A022
Surah: 058 - Ayah: 022
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58:22
Note: By regularly studying a book of high quality, a miracle of spiritual help (ta'yid) can take place in the heart and mind (58:22). And in order to attain this bliss, knowledge of certainty and love of Imam are necessary.
Special Soul
Q.35. It is true that the word ruh is mentioned in the wise Qur’an 24 times in total. By reflecting on all these places, one comes to know that in all of them the special soul and not an ordinary one, is mentioned. Special in the sense that mostly, the noun ruh is mentioned in the definite form, ar-ruh and very rarely is it used in the indefinite form, ruh. Moreover, even where it is mentioned in the indefinite form, by attributing it to God, in reality it has been made definite, such as: “Wa ayyadahum in bi-ruh minhu (and has helped them with a spirit from Him)” (58:22). In this verse, (with a spirit) is used as a in bi-ruh common noun, but minhu (from Him) has in a sense, made it special or definite. Nonetheless, in saying “ (a soul)”, in ruh there is also some sort of literal and metaphorical generality. Is there any wisdom hidden in this?
A. Yes, there is a great wisdom hidden in ruh being used as a proper noun on the one hand and as a common noun on the other. That is, every rank in religion, whether it is that of Jibra’il or any other, it is in two positions: in one it is a pre-eternal and post-eternal rank and in the other, in every age a great personality and a Holy Spirit succeeds to this lofty rank. Thus, where the eternal position is meant, proper nouns
such as ar-ruh (the Spirit) or ruhu’l-qudus (the Holy Spirit) are used. Where it is intended to indicate the personality or in the spirit which holds that rank, common nouns such as “ruhan or ruh (a soul)” are used and then they are attributed to God so that the requirement of wisdom may be fulfilled.
It is said by the sages of religion that, without the help (ta'yid) of the Holy Spirit, there is no spirituality. The Holy Spirit abides in the Prophets and their special representatives, just as the sun is permanently in the heaven. And it is obvious that where the luminous sun is always shining, the darkness of night cannot spread, nor can the shadows of clouds be cast there. But it is true that the earth passes through different states of light and darkness. Earth stands for the people of faith, who in comparison to the Holy Spirit, pass through different states, like day and night, sunshine and shade. But the wealth of experiences which is called knowledge and recognition is everlasting. An allusion is made to this in the verse (58:22), which you should study again and again. In it by “bi-ruhin minhu (a special spirit from Him)” is meant the Holy Spirit. As Khwajah Hafiz has said:
Fayz-i ruhu'l-qudus ar baz madad farmayad Digaran ham bikunand anchih Masiha mi-kard “If the grace of the Holy Spirit may help again, others will be able to do what the Messiah (i.e. Hazrat `Isa) used to do”.
Ayyadahum (He helped them)
In verse (58:22) God says: "For such Allah has inscribed faith in their hearts, and has helped them with a (special) spirit of Himself." Read the whole verse as well as the preceding one.
Imam Jacfar as-Sadiq says: There is no mu'min except that within him his heart has two ears: one is that in which the sneaking whisperer whispers and the other is that in which the angel inspires and God helps the mu'min through the angel, as He says: "And He helped them with a (special) spirit of Him." (58:22) (al-Kafi, III, 395; al-Mizan, XIX, 198)
Ta'yid (Help, Divine help)
It is said in verse (58:22): "And He has helped them with a (special) spirit from Himself." This verse is about the party of God in which there is the fountainhead of guidance and the help of the Holy Spirit, while the party of Satan (58:19) fails to attain this bliss.
When perfect faith is mentioned, then its perquisites and results are also implied. Thus it should be known that faith in the heart of a mu’min is an ever-green spring of luminosity and the mu’min loves it naturally, as the Holy Qur’ᾱn says: “For such Allah has written faith upon their hearts and has strengthened them with a Spirit from Him.” (58:22). The writing of faith upon the hearts of mu’mins by Allah or the angels, means that the results and fruits of the perfect faith appeared in their hearts in the form of a luminous world of spirituality. This means that the mu’min abundantly loves the prerequisites and results of faith.
This verse has been referred 11 times.