notifications_active Weekly Meshkat-e Noor Session: Thursdays at 20:30 at Haj Reza Mosque
Respected teacher, could you please explain the divine spirit that was breathed into the human being?
َّهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحيمِ
The divine spirit breathed into the human being is a created and chosen spirit, which God has ascribed to Himself and thereby ennobled—just as He has ascribed the Kaaba to Himself or given the Prophet the title “Khalil” (His intimate friend). This spirit is in motion and akin to the wind; indeed, the word “spirit” derives from it. It is created, fashioned, brought into being, sustained, and governed.
The divine spirit is, in reality, the noblest of God’s creations. Allah has chosen it, honoured it and bestowed dignity upon it.
َ عَنِ الْأَحْوَلِ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنِ الرُّوحِ الَّتِي فِي آدَمَ ع قَوْلِهِ فَإِذا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَ نَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِي قَالَ هَذِهِ رُوحٌ مَخْلُوقَةٌ وَ الرُّوحُ الَّتِي فِي عِيسَى مَخْلُوقَةٌ.
Ahwal said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq (AS) about the spirit breathed into Adam (AS), concerning which God says (38:11): “When I had fashioned him and breathed into him of My spirit.” He replied: “That spirit is created, and the spirit that was in Jesus was also created.”
عَنْ حُمْرَانَ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ رُوحٌ مِنْهُ قَالَ هِيَ رُوحُ اللَّهِ مَخْلُوقَةٌ خَلَقَهَا اللَّهُ فِي آدَمَ وَ عِيسَى.
Humran said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq (AS) about the words of God, Mighty and Glorious: “And a spirit from Him.” He replied: “It is God’s spirit, which is created. God brought it into being in the bodies of Adam and Jesus.”
عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ- وَ نَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِي كَيْفَ هَذَا النَّفْخُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الرُّوحَ مُتَحَرِّكٌ كَالرِّيحِ وَ إِنَّمَا سُمِّيَ رُوحاً لِأَنَّهُ اشْتَقَّ اسْمَهُ مِنَ الرِّيحِ وَ إِنَّمَا أَخْرَجَهُ عَنْ لَفْظَةِ الرِّيحِ لِأَنَّ الْأَرْوَاحَ مُجَانِسَةٌ لِلرِّيحِ وَ إِنَّمَا أَضَافَهُ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ لِأَنَّهُ اصْطَفَاهُ عَلَى سَائِرِ الْأَرْوَاحِ كَمَا قَالَ لِبَيْتٍ مِنَ الْبُيُوتِ بَيْتِي وَ لِرَسُولٍ مِنَ الرُّسُلِ خَلِيلِي وَ أَشْبَاهِ ذَلِكَ وَ كُلُّ ذَلِكَ مَخْلُوقٌ مَصْنُوعٌ مُحْدَثٌ مَرْبُوبٌ مُدَبَّرٌ.
Muhammad ibn Muslim said: I asked Imam al-Sadiq (AS) about the words of God, Mighty and Glorious (38:11): “When I had fashioned him and breathed into him of My spirit.” How did this breathing take place? He replied: “The spirit moves like the wind. It is called rūḥ because the word derives from rīḥ [wind]; and the spirits are akin to the wind. God attributes it to Himself because He has chosen it above the other spirits, just as He calls a certain house ‘My House’ and a certain messenger among the messengers ‘My Friend,’ and the like. All these are created, fashioned, brought into being and nurtured.”
عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ مُسْلِمٍ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ أَبَا جَعْفَرٍ ع عَمَّا يَرْوُونَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ خَلَقَ آدَمَ عَلَى صُورَتِهِ فَقَالَ هِيَ صُورَةٌ مُحْدَثَةٌ مَخْلُوقَةٌ وَ اصْطَفَاهَا اللَّهُ وَ اخْتَارَهَا عَلَى سَائِرِ الصُّوَرِ الْمُخْتَلِفَةِ فَأَضَافَهَا إِلَى نَفْسِهِ كَمَا أَضَافَ الْكَعْبَةَ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ وَ الرُّوحَ إِلَى نَفْسِهِ فَقَالَ بَيْتِيَ وَ نَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِي.
Muhammad ibn Muslim said: I asked Imam al-Baqir (AS) about the report that God created Adam in His image. He replied: “It was a newly formed body, created by God. He chose it and preferred it over the various other forms, and attributed it to Himself, just as He attributed the Kaaba to Himself, saying, ‘My House,’ and [saying], ‘I breathed into him of My spirit.’”
Al-Kāfī (Islamic edition), vol. 1, pp. 133–134