Quran by Topic
The Soul (Ruh / Nafs)
النفس والروح
The Quran names the soul as a thing — and names its limits. 'You have been given little knowledge of it.' A 7th-century desert faith would not have conceded such an epistemic limit on its own sacred subject.
6 verses from the Quran
#01
"They ask you about the Ruh (spirit). Say: 'The Ruh is from the command of my Lord, and you have not been given of knowledge except a little.' The epistemic limit is named explicitly."
Arabic
وَيَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلرُّوحِ ۖ قُلِ ٱلرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّى وَمَآ أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا
English (Sahih International)
And they ask you, [O Muhammad], about the soul. Say, "The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little."
#02
"Then He fashioned him and breathed into him of His spirit (رُوحِهِ). The soul is given to Adam as a thing from Allah — created, not innate."
Arabic
ثُمَّ سَوَّىٰهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِهِۦ ۖ وَجَعَلَ لَكُمُ ٱلسَّمْعَ وَٱلْأَبْصَٰرَ وَٱلْأَفْـِٔدَةَ ۚ قَلِيلًۭا مَّا تَشْكُرُونَ
English (Sahih International)
Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His [created] soul and made for you hearing and vision and hearts; little are you grateful.
#03
"When I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My spirit, then fall down to him in prostration. The angels commanded to bow to Adam — a singular, named event."
Arabic
فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُۥ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِى فَقَعُوا۟ لَهُۥ سَٰجِدِينَ
English (Sahih International)
And when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My [created] soul, then fall down to him in prostration."
#04
"When I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My spirit, fall down before him prostrating. The same act, repeated — Adam's special status as the receiver of Allah's spirit is named."
Arabic
فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُۥ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِى فَقَعُوا۟ لَهُۥ سَٰجِدِينَ
English (Sahih International)
So when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My [created] soul, then fall down to him in prostration."
#05
"By the soul (النَّفْسَ) and that which shaped it, and inspired it with its wickedness and its righteousness — the soul is named as both polarities-capable, not inherently good or evil."
Arabic
وَنَفْسٍۢ وَمَا سَوَّىٰهَا
English (Sahih International)
And [by] the soul and He who proportioned it
#06
"When the soul (النَّفْس) comes up to the throat, and they say, 'who will bring it back?' The moment of death is given a specific physical location — the throat."
Arabic
كَلَّآ إِذَا بَلَغَتِ ٱلتَّرَاقِىَ
English (Sahih International)
No! When the soul has reached the collar bones
All Arabic text from the Uthmani edition · All English from Sahih International translation · Topical groupings are based on classical tafsir; scholars may differ on inclusion of specific verses