Chapter on al-Ruh, the Spirit

سَأَلْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع- عَنِ الرُّوحِ الَّتِي فِي آدَمَ ع قَوْلِهِ‌ فَإِذا سَوَّيْتُهُ‌ وَ نَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِي‌[2] قَالَ هَذِهِ رُوحٌ مَخْلُوقَةٌ وَ الرُّوحُ الَّتِي فِي عِيسَى مَخْلُوقَةٌ.

“I asked Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the spirit (Ruh) which was in Adam as indicated in the Holy Quran, ‘When it is properly shaped and I have blown My Spirit into it (15:29).’” Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) replied, “This is a created spirit and the spirit in Jesus is created.”

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.

“I asked Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, ‘The spirit from Him’. Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) replied, “It is the spirit (Ruh) from Allah created in Adam and Jesus.”

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 قَ

“I asked Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about the words of Allah, the Most Holy, the Most High, ‘I have blown My Spirit into it (15:29)’” The Imam (a.s.) replied, “The spirit has motion like winds. It is called spirit (Ruh) because the word is a derivative of Rih (wind). This derivative is selected because the spirits are s

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.

“I asked Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) about what people narrate that Allah created Adam in His-own form.” The Imam (a.s.) replied, “It is created and newly invented form. Allah selected and chose it over the other various forms and gave His-own possessive case just like He has done so about Ka‘bah and the spirit saying, ‘

أَنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ ع اسْتَنْهَضَ النَّاسَ فِي حَرْبِ مُعَاوِيَةَ فِي الْمَرَّةِ الثَّانِيَةِ فَلَمَّا حَشَدَ النَّاسُ‌[1] قَامَ خَطِيباً فَقَالَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الْوَاحِدِ الْأَحَدِ الصَّمَدِ الْمُتَفَرِّدِ الَّذِي‌[2] لَا مِنْ شَيْ‌ءٍ كَانَ وَ لَا مِنْ شَيْ‌ءٍ خَلَقَ مَا كَانَ قُدْرَةٌ[3] بَانَ بِهَا مِنَ الْأَشْيَاءِ وَ بَانَتِ الْأَشْيَاءُ مِنْهُ فَلَيْسَتْ لَهُ صِفَةٌ تُنَالُ وَ لَا حَدٌّ تُضْرَبُ لَه

1. Muhammad ibn abu ‘Abdallah and Muhammad ibn Yahya - both in a marfu‘ manner- have narrated from Imam abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “Imam Amirul Mu’minin mobilized people against Mu’awiya for the second time and when people came in multitudes he stood up to give a speeCh ‘All praise is due to Allah