17-80
And say, “”My Fosterer! cause me to enter the entrance of truth and cause me to exit the exit of truth and grant me from Your presence a helping authority.””
The Prophet (PBH) is ordered to pray and proclaim.
Al Isra (The Night Journey)
And say, “”My Fosterer! cause me to enter the entrance of truth and cause me to exit the exit of truth and grant me from Your presence a helping authority.””
17-81
And say, “”The truth has come and falsehood departed. Falsehood is certainly bound to depart.””
“Same to Verse No.80”
17-82
And We have sent down through the Quran that which is a healing and a mercy for the believers; and to those who are unjust, it adds nothing but loss.
The Quran provides treatment for all evils and at the same time it is a mercy for the believers because it leads them towards a good life in this world and in the hereafter.
17-83
And when We bestow favor on man, he keeps away and turns away to his side and when harm afflicts him, he is despairing.
A very important aspect of human psychology is described, during prosperity man forgets Allah (SWT) and during adversity he becomes so hopeless, as if he was never prosperous. Everyone acts according to one’s character and Allah (SWT) knows those who are correct.
17-84
Say, “”Everyone acts according to the scope allowed {2} to him, (through his inherent character or destiny) but your Fosterer knows best, about him who is best guided on the way.”” (R 9)
“Same to Verse No.83”
Does this verse refer to destiny and memory on which every thought and action, even dreams are recorded?
17-85
And they ask you about the Spirit (Ruh), say, “”The Spirit (comes) with the command of my Fosterer$, and you have been given little knowledge,””(therefore you cannot understand everything). [$ Or, the Spirit is from one of the affairs of my Fosterer]
This verse appears to refer to Jibreel (PBH) who had revealed the Quran to prophet Muhammed (PBH) by the order of Allah (SWT). ‘Ruuh’ Ruuhil qudus 2, Ruuhul amiin 26:192196, Ruuh 42:52, Jibriil (PBH) 2:97 are different names of the same being who brought down the Quran on the heart of prophet Muhammed (PBH) by the order of Allah (SWT). The message contained in the Quran guides towards the path of Allah (SWT) 34:6, 4:175-176, leading toparadise 2:25, whereas the instigations of the devil mislead human beings from this path and land them in hell 4:60, 7:18. Jibrill (PBH) and Ibliis the devil thus perform opposite jobs of propagating good and evil respectively. Jibriil (PBH) comes down by the command of Allah (SWT) on whom He wills of His servants with His message 16:2, 40:15, 17:85. He comes down with the angels too with a programme for every affair 97:4. In association with the angels he ascends towards Allah (SWT) in a period of 50,000 years 70:4 and on the day of resurrection he will stand with them in ranks 78:38 Jibriil (PBH) had acquired the form of a man and talked to Maryam (PBH) 19:17-19. Jibriil (PBH) is thus always associated with good things and good people. He appears to be the power of right decision in contrast to Ibliis who is always associated with bad things and bad people who appears to be an evil force – the power of wrong decision. In view of this
(1) the blowing of ‘Ruuh’ into Adam (PBH) 15:29 could mean the bestowing of the power of right decision to mankind
(2) the strengthening of Isa (PBH) with Ruuh-il qudus 2:87 could mean helping Isa (PBH) through Jibriil (PBH) to take right decisions due to which he was able to speak correct things even as a child 5:110 and
(3) strengthening the believers with ‘Ruuh’ 58:22 could again mean helping them in taking the right decision opposite to the devil’s party who will be losers 58:19.
Allah (SWT) is Unique being One 112:1 whereas in His creation everything is in pairs 43:12, nothing is single like Him 112:4, few examples of pairs in the creation are man and women, day and night, good and evil. Millions of such examples can be given.
In view of this too Jibrill (PBH) and Ibliis appear to be opposing forces which influence human beings. This interpretation is supported by the following statement of prophet Muhammed (PBH) reported by Ibn-i-Masood (R.A.) and collected by Muslim.
The Prophet (PBH) had said, “There is not one among you who does not have an incharge on him accompanying him, one from among the Jinn and one accompanying him from among the angels”. (See word No. 42:1)
Man, has thus been given the power to choose and decide which is probably referred to as ‘Amaanat’ meaning ‘Trust’ 33:72. Jibriil (PBH) and the messages sent through him help men in taking the right decision whereas Ibliis and his associates mislead them from this right decision. Ruuhi 15:29, Ruuhanaa 19:17 and Ruuhihii 32:9 translated as My spirit, Our spirit and His spirit respectively need not mean the soul or any part of Allah (SWT) just because possessive pronouns are used. Take the examples of the terms Malaa’ikatihii, Kutubihii and rusulihii 4:136 meaning His angels, His books and His messengers respectively. We know that angels, books and messengers are not parts of Allah (SWT) they just belong to Him. Therefore ‘Ruuh’ could also be a separate being like angels and messengers who belong to Allah (SWT) but are not His part. No where in the Quran is the word Ruuh used in the sense of soul, the word ‘Nafs’ is used to mean soul which is taken away at the time of death along with life 39:42.
Many people believe that Ruuh is the soul of Allah (SWT), just because of the possessive pronouns used with it. They argue that it was this soul of Allah (SWT) that was breathed into Adam (PBH) and we have inherited it through him. If we already possess the soul of Allah (SWT) then why should it be again put into Maryam (PBH) and why should Isa (PBH) and believers be supported with it? Many human beings go to different prohibited places like gambling houses, night clubs etc. and get involved in grave sins. How can one imagine committing grave and shameful sins with the soul of Allah (SWT) in him? If all human beings possess the soul of Allah (SWT) are we not dividing His Soul into different parts? Allah (SWT) has clearly indicated that He is a separate Being 58:7.
In view of all this, Ruuh or Jibriil (PBH) appears to be a separate being which influences the psychical personalities of humam beings like the angels and devils, helping them in taking the right decision and he belongs to Allah (SWT) in the sense that the whole creation belongs to Him. Ruuh may be something like knowledge, which too is a power belonging to Allah (SWT) ‘Ilmihii’ meaning His knowledge 2:255. Like knowledge Ruuh (the power of right decision) too is shared by human beings to different extents without itself getting reduced.
Ruuh meaning the power of right decision was breathed into Adam (PBH), angels by bowing down before Adam (PBH) bowed down before Ruuh too and consequently they are with the believers helping them in taking the right decision. Had Ibliis too bowed down before Adam (PBH) he would have surrendered before the power of right decision i.e. the Ruuh and in that case, he would not have been in a position to mislead human beings by instigating wrong decisions in them. Ruuh is always expressed in masculine gender and singular number.
17-86
And if We will We can definitely take away that which We have communicated to you, then you would not find for it any trustee (in whom you could put your trust) against Us,
If Allah (SWT) wills, He can take back the Quran. No one other than Allah (SWT) can produce the Quran in which all the subjects are dealt with authoritatively but the majority rejects it. See also Chapter: 10 Verses 37–38
17-87
but (this has not been done because of) the mercy from your Fosterer. His grace on you is certainly great.
“Same to Verse No.86”
17-88
Say, “”If mankind and jinn were to gather together on (the project of) bringing (out) a Quran similar to this, they would not be able to bring (out anything) similar to it, even if they help each other.””
“Same to Verse No.86”
17-89
And in this Quran, We have repeated for mankind every kind of similitude, but the majority of mankind refuses (to understand, and accept nothing) but infidelity.
“Same to Verse No.86”
17-90
And they say, “”We will never believe in you till you cause a spring to gush forth from the earth for us.
For believing in the messenger ship of prophet Muhammed (PBH), the infidels demanded a number of miracles
17-91
Or you have a garden of date palms and grapes and cause gushing out rivers to gush forth in spaces between the (trees of the garden).
“Same to Verse No.90”
17-92
Or you cause the sky to fall upon us in pieces as you claim, or you bring Allah and the angels face to face (with us).
“Same to Verse No.90”
17-93
Or you have a house of gold or you climb into the sky, and we will not believe in your climbing till you bring down to us a book which we could read.”” Say, “”Glory be to my Fosterer! am I anything but a human (news giving) messenger?”” (R 10)
“Same to Verse No.90”
17-94
And nothing prevents mankind from believing when the guidance comes to them, except that they say, “”Has Allah raised up a human being as a messenger?””
The main reason for not believing in the message of Allah (SWT) was that the messengers were human beings. Allah (SWT) gives a very logical answer to these people that if angels were the dwellers of the earth, He would have sent an angel as His messenger
17-95
Say, “”Had there been angles walking about as settlers in the earth, We would have sent down to them an angel as a messenger form the sky.””
“Same to Verse No.94”
17-96
Say, “”Allah is sufficient as a witness between me and you, He is certainly informed of and seeing His servants.””
Allah (SWT) is sufficient as a witness over those who accepted His message and those who rejected it.
17-97
And whomsoever Allah guides, then he (it) is (who is really) guided, But whomsoever He leaves in error, then you will not find for him guardians besides Him; and We will gather them on the day of resurrection on their faces, blind and dumb and deaf, their settling place will be hell, whenever (the fire tends to get) extinguished, We will increase for them the blazing flame. (P 14 ½)
Only those are guided whom Allah (SWT) guides. Those whom He leaves in error will be punished in the fire because they did notbelieve in His message and denied the life after death, further they did not realize that Allah (SWT) Who created the skies and the earth can recreate them after their end is brought about.
17-98
That is their reward because they did not believe in Our signs and said, “”What! when we become bones and powder, will we then be raised up (as) a new creation?””
“Same to Verse No.97”
17-99
Do they not consider that Allah Who created the skies and the earth is able to create their like? And He has appointed for them a term about which there is no doubt, except unjust refuse (everything) but the infidelity.
“Same to Verse No.97”