In conclusion I desire to acknowledge the inestimable services rendered by Maulawi Sher ‘Ali, B.A., who has, in spite of feeble and failing health, devoted so large a portion of his time to the translation of the text into English. I also wish to thank him along with Mirza Bashir Ahmad, M.A., Malik Ghulam Farid, M.A., and the late Ch. Abul-Hashim Khan, M.A., for the labour they have devoted to extracting from my speeches and writings the material upon which the Explanatory Notes are based and to preparing these Notes. I have not had the opportunity of perusing these Notes but, having regard to the experience and devotion of these gentlemen, I am sure they must have interpreted correctly that which I have through divine grace been able to acquire in this behalf directly from the Quran or the teachings of the Promised Messiah. I would also like to take this opportunity of thanking Qadi Muhammad Aslam, M.A., Professor, Government College, Lahore, and Sir Muhammad Zafrulla Khan, who have rendered this General Introduction from Urdu into English. I pray that God may anoint all of them and their descendants with the perfume of His blessings and should watch over them and help them both in this life and the next. Amen!
I also desire to state that since I was a pupil of the late Maulawi Noor-ud-Deen, Khalifatul-Masih I, a good deal of what I acquired from him is reflected in the Explanatory Notes. Thus these Notes are, in fact, based upon the interpretation of the Quran by the Promised Messiah, the First Khalifah and myself. Since God had anointed the Promised Messiah with His Spirit and had honoured him by bestowing upon him such knowledge as was requisite for the development of this and succeeding generations, I trust that this Commentary will serve to heal many of their ills. By means of it the blind shall see, the deaf shall hear, the dumb shall speak, the lame and the halt shall walk, and God’s angels shall so bless it that it shall succeed in fulfilling the object for which it is being published. Do Thou, O Lord, ordain that it be so!
QADIAN,
28 February 1947
6 Rabi‘uth-Thani 1366 A.H.
28 Tabligh 1326.
MIRZA BASHIR-UD-DEEN MAHMOOD AHMAD
(Khalifatul-Masih II)