The Holy Quran with Five Volume Commentary (Vol 1) — Page xvi
PREFACE helps to remove much bias and prejudice against Islam and to create an atmosphere for a better appreciation of its teachings. A system of cross-references has been introduced. These cross- references have been placed below the text and the translation. They give at a glance the various places where the subject of a particular verse has been dealt with in the Quran. An Introduction is prefixed to each chapter, in addition to the General Introduction which serves as an introduction to the whole Book. The Introduction to each chapter discusses the place and date of its revelation and gives a summary of its contents and the relation it has with the chapters preceding or following it. It also provides sufficient material for the reader to understand and realize that not only the verses of the various chapters but also the specific position of each chapter itself is governed by an intelligent order. The abbreviations CH. and PT. appearing at the top of each page stand for Chapter and Part respectively. The Quran has been divided into two sets of divisions, (a) Sūrās or Chapters and (b) Sipārās or Parts. The division of the Quran into Sūrās is made according to its subject matter and has the authority of the Holy Prophet, and of the Quran itself for each of these chapters has been given the name of Sura in the Quran itself, as in 2:24 and 24:2. The total number of the Sūrās is 114. The division into Juzws, Sipārās or Parts, however, is arbitrary and has no reference to the subject-matter. The Quran has been divided into 30 equal Parts for the convenience of readers. The number of Chapters and Parts is shown on the top of each page. In numbering the verses we have followed the system in vogue in the standard editions of the Quran in India, with the exception that in our numbering Bismillah is counted as the first verse of every chapter, while in other editions the verse following Bismillah is numbered as the first verse of the chapter. Chapter 9, however, is an exception to this rule. It does not begin with Bismillah, and therefore in this chapter our numbering is identical with that of other editions of the Quran. Our numbering of the notes is continuous. It does not end where a Sūra ends but is continued into the next Sūra to the end of the Book. In references the figure on the left side of the colon shows the number of the chapter, while that on its right the number of the verse. It should also be noted that when reference is to a chapter of the Quran, the word Quran is invariably omitted for brevity's sake. Thus 20:8 refers to the 8th verse of the 20th chapter of the Quran. In references to other religious Scriptures, n