The Quran

Preface

وَكَذٰلِكَ أَوحَينا إِلَيكَ روحًا مِن أَمرِنا ۚ ما كُنتَ تَدري مَا الكِتابُ وَلَا الإيمانُ وَلٰكِن جَعَلناهُ نورًا نَهدي بِهِ مَن نَشاءُ مِن عِبادِنا ۚ وَإِنَّكَ لَتَهدي إِلىٰ صِراطٍ مُستَقيمٍ

Ahmed Ali

So have We revealed to you the Qur’an¹ by Our command. You did not know what the Scripture was before, nor (the laws of) faith. And We made it a light by which We show the way to those of Our creatures as We please; and you certainly guide them to the right path,

Ar-rooh. Although ar-rooh means so many things including rest, happiness, help, judgement and soul, it also means grace, revelation from God, and the Qur’an itself. See Muhit al-muhit. In 16:2, for instance, it means revelation, as also at 17:85. In verse 52 of this Surah, however, it means the Qur’an, which is made explicit by the use of auhaina, revealed, further clarified by: “You did not know what the Scripture was before.” Similarly, in 97:4 it means rahma, grace, as the Qur’an was revealed on this night, vide 44:3 and 97:1, and new life, as in 21:91, 66:12.