The Spirit

Qur'aanic Verse 2:87:

Transliteration:

87. Walaqad atayna moosa alkitaba waqaffayna min baAAdihi bialrrusuli waatayna AAeesa ibna maryama albayyinati waayyadnahu biroohi alqudusi afakullama jaakum rasoolun bima la tahwa anfusukumu istakbartum fafareeqan kaththabtum wafareeqan taqtuloona

Translation:

87. And We did give Moses the Book; and, after him, We caused a succession of Messengers to follow him in his track. And We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear signs and fortified him with the Holy Spirit^113-116. Didn't you become arrogant and behave haughtily whenever a messenger came to you with what wasn't in accord with your carnal desires? You then accused some of being false; and some, you killed!

Study Notes:

113. In Verses 2.253 and 5.110 too, it is similarly stated that Jesus was fortified with the Holy Spirit. And in Verse 16.102, it is stated that the Holy Spirit (Roohul Qudus) brought the Qur'aan down from the Lord in Truth. In Verses 26.192-194, the Trustworthy Spirit (Roohul Ameen) is stated to have brought the Qur'aan down upon Prophet Muhammad's mind/consciousness. In Verse 58.22, it is stated that the Believers too are fortified with the Spirit (Rooh) from Him.

114. In Verses 59.23 and 62.1, one of Allah's attributes mentioned is Quddoos (Holy). Besides, the Qur'aan states: (i) when Allah fashioned Adam from clay, He breathed into it His Spirit (15.29 & 38.71-72), (ii) when He fashioned Adam's progeny from 'contemptible water', He breathed into it from His Spirit (32.9), (iii) "We sent to her (Mary) Our Spirit", who appeared before her as a real man (19.17), whereafter, miraculously, without the agency of a man, Mary gave birth to Jesus, who was Allah's Word and a Spirit from Him (4.171), (iv) the Angels and the Spirit ascend to Him in a period of time, the measure whereof is fifty thousand years (70.4); and they (the Spirit and the Angels) would stand in attention, in rows, on the Resurrections Day (78.38), (v) the Spirit is one of Allah's Commands, and  mankind has been given but little knowledge (17.85)!

115. From the Qur'aan thus, what we know, for certain, is that the Spirit or the Holy Spirit is an entity very close to Allah - so close that He calls it My or Our Spirit. This Spirit it is with which are all human lives kindled. Prophet Jesus (peace upon him) was especially fortified with it so that he could talk to people even while in his cradle and perform many miraculous deeds. All believers are also additionally fortified with it so that they keep to the right path. It was through this Spirit that Allah revealed the Qur'aan to Prophet Muhammad (peace and Allah's blessings be upon him). The Spirit nevertheless is subservient to Allah and would be standing in respectful attention, on the Resurrection Day, before Him!

116. We should be content with the info that the Qur'aan gives us on the Rooh, the Roohul Qudus or the Roohul Ameen. These Qur'aanic terms are beyond the scope of our human understanding (mutashabihaat). We should not therefore speculate over their meanings further with our own human opinions. See Verse 3.7 and also study note 2.17, in this context.

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An extract from Qur'aanic Studies Manzil I.

Mohammad Shafi

The Nineteen

Qur'aanic Verse 74:31:

Transliteration:

31. Wama jaAAalna as-haba alnnari illa mala-ikatan wama jaAAalna AAiddatahum illa fitnatan lillatheena kafaroo liyastayqina allatheena ootoo alkitaba wayazdada allatheena amanoo eemanan wala yartaba allatheena ootoo alkitaba waalmu/minoona waliyaqoola allatheena fee quloobihim maradun waalkafiroona matha arada Allahu bihatha mathalan kathalika yudillu Allahu man yashao wayahdee man yashao wama yaAAlamu junooda rabbika illa huwa wama hiya illa thikra lilbashari

Translation:

31. And We have appointed none but angels as Guardians of the Fire. And We have not fixed their number [19], but only as a trial for those who suppress the Truth, and as a means of certainty for the People of the Book and increase in Faith for the Believers, so that no doubts are left for the People of the Book and the Believers, and that those in whose hearts is a disease and the suppressors of the Truth may say, “What intention does Allah have by this issue [of appointing only 19 guards for hundreds of thousands of sinners put in Hell]?” Thus does Allah send astray whom He wills and guide whom He wills. And none but He knows [the enormity of] your Lord’s forces! And this [Qur’aan] is nothing but  Admonition/Reminder for mankind.^{2, 3}

^{Study Notes:}

2. When this Qur’aanic Chapter was being revealed in Mecca, the 19 guards of Hell became a matter of ridicule for the polytheists there. Reportedly, a hefty one told the others that he, by himself alone, would take care of 17 of those guards and asked them to take care of the other two! Those polytheists were not intelligent enough to understand that 19 was just a number to delude them. Allah Almighty is, by himself alone, capable of handling billions of prisoners in Hell. And the 19 guards of hell would not be men, but angels, specially created for the job there. The believers, and the people of the Book [Jews and Christians], could, on the other hand, understand the enormous strength of the divine forces.

3. Those 7^th century plytheists apart, a man [Rashad Khalifah] in the last [20^th] century was misled by this figure 19 into believing that he himself was a messenger of Allah come to rid the Qur’aan of two ‘false’ verses that had somehow got inserted therein, despite Allah’s unequivocal declaration [Verse 15:9] that He would protect it!

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An extract from yet-to-be-published Qur'aanic Studies Manzil VII.

Mohammad Shafi

Aayatul Kursi - Verse of Power

Qur'aanic Verse 2:255:

Transliteration:

255. Allahu la ilaha illa huwa alhayyu alqayyoomu la ta/khuthuhu sinatun wala nawmun lahu ma fee alssamawati wama fee al-ardi man tha allathee yashfaAAu AAindahu illa bi-ithnihi yaAAlamu ma bayna aydeehim wama khalfahum wala yuheetoona bishay-in min AAilmihi illa bima shaa wasiAAa kursiyyuhu alssamawati waal-arda wala yaooduhu hifthuhuma wahuwa alAAaliyyu alAAatheemu

Translation:

255. Allah! None besides Him is worthy of worship. HE is for ever living, abiding. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him ever. To Him belongs whatever there is in the heavens and in/on the earth. Who could intercede with Him, except by His leave? ^{482, 483} HE knows what is in their hands and what is behind them.⁴⁸⁴ And none can take anything of His knowledge except for what He wills. His seat of authority encompasses the heavens and the earth, and their upkeep tires Him not. And He is the One High above anything, the One Immensely Great.⁴⁸⁵

^{Study Notes:}

482. In the light of the very categorical statement in the preceding Verse that there shall be no intercession on the Day of Judgment, this statement here in the form of an interrogation could only mean emphatic reiteration of that earlier statement. In Allah's presence, no one – not even a Prophet – can dare intercede on one's own initiative, against His Judgment or Will. That is what the interrogative statement here signifies. And if Allah gives permission for any Prophet or Angel to intercede, it means that it is, first of all, Allah's Own Will to pardon the person concerned.

483. It is absolutely important to understand this matter of intercession correctly. In the absence of this understanding, we're likely to fall into a satanic trap, and commit the abominable sin of shirk. Most Christians have already fallen into this trap. They have come to believe, absolutely, that whatever sins they commit here in this world, their Jesus is sure to intercede with God on their behalf and give them an assured entry into Paradise. See now what has happened to the Christians. They have forgotten God almost entirely, and have taken to the worship of Jesus and his mother, Mary. This happening, in front of us all, has provided enough proof that if any group of persons considers any Prophet – or anyone else for that matter – as endowed with the power of intercession, that group is sure to raise that Prophet/person to divinity, and thus commit shirk. Most Muslims today are, I am afraid, dangerously close to following in the Christians' footsteps.

484. Verse 34.9 tells us, "Do they not then consider what is in their hands and what is behind them of the heaven and the earth? ..." This sentence in that Verse gives us a pretty good idea of the divine meaning of the Arabic term maa bayna aydihim wa maa khalfahum, translated literally here as 'what is in their hands and what is behind them'. The context there of the heaven and the earth indicates that 'what is in their hands' means 'what is in their knowledge' or 'what they are capable of knowing'. And 'what is behind them' means 'what is not in their knowledge' or 'what they are not capable of knowing'. The same divine meaning has to be made applicable here to the very same phrase used in Verse 2.255 that we are presently studying.

485. This beautiful Verse is generally known as 'aayatul kursi' because of the word kursi (seat of authority) occurring therein. Along with Chapter 112 of the Qur'aan, this Verse gives us a comprehensive divine description of Allah, our Creator, and our Lord.

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The above is extracted from Qur'aanic Studies Manzil I.

Mohammad Shafi

Meaning of Arabic Word 'Aalameen'

Qur'aanic Verse 1:2:

Transliteration:

2. Alhamdu lillahi rabbi alAAalameena


Translation:

2. The praise is for Allah, Lord of the worlds <sup>5


Study Note:</sup>

5.  This is the dictionary meaning of the Arabic word aalameen. It is in plural: worlds, and not world. In most of the places where this word has been used in the Qur'aan, it is accompanied by the word Rabb, as in this place. But there are a few places where it isn't, as in Verses 2:47, 3:97, 6:86, 6:90, 21:107 and 29:6. A close study of these latter Verses would show that the word is used in the same sense as in the sentence, "My world is different from yours." Every individual life is one's own individual world in the sense that his/her environment, conditions of living, circle of contacts etc. are different from others'. One's own world is, in other words, one's own individual life. It is to these millions of individual worlds that the Qur'aan refers to as aalameen. Allah thus declares that He is the Rabb of every individual life. If every individual would but submit completely to His will and obey His commands as given in the Qur'aan, the Lord will surely nourish and lead the individual's life to Success and Salvation! In the phrase Rabbulaalameen, however, aalameen would include jinns, angels, all living things (besides human) and all inanimate things in the entire universe as well. Refer in this context Moses’ reply to Pharaoh in Verses 24, 26 and 28 of Chapter 32. (Manzil V).

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The above is derived from Qur'aanic Studies Manzil I

Mohammad Shafi