Al-Ruh — Rawzat

The Quranic Foundation

“And they ask you [O Prophet] about the Ruh. Say: The Ruh is from the command of my Lord (amr Rabbi). And of knowledge, you have been given only a little.” (17:85)

This verse is extraordinary in what it does and does not say:

It explicitly limits human knowledge of the Ruh
It attributes the Ruh to the divine’s amr (command) — the same word used for the divine’s creative act and for the Quran
It does NOT define the Ruh — making this one of the Quran’s intentional mysteries

Other Quranic uses of Ruh:

“And He breathed into [Adam] from His Ruh.” (32:9; also 15:29, 38:72) — the Ruh is what the divine breathed into Adam, making him alive.

“When I have proportioned him and breathed into him from My Ruh, then fall down to him in prostration.” (38:72) — the Ruh is what elevates Adam above the angels.

“And We breathed into [Maryam’s body] of Our Ruh, and she believed in the words of her Lord and His scriptures.” (66:12) — the Ruh animated ‘Isa (Jesus) in Maryam’s womb.

“The angels and the Ruh descend therein [Laylat al-Qadr] by permission of their Lord.” (97:4) — the Ruh is distinct from the angels and descends on the Night of Power.

See also: Spiritual Adam, Nubuwwa, Laylat Al Qadr

Ruh vs. Nafs: The Classical Distinction

Islamic theology distinguishes two key terms:

Al-Nafs (النَّفس — the self, soul, from nafasa: to breathe, to be precious):

The individuated self — the “I” that experiences, desires, acts
Can be purified (tazkiyat al-nafs) or corrupted
Three classical stages: Nafs al-Ammara (commanding evil), Nafs al-Lawwama (self-reproaching), Nafs al-Mutma’inna (tranquil soul)
The Quran’s “O tranquil soul (nafs mutma’inna), return to your Lord.” (89:27-28)

Al-Ruh (الرُّوح — the Spirit):

The divine breath that animates the nafs
Not individuated in the same way — it is from the divine’s amr
The Ruh’s relationship to the Nafs is like fire to fuel: the Ruh gives life to the Nafs
The Ruh is what returns to the divine at death; the Nafs goes to barzakh in its individuated form

The scholarly debate: Was the Ruh that was breathed into Adam the same Ruh that is in every human, or a special instance? Did the divine breathe a portion of the divine’s Ruh into Adam (and thus into humanity), or did the divine create a created ruh and breathe it in? The second position (created ruh) is preferred by classical Ash’ari and Maturidi theology to avoid any suggestion of divine attributes being literally present in the human.

The Ruh and Jibrail

In several Quranic passages and hadith, the Ruh and Jibrail (Gabriel) appear to be identified:

“The Trustworthy Spirit (al-Ruh al-Amin) has brought it [the Quran] down, upon your heart.” (26:193-194) — the “Trustworthy Spirit” is clearly Jibrail, the bearer of revelation.

“Supported by the Holy Spirit (Ruh al-Qudus)” (2:87, 2:253) — in reference to ‘Isa, whom Allah supported through Ruh al-Qudus.

The majority of classical scholars identify Ruh al-Qudus with Jibrail. But the question of why Jibrail is called “the Spirit” is itself a ta’wil question — what is the relationship between the spiritual reality called Ruh and the angelic being called Jibrail?

See also: Malaika Angels, Nubuwwa, Why The Quran

The Ismaili Ta’wil: Ruh as Universal Intellect

In the Ismaili cosmological framework, the Ruh (Ruh al-Kulliyy — the Universal Spirit) is the second primary hypostasis after the First Intellect:

The First Intellect (‘Aql al-Awwal): The first being originated by the divine’s absolute command (ibda’); perfect from the first moment; the cosmic Intellect.

The Universal Soul (al-Nafs al-Kulliyya) = the Quranic al-Ruh al-Kulliyy in the Ismaili reading: the second being in the cosmic hierarchy, originating from the First Intellect’s superabundance; containing the cosmic capacity for reception and generation; responsible for the motion of the heavens and the structuring of the material world.

The individual human Ruh: Each human soul contains a portion of the Universal Soul/Ruh — the divine breath (nafkha) that animates the material body. The human being’s spiritual goal is for this individual ruh to ascend back toward the Universal Soul and thence toward the First Intellect — the journey of return.

Why “from the command of my Lord”: The Ruh is from the amr (command) precisely because it is the hypostasis closest to the divine’s creative act. The amr is the divine’s creative fiat — the same word used in “Kun fa-yakun” (Be! and it is). The Ruh is the result of that command’s first ripple into existence.

The Ruh at Death and Return

“It is Allah who takes souls at the time of their death, and those that do not die [He takes] during their sleep. Then He keeps those for which He has decreed death and releases the others for a specified term. Indeed in that are signs for a people who give thought.” (39:42)

This verse reveals:

The Ruh is taken at death AND during deep sleep — every night is a mini-death
The divine returns most souls after sleep (which is why waking from sleep is a ni’ma — a blessing worth acknowledging with du’a’)
At actual death, the Ruh is retained and the soul enters barzakh

“And He is the Subduer over His servants, and He sends over you guardian-angels until, when death comes to one of you, Our messengers take him, and they do not fail [in their duties].” (6:61)

The malak al-mawt (Angel of Death, sometimes called ‘Izra’il) is the divine’s agent for taking the Ruh. The experience of dying differs: for the righteous, the Ruh is withdrawn gently (yanzi’u); for the wrongdoer, it is extracted harshly (yansi’u).

Al-Ruh — The Spirit in Islamic Theology

The Quranic Foundation

Ruh vs. Nafs: The Classical Distinction

The Ruh and Jibrail

The Ismaili Ta’wil: Ruh as Universal Intellect

The Ruh at Death and Return

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