Sura -17 [Al-Israa, Mecca 50]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s version:
وَيَسْأَلُونَكَ
عَنِ الرُّوحِ...
17:85. They ask thee concerning the Spirit (of inspiration).
C2285. What is the nature of inspiration?
Who brings it?
Can it ask its Bringer questions?
Can we ask anything which we wish?
These are the sort of questions always asked when inspiration is called in question. The answer is given here,.
Inspiration is one of those high experiences which cannot be explained in the terms of our everyday human experience. It is spiritual.
The Spirit (Gabriel) does not come of his own will. He comes by the command of Allah, and reveals what Allah commands him to reveal.
Of the sum-total of true divine knowledge what a small part it is that ordinary mortals can understand! They can be only given that which they can understand, however dimly. We are not in a position to ask anything that we wish. If we did so, it would only make us look foolish, for the guidance comes from Allah's Wisdom, not from our worldly knowledge.
...قُلِ الرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّي وَمَا أُوتِيتُم مِّن الْعِلْمِ إِلاَّ قَلِيلاً ﴿٨٥﴾
Say:
"The Spirit (cometh) by command of my Lord:
of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you, (O men!)
Other versions:
17: 85
Yusuf Ali They ask thee concerning the Spirit (of inspiration). Say: "The Spirit (cometh) by command of my Lord: of knowledge it is only a little that is communicated to you (O men!)
Pickthall They will ask thee concerning the Spirit. Say: The Spirit is by command of my Lord, and of knowledge ye have been vouchsafed but little.
Yuksel They ask you concerning the Spirit. Say, "The Spirit is from the command of my Lord, and the knowledge you were given was but very little."*
Transliteration Wa yas'alu_naka 'anir ru_h(i), qulir ru_hu min amri rabbi wa ma_ u_titum minal 'ilmi illa_ qalila_(n).
[[ Yuksel’s Note - 017:085 Influenced by the Christian scholars who were influenced by Greek mythology, the word ruh is commonly mistranslated as "soul." In the Quranic terminology, ruh means divine information and commandments.
The thing that disconnects from our body or quits functioning during sleep or death is not ruh but nafs, that is, personality and consciousness (39:42).
The Quran refers to the angel that delivers the divine revelation as Jibreel or Ruh-ul Quds, meaning "Holy Revelation" or "Holy Spirit" (6:102). God endowed the human species with a program called consciousness and personality via a special revelation (15:29; 38:72; 33:9). We can reform or restore our innate program if it is infected by viruses of ignorance, indulgence in sins, or self-inflicted abuses, by re-installing the program called ruh. The ruh in revelation revives those who have lost the function of the ruh in their genetic makeup (6:122; 8:24). See 15:29.
Charlatan psychics or so-called mediums cannot bring the nafs (person) that is uploaded to God's master record, back to the world. Communication with the person of the dead is a third-rate fraud and it haunts the gullible who take the pretender serious.
Is it possible to record or transfer the unique neural connections and memories recorded in a brain throughout its life into another organic or inorganic medium, such as a computer disk? In other words, can we one day isolate the information recorded in the brain in terms of a holographic network of connections from its biological material and then transfer, preserve and duplicate it as data? Considering the speed of technological advances, this possibility might even become a probability. The atheists who scoff at God's promise of resurrection by asking, "How can rotten bones be revived?" might learn this lesson in their labs: that with the biological death everything is not lost, and humans and everything in the universe are no more than "bundles of information," and information is not dependent on a particular organic medium; its transferable and theoretically eternal. However, looking at history, it is a safe bet that instead of regretting their bigotry, and acknowledging their Lord who declared this fact millennia ago, they will continue their opposition, doubts, and arrogant attitudes. Of course, this self-deception will end one day (10:24). See 15:29. ]]
Sura-16 An Nahl mecca 70]
The Quranic Text & Ali’s version:
قُلْ
نَزَّلَهُ رُوحُ
الْقُدُسِ مِن
رَّبِّكَ
بِالْحَقِّ...
16:102. Say,
the Holy Spirit has brought the revelation from thy Lord in truth,
C2141. The title of the Angel Gabriel, through whom the revelations came down.
... لِيُثَبِّتَ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ ...
in order to strengthen those who believe,
C2142. The People of the Book, if they had true faith, were themselves strengthened in their faith and cleared of their doubts and difficulties by the revelations brought by Al-Mustafa; and all whether People of the Book or not -who came within the fold of Islam, found the Quran a Guide and a Gospel, i.e., a substitute for the Mosaic Law and for the Christian Gospel, which had both been corrupted.
... وَهُدًى وَبُشْرَى لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ ﴿١٠٢﴾
and as a guide and Glad Tidings to Muslims
Asad’s Version:
16: 102
Asad Say: “Holy Inspiration has brought it down from your Sustainer by stages, setting forth the truth, so that it might give firmness unto those who have attained to faith, and provide guidance and a glad tiding unto all who have surrendered themselves to God.”
Yusuf Ali Say the Holy Spirit has brought the revelation from thy Lord in truth in order to strengthen those who believe and as a guide and Glad Tidings to Muslims.
Pickthall Say: The holy Spirit hath revealed it from thy Lord with truth, that it may confirm (the faith of) those who believe, and as guidance and good tidings for those who have surrendered (to Allah).
Transliteration Qul nazzalahu_ ru_hul qudusi mir rabbika bil haqqi liyusabbital lazina a_manu_ wa hudaw wa busyra_ lil muslimin(a).
[Asad note 128: As in the three other places in which the expression “ruh al-qudus” occurs…………….]