religions)

• Asmani Faisalah (The Heavenly Decree)

• Nishan-e-Asmani (The Heavenly Sign)

• Daruratul-Imam (The Need for the Imam)

• Al-Wasiyyat (The Will)

• Eik ‘Isa’i Kei Tin Sawal aur Unkei Jawab (Three Questions by a Christian and their Answers)

• Fathe Islam (Victory of Islam)

• Siraj-ud-Din ‘Isa’i Kei Char Sawalon Ka Jawab (Answers to the

• Four Questions by Siraj-ud-Din, a Christian)

• Minanur-Rahman (The Blessings of the Gracious God)

• Gunah ki Ghulami Sei Riha’i Panei Ki Tadabir kaya Hain? (How to Get Rid of the Bondage of Sin?)

• Sabz Ishtihar (The Green Announcement)

• Sachcha’i Ka Izhar (The Truth Revealed)

• Tuhfatun-Nadwah (A Gift for Nadwah)

• Dafi‘ul-Bala’ Wa Mi‘yaro Ahlil-Istifa’ (Defence Against the Plague and a Criterion for the Elect of God)

Vakalat-e-Tasnif has also published excerpts from the writings of the Promised Messiah(as) in a five volume set called Essence of Islam—a set originally compiled by Sayyed Mir Dawud Ahmad whose English rendering was started by Hazrat Chaudhary Muhammad Zafrullah Khan(ra).

An Introduction to the books of the Promised Messiah(as) in Urdu was prepared and given in the beginning of relevant volumes of Ruhani Khaza’in by Hazrat Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Shams(ra) and an introduction was compiled by Maulana Nasim Saifi in English and published under the title Introducing the books of the Promised Messiah by Vakalat-e-Tasnif, Pakistan.

In the present work, Syed Hasanat Ahmad has worked hard to select and translate into English a representative set of writings from some of the books of the Promised Messiah(as). This work took several years to complete and is being published by Additional Vakalat-e-Tasnif, but the responsibility for the accuracy of the introduction and the translations remains with the author. The purpose is to give an introduction to the books of the Promised Messiah(as) and inspire the reader to delve in this magnificent treasure chest in its original beauty. May Allah the Almighty be our Guide and Protector. (Amin)

In compiling this work, Syed Hasanat Ahmad was assisted by my humble self, along with Syed Abdul Hayee Shah, Prof. Mrs. Naseem Saeed (Lahore), Muhammad Saeed Ahmed, Khaulah Shams (Malik), Prof. Miss. Amatul Majeed Chaudhary, Syed Mansoor Ahmad, Sarah Barakat (India), Muhammad ‘Ismat Pasha of Canada, Syed Hameed Ahmad (Canada), Kareemullah Zirvi, Fouzan Pal, Namoode Sahar (Zartasht) Choudhary and Usman Nasir Choudhary. May Allah the Almighty bless their efforts. (Amin)

Munir-ud-Din Shams
Additional Vakil-ut-Tasnif
June 20, 2010