Soul(Spirit) verse
Verse 85 of Surah Al-Isra is called the “Verse of the Spirit” (Ayat al-Ruh): “And they ask you about the spirit. Say, ‘The spirit is of the affair of my Lord, and you have not been given of knowledge except a little'” (Quran 17:85).
Regarding the context of this verse’s revelation, it is mentioned in the commentary of Abul Futuh Razi: Abdullah ibn Mas’ud said: “We were walking with the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) when we encountered a group of Jews in Madinah. Some of them said: ‘Let us ask him about the spirit.’ Others said: ‘Do not ask.’ Abdullah said: ‘I was behind him when revelation descended upon the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). He then turned to the Jews and recited this verse to them.'”
Allamah Tabatabai states: It has been narrated from Abdullah ibn Mas’ud and Abdurrahman ibn Abdullah ibn Umm Maktum that the Jews of Madinah asked about this verse, and the verse was revealed in Madinah. However, the Meccan nature of the surah and the coherence of the verses following this verse do not align with this view. Therefore, according to the narration in Al-Durr al-Manthur, we must accept that the question was posed by the polytheists under the guidance of the Jews in Makkah, and this verse is Meccan.
In the Quran, the term “spirit” (ruh) has been used in the following meanings:
- The Holy Spirit (Quran 2:253);
- Divine spiritual power (Quran 58:22);
- The special angel of revelation (Quran 26:193);
- A great angel (Quran 97:4);
- The Quran (Quran 42:52);
- The human soul (Quran 32:9).
The meaning of “spirit” in this verse refers to the human soul, which distinguishes humans from animals and is the highest source of human honor, from which all their power and activity originate.
[1] Tafsir Nemuneh, vol. 12, p. 250; Rawd al-Jinan wa Ruh al-Jinan fi Tafsir al-Quran, vol. 12, pp. 363-364; Al-Mizan fi Tafsir al-Quran, vol. 13, pp. 195-200; Al-Tafsir al-Kabir, vol. 21, pp. 36-52.
Broader Concept(s)