The Outset of Dissension in Islam — Page xi
x H A D RAT MIRZA BASHIR-UD-DIN MAHMUD AHMAD control. The lecture, however, refutes both of these two notions with ample proof and categorically establishes that conflicts arose due to the conspiracies of the enemies of Islam. In this lecture Hadrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud Ahmad ra has shed light on the life of Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra , his piety and righteousness, and his status in the eyes of the Holy Prophet sa. Moreover, he has expounded upon the virtues of the companions of the Holy Prophet sa and has explained how these conflicts actually arose and the causes behind them. Furthermore, contrary to the belief of some historians, he has also explained that the companions of the Holy Prophet sa did not dislike the leadership of Hadrat ‘Uthm a n ra , rather, they all loved him dearly and demonstrated an unparalleled degree of loyalty until his last breath. Please note that, in this translation, words given in parenthesis ( ) are the words of Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II ra. If any explanatory words or phrases are added by the translator for the purpose of clarification, they are put in square brackets [ ]. When this lecture was revised by Hadrat Khalifatul Masih II ra for print, he added certain footnotes throughout the text of the lecture as explanatory notes, and these have been included as endnotes in the original Urdu text, in Anw a rul-‘Ul u m , volume 4, published by the Fa d l- e-‘Umar Foundation. We have included all of these endnotes as footnotes throughout the English text. All additional footnotes, which have been added by the publishers are marked [Publishers]. All references, unless otherwise specified, are from the Holy Quran. Biblical references are from the King James version. It was imperitive that an English translation of this lecture be rendered for both Muslims and non-Muslims alike, because