The Essence of Islam – Volume I — Page xiii
Publishers' Note xiii the Promised Messiahas who achieved great distinction as a statesman, jurist and scholar of comparative reli- gious studies. The revered translator meticulously rendered many difficult terms into English with great skill and precision. May Allah the Most High reward him. Volume one and two were published by the London Mosque in 1979 and 1981 respectively. The manuscripts of volumes three and four were also prepared by him but could not be published for some reason. The present pub- lication will insha'Allah add volumes three and four to the two published by the London Mosque and we hope to add further selections later. Preparations for the publication of the present edition started under the guidance and auspices of Hadrat Mirzā Tahir Ahmad (may Allah have mercy upon him), the fourth successor to the Promised MessiahAs. Hudürrta took special interest in this project and readily responded to many questions that Mr. Munawar Ahmed Saeed- who has revised the present edition-had during the preparation of this volume. Hudūra also set the standards of translation and editing during the preparation of this work, which are now being incorporated in the publica- tions of the Jama'at. May Allah reward him abundantly. He was particularly anxious that the translation be as close to the original as possible. He also took personal interest in the translation of the Urdu poems and cou- plets, which had not been included in the first edition. No translation can capture the force, the beauty, the depth and the spiritual power with which the words of the Promised Messiahs are charged. Moreover, a selec- tion cannot be a substitute for the full works studied in the context in which the divinely guided writer placed