Ruh Of Allah (Islam)



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The Holy Quran

 

They Ask You Concerning The Spirit

They ask thee concerning the Spirit. 
Say: "The Spirit (cometh) by command of my Lord:
Of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you."
If it were Our Will, We could take away that which We have sent thee by inspiration:
Then wouldst thou find none to plead thy affair in that matter against Us.

surah 17: 85-86 Al Isra' (The Night Journey)
Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an, 1989.)


Verily it is We who give life and death; 
And to Us is the Final Goal.

surah 50:43 Qaf
(Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an, Amana Corporation, 1989.)



The Qur'an confirms that little knowledge is given to the Muslims concerning His Ruh (Holy Spirit or Adi Shakti). Allah had already revealed that the Trinity was a false conjectured doctrine. Any attempt to explain His Ruh would have only confused the illiterate desert dwellers, and even smack of hypocrisy and falsehood as "there were quite a number of idols or gods worshipped among the Arabs, and sura 71.23 bears witness to this. There is also that surprisingly frank account in the Qur'an of the occasion when the Prophet apparently made somewhat of a concession to paganism in reciting sura 53.19-20 concerning Al-Lat, Al-'Uzza and Manat, the goddesses of the Sun, of Venus and of Fate respectively. . . However, it is obvious that idolatry was rife at the time of Muhammad. He was not going to have an easy time convincing his people of the existence of one true God. Worship of Al-Lat was extremely widespread, and her means "the goddess." "

Thus whatever was revealed of the Spirit of Allah to Prophet Muhammad was the barest minimum in order to contain a volatile situation. But the fact remains that Allah made it a point to mention His Spirit without revealing anything about it's nature. This seemingly frivolous act 14 centuries ago today burst forth in all splendor as His Ruh proclaims and explains Al-Qiyamah to all humankind. The little information 1400 years ago is now an Oasis of Knowledge for all Believers to drink. The Holy Qur'an, an indisputable revealed book, literally breathes with precise prophecies and fulfilled promises for all His children of various traditions.

The Qur'an uses two terms "Ruh-Allah" and "Ar-Ruh-Al-Qudus" for the Spirit of God. Such is the case in the following references: "We gave unto Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs [of Allah's sovereignty], and we supported him with the Holy Spirit [ar-Ruh-al Qudus]," (Surah 2, Al-Baqarah, The Cow: 87).

"When Allah saith: O Jesus, son of Mary! Remember My favour unto thee and unto thy mother; how I strengthened thee with the Holy Spirit [al-Ruh al-Qudus], so that the Scripture and Wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel . . . and thou didst heal him who was born blind and the leper by My permission; and how thou didst raise the dead, by My permission" (Surah 5 Al-Ma'idah, The Table Spread: 110).

"Go, O my sons, and ascertain concerning Joseph and his brother, and despair not the Spirit of Allah [Ruh-Allah]" (Surah 12, Joseph: 87).

Note that the above quotations from the Qur'an make reference to God, to His Word, and to His Spirit. If one examines these references carefully, one could agree that the Qu'ran does indeed teach a belief in the Word of Allah, and the Spirit of Allah as well as in Allah the Almighty.

Hamid S. Aziz (Islam For Modern Students) has this to say about the Spirit of Allah:

"Some people have asked about the concept of Spirit in Islam, and 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:-

"They ask thee concerning the Spirit. Say: The Spirit is by command of my Lord, and of knowledge ye have been vouchsafed but little." 17:85

"It is naught save mercy from thy Lord." 17:87

We may suppose that it refers to something very fundamental which cannot be explained in terms of anything else. It is by or comes by the command of Allah. It may refer to a fundamental force in the Universe which carries information or Truth, for Allah has created everything with his Word and with Truth. It is likely that the stage by stage condensation of the Spirit is responsible for all levels of the heavens and earths.

"Allah it is who created seven heavens and of the earth the like thereof. The Commandment cometh down among them slowly, that ye may know that Allah is able to do all things, and that Allah surroundeth all things in knowledge." 65:12

"But His command when he intendeth a thing, is only that he says unto it: Be! And it is " 36:82

"He created the heavens and the earth with truth, and He shaped you and made good your shapes and unto Him is the journeying." 64:3 and 6:73

"His Word is Truth, and His will be the Sovereignty on the day when the trumpet is blown." 6:74

The Spirit ascends into Heaven and descends into the earth.

"From Allah, Lord of the Ascending Stairways whereby the angels and the spirit ascend unto Him in a Day whereof the span is fifty thousand years." 70:3-4

"The Night of Power is better than a thousand months. The angels and the Spirit descend therein by the permission of their Lord, with all decrees. Peace until the rising of the Dawn." 97:3-5

These two verses speak about two different cycles of events - there appears to be a spiritual circulation.

"Lord of the heavens and the earth, and all that is between them, the Beneficent; with Whom none can argue. On the Day when the angels and the Spirit stand arrayed, they speak not, saving him whom the Beneficent allows and who speaks right. That is the True Day. So whoso will should seek recourse unto his Lord." 78:38

This refers to the Final Day of Judgement. 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:-

"So when I have made him (man) and have breathed into him of My Spirit, do ye (angels) fall down, prostrating yourselves unto him." 15:29 also 38:72

"He directed the ordinance from the heavens unto the earth; then it ascends unto Him in a Day, whereof the measure is a thousand years of that ye reckon. Such is the knower of the invisible and the visible, the Mighty, the Merciful, who made all things good which He created, and He began the creation of man from clay; then He made his seed from a draught of despised fluid; then He fashioned him and breathed into him of His spirit; and appointed for you hearing, and sight and hearts. Small thanks give ye! And they say: When we are lost in the earth, how can we then be re-created? Nay but they are disbelievers in the meeting with their Lord." 32:7-10

Note: -

(1) the change of person from the third to the second - he 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.

(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.

"Be careful of your duty to your Lord Who created you from a single soul and from it created its mate and from them twain has spread abroad a multitude of men and women." 4:1 and 7:189

"And the soul and Him who perfected it and inspired it with (conscience of) what is wrong for it and what is right for it. He indeed is successful who causes it to grow, and he indeed is a failure who stunts it." 91:7-10

"Surely We created man in the best stature, then We reduced him to the lowest of the low, save those who believe and do good works and theirs is a reward unfailing. So who henceforth will give the lie to thee about the judgement? Is not Allah the most conclusive of all judges?" 95:4-8

"Whosoever does right, it is only for the good of his own soul that he does right, and whosoever errs, errs only to its hurt. No laden soul can bear another's load. We never punish until We have sent a messenger." 17:15

Also 2:223,231, 3:25,30, 5:105, 6:12,20,70,164, 7:53, 9:42, 10:108, 11:21, 14:51, 20:15 and many more.

The soul may be regarded as a local organisation 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:-

"Allah receives souls at the time of their death, and the soul which dies not in its sleep. He keeps that soul for which he has ordained death and dismisses the rest till an appointed term. Lo! Herein verily are signs for people who take thought." 39:42

The existence of the Spirit within man makes him a Vicegerent, a person who ought to be serving Allah, and exercising the faculties he has received on behalf of Allah. He was made as an instrument through which Allah can act more directly.

"When thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am about to place a Vicegerent in the earth, they said: Wilt Thou place therein one who will do harm therein and will shed blood, while we, we hymn Thy praise and sanctify Thee? He said: Surely I know that which ye know not. And He taught Adam all the Names, then showed them to the angels, saying: Inform me of the Names of these if ye are truthful. They said: Be glorified! We have no knowledge saving that which Thou hast taught us. Lo! Thou, only Thou, art the Knower, Wise." 2:30-32.

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.

The spirit exists in man as a Trust:-

"Lo! We offered the Trust unto the heavens and the earth and the hills, but they shrank from bearing it and were afraid of it. And man assumed it. Lo! He has proved a tyrant and a fool." 33:72

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

"Nay verily man is rebellious that he thinks himself independent. lo! Unto thy Lord is the return." 96:6-8

This dormant spirit in man can be reactivated by the Messengers. These are persons who have already been chosen by Allah to be guided by the Spirit.

"He sends 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. He hath created the heavens and the earth with truth. High be He exalted above all that they associate with Him." 16:2-3

"The Exalter of ranks, the lord of the Throne, He casts the Spirit of His command upon whom He will of His slaves, that He may warn of the Day of Meeting." 40:15

"O you who believe! Obey Allah and the Messenger when He calls you to that which quickens you (brings you alive), and know that Allah comes in between the man and his own heart, and that He it is unto Whom ye will be gathered." 8:24

"Even as We have sent unto you a messenger from among you, who recites unto you Our revelations and causes you to grow, and teaches you the Scripture and Wisdom, and teaches you that which ye knew not." 2:151

Muhammad was such a messenger:-

"Say (O Muhammad): The Holy Spirit hath revealed it (the Quran) from thy Lord with Truth, that it may confirm the faith of those who believe and as a guidance and Good Tidings (gospels) for those who have Surrendered (to Allah)." 16:102

"And thus have We inspired in thee (Muhammad) a Spirit of Our Command. Thou knowest not what the Scripture was nor what the Faith. But We have made it a light whereby We guide whom We will of Our bondmen. And lo! Thou verily dost guide unto a right path., the path of Allah, unto whom belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Do not all things reach Allah at last?" 42:52-53

"And lo! It (the Quran) is a revelation of the Lord of the Worlds which the True Spirit hath brought down upon thy heart, that thou mayest be one of the warners in plain Arabic speech." 26:192-195

Note that there is a connection between the notion of Spirit and Light. The spiritual regeneration or resurrection is brought about thus:-

"Is he who was dead and We have raised him unto life, and set for him a light wherein he walks among men, as him whose similitude is in utter darkness whence he cannot emerge? Thus is their conduct made fair seeming for the disbelievers." 6:123

Other Prophets were also inspired:-

"Lo! We inspire thee as We inspired Noah and the Prophets after him, as We inspired Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the tribes, and Jesus and Job and Jonah and Aaron and Solomon, and as We imparted unto David the Psalms. And messengers We have mentioned unto thee before and messengers We have not mentioned unto thee; and Allah spake directly unto Moses." 5:163-164 and many other verses.

Believers are also strengthened with the Spirit:-

"Thou wilt not find folk who believe in Allah and the Last Day loving those who oppose Allah and His messenger, even though they be their fathers or their sons or their brethren or their clan. As for such, He hath written faith upon their hearts and had strengthened them with the Sprit from Him, and He will bring them into Gardens underneath which rivers flow, wherein they will abide. Allah is well pleased with them and they are well pleased with Him. They are Allah's Party. Lo! Is it not Allah's Party who are the successful?" 58:22 Compare this with 89:27-30

Jesus was such a Messenger:-

"And verily We gave unto Moses the scripture and we caused a train of messengers to follow after him, and We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs, and We supported him with the Holy Spirit. Is it ever so, that when there comes unto you a messenger from Allah with that which you yourselves desire not, you grow arrogant, and some disbelieve and some you slay." 2:87

"And those messengers, some of whom We have caused to excel others, and of whom there are some unto whom Allah spake, while some of them He exalted above others in degree; and We gave Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs and We supported him with the Holy Spirit. And if Allah had so willed it, those who followed after them would not have fought one with another after the clear proof had come unto them. But they differed, some of them believing and so disbelieving. And if Allah had so willed they would not have fought one with another, but Allah does what He will." 2:253

"When Allah said: O Jesus son of Mary! Remember My favour unto thee and unto thy mother; how I strengthened thee with the Holy Spirit, so that thou spakest unto mankind in the cradle as in maturity; and how I taught thee the Scripture and Wisdom and the Torah and the Gospel and when I inspired the disciples saying: Believe in Me and My Messenger, they said: We believe. Bear witness that we have surrendered unto Thee (i.e become muslim)" 5:110-111

"And when Jesus, son of Mary, said; O children of Israel! Lo! I am the messenger of Allah unto you, confirming that which was revealed before me in the Torah, and bringing good tidings of a messenger who comes after me, whose name is the Praised One. yet when he hath come unto them with clear proofs, they say; This is mere magic." 61:6 See also 3:50

"But when Jesus became conscious of their disbelief, he cried: Who will be my helpers in the cause of Allah? The disciples said: We will be Allah's helpers. We believe in Allah and bear thou witness that we have surrendered unto Him (i.e become muslim)." 3:52

Since, the Spirit is in all human beings, the Quran does not regard Jesus as being more than human.

"The Messiah, son of Mary, was no other than a messenger, messengers the like of whom had passed away before him. And his mother was a saintly woman. And they both used to eat food. See how We make the revelations clear for them and see how they turn away!" 5:75

"O people of the Scripture! Do not exaggerate in your religion nor utter aught concerning Allah save the truth. The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah and His word which He conveyed unto Mary, and a spirit from Him." 4:171

"Lo! The likeness of Jesus with Allah is as the likeness of Adam. He created him of dust, then He said unto him: Be! And he is." 3:59

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

"When the angel said: O Mary! Lo! Allah gives thee glad tidings of a word from Him, whose name is the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, illustrious in the world and the Hereafter, and one of those brought near (unto Allah)." 3:45

"Then We sent unto her (Mary) Our Spirit and it assumed for her the likeness of a perfect man. She said: Lo! I seek refuge in the Beneficent One from thee, if thou art God-fearing. He said: I am only a Messenger of thy Lord, that I may bestow on thee a faultless son. She said: How can I have a son when no mortal has touched me, neither have I been unchaste? He said: So it will be. Thy Lord saith: It is easy for Me. And it will be that We may make of him a revelation for mankind and a mercy from Us, and it is thing ordained." 19:17-21

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 and jinn of fire.

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:-

"And she who was chaste, therefore We breathed into her something of Our Spirit and made her and her son a token for all people." 21:91 and also 66:12

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

"Remember when Allah said: O Jesus! Lo! I am gathering thee and causing thee to ascend unto Me, and am cleansing thee of those who disbelieve and am setting those who follow thee above those who disbelieve until the Day of resurrection. Then unto Me ye will all return, and I shall judge between you as to that wherein ye used to differ." 3:55

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

"And because of their saying: We slew the messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, Allah's Messenger - They slew him not nor crucified, but it appeared so unto them; and lo! those who disagree concerning it are in doubt thereof; they have no knowledge thereof save pursuit of a conjecture; they slew him not for certain. But Allah took him up unto Himself. Allah was ever Mighty, Wise." 4:157-158

So there need really be no argument between Muslim and Christian - it appeared unto them that Jesus had been crucified and died. 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 symbolised by the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son. But, 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 the Islamic position is that if Jesus died and was revived, then there was really no sacrifice. 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. 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.

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 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:-

"Say (O Muhammad unto mankind): If you love Allah, follow me. Allah will love you and forgive your sins. Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."

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

"And when Abraham said: My Lord! Show me how Thou givest life to the dead, He said: Dost thou not believe? Abraham said: Yea, but I ask in order that my heart may be at ease. His Lord said: Take four of the birds and cause them to incline unto thee, then place a part of them on each hill, then call them, they will come to thee in haste. And know that Allah is Mighty, Wise." 2:260

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

"And lo! Verily, he is a Sign of the Hour. So doubt not concerning it, but follow Me. This is the Straight Path." 43:61

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 Judgement; that he is an example of the spiritual resurrection; that he represents the technique mentioned in 2:260 above. Note the Straight Path.

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.

"And on the day when the Hour riseth the guilty will vow that they tarried but an hour - thus were they ever deceived. But those to whom knowledge and faith are given will say: The truth is, ye have tarried by Allah's decree until the Day of Resurrection. This is the day of Resurrection, but you used not to know." 30:55-56 See also 10:46, 17:52, 23:112-114 etc.

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

"Thou causest the night to pass into day, and Thou causest the day to pass into night. And Thou bringest forth the living from the dead, and Thou bringest forth the dead from the living. And Thou givest sustenance to whom Thou choosest without stint." 3:27

"Ye shall journey from plane to plane." 84:19

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.

"How disbelieve ye in Allah when ye were dead and He gave you life. Then He will give you death, then life again, and then unto Him ye will return." 2:28

The Day of Resurrection is the Day when a person becomes conscious of his past life.

"And the trumpet is blown. This is the threatened Day. And every soul comes along with it a driver and a witness. (And it is said): Thou wast in heedlessness of this. Now We have removed from thee thy covering, and piercing is thy sight this day." 50:20-22

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

"Think not of those, who are slain in the way of Allah, as dead. Nay, they are living. With their Lord they have provision." 3:169

"Whoso obeys Allah and the Messenger, they are with those unto whom Allah has shown favour, of the Prophets and the saints, and the martyrs and the righteous. The best of company are they." 4:69

Though this immortality is not explicitly stated about the others, it 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 etc are concerned - he has sacrificed these in the service of Allah. 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 recognise 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:-

"Systems have passed away before you. Do but travel in the land and see the nature of the consequences for those who did deny (the Messengers)." 3:137

"O mankind! If ye are in doubt concerning the Resurrection, then lo!.... And thou seest the earth barren, but when We send down rain thereon, it doth thrill and swell and put forth every lovely kind. That is because Allah, He is the Truth. Lo! He quickeneth the dead, and lo! He is Able to do all things." 21:5-6

"And who sends down water from the sky in due measure, and We revive a dead land therewith. Even so will you be brought forth." 43:11 See also 36:33 and 50:11

"If He will He can remove you and cause what He will to follow after you, even as He raised you from the seed of other folk. Lo! that which ye are promised will surely come to pass, and ye cannot escape." 6:134-135 See also 4:133

"And every nation (or community) has its term. When its terms comes they cannot put it off an hour, nor yet advance it." Quran 7:34

"And for every nation there is a messenger. And when their messenger comes (on the Day of judgement) it will be judged between them fairly, and they will not be wronged." 10:48

"For every message there is a term, and soon shall ye know it." Quran 6:67

The Final Day of Judgement is symbolically described thus:-

"And the trumpet is blown, and all who are in the heavens and the earth swoon away save him whom Allah wills. Then it is blown a second time, and behold them standing waiting! And the earth shines with the light of her Lord, and the Book is set up, and the Prophets and the witnesses are brought, and it is judged between them with truth, and they are not wronged. And each soul is paid in full for what it did." 39:68-70

"Have they not seen how many generations We destroyed before them which indeed return not unto them. But all without exception will be brought before Us." 36:31-32

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:-

"Until when death comes unto one of them, he says: My Lord! Send me back, that I may do right in that which I have left behind. But nay! It is but a word that he speaks; and behind them is a Barrier until the day when they are raised. And when the trumpet is blown there will be no kinship among them that day, nor will they ask of one another. Then those whose scales are heavy, they are the successful. And those whose scales are light are those who lose their souls in hell abiding." 23:99-103

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.

After the resurrection and Judgement:-

"And ye will be of three kinds: those on the right hand.... those on the left hand.... And the Foremost in the race, the foremost in the race; those are they who will be brought nigh in Gardens of delight; a multitude of those of old and a few of those of later time..." 56:7-14

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."

H.S. Aziz, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 1998, 9:57 AM 

 

 

 

 


Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi is His Ruh sent to collect, promulgate, recite, explain and announce the Resurrection (Al Qiyamah) to all humankind, as promised in the Quran.

 

 

 

"Adi Shakti's Power is Divine; is described in every religion. Same in Islam called Ruh. In Bible is called the All- Pervading Power. It's called as Alak - that cannot be seen; Niranjana, the One that is beyond any attachment . . . 

All these words are used for this Divine Power. People have heard about it; people have sung about it but unfortunately very few people felt it. And when they felt it they didn't know how to give it to others; how to make others feel it. 

So whatever they talked became sort of story or some nonsensical thing. Nobody could believe that they have felt anything like that or could imagine that there is such a Power really existing.

Now luckily it has become quite a universal fact for all of you - that you know there is this Power. You are sure about this Power because you can feel it within yourself. And when you feel it you feel very joyous . . . the Power of Adi Shakti
(Ruh of Allah) - She tells you the Truth."

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
Cabella, Italy - June 9, 1996

 


 


Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi is His Ruh sent to collect, promulgate, recite, explain and announce the Resurrection (Al Qiyamah) to all humankind, as promised in the Quran.

 

 

 

"The Primordial Mother was the Primordial Power of Divine Love. The Power of God separated from God itself. God was the Witness - Witness of the Play of the Divine Power. There is no difference between the Two. God Almighty and His Power are just like the sun and his rays. For us, for human beings it is impossible to conceive the mystery. Moreover, in our ego, we think we can understand Him."

Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi
The Mystery Of God, U.K. - June 8, 1981

 

 

 




LAA UQSIM BI-YAWM AL-QIYAMAH; 
WA-LAA UQSIM BI-AN-NAFSAL-LAWWAAMAH

I do call to witness the Resurrection Day; 
And I do call to witness the self-reproaching Spirit.

 

SURA 78.–THE NEWS [XXXVII.]

In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful

Of what ask they of one another?
Of the great NEWS.1
The theme of their disputes.
Nay! they shall certainly knows its truth!
Again. Nay! they shall certainly know it.

                                                      Surah 78:1-5, The News

1. Of the Resurrection.

J. M. Rodwell, The Koran
(
J. M. Rodwell, The Koran, Charles E Tuttle Co.)

 

   



 

      DIVINE FEMININE:

The Ruh Of Allah (Hinduism)

The Ruh Of Allah (Christianity)

The Ruh Of Allah (Judaism)  

The Ruh Of Allah (Buddhism) 

           

     External Links:

Islam And The Divine Feminine  

Desperately Seeking Spirituality

Chapter On Al-Ruh The Spirit

Pre-Islam Arabia Goddess Worship  

           

           


"Ruh: "The Spirit," Cf. 78:38, "the Spirit and the angels"; and 97:4, "the angels and the Spirit." In 16:2, we have translated Ruh by "inspiration." Some Commentators understand the angel Gabriel by "the Spirit." But I think a more general meaning is possible, and fits the context better."       
                                                                           

Abdullah Yusuf Ali, The Holy Qur'an

 


"
Rouh = Soul?

This is the single biggest misconception that people have made which helped distort the issue of 'who we are'.

In Arabia, when someone dies, the people say: 'let us pray on his Rouh!'

Also, when they speak about someone dying, the say: 'his Rouh has left him'.

In schools, they teach our kids that the 'Soul' is the 'Rouh' and that is what will die and be judged and punished or rewarded...

However, the story changes when we look at what GOD has to say:

"GOD takes the 'Nafs' when death comes, and also at the time of sleep..." (39:42)

"No 'Nafs' dies except by GOD's leave, at a predetermined time..." (3:145)

"Every 'Nafs' tastes death, then you receive your recompense on the Day of Resurrection..." (3:185)

"...You shall not kill the 'Nafs' that GOD has made sacred, except in the course of justice..." (6:151)

"...she said: my Lord, I have wronged my 'Nafs"..." (27:16)

Well, you get the picture!

GOD tells us that our 'Soul' is called 'Nafs', and that this 'Nafs' is what is taken at death and what is judged on j-day (then rewarded or punished). The 'Nafs' is YOU, it is your entire being, it is your slate, which is burdened or lightened by your actions...

So, if the 'Soul' is the 'Nafs', then what is the Rouh?

Rouh = Spirit.

"While a barrier separated her from them, we sent to her Our 'Rouh'. He went to her in the form of a human being." (19:17)

"They ask you about the 'Rouh'. Say: 'The 'Rouh' comes from my Lord. And you were not given knowledge, except little." (Quran 17:85)

It becomes apparent to the reader that the 'Rouh' is from GOD and it is the accumulation of 'knowledge' that will assist the human being in his life...It is best described as 'Spirit'.

You see, animals also have 'Nafs' just like we do (it is their life-force), yet, you do not see monkeys building spaceships nor turtles working on computers!

The 'Rouh' is the gift that GOD gave to our species to allow us the advantage of 'knowledge'.

"Once I perfect him (the human), and blow into him from My 'Rouh', you shall fall prostrate before him." (15:29)

All animals can communicate with one another (remember the birds speaking to Solomon?). However, it is only man that has 'knowledge'.

The 'Rouh' is GOD's gift to us, and it is only GOOD. The information that the 'Rouh' provides each of us is to be used for our benefit, but we have the 'choice' to use it for evil (like nuclear fission being used to make a bomb).

Some unfortunate news about the 'Rouh': It will NEVER approach you and save the day. for example, you are struggling to understand something. If you don't ask GOD for help, it won't go; "hey, here is the answer!" no, you have to approach it. Also, it will always be LITERAL. you will have to be specific of what you are asking. Note, you don't have to say this out loud. You can just think of it - because many times, humans have hard time expressing what exactly they want to ask. With the spirit of god, you don't have to worry about this - as long as you get the intention of asking, the spirit will know the question...as much as you wanted to ask and that ALONE (though it knows all the questions you know - it is not going to answer anything you did not ask).

Thus if we can summarize what we have upto this point.

The human being so far is made-up of:

1. The 'Soul' - Nafs (the is YOU, the real person, what makes choices and what will be judged);

2. The 'Spirit' - Rouh (this is a gift from GOD, it is NOT yours, you do not own it, all people have access to it - like the Quran. It's purpose is to help provide answers and knowledge to help your Soul make the right decisions). . . .


The best Islam is within you - the spirit of GOD (Rouh'u Allah) is within you. There is no such thing that truth lies outside of you. The ultimate truth lies within you. Please, take advantage of that blessing. It will be your ultimate weapon against falsehood."
       
                                                                           

www.free-minds.org


"By the token of time (through the Ages), man is in a state of loss, except those who truly believe, act correctly and act together in mutual counsel of Truth and patience' (Al - Asr 103).

The Islamic calendar does not start with the birth or the death of a person, but with an event, the migration of believers from oppression to freedom, freedom to practice 'submission to the will of God' in order to attain peace within and around. The advent of Prophet Jesus (Alaih Salaam-peace be upon him) was similarly an epochal event in the history of humankind. The Qur'an calls him a 'sign', a 'mercy', a 'witness' and an 'example'. He is Messiah, Messenger, Prophet, Servant, Word and Spirit of God. The calendar may not be exactly precise but the millennium can serve as an important point of reference in the Divine scheme of message and revelation. And take us into the future.

The future is very dear to us. Even if it has not arrived yet, the future is already in our thoughts. On the other hand, the past is a collection of good and bad experience, its use is in shaping the present and shaping the future. . . .

Muhammad, (SAWS - Allah's Mercy & Peace be upon him), task, defined in the Qur'an, is to be 'a giver of the glad tidings as well as a warner'. The Our'an reminds us of nations who were destroyed - because they had rebelled and disobeyed - and gives us a glimpse of the life in hereafter of people who do good and who love and obey God. In the scheme of divine revelation, the past, present and the future are one continuum. . . .

In Islam service to humanity is a function of their duty towards God. The Qur'an says: 'And from among you there must be a society, community or party that should invite people to all that is good and enjoin the doing of all that is right and forbid the doing of all that is wrong.' (Ali-'Imran, 3:104)

In inviting people to goodness and forbidding from the wrong, Muslims will need to join hands with other believers who share a great deal of these values about good and bad and about right and wrong. The conflicts that we witness today are not conflicts between religions, they are conflicts of irreligion. Therefore, those who believe in God and know the right from the wrong - Jews, Christians and Muslims, especially - can join together to build a not a perfect, but an incomparably better world than we live in today: a society of neighbors who are just and fair to each other.

The second half of the millennium has seen two world and several local wars. It saw nuclear incineration of entire populations. It invented a savage new crime against humanity: ethnic cleansing. The new millennium ought to be different. Let the people of faith and goodwill work together to turn it into a thousand years of peace and prosperity, love and mutuality.

Prophet Muhammad, (SAWS - Allah's Mercy & Peace be upon him), has foretold that 'after many years of bad times, an era will come when humanity will re-commit itself to God and there will be peace and prosperity in the whole world.'

On the threshold of the next millennium, Muslims have a duty towards the world and towards the fellow humans. It is their unilateral obligation to invite others, and to work together in building a better and a peaceful world: a world which is free from oppression and exploitation, where rights are a reality and where justice prevails over hypocrisy."       
                                                                           

Dr. Shahid Athar , Millennium - An Islamic Perspective
(Millennium & Religions Conference. Chicago, Nov 20, 1995)

 


"Verse 3:81, among many other verses, provides the definitions of "Nabi" (Prophet) and "Rasoul" (Messenger). Thus, "Nabi" is a messenger of God who delivers a new scripture, while "Rasoul" is a messenger commissioned by God to confirm existing scripture; he does not bring a new scripture. According to the Quran, every "Nabi" is a "Rasoul," but not every "Rasoul" is a "Nabi." Not every messenger was given a new scripture. It is not logical that God will give a scripture to a prophet, then ask him to keep it exclusively for himself, as stated by some Muslim "scholars" (2:42, 146, 159). Those who are not sufficiently familiar with the Quran tend to think that Aaron was a "Nabi," as stated in 19:53, who did not receive a scripture. However, the Quran clearly states that the Torah was given specifically "to both Moses and Aaron" (21:48, 37:117). We learn from the Quran, 33:40, that Muhammad was the last prophet (Nabi), but not the last messenger (Rasoul):

"Muhammad was not the father of any of your men; he was a messenger (Rasoul) of God and the last prophet (Nabi)." [ 33:40 ] . . .

The mission of God's Messenger of the Covenant is to confirm existing scriptures, purify them, and consolidate them into one divine message. The Quran states that such a messenger is charged with restoring God's message to its pristine purity, to lead the righteous believers - Jews, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Sikhs, Hindus, and others - out of darkness into the light (5:19 & 65:11)."       
                                                                           

Mahmoud M. Ayoub
World Religions: The Islamic Tradition

 


"Parakletos

This is a distinctive Johannine term for the Holy Spirit, found nowhere else in the New Testament apart from 1 John, although it is important to note that the two terms, Holy Spirit and Paraclete (anglicized version) are synonymous - in 14.26, both terms are used, clearly of the same Being.  There are 5 paraclete passages, all occurring in the 'Farewell Discourses' of Chs 14-16.  Specifically they are 14:15-17; 14:26; 15.26; 16:7-11 and possibly 16:12-15.  The choice of the term Paraclete, however, is so distinctive as to warrant special study in any consideration of John's distinctive treatment of the Holy Spirit.

The gender of parakletos is masculine as opposed to the neuter of Holy Spirit.  Some have suggested that this is significant, with 'Holy Spirit' being some 'impersonal force' whose nature is revealed as the term 'Parakletos' is used  "... (parakletos) tends to remove the Spirit from the sphere of abstract, impersonal force into that of personality." Barrett p 77.  However, it's worth noting that the Holy Spirit is always referred to as 'He' even in Pneuma passages, and it's clear from verses like 14:26 that the personal characteristics of the Paraclete are also those of Pneuma.  Despite Barrett's claim that "None of the earlier references in the gospel to the Spirit show the same measure of personalization as to the last discourses.", and that " .. a simple consecutiveness of thought is not to be looked for in John's writing."  it does not appear to me (or to many other scholars) that there is any fundamental contradiction in the presentation of Paraclete and Pneuma, although there may be some development of concepts and thought.


The meaning of the work parakletos is debatable.  Literally, it means 'one called to the side of another' (W F Howard 'Christianity according to St John'), and is used also in 1 Jn 2:1, where it's meaning is Advocate.  Where I come from (Guernsey), this is the word we use for a lawyer or barrister, and we have already seen in the Eschatology and Judgement section that there is a lot of 'courtroom' terminology in John; Ladd points out that the usage of the term is not all courtroom, however.  In the King James Version (as anyone who has ever used the Church Anthem Book will know) the word is translated as (another) Comforter.  Nice, though this translation is, it is misleading, so Bultmann states that 'comforter' is not quite the role suggested by John Chs 14-16.  R Brown states that consolation is the 'context' of the role, not the substance of it.  I'm not so sure.  I think the usage of the word 'Comforter' has altered since the 16th/17th Century.   After all, the 23rd Psalm talks of 'Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me'. Now, I'm not sure when you were last 'comforted' by a rod or staff, dears, but the expression, to me, does not conjure up a very 'conventional' idea of what we would mean by 'comforting' - certainly in the social-worker sense!   I suspect that the word implies a mixture of consolation, encouragement, exhortation and downright chivying which seems to me to be very characteristic of the Paraclete in Chs 14-16.  However!

Another suggested translation of parakletos is Intercessor.  This suggestion is rejected by both Brown and Bultmann, for good reasons.  The intercessory role is played by Jesus in the 4th Gospel.  The Holy Spirit does not intercede.  Rather, he takes what is of Jesus, and passes it on.  He 'bears witness' to Jesus.

Bultmann argues for the the term Revealer - in connection with Gnostic Redeemer myths, with their saviours who 'reveal' the way to heaven - self knowledge for the Gnostic, knowledge of the Redeemer Christ, for the the 4th Evangelist.  Naturally, many scholars want to question whether there is dependence (or even response to) Gnostic myth.  There is more support for A Hunter's suggestion of Helper but even this is often considered too general (e.g. Brown).

Ladd suggests that Mediator (melits Hb) best sums up the role of the Paraclete - it also means Teacher.  The word is found in Job 33:23, the Qumran writings and the Aramaic targum of Job.  Ladd suggests that these terms best express the roles of the Paraclete in the Last Supper Discourses.  "There is therefore a background in Jewish thought for combining the roles of advocacy and instruction."  Schnackenburg, Dodd and Brown would agree that this term best sums up the "complex role of the Paraclete." although for me it does not do justice to the 'courtroom theme' of the  gospel as a whole.

So we return to Advocate.  This certainly fits the picture of the Paraclete aiding the disciples under persecution, as in the Synoptics.  It also fits the picture painted in Ch 16 of the Paraclete acting as the 'prosecution' - convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgement, and acting as the continuing presence of Jesus, who, of course, did this in Israel during his earthly ministry.  Sanders and Mostin add to this courtroom terminology with their suggestion of Strengthener or Champion, as in the character witnesses who plead cases for the defendant.  The role of the Paraclete in helping the disciples defend themselves against false accusations seems to bear this out.  Barrett describes the courtroom scenario of John as "a lawsuit of cosmic dimension."

Rabbinic literature uses the word sunegoros (Gk)  as a synonym for parakletos .  It means 'vindicator', (See Jn 16:8-11)  This would bear out the courtroom usage, although some scholars point out that the role of the Holy Spirit is more adversarial (that is, the prosecution or accuser) - although this is only in the context of 'The World'.  It seems that John may wish to present both aspects of the Paraclete's role, to vindicate Christ is to stand as accuser of the world which condemned Him."       
                                                                           

www.homepage.ntlworld.com

 


""The term "Spirit" translates the Hebrew word ruah, which, in its primary sense, means breath, air, wind. Jesus indeed uses the sensory image of the wind to suggest to Nicodemus the transcendent newness of him who is personally God's breath, the divine Spirit."(Jn 3:5-8.)"       
                                                                           

J. Cardinal Ratzinger,
 Catechism of the Catholic Church,
1994, p. 182.)

 


"It is only now you are experiencing
the vibrations confirming your faith. While your teachings from the church may be based on truth, and deeply meaningful, they alone did not and cannot bring you to the point of Self-Realization. Or it would have happened already. This is the point that All religions are dead so to speak. The doors of Heaven have been closed tightly for along time. So there are many spiritual teachings based on universal
truth, but the point again is their devotees are not achieving the promise of any of the teachings. Be it Taoism, Buddhism, or Christianity. The reason is Grace is absent from them. The Grace of
the Master, the Living one, who bestows the blessing of Heaven. So it
is not just your church, it is all of them lacking in Pure Knowledge of how to obtain the Grace for the devotee. They are equally ignorant. All there is words they have to give...

The ultimate for any individual is to experience the true Baptism, that is a returning home to the Heavenly realms for a visit to our Celestial Parents in the Unconscious. Shri Kundalini will ultimately lead one there, it is a process. But an individual in this world is free to believe whatever they wish...no one has the right to tell you what to believe. Beyond belief is Knowledge, Pure Knowledge, where belief is not even necessary, and hardly exists. Then one Knows for oneself what is and what isn't."
       
                                                                           

SY Ishmael Abraham

 


"
"Both of the major Hebrew and English dictionaries in use today include this definition, or one that goes very far towards it, among those appropriate for rûah. Gesenius's lexicon edited by Brown, Driver, and Briggs lists this as the fourth meaning of rûah: "spirit of the living, breathing being, dwelling in the flesh of men and animals." Under this entry, references are cited which more properly ought to be listed under this lexicon's first meaning of rûah, "breath," including many that have been cited above: Isa 42:5; Zech 12:1; Ps 104:29-30; Job 12:10, 27:3, 34:14-15; Qh 11:5, 12:7.(5) In their lexicon, Koehler and Baumgartner list this understanding as the sixth meaning of rûah: "(breath, element of life, natural) spirit of man." "       
                                                                           

Professor Theodore Hiebert

 


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