One of the most important concepts in the Quran is that of the Spirit. It is that through which the Quran was revealed and it is also through it that it can be understood. But there appear to be several views about this. Here, this concept will be examined using all references to it in the Quran.

The word spirit is connected with breath and, therefore, with air. The breath is what keeps us alive and yet air was a mystery in that it was invisible. Spirit, therefore, stands for something very subtle. It refers to inner experiences - consciousness, conscience and will. It is responsible for revelation, inspiration, intuition and insight as opposed to knowledge which comes through the outer senses.

The Spirit is by the Command of Allah :-

Note that Allah, His Word (or Command) and Spirit are connected. Allah in Essence is an invisible Unity, an Absolute, but He manifests Himself in the World where all things are Relative through His Attributes, Word and Spirit. The Word refers to Truth (or Order) by means of which Allah created all things (6:73-74). We may suppose that Spirit refers to something very fundamental that cannot be explained in terms of anything else. It refers to a fundamental force in the Universe which carries information or Truth, perhaps some fundamental vibrations in a sub-quantum field. It is likely that the stage by stage condensation or ordering of the Spirit is responsible for all levels of the heavens and earth.

The connection between God, Word and Spirit is also found in Christian theology which gives rise to the notion of Trinity. God is referred to as the Father and the Word is described as "the only begotten Son" (John 1:18) and is identified with Jesus (John 1:14). The Spirit, also called the Holy Ghost bestows the child Jesus on Mary (Matthew 1:18) and descends on Jesus like a dove at his baptism when he was thirty years old (Luke 3:22-23). It is the Spirit which makes him into "son of God". That this phrase is used metaphorically can be seen from :-

The verse does not say "shall be the son of God", but "shall be called the Son of God." This understanding of the phrase is also found in John 1:12-13 and in Romans 8:14.

We read in the Quran :-

The verse denies that God has a son literally. It does not really deny a Trinity which refers to a Unity having three aspects. In the Quran Allah has ninety-nine Attributes or aspects. What it denies is that there are three gods. The three are not separate gods of which one is a human Son made of earth such as Jesus. A closer examination of the New Testament doctrine shows that while God was invisible and the Word was with God, Jesus was flesh, visible and on earth and that he had the glory not "OF the only begotten" but "AS of the only begotten"-

The order is Allah > Word > Spirit. The Word and Spirit are not Allah, and the three together are not Allah. But Allah does manifest by His Word and Spirit so that those who receive these can be said to have an experience of Allah. In Christianity the three together are referred to as the Godhead. The Quran tells us that we should make no distinction between the Messengers and Allah (4:150). This does not mean that the two are identical, but that on earth the Messenger does represent Allah. The controversy between Christians and Muslims therefore arises because the distinctions were too subtle for the naive and this led to misunderstanding. Though the Quran affirms that Jesus is a Spirit and a Word of God (4:171), he is not the whole of it, but that part which he conveyed to people in his teachings (John 7:16-18, 5:30, 6:38). He was created thus:-

From this, we may presume that the "creation from earth" is different from "spiritual creation". The Word and Spirit of God are certainly connected. Originally creation may have been spiritual or as potentialities and these gradually actualised by the physical or evolutional processes. There may be a fundamental field having a structure something like a magnetic field which does not appear until iron filings arrange themselves to display it. The process may be like the radiation of the Sun descending from heaven onto the earth where it causes evolution. Or like the action of human thought on the material environment causing the evolution of technologies. Airplanes, for instance, have evolved but the process by which this has happened lies in the minds of the inventors. (These descriptions are not literal but analogical. Words are only signs, and verbal descriptions are never the same thing as experiences or the objects referred to, but intended to have effects. The realization of this also allows one to use language in a more flexible and organic manner.)

In general terms an active or vitalizing factor A, descends and acts on a passive or receptive factor C, producing an intermediate factor B1. This is still passive with respect to A, so that the action of A on B1 produces another higher stage B2. This is also passive with respect to A......and so on. So we get an evolutionary series B1, B2, B3....Bn. Conversely, of course, we could say that the Passive factor C has diminished the Vital factor A by reducing it to B. This being still active with respect to C can be reduced still further and so on. We now have an involutional series that is the reverse of the evolutional. Both processes may be simultaneous and inter-dependent or may cause cycles of alternating evolution and involution examples of which are mentioned in the Quran. In human beings these processes are represented in metabolism as anabolism and catabolism. No doubt similar processes affect the entire biosphere, the planet and the whole Universe. The physical stages of human development from the fertilized egg to adulthood are described in Quran 22:5 and may be taken as examples of evolution in general and a similitude for spiritual development.

The Spirit ascends into Heaven and descends into the earth.

These two verses speak about two different cycles of events - there appears to be a spiritual circulation, an ascent and a descent, a time of activity and a time of inactivity.

This refers to the Final Day of Judgment. The Universe itself is a cycle and will be wound up (28:88). Things begin with the Spirit and end with it.

The Divine Spirit has been breathed into man and this is what gives him consciousness :-

Note :-

(1) The grammatical change from the third person to the second person - he was dead and has become aware of himself. He has received some of the qualities of the creator.

(2) Three faculties are mentioned - hearing, seeing and feeling. These should be understood as referring not just to outer senses, but to inner ones, in particular to conscience, consciousness and will. Insight, inspiration and revelation refer to the receptivity of consciousness. This should not be confused with thinking that is an activity and refers to the mind.

(3) That "small thanks" refers to ungratefulness - people do not act according to the spirit in them. The spirit has become dormant.

(4) The possibility of resurrection is connected with the spirit.

However, we have to distinguish Nafs (soul) from Ruh (spirit). Whereas the Spirit is a Universal principle, each person has his own soul and it can degenerate or it can be made to grow. The atrophication or development of the soul depends on the withdrawal or introduction of Spirit.

The soul may be regarded as a local organization of the spirit and contains the information relating to the individual (his inherited and acquired characteristics and those created by his own efforts at integration).

That consciousness is connected with the soul can be seen from the fact that sleep and death are alike :-

The existence of the Spirit within man makes him a Vicegerent.

A Vicegerent is a person who is a spark of the divine, having Divine faculties of perception, creativity, initiative, and who ought to be serving Allah and exercising his faculties on behalf of Allah. He was made as an instrument through which Allah can act more directly. In the Old Testament terminology man is made as an "Image of God" (Genesis 1:26) and in New Testament terminology, he is made the "Son of God", not by flesh and blood but by Spirit (John 1:12-13 and John 3:5-7). The phrase "Son of God" is defined as those who are led by the spirit of God (Romans 8:14) and to those who obey God (Matthew 5:45). It is also used with this meaning in referring to many others in the Old Testament including Adam, Israel, Solomon, Ephraim, and David. It is not, therefore, that Islam denies the symbolic application of this phrase to Jesus, but that this terminology, because of the misunderstanding it has created, has been abolished and superseded. The Quran uses the words Servants or Slaves of God and Messengers.

Man, having been given some of the divine powers could act partly independently with his own initiative, creativity and sense of responsibility, though still dependent for these powers on Allah. This independence is not possible for the angels. In particular man was given the capacity to form concepts (the Names may also refer to the Attributes of Allah). It is this which gave him the power to do the evil and chaos which the angels feared, but Allah knew better. He could through experiences and trials lead them towards voluntary surrender.

There is a continuity between Allah, His Spirit, and the Soul. This is like the Sun which is in heaven, its radiation pervading space, and its image in a mirror or in all the multiplicity of things in which the rays are absorbed or reflected. Here again we see that in Christian terminology we have Father, Holy Ghost and Son. They are one, but the radiation and the image are not independent. The Spirit and Son cannot be independently God. That is why the Quranic verse quoted above says "Say not Three. Cease!" Note that it does not condemn altogether but adds "It is better for you".

The spirit exists in man as a Trust :-

Here again we see that man is accused of not allowing it to operate on behalf of God.

The spirit in man has become dormant owing to sin and he ceased to be a Vicegerent, Image or Son. This is symbolized by his expulsion from Paradise. Those in whom it is still active are the Messengers and Saints and it is their function and duty to revive or reawaken the dormant Spirit in man. This is called resurrection.

Muhammad was such a messenger :-

There is, therefore, a connection as follows:- Allah > Spirit > Muhammad. But Muhammad represents and confirms all Messengers (3:81). It is, therefore, possible to substitute any other Messenger's name in this sequence and it would be true for the times when the Messenger was sent. At the time of Jesus we would have Allah>Spirit>Jesus. Note that there is a connection between the notion of Spirit and Light. The spiritual regeneration or resurrection is brought about thus :-

Other Prophets were also inspired:-

Believers are also strengthened with the Spirit:-

Jesus was such a Messenger :-

The New Testament confirms :-

It is the Spirit which makes us conscious. Without consciousness we are dead automatons who can do nothing, and nothing can exist for us, including ourselves. That is why it is the Spirit which is of supreme importance for religion. One of the consequences of realizing this is that what we see as reality will depend on our level of consciousness. That is why we are required to awake (34:46). Religious notions such Death, Resurrection, Heaven, Paradise, Hell are all connected with states of consciousness.

Since, the Spirit is in all human beings, the Quran does not regard Jesus as being more than human, though a more perfect one, and this makes it possible for all human beings to become like him by following him. This confirms John 1:12 "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God."

This is, of course, how Allah created all things.

Note that :-

(1) The Spirit is a Messenger from God, something which transmits truth.

(2) The Spirit appeared in the form of a man. This appearance has been called Gabriel. Gabriel is said to be an Archangel made of spirit as angels are made of light, jinn of fire and men of earth.

(3) Jesus is the Messiah, and a Revelation for mankind which had been pre-ordained. He is a revelation in the same sense that the Quran is a revelation.

The conception of Jesus is described as follows :-

This is, of course, how Allah introduced the Spirit into man.

Being a word and spirit from Allah, he was not crucified though it seemed so outwardly.:-

The reason why the Quran denies that Jesus was crucified seems to be as follows :- Christians think that it is the sacrifice of Jesus which was necessary to save them from Hell, that by so doing he paid for their sins. This idea also made it necessary to think of Jesus as a god, son of God, which the Quran denies. This sacrifice was previously symbolized by the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son. It was a test of faith. In fact, the son was substituted by a lamb. They also suppose that he was resurrected after this death and it is this which gives proof that resurrection is possible. But if Jesus died and was revived, then there was really no sacrifice. According to Paul the death and resurrection of Jesus was an atonement for the sin of Adam, not personal sins (1 Corinthians 15:22, 45). It refers to the possibility of spiritual regeneration brought by Jesus. From the Islamic point of view this possibility is brought by all Messengers. It still remains true that everyone will be judged by their own deeds. People may, however repent and ask for forgiveness. Allah is quite able to forgive sins without the sacrifices of a mediator. After all, He would still have to accept the sacrifice and do the forgiving. Christians have made Jesus the focus of their religion whereas Jesus himself wanted them to focus on God (John 17:3-6,12 Matthew 7:21-23). The gist of his teaching was about how spiritual resurrection could be obtained within this life (See John 1:12-13, 3:3-7). Final Resurrection will take place in any case and may lead you to Hell. The New Testament tells us:-

This becomes understandable when it is realized that the Holy Ghost is also called the Spirit of Truth (John 14:16-17, 15:26)

It is true that Jesus devoted his life to Allah and to teaching people and was willing to bear their persecution, but this is also true of other Prophets. The Christian position is that God loved the world so much that he sent His son (John 3:16) who also loved mankind so much that he was willing to sacrifice himself for them (John 15:13). The position of the Quran is that all Prophets and Messengers and their scriptures were sent to mankind as a Mercy from Allah (6:12, 6:54,157, 7:203, 21:107 and many more). It does not, therefore, deny this Christian doctrine but universalizes it. It opens the mind to a greater world. It is this love which should induce in man a reciprocal love and this in turn should lead to surrender and resurrection. The Quran assumes that such love exists :-

Resurrection through love is also seen in the following verse:-

The Quran tells us about three other methods:- through fear of Justice, through the knowledge of truth and through Surrender.

However, Jesus is a sign of the Day of Resurrection.

This may mean several things :- that his return will be the beginning of the Day of Resurrection which may imply a world-wide spiritual revival or the Final Day of Judgment; that he is an example of the spiritual resurrection; that he represents the technique mentioned in 2:260 above. Note the Straight Path in the above verse.

Since resurrection is connected with the spirit, there are three ways in which this can be understood :-

(1) The spiritual resurrection of individuals (who are spiritually dead).e.g. 6:123

(2) The spiritual regeneration of a people or community.

(3) The Resurrection of all humanity including all those who have died physically in the past.

The spiritually unregenerate individual, being spiritually dead will, on physical death, cease to exist until the Day of Resurrection when he will be revived. But since this a period of unconsciousness, no time will have passed.

It is possible that there is a series of death and reincarnation :-

But from the Islamic point of view, if you are not conscious of your past lives then this idea is meaningless. As far as the individual is concerned there are just three conditions :- the time before birth, this life, and the hereafter.

The Day of Resurrection is the Day when a person becomes conscious of his past life. He, then, becomes immortal.

However, the people of faith, as we see from 30:56 above, are different:-

Though this immortality is not explicitly stated about the others, it is a question of understanding what "slain in the way of Allah" means. It could mean one who has "died to this world" in so far as ambitions, greed and carnal desires etc. are concerned - he has sacrificed these in the service of Allah. This death must precede resurrection. Each person must be his own sacrifice. All these may be regarded as being alive in some other state. It could be that they might also reincarnate as teachers and guides as Jesus is expected to do.

As far as communities are concerned, the Quran appears to recognize the rise and fall of civilisations. The rise initially requires a spiritual impulse. But the deterioration takes place automatically by material laws (the Second Law of Thermodynamics). Ordinary experience shows that conscious efforts are required to learn anything new, but that things become habitual, automatic, tradition bound, and deteriorate. This is indicated in verses such as the following :-

When religion is renewed, its followers regenerate and become the dominant community. Muslims, for instance, as the Hebrews and Christians before them, inherited the lands which were occupied by pagans before.

Eventually, there will be a new earth and a new heaven and the righteous will inherit the earth. This might refer to changes in the physical conditions of life including geo-physical and man made ones, and to corresponding intellectual, ideological and spiritual changes. It could mean that there is a world-wide religion or that a civilization is set up which devotes itself to psychological and spiritual welfare and development.

The Final Day of Judgment is symbolically described thus :-

There is some controversy about whether this is a physical resurrection (reincarnation) or a purely spiritual one. It depends on how the following is interpreted :-

Perhaps it does not really matter whether it is a reincarnation or not because everyone will see the world they come to as being just as solid and real as this one. As already indicated what we see depends on the state of consciousness. Analysis shows that there is no matter, but merely patterns or structures of parts which are themselves patterns and so on. There are merely different kinds of phenomena or events and mass or inertia is merely one of several characteristics of these phenomena.

People will be transformed :-

Here again we find mention of the second birth. But it seems to be less symbolic and more concrete. It seems that by their efforts and the laws of God, people can construct some kind of inner body which may survive. There may be seven corresponding to the different planes of existence. Certainly, living things which are self-regulating contain some kind of nucleus or brain which makes them distinct from dead matter. Ordinary Consciousness requires the existence of some kind of control centre from which voluntary actions are possible as distinct from the instinctive behaviour of animals. Self-consciousness requires still another centre from which a person can observe and manipulate his own thoughts and motives. And so on.

After the resurrection and Judgment :-

It is likely that it is these from among the Foremost who descend again into the physical plane as Messengers. Jesus, for instance, is expected to return.

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