بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ الرَّحِيمِ

Ar-Rooh mentioned in Al-Quran is the spirit (understanding) of the Word of Allah. Languages use ‘words’ to convey the understanding or ‘spirit’ behind these ‘words’. Different languages may use different words to convey the same ‘spirit’ behind these words. For example, a message comprising of words ‘bring me water’ can be in any language, however the understanding/meaning behind these words would be the same.  When Al-Quran mentions Ar-Rooh/The spirit it means the spirit of the Word of Allah i.e the true understanding of Al-Quran. It is not the rooh which is commonly used to refer to the essence of life forms. Quran’s Ar-Rooh, (the spirit) is always mentioned in singular form.

Al-Kitab mentions that Allah invokes the spirit (understanding of the Word of Allah) in his khalifa/vicegerent on Earth (15:29). When Mariam, protected her private parts and made a barrier between the (sayings of) people and herself, the spirit of Allah was invoked in her (66:12). The spirit brings the message of Allah; the bringer of the message, is in the form of a human being (19:17).  Allah invokes His spirit in any of His slaves He wishes, and after getting the spirit (of the Word of Allah) this person becomes the warner to people (40:15). Allah invokes the spirit (understanding of the Word of Allah) on the messenger and before the invocation of the spirit, the messenger does not know what is Al-Kitab and what is Eman/belief (42:52). Allah strengthens the Eman/belief in believers with the help of the spirit (58:22). The spirit is called the ameen/honest  so that it does transfers the true understanding of Al-Kitab without any loss of message (26:193). The spirit is also named Al-Qudus i.e the revered spirit (2:253, 16:102).  Another name of the revered spirit is Jibreel. The spirit comes with the order of Allah (17:85). The spirit when it comes with the order of Allah in one night of determination on a person of choice, the understanding of the words of Allah, gained by the person , could be more than what may be possible to achieve in an entire life span of a human being which normally could be around 1000 months/83 years (97:3). All the angels/malaika/Forces of Universe are bowing down to the spirit of Allah except the rebellious one (15:29) who makes comparisons in creations on the basis of self made criterion (38:73-76) and gives arguments from both left and right side for wrongful justifications. (7:17)

40:15   رَفِيعُ الدَّرَجَاتِ ذُو الْعَرْشِ يُلْقِي الرُّوحَ مِنْ أَمْرِهِ عَلَىٰ مَن يَشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ لِيُنذِرَ يَوْمَ التَّلَاقِ

“Raised high above ranks, the Lord of the Throne (of Authority), He send by His Command, the spirit  to any of His servants He pleases, that it may warn of the Day of mutual meeting,-“

Only after the spirit of the Word of Allah, is inspired on the messenger, he gets the perception of the book and the belief.

42:52  وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ رُوحًا مِّنْ أَمْرِنَا ۚ مَا كُنتَ تَدْرِي مَا الْكِتَابُ وَلَا الْإِيمَانُ وَلَٰكِن جَعَلْنَاهُ نُورًا نَّهْدِي بِهِ مَن نَّشَاءُ مِنْ عِبَادِنَا ۚ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهْدِي إِلَىٰ صِرَاطٍ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ

“And Likewise, We inspired on you (the messenger) a spirit from our order, you (the messenger) did not have the perception of what is the book and the belief, but We made it light, We guide with it whom We wish from Our servants. And surely you (The messenger) guides towards the straight path.”

The spirit is honest/ameen as it transfers the true understanding behind the Word of Allah to His messengers.

26:192-4 وَإِنَّهُ لَتَنزِيلُ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ  نَزَلَ بِهِ الرُّوحُ الْأَمِينُ -عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ لِتَكُونَ مِنَ الْمُنذِرِينَ

“This is a definitely a revelation of the Lord of the worlds. Sent down with it, is the honest spirit; into your heart, so that you be of the warners.”

The spirit is also ‘revered’ and is called Rooh ul Qudus. Allah makes the believers stead-fast by means of it.

16:102  قُلْ نَزَّلَهُ رُوحُ الْقُدُسِ مِن رَّبِّكَ بِالْحَقِّ لِيُثَبِّتَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ

‘Say, the revered spirit has revealed it from your Lord with the truth, to make steadfast those who believe and it is a guidance and good news for submitters.’

Another name for this revered spirit is Jibreel/Gabriel;

2:97  قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِّجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ اللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ

Say, whoever is an enemy to Gabriel-for he has brought it down on your heart by Allah’s will, a confirmation of what is between the hands, and guidance and glad tidings for the believers,-

Mariam/Mary took a barrier between her and the people. After that the spirit appeared for her. The teachings which are not from Allah are normally prevalent in one’s atmosphere and they interfere with one’s ability to recognize the spirit of God. So, an important step is to distance one self from other teachings and focus solely on Allah in order to get His spirit (i.e the spirit of the Words of Allah)

19:17  فَاتَّخَذَتْ مِن دُونِهِمْ حِجَابًا فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَيْهَا رُوحَنَا فَتَمَثَّلَ لَهَا بَشَرًا سَوِيًّا

“Thus she took a hijab/veil apart from them, then We sent to her Our Rooh/Spirit. So he was an even example of a human for her. “

The Spirit came to her in a form of a human being i.e a human being with the spirit of the Words of Allah in him.

When the true sprit of the Words of Allah comes to a person, he may find it hard to be true, as it may be quite different from his current belief system. Mariam was also confused at first as she asked Allah’s refuge from the spirit that came to her.

19:18  قَالَتْ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِالرَّحْمَٰنِ مِنكَ إِن كُنتَ تَقِيًّا

She said. “I seek refuge of the most Gracious from you, if you fear (Allah).”

Prophet Essa Ibne Mariam is also called a word and a spirit from Allah.

4:171  يَا أَهْلَ الْكِتَابِ لَا تَغْلُوا فِي دِينِكُمْ وَلَا تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ إِلَّا الْحَقَّ ۚ إِنَّمَا الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَىٰ مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِّنْهُ ۖ فَآمِنُوا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ ۖ وَلَا تَقُولُوا ثَلَاثَةٌ ۚ انتَهُوا خَيْرًا لَّكُمْ ۚ إِنَّمَا اللَّهُ إِلَٰهٌ وَاحِدٌ ۖ سُبْحَانَهُ أَن يَكُونَ لَهُ وَلَدٌ ۘ لَّهُ مَا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِاللَّهِ وَكِيلًا

O People of the book! Commit no excess in your judgement, nor say about Allah but the truth. Christ Essa the son of Mariam is a messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed towards Mariam, and a spirit from Him. So believe in Allah and His messengers. Say not “Three/Trinity” , desist. It is better for you. Verily, He is exalted above to have a son for him. To Him belong all things in the heavens and in earth. And enough is Allah as a caretaker.

Prophet Essa ibne Mariam was aided by the revered spirit. 

2: 253  تِلْكَ الرُّسُلُ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۘ مِّنْهُم مَّن كَلَّمَ اللَّهُ ۖ وَرَفَعَ بَعْضَهُمْ دَرَجَاتٍ ۚ وَآتَيْنَا عِيسَى ابْنَ مَرْيَمَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَأَيَّدْنَاهُ بِرُوحِ الْقُدُسِ ۗ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلَ الَّذِينَ مِن بَعْدِهِم مِّن بَعْدِ مَا جَاءَتْهُمُ الْبَيِّنَاتُ وَلَٰكِنِ اخْتَلَفُوا فَمِنْهُم مَّنْ آمَنَ وَمِنْهُم مَّن كَفَرَ ۚ وَلَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا اقْتَتَلُوا وَلَٰكِنَّ اللَّهَ يَفْعَلُ مَا يُرِيدُ

These are the messengers We endowed some above others; Of them Allah spoke (directly); others He raised in ranks; to Essa the son of Mariam We gave clear (Signs), and strengthened him with the revered spirit. If Allah had so willed, succeeding people would not have fought among each other, after clear (Signs) had come to them, but they disagreed (among themselves), some believing and others rejecting. If Allah had so willed, they would not have fought each other; but Allah does what He wills.

Allah invokes His spirit in the bashar/human who He intends to make His khalifa/vicegerent on Earth. The order to all angels is to bow down to His khalifa who has the spirit of (words of) Allah in him.

38:71-72  إِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي خَالِقٌ بَشَرًا مِّن طِينٍ  فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي فَقَعُوا لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ

When your Lord said to the angels; Surely I am creating a human from clay. When I have made him even and breathed into him from My spirit, then you all fall down prostrating for him.”

The rebellious one, who does not bow down to this Allah’s khalifa, tries to justify himself by minusing the spirit of Allah, i.e he alludes only to the body form of khalifa and does not mention the spirit of Allah (which was the reason for the order of bowing down). The rebellious one tries to create confusion in matters of creations of Allah by making comparisons on the basis of self made criterion (e.g fire better than clay). Rebellious one till this day instead of bowing down to khalifa, tries to dissuade by making left and right side arguments, tries to create confusion in matters of creation and making false comparisons.

38:73-76  فَسَجَدَ الْمَلَائِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ اسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ  قَالَ يَا إِبْلِيسُ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَن تَسْجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَّ ۖ أَسْتَكْبَرْتَ أَمْ كُنتَ مِنَ الْعَالِينَ  قَالَ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِّنْهُ ۖ خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِن طِينٍ

So the angels prostrated, all of them together: Except Iblees, who sought greatness and became from the rejectors. He (Allah) said: O’ Iblees, what prevented you to prostrate to who I have created with my hands. Did you seek greatness or are you from the higher class? he (Iblees) said. “I am better than him, You have created me from fire, and created him from clay.”

The spirit comes with the order of Allah. The knowledge with the man-kind is limited.

17:85  وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ عَنِ الرُّوحِ ۖ قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا

They ask you about the spirit. Say: ” The spirit is from the order of my Lord and you are not given from the knowledge except only a little.”

The sprit is mentioned in singular form in Al-Quran. The below ayat mentions the spirit standing forth with the angles in ranks on a certain day. 

78:38  يَوْمَ يَقُومُ الرُّوحُ وَالْمَلَائِكَةُ صَفًّا ۖ لَّا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ إِلَّا مَنْ أَذِنَ لَهُ الرَّحْمَٰنُ وَقَالَ صَوَابًا

The day when the spirit and the angels will stand forth in ranks, none shall speak except any who is permitted by the most Gracious, and will say what is right.

70:4  تَعْرُجُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ وَالرُّوحُ إِلَيْهِ فِي يَوْمٍ كَانَ مِقْدَارُهُ خَمْسِينَ أَلْفَ سَنَةٍ

The angels and the spirit ascend unto him in a period/interval of time the measure whereof is fifty thousand years.

This could be at the time of the end of an era when the angels and the spirit ascends towards the Lord.

Notes;

A lecture by scholar Mohammad Shaikh about Rooh in Urdu:

Rooh (2008)