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Quran Contradiction: The Identity of the Spirit and Gabriel
The Confusion Concerning Identity of the Spirit and Gabriel in the Quran
Sam Shamoun
Another Muslim website (*)
has taken aim at trying to refute some of the long list of Quran contradictions found on
our site (*). The first thing that one notices about this site is
that although they are clearly trying to refute our web page they fail to produce a link
to our site or section in general, or even a link to the specific article which they are
seeking to refute.
As the Lord Jesus permits and enables us to do so, we will be addressing some of their
responses and ignore those which we feel have already been addressed on our site. In this
present article, I will interact with their response
(*)
to our question whether it was Gabriel or the Holy Spirit that supposedly revealed the
Quran to Muhammad (*).
One thing that will immediately stick out from our discussion of this rebuttal is how
casual the author is in assuming his position without bothering to prove it. For instance,
the author will cite references that he thinks support his view without first proving that
his understanding of these texts is necessarily correct. He will cite a passage where he
thinks the word Ruh (Arabic for Spirit) refers to a human soul, but never explains
why he thinks it does. He basically assumes what he has yet to prove, which makes it a
little frustrating to deal with his points since there is not much to refute apart from
highlighting the circular nature of his argumentation.
The author proceeds to cite a list of references where Muslim commentators have
understood texts using the words "Holy Spirit," "Trustworthy Spirit"
as referring to Gabriel.
The author then cites and comments on the following narrations:
Al-Bukhari recorded `A'ishah saying that the Messenger
of Allah erected a Minbar in the Masjid on which Hassan bin Thabit (the renowned poet)
used to defend the Messenger of Allah (with his poems). The Messenger of Allah said,
"O Allah! Aid Hassan with Ruh Al-Qudus, for he defended Your Prophet."
(fn.
Fath Al-Bari 10:562).
Abu Dawud recorded this Hadith in his Sunan (fn. Abu
Dawud 5:279) as did At-Tirmidhi who graded it Hasan Sahih (fn. Tuhfat Al-Ahwadhi 8:137).
Further, Ibn Hibban recorded in his Sahih that Ibn Mas`ud said that the Prophet said,
"Ruh Al-Qudus informed me that no soul shall die until it finishes its set provisions
and term limit. Therefore, have Taqwa of Allah and seek your sustenance in the most
suitable way."(fn. See As-Sunnah 14:304).
(Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Abridged,
Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, 2000, vol. 1, pp. 288-289)
These narrations demonstrate that the correct understanding of the title "Ruh
Al-Qudus" (Holy Spirit) is that it was a title of Angel Jibreel. In another place,
Allah refers to him as Ruh Al-Ameen (the Trustworthy Spirit). Concerning this, Ibn Kathir
records:
(Which the trustworthy Ruh has brought down.) This refers to Jibril, peace be upon him. This was the view of
more than one of the Salaf: Ibn `Abbas, Muhammad bin Ka`b, Qatadah, `Atiyyah Al-`Awfi,
As-Suddi, Ad-Dahhak, Az-Zuhri and Ibn Jurayj. (fn. At-Tabari 19:396). This is an issue
concerning which there is no dispute . (Tafsir Ibn Kathir, Abridged,
Darussalam Publishers & Distributors, 2000, vol. 7, pp. 275-276)
Hence, it becomes clear that those who are close to Allah are honored by Him with
numerous titles, and so of the titles of Angel Jibreel is Ruh Al-Qudus and
Ruh Al-Ameen.
RESPONSE:
Here is what we mean by circular reasoning. Apart from citing a few sources which
believe the same way as the author does, what evidence has he given to prove that
Ruh Al-Qudus ("Holy Spirit") and Ruh Al-Ameen ("Faithful
Spirit") are some of the titles of Gabriel? No evidence whatsoever. Take another
example, namely his reference to Hassan being assisted by the Ruh Al-Qudus.
Does that particular narration identify the Spirit as Gabriel? Not at all. So where
is the author getting this from? How is he proving that these texts refer to Gabriel?
The last example is even worse. He cites a narration from Ibn Kathir where Gabriel is
identified as the trustworthy Spirit who brought down the revelation, i.e. the Quran.
Those reading the Quran should see why this argument is fallacious, since it erroneously
assumes that Allah used only one entity to bring down the message. The reality is that
the Quran itself asserts that Allah used several entities to convey the revelation,
not just one:
Say ‘Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel’ - for he it is who has caused it
to descend on thy heart by the command of ALLAH, fulfilling that revelation
which precedes it, and is a guidance and glad tidings to the believers. S. 2:97 Sher Ali
By THOSE who bring down the Reminder, S. 77:5 Pickthall
Then I swear by the angels who bring down the revelation, Shakir
The Reminder refers to the Quran:
And they say: O you to whom the Reminder has been revealed! you are most surely insane:
S. 15:6 Shakir
He sendeth down the ANGELS with the Spirit of His command unto whom He
will of His bondmen, (saying): Warn mankind that there is no God save Me, so keep your
duty unto Me. S. 16:2 Pickthall
Say: The Holy spirit has revealed it from your Lord with the truth, that
it may establish those who believe and as a guidance and good news for those who submit.
S. 16:102 Shakir
These passages say that the Holy Spirit, Gabriel, and the angels (plural!) all brought
down the Quran. In light of this, since there is more than one entity that supposedly
conveyed the inspiration to Muhammad on what grounds then does the author thereby assume
that Gabriel is the trustworthy Spirit? We will have a lot more to say about these
references shortly.{1}
He continues:
2. Critics attempt to prove that the spirit does not refer to Jibreel by quoting verses
of the Qur'an that contain the word Ruh (spirit) but could not possibly be
referring to Angel Jibreel because of the context. In these cases, the critics fail to
realize that the word Ruh has several different usages in the Qur'an with a wide
range of meanings. The word Ruh most commonly refers to the human soul in religious
literature, especially the Qur'an and the Sunnah. However, it sometimes refers to other
than the human soul as Shaykh Abu Bilal Mustafa Al-Kanadi explains:
Just as the term "nafs" has several
different connotations, so does the term "ruh." It is never used to refer
to the physical body (badan) alone or to the soul when it is inside the body.
Rather, it has various other usages in the Arabic language and in religious literature.
(fn. See al-Tahawiyyah, pp. 444-445 and Kitab al-Ruh, pp.295-296). In the
following words of Allah to His Messenger (saws), it is used to mean revelation,
specifically the Qur'an:
"And thus We revealed to you a spirit [i.e., the
Qur'an] by Our command."
(Surah al-Shura, 42:52)
In other places in the Qur'an the word "ruh"
is used to designate the Angel Jibreel, whom Allah entrusted with the conveyance of divine
revelation. For example:
"Verily, this [Qur'an] is a revelation of the Lord
of the Worlds brought down by the trustworthy spirit [i.e., Jibril]."
(Surah al-Shu'ara; 26:192-193)
RESPONSE:
To begin with, we do not deny that the term Ruh can have a broader range of
meaning. Our point was, as the author himself noted, that there is no specific context
within the Quran which identifies the Ruh as Gabriel. To, therefore, raise the
issue of Ruh having a broad range of meanings is nothing more than a straw man
and a red herring.
Furthermore, none of the texts cited lead us to conclude that Ruh means
something other than the Holy Spirit. Note for instance Sura 42:52 again:
And thus We revealed to you a Spirit by Our command.
All that this passage is saying is that Allah commanded the Spirit to reveal himself or
make known the revelation, no more no less. This is quite similar to what the following
texts say:
He sends the angels with the Spirit to carry His orders to whichever of
His servants He wants so that they would warn people that He is the only God and that
people must have fear of Him S. 16:2 Muhammad Sarwar
They ask thee concerning the Spirit (of inspiration). Say: "The Spirit
(cometh) by command of my Lord: of knowledge it is only a little that is
communicated to you, (O men!)" S. 17:85 Y. Ali
Thus, the Quran is simply emphasizing the point that it is Allah that commands the
Spirit to come down and reveal the inspiration. Hence, Sura 42:52 is not identifying the
Quran or the revelation as a spirit.
We already discussed Sura 26:192-193 so there is no need for us to repeat ourselves.
After mentioning the point that the word Ruh can refer to the senses and forces
in the human body, but failing to provide any Quranic reference to support this position,
he then writes:
Finally, the term "ruh" is sometimes used in
an extremely restricted sense - to designate the spirit of faith which results from one's
knowledge of Allah, from turning to him in repentance and from seeking Him with love
and aspiration. This is the spirit (i.e. consciousness of God) with which Allah strengthens
His obedient, chosen servants as stated in the following Qur'anic verse:
"For those, Allah has written faith upon their
hearts and strengthened them with a spirit from Him."
(Surah
al-Mujadilah, 58:22)
In this manner, knowledge is a "ruh" ("spiritual
force"), as is sincerity, truthfulness, repentance, love of Allah and complete dependence
upon Him. People differ in respect to these types of spiritual forces. Some are so overcome
by them that they become "spiritual" beings. Thus it is said, "So and so has
spirit." Others lose the power of such spiritual forces, or the greater portion
thereof, and thus become earthly, bestial beings. (fn. For more details, see Lawami'
al-Anwar, pp. 31-32; al-Tahawiyyah, p. 445 and Kitab al-Ruh, p. 297).
About them it may be said, "So and so has no spirit; he's empty like a hollow
reed," and so on. (Mustafa Al-Kanadi, Mysteries of the Soul
Expounded, Al-Hidaayah Publishing & Distribution 2003, pp.21-23)
RESPONSE:
The author astonishingly claims that Sura 58:22 is speaking of the spirit of faith
DESPITE THE FACT THAT THIS SAME TEXT DISTINGUISHES FAITH FROM THE SPIRIT! The two are not
seen as being one and the same, but as two different entities or qualities which Allah
bestows on believers. Notice the clear wording of the passage:
You will not find any people of faith in God and the Day of Judgment who would
establish friendship with those who oppose God and His Messenger, even if it would be in
the interest of their fathers, sons, brothers, and kinsmen. God has established faith
in their hearts AND supported them by a Spirit from Himself. S. 58:22
Sarwar
Allah establishes faith in the hearts of believers AND STRENGTHENS THEM WITH A SPIRIT
FROM HIMSELF, clearly showing that the Spirit here doesn’t refer to faith. Yusuf Ali
correctly realized the implications of this text in trying to understand what or who the
Spirit truly is:
… Cf. ii 87 and 253, where it is said that God strengthened the Prophet Jesus with
the holy spirit. Here we learn that all good and righteous men are strengthened by God
with the holy spirit. If anything, the phrase used here is stronger, ‘a spirit
from Himself’. Whenever any one offers his heart in faith and purity to God, God
accepts it, engraves that faith on the seeker's heart, and further fortifies him with
the DIVINE Spirit, which we can no more define adequately than we can define in human
language the nature of God. (Ali, The Meaning of the Holy Quran, p. 1518, fn.
5365; bold and capital emphasis ours) {2}
It is not hard to see why Ali could dare call this Spirit Divine and say that it cannot
be adequately defined, thereby likening it to the very nature of God. After all, the only
way that the Spirit can be with all believers to strengthen them is if he has the
specific attributes of omnipotence and omnipresence, that he is all-powerful and
all-present. Yet only God is omnipotent and omnipresent, therefore proving that the Spirit
is God. At the same time the Quran also shows that the Spirit is distinct from Allah,
which means that there are either two Gods or that Allah is multipersonal!
The author resumes his analysis:
Thus, when the term Ruh appears in the Qur'an, it may refer to the human soul,
it may refer to Angel Jibreel, it may refer to attributes of faith which God blesses
someone with, or it may refer to the Qur'an. We cannot, as critics incorrectly do,
conclude that since some verses of the Qur'an use ruh in one sense, therefore all
verses must conform to that same meaning of the word ruh. Such a notion would be
illogical as it ignores the various meanings already associated with the word, as well as
the explanation found in the Ahadith and the understanding of the early Muslim scholars.
The verses cited with the word Ruh include the following:
15:29 "When I have fashioned him [Adam] (in
due proportion) and breathed into him a Ruh from Me, fall ye down in obedience[sic]
unto him."
21:91 And (remember) her [Mary] who guarded
her chastity: We breathed into her a Ruh from Us, and We made her and her son a sign for
all peoples.
32:9 But He fashioned him [the human] in due
proportion, and breathed into him the Ruh from Him. And He gave you (the faculties of)
hearing and sight and feeling (and understanding): little thanks do ye give!
38:72 "When I have fashioned him (in due
proportion) and breathed into him a Ruh from Me, fall ye down in obeisance unto him."
66:12 And Mary the daughter of 'Imran, who
guarded her chastity; and We breathed into (her body) a Ruh from Us; and she testified to
the truth of the words of her Lord and of His Revelations, and was one of the devout
(servants).
In all the above verses, the word Ruh can easily be understood as a reference to
the human soul. Allah informs us that He breathed the Ruh into Adam, and into Mary
(to give life to Jesus), just as He breathes the Ruh into every human being. ...
RESPONSE:
Here is another example of circular reasoning. The author has assumed, without proof,
that all the above references refer to Allah creating the soul of a person. In reality
these passages are speaking of Allah using his own Spirit to create living beings, that
the Spirit is the Agent that Allah uses to animate his creatures. Just as the late Maulana
Muhammad Ali correctly noted in his comments on Sura 15:29:
29a. This shows that man is made complete when the Divine spirit
is breathed into him. It should be noted that the Divine spirit (Ar. ruh) does
not mean here the animal soul in man, but the Spirit of Allah, that
gives him perfection. (Source;
bold and underline emphasis ours)
He repeats this point in his note on Sura 32:9:
9a. This verse shows that the spirit of God is breathed into every man. This
points to a mystical relation between human nature and Divine nature. The word ruh
does not here mean the animal soul, because the animal soul is common to man
and the animal kingdom. It is something that distinguishes man from the animal world. It
is due to the spirit Divine that he rules creation and its due to the
same Divine spirit in him that he receives a new life after death – a life
which he lives in God and with God – the meeting with God or liqa Allah, as it
is called in v. 10. (Source;
bold and underline emphasis ours)
Here is another Muslim that unapologetically speaks of there being a Divine Spirit!
The above Quranic texts are merely echoing the biblical teaching that man became a
living being, a living soul, when God breathed into him the Holy Spirit:
"then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his
nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." Genesis 2:7
"The spirit of God HAS MADE ME, and the breath of the Almighty gives
me life." Job 33:4
What this essentially means is that God’s own Holy Spirit was the Agent that God
used to make man a conscious being, as opposed to inanimate clay. In other words, the
Spirit is God’s Life force that imparts life to all of God’s creatures, just as
the following texts state:
"When you send forth your Spirit, they are created; and you renew the face
of the earth." Psalm 104:30
"For the palace will be forsaken, the populous city deserted; the hill and the
watchtower will become dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks; until
the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
and the fruitful field is deemed a forest." Isaiah 32:14-15
"If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you,
he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through
his Spirit which dwells in you." Romans 8:11
Furthermore, cross-referencing Suras 21:91 and 66:12 with Sura 19:16-19 provides
additional support for our position that the Spirit in these references does not refer to
man’s soul:
And mention Marium in the Book when she drew aside from her family to an eastern place;
So she took a veil (to screen herself) from them; then We sent to her Our spirit,
and there appeared to her a well-made man. She said: Surely I fly for refuge from
you to the Beneficent God, if you are one guarding (against evil). He said: I am only a
messenger of your Lord: That I WILL GIVE YOU a pure boy. She said: When shall I
have a boy and no mortal has yet touched me, nor have I been unchaste? He said: Even so;
your Lord says: It is easy to Me: and that We may make him a sign to men and a mercy from
Us, and it is a matter which has been decreed. S. 19:16-21 Shakir
Allah’s Spirit appears to Mary as a man and promises to give her a son, implying
that he will be the one to create Jesus in his mother’s womb. An analysis of Suras 21:91
and 66:12 shows how the Spirit accomplished this task:
And (remember) her [Mary] who guarded her chastity: We breathed into her a Ruh
from Us, and We made her and her son a sign for all peoples. S. 21:91
And Mary the daughter of 'Imran, who guarded her chastity; and We breathed into (her
body) a Ruh from Us; and she testified to the truth of the words of her Lord and
of His Revelations, and was one of the devout (servants). S. 66:12
It is obvious why Allah breathed the Spirit into Mary’s body, since this was the
way in which she was going to get pregnant! In other words, the Spirit gave Mary a son by
being breathed into her, at which point he then caused her to conceive the baby Jesus.
Thus, the Spirit that appeared to Mary is the same Spirit which later entered her body to
create a living being in her womb! This shows that the Spirit here cannot be a reference
to man’s created soul, but to God’s own Spirit as Creator and Life-giver.
In fact, the author himself indirectly concedes this point when he will later try to
prove that the Muslim commentators’ claim that Gabriel actually breathed into
Mary’s body doesn’t make him God. This presupposes that he accepts the view that
it was indeed Gabriel who actually breathed into Mary. This is significant because
according to the same commentators who identified Gabriel as the entity that breathed into
Mary, Gabriel was also that same Spirit of Surah 19 who announced the birth of Christ to
her:
<She placed a screen before them;> This means that she hid herself from them and
concealed herself. Then, Allah sent Jibril to her…
<and he appeared before her in the form of a man in all respects.> [19:17] This
means that he came to her in the form of a perfect and complete man. Mujahid, Ad-Dahhak,
Qatadah, Ibn Jurayj, Wahb bin Munabbih and As-Suddi all commented on Allah’s
statement…
<then We sent to her Our Ruh,> "It means Jibril." …
<She said: "Verily, I seek refuge with the Most Gracious from you, if you do
fear Allah."> This means that when the angel (Jibril) appeared to
her in the form of a man, while she was in a place secluded by herself with a partition
between her and her people, she was afraid of him and thought that he wanted to rape her.
Therefore, she said…
<"Verily, I seek refuge with the Most Gracious from you, if you do fear
Allah." He said: "I am only a messenger from your Lord…"> This
means that the angel said to her in response, and in order to remove the
fear that she felt within herself, "I am not what you think, but I am the messenger
of your Lord." By this he meant, "Allah has sent me to you." It is said
that when she mentioned the (Name of the) Most Beneficent (Ar-Rahman), Jibril
fell apart and returned to his true form (as an angel). He responded… ‘I am only
a messenger from your Lord, to provide to you the gift of a righteous son.’ …
<He said: "Thus said your Lord: ‘That is easy for Me
(Allah)…’"> This means that the angel said to her in
response to her question, "Verily, Allah has said that a boy will be born from you
even though you do not have a husband and you have not committed any lewdness. Verily, He
is Most Able to do whatever He wills." …
<and a mercy from Us,> This means, "We will make this boy a mercy from Allah
and a Prophet from among the Prophets. He will call to the worship of Allah and monotheistic
belief in Him… (Tafsir Ibn Kathir; online
source; bold and underline emphasis ours)
Note what this implies. The Spirit, whom the commentators identify as Gabriel, says he
will give Mary a Son, and the commentators also state that Gabriel was the one who
breathed into Mary to get her pregnant. This demonstrates that Muslims themselves realized
that the wording of Sura 19:19 meant that the Spirit is the Creator of Jesus, that he was
sent for the purpose of causing a virgin maiden to conceive supernaturally. For instance,
notice what the translator Maulana Abdul Majid Muhammad Daryabadi said regarding S. 21:91:
207. (through Our arch-angel Gabriel).
208. (which caused her conception). (Tafsir-Ul-Qur’an Translation and
Commentary of the Holy Qur’an [Darul-Ishaat Urdu Bazar, Karachi-1, Pakistan;
First Edition, 1991], Volume III, p. 151)
He repeats this again in his notes on Sura 66:12 (Ibid., Volume IV, p. 384, ff. 471-472).
Daryabadi is saying here that Allah breathed through Gabriel to cause Mary’s conception,
which basically implies that Gabriel created Jesus.
The writers at www.Islamqa.com agree:
1. Allaah commanded Jibreel to blow through the neck of Maryam's garment,
and this breath went down and by the will of Allaah entered her womb, so it became
a soul that Allaah had created. Allaah has explained how He created 'Eesaa
(peace be upon him), as He said (interpretation of the meaning):
"And she who guarded her chastity [Virgin Maryam (Mary)], We breathed
into (the sleeves of) her (shirt or garment) [through Our Rooh - Jibreel (Gabriel)]"
[al-Anbiya' 21:91]
Then Allaah explains that the Rooh reached her womb, as Allaah says
(interpretation of the meaning):
"And Maryam (Mary), the daughter of 'Imraan who guarded her chastity.
And We breathed into (the sleeve of her shirt or her garment) through Our Rooh
[i.e. Jibreel (Gabriel)]". [al-Tahreem 66:12]
The aayah (interpretation of the meaning):
"(The angel) said: 'I am only a messenger from your Lord, (to announce)
to you the gift of a righteous son'" [Maryam 19:19] - indicates that the
one who blew into her was Jibreel, who does not do anything except by the
command of Allaah. (Question #6333:
How
was 'Eesaa (peace be upon him) created?; underline emphasis ours)
Thus, the commentators were right that Sura 19:19 implies that the Spirit was sent
to create Jesus. Where they were mistaken was in assuming that the Spirit was Gabriel,
a position which is quite damaging to the Quran as we will later see.
The author proceeds with his discussion:
... There is some confusion because the arabic[sic] phrase attributes the Ruh
to Allah, which lead some translators to render the verses as "[God's] Spirit".
However, the reason the soul is attributed to God is because it is the creation of God and
belongs to Him. This is exactly the same as the Qur'anic verse that says:
91:13 But the Messenger of Allah [Prophet Saalih pbuh]
said to them: "It is a She-camel of Allah [Ar. Naaqat-Allahi]. And (bar her not from)
having her drink!"
Just as the miraculous camel presented to the Thamud, which was the creation of Allah
and one of His special signs, is attributed to Allah, so is the Ruh which is blown
into every human being. Both are attributed to Allah as a sign of their miraculous nature
and the fact that they are the direct creation of Allah.
RESPONSE:
Yet again the author has assumed what he has yet to prove! He assumes that the Spirit
is created much like the camel of Thamud, thereby explaining the genitive on the basis
that since it is a creation of Allah it therefore belongs to him.
On the contrary, the evidence that we have seen thus far proves that the Spirit is not
a creature, but the Creator, and that the genitive should therefore be understood in the
same manner as the following:
And ordain for us good in this world, as well as in the next; we have turned to Thee
with repentance.' ALLAH replied, `I will inflict MY punishment on whom I will; but MY
mercy encompasses all things; so I will ordain it for those who act righteously
and pay the Zakaat and those who believe in Our Signs - S. 7:156 Sher Ali
Those who disbelieve in the revelations of Allah and in (their) Meeting with Him, such
have no hope of My mercy. For such there is a painful doom. S. 29:23
Pickthall
And certainly apostles before you were rejected, but they were patient on being
rejected and persecuted until Our help came to them; and there is none to change the
words of Allah, and certainly there has come to you some information about the
messengers. S. 6:34 Shakir
And if anyone of the idolaters seeks protection of thee, grant him protection
so that he may hear the Word of ALLAH (kalama Allahi);
then convey him to his place of security. That is because they are a people
who have no knowledge. S. 9:6 Sher Ali
Perfected is the Word of thy Lord in truth and justice. There is naught
that can change His words. He is the Hearer, the Knower. S. 6:115 Pickthall
For them are glad tidings in the present life and also in the Hereafter - there is
no changing the words of ALLAH - that indeed is the supreme achievement.
S. 10:64 Sher Ali
And recite that which hath been revealed unto thee of the Scripture of thy Lord. There
is none who can change His words, and thou wilt find no refuge beside Him.
S. 18:27 Pickthall
Say, `If every ocean become ink for the words of my Lord, surely, the
ocean would be exhausted before the words of my Lord were exhausted, even
though WE brought the like thereof as further help.' S. 18:109 Sher Ali
And were every tree that is in the earth (made into) pens and the sea (to supply it
with ink), with seven more seas to increase it, the words of Allah would
not come to an end; surely Allah is Mighty, Wise. S. 31:27 Shakir
Allah’s mercy, his words etc., are qualities that he eternally possesses.
Likewise, the Spirit is one of those qualities, aspects, entities etc., which eternally
resides with Allah. The Spirit is clearly not a creation of Allah’s.
The author now quotes Muhammad Asad on verses 21:91 and 4:171:
AND [remember] her who guarded her chastity, whereupon We breathed
into her of Our spirit [This allegorical expression, used here
with reference to Mary’s conception of Jesus, has been widely - and erroneously -
interpreted as relating specifically to his birth. As a matter of fact, the Quran uses the
same expression in three other places with reference to the creation of man in general -
namely in 15: 29 and 38:72, "when I have formed him… and breathed into him of My
spirit" and in 32: 9, "and thereupon He forms [lit., "formed"] him
fully and breathes [lit., "breathed’’] into him of His spirit". In
particular, the passage of which the last-quoted phrase is a part (i.e., 32: 7 - 9) makes
it abundantly and explicitly clear that God "breathes of His spirit" into every
human being. Commenting on the verse under consideration, Zamakhshari states that
"the breathing of the spirit [of God] into a body signifies the endowing it with
life’’: an explanation with which Razi concurs. (In this connection, see also
note on 4: 171.) (Asad, Message of the Qur'an,
The Book Foundation 2003)
Note Zamakhshari’s words carefully:
… Zamakhshari states that "the breathing of the spirit [of God] into a body
signifies the endowing it with life’’: an explanation with which Razi
concurs …
This is precisely what we said above, that God endows man with life through the agency
of his Spirit, implying that the Spirit is the Life force which animates God’s creation.
And on verse 4:171, Muhammad Asad notes:
As regards the expression, "a soul from Him"
or "created by Him", it is to be noted that among the various meanings which the
word ruh bears in the Qur’an (e.g., "inspiration" in 2: 87 and 253), it is
also used in its primary significance of "breath of life", "soul", or
"spirit": thus, for instance, in 32: 9, where the ever-recurring evolution of
the human embryo is spoken of: "and then He forms him [i.e., man] and breathes into
him of His spirit" - that is, endows him with a conscious soul which represents God's
supreme gift to man and is, therefore, described as "a breath of His spirit". In
the verse under discussion, which stresses the purely human nature of Jesus and refutes
the belief in his divinity, the Qur’an points out that Jesus, like all other human
beings, was "a soul created by Him".
(Asad, Message of the Qur'an,
The Book Foundation 2003)
Thus, there is no conflict between these verses and the verses about Angel Jibreel as
these describe the Ruh as a soul being breathed into human beings. It is simply
another meaning of the word Ruh.
RESPONSE:
Asad’s comments do not address anything but actually distort the facts. In the
first place, Sura 4:171 does not say that Jesus is a soul from or created by Allah. That
is a blatant perversion of what the Arabic really teaches, since it actually says that
Jesus is A SPIRIT FROM Allah!
People of the Book, do not exaggerate in [practising] your religion and tell nothing
except the Truth about God. Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, was merely God's messenger and
His word which He cast into Mary, and a spirit [proceeding] from Him. T.B. Irving
The text explicitly identifies Christ as the Word of Allah which was cast into Mary and
a Spirit which proceeded from him. The natural reading and obvious implication of these
statements is that the Quran’s author truly believed that Jesus existed as a Spirit
even before Mary had conceived his human body. The only reason anyone would seek to deny
this would be due to an a priori position which says that Jesus could not have had
a prehuman existence and/or that the Quran is theologically consistent.
Secondly, the Quran itself proves that Jesus IS DEFINTELY NOT "like all other
humans," since no other human is said to be a Spirit from Allah, no other human being
is said to be the Word of Allah, no other human is said to have been conceived in the womb
of a virgin maiden, and no other human being’s mother is said to have been chosen
above all women. Thus, Jesus is clearly UNLIKE any other human being even by the
Quran’s teachings!
As it stands, there is A HUGE conflict between these verses and the verses about Angel
Gabriel as none of the texts cited by the author describe the Ruh as a soul that is
breathed into human beings. It is simply NOT another meaning of the word Ruh.
The author now seeks to deal with the deification of Gabriel whom Muslims claimed was
the one that breathed into Mary:
3. Some Qur'anic commentators also mentioned about verses 21:91 and 66:12 that Angel
Jibreel was sent to Mary to breathe the Ruh into her, by God's command. Some people
have erroneously concluded from this interpretation that Jibreel is must be the speaker
when the verse says "We breathed into her of Our Spirit" because he is the one
who breathes the soul into her. This conclusion is false because the Qur'an often
attributes the actions of the Angels to God Himself, as explained in previous articles,
such as Who Takes the Soul at the Time of Death.
The Angels act by the command of Allah and they themselves belong to Allah, hence Angel
Jibreel's action of breathing the Ruh into Mary would be attributed to Allah. In
fact, in all the verses which state that God breathes the Ruh into human beings, it
is reasonable to assume that this occurs through the work of the Angels, the servants of
Allah. This is similar to the hadith:
Abdullah ibn Masood said: "The Messenger of Allaah
(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him), who is the most truthful (of human beings)
and his being truthful (is a fact) told us: ‘The constituents of one of you is
gathered in his mother’s womb for forty days, then it becomes an Alaqah within
another period of forty days. Then it becomes a Mudghah, and forty days later,
Allaah sends His angel to it to breathe into it the Ruh. The angel comes with
instructions concerning four things, so the angel writes down his livelihood, his death,
his deeds and whether he will doomed or blessed."
(Sahih Muslim Book 33, #6893).
For an explanation of the embryological terms
involved in the hadith, please read here.
From this hadith we can see that the standard process in the creation of
all human beings involves an angel who breathes the soul into the human body, even though
the action is still attributed to Allah who states that He breathes the soul into the
body.
RESPONSE:
The author’s comments are brimming with errors and mistakes. First, the author
assumes that Suras 21:91 and 66:12 refers to Allah breathing the human soul into a person.
We have already seen why this is incorrect since these texts are referring to Allah’s
Spirit being breathed into Mary in order to create life in her womb. These passages are
not speaking of the human spirit which Allah creates, but to Allah’ very own Spirit
as Creator and Life-giver.
Second, his appeal to the hadith actually backfires against him since there it
explicitly mentions an angel. Yet none of the Quranic texts say that Allah breathed of his
Spirit into Mary by using an angel, or specifically through Gabriel. Hence, this hadith
shows that if the Quran wanted to indicate that Allah used an angelic intermediary to
cause Mary to conceive then it could have simply done so by explicitly mentioning either
the word angel or the name Gabriel.
Third, the only reason why the author assumes that the Quran attributes the actions of
an angel to Allah is because there are verses which say that Allah performs a specific act
but then mentions angels doing that same specific function as well. Take for example the
author’s appeal to his article regarding who takes the souls of individuals at death.
The author reasons that since the Quran says that Allah and the angels take the souls of
the deceased this therefore implies that the actions of one can be attributed to the
other. The reader should be able to see the problems with the author’s assertion.
The first problem is that the author assumes that these texts are conciliatory and not
contradictory. The other major problem is that this particular example ends up working
against the author.
For instance, the Quran does indeed mention that angels are involved in taking the
souls of the deceased, BUT IT NEVER SAYS THAT ANGELS ARE USED TO CREATE A PERSON’S
SOUL. In fact, if the Quran hadn’t stated that the angels take a person’s soul
the author would have never known this. Hence, the author’s statements are nothing
more than a classic example of circular reasoning since he assumes that the Spirit that
was breathed into Mary was Gabriel, and further assumes that the hadith that he cited
doesn’t conflict with the Quran.
This now leads us to our next point. The Quran, by way of rebuking the Christians and
idolaters, claims that none of those that they called upon and worshiped could create,
give life, or cause to die:
Is He then Who creates like him who does not create? Do you not then mind? …
And those whom they call on besides Allah have not created anything while they are
themselves created; Dead (are they), not living, and they know not when they shall
be raised. S. 16:17, 20-21 Shakir
And they have taken besides Him gods, who do not create anything while
they are themselves created, and they control not for themselves any harm or profit, and
they control not death nor life, nor raising (the dead) to life. S. 25:3 Shakir
The Quran even rebukes and warns individuals from venerating and calling on angels,
which presupposes that angels were being worshiped:
And he commanded you not that ye should take the angels and the prophets
for lords. Would he command you to disbelieve after ye had surrendered (to Allah)? S. 3:80 Pickthall
Say: Cry unto those (saints and angels) whom ye assume (to be gods) beside Him, yet
they have no power to rid you of misfortune nor to change. Those unto whom they cry seek
the way of approach to their Lord, which of them shall be the nearest; they
hope for His mercy and they fear His doom. Lo! the doom of thy Lord is to be shunned. S.
17:56-57 Pickthall
According to the Quran, some of those nearest to Allah include both Jesus and the angels:
Behold! the angels said: "O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him:
his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the
Hereafter and of (the company of) those nearest to God; S. 3:45 Y. Ali
The Messiah does by no means disdain that he should be a servant of Allah, nor do
the angels who are near to Him, and whoever disdains His service and is proud, He
will gather them all together to Himself. S. 4:172 Shakir
Thus, we can conclude from the foregoing that Sura 17:56-57 is referring to the
veneration given to Christ and the angels by unbelievers. Ibn Kathir confirms this
exegesis in his comments on Sura 17:56:
<Say: "Call upon those whom you pretend> Al-`Awfi reported from Ibn
‘Abbas, "The people of Shirk used to say, ‘we worship the angels
and the Messiah and ‘Uzayr,’ while these (the angels and the Messiah and
‘Uzayr) themselves call upon Allah." …
<Those whom they call upon, desire) Al-Bukhari recorded from Sulayman bin Mahran
Al-A’mash, from Ibrahim, from Abu Ma’mar, from ‘Abdullah …
<Those whom they call upon, desire a means of access to their Lord,> "Some
of the Jinn used to be worshipped, then they became Muslims.'' According to another
report: "Some humans used to worship some of the Jinn, then those Jinn became Muslim,
but those humans adhered to their religion (of worshipping the Jinn)."
(online source;
bold emphasis ours)
Ibn Kathir wrote regarding another text (cf. Sura 21:98-103) that:
<Verily, those for whom the good has preceded from Us.> It was said that this
referred to the angels and ‘Isa, and others who are worshipped instead
of Allah. This was the view of ‘Ikrimah, Al-Hasan and Ibn Jurayj. Muhammad bin
Ishaq bin Yasar said in his book of Sirah: "According to what I have heard, the
Messenger of Allah sat down one day with Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah in the Masjid, and
An-Nadr bin Al-Harith came and sat down with them. There were also other men of Quraysh in
the Masjid. The Messenger of Allah spoke, then An-Nadr bin Al-Harith came up to him and
the Messenger of Allah spoke to him until he defeated him in argument. Then he recited to
him and to them, …
<and therein they will hear not.> Then the Messenger of Allah got up and went to
sit with ‘Abdullah bin Al-Zab’ari As-Sahmi. Al-Walid bin Al-Mughirah said to
‘Abdullah bin Al-Zab’ari, "By Allah, An-Nadr bin Al-Harith could not match
the son of ‘Abd Al-Muttalib in argument. Muhammad claims that we and these gods that
we worship are fuel for Hell."' ‘Abdullah bin Az-Zab’ari said: "By
Allah, if I meet with him I will defeat him in argument. Ask Muhammad whether everyone
that is worshipped instead of Allah will be in Hell with those who worshipped him, for
we worship the angels, and the Jews worship ‘Uzayr, and the Christians
worship Al-Masih, ‘Isa bin Maryam." Al-Walid and those who were sitting with him
were amazed at what ‘Abdullah bin Az-Zab’ari said, and they thought that he had
come up with a good point. He said this to the Messenger of Allah, who said …
(online source;
bold, italic and underline emphasis ours)
Let us now take a moment to reflect on the implications these references have on the
author’s position. The Quran rebukes unbelievers for worshiping beings that cannot
create nor give life nor cause death. The author, however, is trying to prove that Allah
uses angels to create life, and even cited a hadith to support this view. Instead of
solving the dilemma, the author has actually ended up falsifying the Quran by his
comments. This now leaves him with one of two options: He must either accept the fact that
he and the hadith he narrated are correct regarding angels creating life, which means that
the Quran is wrong. Or he must accept that the Quran is right that angels cannot create,
which means that both he and his narration are wrong.
It gets even worse for the Quran and for the author. The Quran plainly teaches that
angels bring death upon a person, which means that they do indeed cause death!
Verily, those whom the angels cause to die while they are wronging their
own souls, the angels will say to them: ‘What were you after?’ They will say:
‘We were treated as weak in the land.’ The angels will say, ‘Was not
ALLAH's earth spacious enough so that you could have emigrated therein?’ It is these
whose abode shall be Hell, and an evil destination it is; 4:97 Sher Ali
Those whom the angels CAUSE TO DIE while they are unjust to themselves.
Then would they offer submission: We used not to do any evil. Aye! surely Allah knows what
you did. … Those whom the angels CAUSE TO DIE in a good state, saying:
Peace be on you: enter the garden for what you did. S. 16:28, 32 Shakir
Say, `The angel of death that has been put in charge of you will cause you to die;
then to your Lord will you be brought back.' S. 32:11 Sher Ali
These references directly contradict the ones stating that those whom the unbelievers
call upon cannot cause death since they clearly can.
Before we proceed further into our discussion it is vital that we summarize the
problems that have been raised in this particular section:
- The Quran says that the beings that the unbelievers were calling upon cannot create
and cannot cause death.
- Some of these beings that the unbelievers worshiped included the angels.
- The author cited a hadith which says that Allah uses an angel to create the soul
of a human being during its formation in the womb.
- The Quran even teaches that angels can cause persons to die.
- Therefore, not only are the hadiths contradicting the Quran, but the Quran
is also contradicting itself.
The author seeks to interact with the passages where the Spirit is distinguished from
the angels:
4. Other passages used by critics to argue that the Holy Spirit is not Gabriel include:
78:38 The Day that the Spirit and the angels will
stand forth in ranks, none shall speak except any who is permitted by (God) Most Gracious,
and He will say what is right.