Islam - Its Meaning for Modern Man — Page 7
7 Explanatory Note THIS BRIEF EXPOSITION OF THE PRINCIPLES AND teachings of Islam is based upon the Quran, the Scripture of Islam. The explanations and illustrations furnished by the Prophet of Islam have also been drawn upon. Together these constitute the most authentic source material on Islam. Except when otherwise indicated, all references are to the Quran. Every chapter of the Quran, with the exception of Chapter 9, which is considered a continuation of Chapter 8, opens with the verse: “In the name of Allah, Ever Gracious, Most Merciful. ” The verse is, in each case, part of the revelation. In most translations, however, this opening verse is not counted in the numbering of the verses of any given chapter. This incorrect method of numbering has not been followed in this volume. The system of numbering used herein starts with the opening verse and proceeds accordingly. There are several English translations of the Quran. No particular translation has been uniformly followed in this volume. As Professor Arthur J. Arberry of Cambridge, England, has pointed out in