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WisconsinChristianNews.com
Volume 25, Issue 7
Revealing the Truth About Islam
And They Ask You About the Spirit (Part 3)
By Usama Dakdok November/December 2024
2, where it states that Allah sent down both the angels and the spirit. If the spirit were simply another angel, such as Gabreel, it would be redundant for Allah to say, “the angels and the spirit.” This redundancy would be unnecessary if Gabreel were part of the angelic group. In examining the interpretation of this verse, we find that Muslim scholars cannot agree on the
The ambiguity of the spirit’s role continues in Qur’an 26:192- 193: “And surely this is a descended from the lord of the worlds, descended by the faithful spirit.” Here, the phrase “faithful spirit” is used, with some scholars interpreting it as Gabreel. However, the Qur’an provides no direct statement linking Gabreel to the title “faithful spirit,” which leaves room for various interpretations. This vagueness leads to confusion, especially compared to the Bible, where the identity of the Holy Spirit is clearly distinct. The separation between angels and spirit appears again in Qur’an 70:4: “The angels and the spirit ascend to him in a day; its duration was fiftly thousand years.” Similarly, Qur’an 78:38 says: “A day the spirit and the angels stand in ranks, they will not speak, except those whom the merciful permitted and spoke truth.” Finally, Qur’an 97:4 reads: “The angels and the spirit came down in it by the will of their lord from every com- mand.” In each of these verses, the distinction between the angels and the spirit suggests they are not the same. The rep- etition of this distinction indicates that the spirit is not simply Gabreel but a separate entity altogether. The implication here is significant. If Gabreel were synony- mous with the spirit, Allah could have easily included him as part of the angels without the need for separate mention. Yet, in these verses, the spirit is consistently listed apart from the angels, indicating a unique and distinct role. This differentiation is consistent enough to make it clear that the spirit cannot merely be another angel, as some Muslim interpretations sug- gest. The verses discussed here reveal a pattern of ambiguity sur- rounding the spirit in the Qur’an. Whether identified as revela- tion, mercy, or Gabreel, the spirit’s true nature remains uncertain. This uncertainty suggests a fundamental misunder- standing within Islamic teachings about the spirit. Muslim scholars attempt to define the spirit in various ways to recon- cile the conflicting passages, but none of these interpretations align with the context or language of the verses. In contrast, the Bible consistently describes the Holy Spirit as part of the triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — each with a distinct role but united in essence. The clear, con- sistent doctrine of the Holy Spirit in Christianity stands in stark contrast to the ambiguous and unclear portrayal of the spirit in the Qur’an. As we proceed to the final part of this series, we will further examine the true nature of the Holy Spirit in the Bible and how this understanding offers clarity that is lacking in Islamic texts. For more information about Islam, visit our website. To de- bate the information of this article, please call 941-223-3698 . www.TheStraightWay.org
In Parts 1 and 2, we addressed the fun- damental question of the spirit in Islam, ex- ploring how Muslim scholars have grappled with interpreting the identity and role of the spirit as mentioned in the Qur’an. With each verse analyzed, the in-
consistencies grow, leaving questions about the true nature of Allah’s spirit. In Part 3, we will examine additional verses that reference the spirit, further highlighting the ambiguities within the Qur’an and how these verses contradict Islamic claims of clarity. In Qur’an 12:87 we read: “O my sons, go and inquire of Joseph and his brother and do not give up hope from the spirit of Allah. Surely no one will give up hope from the spirit of Allah except the infidel people.” According to the story in the Qur’an, Jacob knows his son Joseph is still alive, even though that contradicts all previous teaching in Qur’an chapter 12 regard- ing the story of Joseph. Jacob encourages his sons to go back to Egypt and to inquire about Joseph and his brother. Yet, the Qur’an never explicitly names Joseph’s brother, even though many Muslim scholars identify him as Benjamin. The key part of this verse is Jacob’s instruction to his sons: “Do not give up hope from the spirit of Allah.” What does Jacob mean by this? Is he talking about angel Gabreel? Is he referring to some abstract or divine message? The answer to each of these questions is no. Jacob is simply talking about the spirit of Allah, as something that brings hope and assur- ance, especially during times of despair. By referring to the “spirit of Allah,” he implies a powerful source of hope that can only come from God Himself. This raises an important ques- tion: Who exactly is the spirit of Allah in this verse? Muslim scholars do not provide a clear answer. Some translators even remove the phrase “spirit of Allah” and use other terms, mak- ing it more confusing for readers, especially for those who do not know Arabic. In Qur’an 16:2, we encounter another instance where Allah mentions the spirit explicitly. Here we read: “He sent down the angels with the spirit by his amr (term “amr” here is derived from Aramaic, meaning command) on whom he wills of his servants: That warn there is no god except me, so fear me.” Thus, the verse can be read as: “He sent down angels with the spirit by his command on whom he wills of his servants.” The concept of partners is addressed here, a point on which Muslim scholars emphasize the idea of shirk, or associating partners with Allah, as an unforgivable sin. They claim this verse indirectly refers to the Christian Trinity of God the father, God the mother, and God the son, as erroneously understood in Qur’an 5:116.
meaning of the “spirit.” Al-Tabari, for example, interprets the spirit as “revelation” or “mercy.” However, others claim it refers to Gabreel. This variety of interpretations indicates that schol- ars themselves are uncertain about the identity of the spirit, creating ambiguity in understanding what Allah intended. Further, in Qur’an 16:102, we see Mohammed providing a response to those who accused him of being a forger. The verse states: “Say, ‘The holy spirit from your lord has sent it down with the truth so that He may strengthen those who have believed and guidance and good news to the Muslims.’” The context of this verse involves people accusing Mohammed of fabricating qur’anic verses by presenting verses that some- times contradicted one another. The issue of abrogation, or replacing one verse with another, caused some people to view Mohammed as a forger rather than a prophet. In response, Mohammed declares that the holy spirit re- vealed the verses from Allah with truth. The phrase “holy spirit” creates confusion for Muslim scholars. If the holy spirit referred to Gabreel, Allah could have simply named him, avoiding con- fusion. Instead, the choice of the term “holy spirit” implies a separate, perhaps divine, entity. I personally believe that the Qur’an borrowed from the Bible’s concept of the Holy Spirit without fully understanding who He is and His role in the in- spiration of the word of God. This leaves Muslims very con- fused.
However, the critical part of this passage is found in verse
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