Appearance
Inquiry About the Spirit
“And they ask you about the spirit. Say: The spirit is of the command of my Lord, and you are not given of knowledge but a little” ().
This verse, seemingly simple in its response to questions about the rūḥ (spirit), carries profound theological and metaphysical implications. ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī’s exegesis examines the spirit’s essence, its origin, and its relationship with divine command (amr), revealing its role as a unique creation that transcends the material realm and connects the human being to the divine.
To begin with, the nature of rūḥ is explored from a linguistic and functional perspective. While the word rūḥ is often understood as the animating principle of life, enabling sensation, thought, and voluntary action, its Qur’anic usage extends far beyond this. The Qur’an employs rūḥ in multiple contexts, suggesting a force that is not limited to the biological or physical domain. It is described as a manifestation of divine will, bringing life, knowledge, and guidance. In certain verses, revelation itself is termed a rūḥ—for instance, “And thus We have revealed to you a spirit of Our command” (). This association between revelation and spirit highlights that just as the body is lifeless without the rūḥ, the soul remains dormant without divine guidance. The rūḥ in such contexts represents a transcendent reality that animates the human spirit with knowledge and faith, bringing it closer to its ultimate purpose.
A central aspect of ʿAllāmah’s analysis is the distinction between God’s amr (command) and khalq (creation). In the verse, “The spirit is of the command of my Lord,” the word amr signifies an immediate, divine act that does not involve material processes or the gradual unfolding of creation. Unlike khalq, which pertains to the formation of physical entities governed by time, space, and causality, amr represents a timeless, non-material decree of God. The rūḥ, therefore, belongs to this realm of amr, existing as an immaterial, direct creation of God’s will. To illustrate this concept, ʿAllāmah cites the verse, “His command, when He wills something, is only to say to it: Be, so it is” (). The rūḥ is thus part of the divine command, created instantly and directly, without intermediary causes, embodying a reality beyond physical comprehension.
In his broader discussion of the rūḥ, ʿAllāmah emphasizes that it is not confined to the human soul alone. The Qur’an refers to rūḥ in ways that point to its multi-dimensional existence. For example, in “The angels and the spirit descend therein” (), the rūḥ appears as an entity distinct from the angels, with a unique role in facilitating divine affairs. Additionally, the phrase Rūḥ al-Qudus (Holy Spirit) is used in connection with the prophets, especially Jesus (a.s.), signifying a divine presence that sanctifies and conveys revelation. Here, ʿAllāmah explains that the rūḥ serves as an intermediary between the divine and the created realms, carrying out God’s commands while remaining free from the limitations of material existence. This dual function—animating human beings and transmitting divine guidance—demonstrates the rūḥ’s significance as a bridge between the finite and the infinite.
The Qur’anic depiction of the human spirit as originating from God’s command establishes humanity’s elevated status in creation. Referring to the verse, “Then He made him complete and breathed into him of His spirit” (), ʿAllāmah explains that the divine act of breathing the rūḥ into the human being signifies an intimate connection between the Creator and humanity. This spirit is not a fragment of God but a unique creation, directly infused with life and potential by the divine command. Through this spirit, humans are endowed with the capacity for intellectual and spiritual growth, enabling them to reflect, reason, and ascend toward divine proximity. The rūḥ becomes the foundation of human consciousness and moral responsibility, granting individuals the ability to choose their path, whether toward truth or error.
Despite the profound significance of the rūḥ, the verse concludes with the reminder, “You are not given of knowledge but a little.” ʿAllāmah interprets this as an acknowledgment of human limitations in understanding the true nature of the spirit. While human beings can comprehend aspects of the rūḥ—such as its life-giving and revelatory functions—its essence remains hidden within the mysteries of divine creation. This limited knowledge serves to humble humanity, reminding them of their position as dependent beings within God’s vast and intricate creation. At the same time, it invites reflection on the infinite wisdom of God, whose knowledge encompasses realities beyond the scope of human perception.
ʿAllāmah also addresses the diversity of opinions regarding the rūḥ. Some scholars argue that it refers exclusively to the human soul, while others equate it with the angel Gabriel or divine revelation. However, he rejects the tendency to restrict the meaning of rūḥ to a single interpretation. Instead, he views it as a concept with multiple dimensions, encompassing the human spirit, divine revelation, and entities operating within the unseen realms of existence. By situating the rūḥ within the realm of amr, he emphasizes its immaterial and transcendent nature, distinguishing it from the physical aspects of creation.
The role of the rūḥ as a divine reality that sustains life, conveys guidance, and links creation to the Creator reveals its centrality in the Qur’anic worldview. For human beings, the rūḥ represents both a gift and a responsibility, calling them to align their lives with the divine purpose for which they were created. The rūḥ animates the body and grants humans access to higher realms of knowledge, making them uniquely capable of engaging with God’s signs and seeking proximity to Him. However, this journey requires recognition of the soul’s dependency on divine guidance, without which it remains dormant and detached from its true potential.
Based on ʿAllāmah’s discussion, the meaning of “And they ask you about the spirit. Say: The spirit is of the command of my Lord” should now be clear. The question in this verse pertains to the nature and reality of the spirit in general as found in His Book. The answer given in the verse explains the reality of spirit as something that is of the nature of God’s command—in the sense that has been explained. The clause “…and you are not given aught of knowledge but a little” means: The knowledge that God has given you about the spirit is only a little of a lot, for indeed you are veiled of the spirit’s lofty position, its wonderful characteristics, and its magnificent effects in the universe.
In conclusion, ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī’s exegesis of the verse presents the rūḥ as a profound, multifaceted creation of God, originating from His direct command (amr). The rūḥ transcends material limitations, serving as the source of life, the bearer of divine revelation, and the link between humanity and the divine. While its essence remains veiled from human understanding, its presence invites believers to reflect on their purpose and strive toward spiritual fulfillment. Through the rūḥ, humanity is endowed with the potential for knowledge, moral agency, and closeness to God, underscoring its pivotal role in the divine plan and the spiritual journey of existence.
Some exegetes interpret “spirit” in verse as referring to the Qur’an and revelation, suggesting that they are called “spirit” because they serve as the true life of souls otherwise deemed spiritually dead. However, ʿAllāmah rejects this view. He clarifies that the “revelation of spirit” in this verse pertains to the descent of the Holy Spirit (Rūḥ al-Qudus) upon the Prophet, accompanied by the revelation of the Qur’an. The Holy Spirit, as the bearer of divine revelation, brings the Qur’an to the Prophet, making it unnecessary to equate the term “spirit” in this context directly with the Qur’an, as some have proposed. ↩︎
Verses also show that His command in everything is the malakūt (dominion, kingdom) of that thing, where malakūt is an exaggerated form of mulk (kingdom, sovereignty). Therefore, there is a malakūt for everything just as there is a command for it. He says: “Do they not consider the kingdom (malakūt) of the heavens and the earth” (); “And thus did We show Abraham the kingdom (malakūt) of the heavens and the earth” (); “The angels and the spirit descend in it by the permission of their Lord for every affair” (). ↩︎
Another verse says “And Our command is but one, as the twinkling of an eye” (), illustrating the dual nature of existents as manifestations of God’s command. This comparison emphasizes the non-gradual aspect of divine command, contrasting it with the gradual processes observed in the physical world. The “twinkling of an eye” signifies the immediacy and timelessness of God’s creative act, unbound by the limitations of time and space. Simultaneously, physical existents have a gradual aspect tied to the material means and processes occurring within temporal and spatial dimensions. This duality highlights the relationship between the divine origin of creation and the mediated processes evident in the physical universe. ↩︎
Refer to al-Mīzān Eng. v. 40 for detailed discussion of verses in Ch. 94 by ʿAllāmah. ↩︎
There is also a spirit that accompanies the believers, as deduced from His words: “And whom He has strengthened with an inspiration (bi-rūḥin) from Him” (). ↩︎
The problem with this is that merely calling Gabriel spirit in some place does not mean that wherever there is a mention of spirit it means Gabriel. In addition, this very naming (of Gabriel as spirit) has a special meaning that has been discussed before. Otherwise, Jesus and Gabriel should have been the same because both have been called spirit. ↩︎