Please note that, in the translation that follows, words given in parentheses ( ) are the words of the Promised Messiah(as). If any explanatory words or phrases are added by the translators for the purpose of clarification, they are put in square brackets [ ]. Footnotes given by the publisher are marked ‘[Publisher]’.
References to the Holy Quran contain the name of the surah [i.e. chapter] followed by a chapter:verse citation, e.g. surah al-Jumu‘ah, 62:4, and counts Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim [In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful] as the first verse in every chapter it appears.
The following abbreviations have been used; readers are urged to recite the full salutations when reading the book:
saw sallallahu ‘alaihi wa sallam, meaning ‘peace and blessings of Allah be upon him’, is written after the name of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw).
as ‘alaihis-salam, meaning ‘peace be on him’, is written after the names of Prophets other than the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw).
ra radiyallahu ‘anhu/‘anha/‘anhum, meaning ‘Allah be pleased with him/her/them’, is written after the names of the Companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) or of the Promised Messiah(as).
rta rahmatullah ‘alaih/‘alaiha/‘alaihim, meaning ‘Allah shower His mercy upon him/her/them’, is written after the names of those deceased pious Muslims who are not Companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad(saw) or of the Promised Messiah(as).
aba ayyadahullahu Ta‘ala binasrihil-‘Aziz, meaning ‘may Allah the Almighty help him with His powerful support’, is written after the name of the present head of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, Hazrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad, Khalifatul- Masih V(aba).
In general, we have adopted the system established by the Royal Asiatic Society for our transliteration.