وَيَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلرُّوحِ ۖ قُلِ ٱلرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّى وَمَآ أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا 85
Translations
And they ask you, [O Muḥammad], about the soul. Say, "The soul is of the affair [i.e., concern] of my Lord. And you [i.e., mankind] have not been given of knowledge except a little."
Transliteration
Wa yas'alūnaka 'anil-rūḥ, qul ar-rūḥu min amri rabbī wa mā ūtītum minal-'ilmi illā qalīlā
Tafsir (Explanation)
The people questioned the Prophet (ﷺ) about the nature of the rūḥ (spirit/soul), and Allah commanded him to respond that the rūḥ is from the command of the Lord—a matter beyond human comprehension. Classical scholars like Ibn Kathir explain that this ayah establishes the limits of human knowledge: while we possess some understanding of worldly matters, the metaphysical reality of the rūḥ remains among the unseen (al-ghayb) that belongs exclusively to Allah's dominion. Al-Qurtubi notes this teaches intellectual humility, as the rūḥ is too transcendent for ordinary human intellect to fully grasp.
Revelation Context
This ayah was revealed in response to the Quraysh's questions posed to the Prophet (ﷺ), as part of a series of inquiries about matters of the unseen (mentioned in 17:85-87). The broader context of Surah Al-Isra emphasizes Allah's majesty, the limits of human knowledge, and proper devotion, fitting the Meccan period's focus on monotheism and confronting disbelief.
Related Hadiths
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: 'The best of you are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it' (Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2907), affirming the pursuit of knowledge within proper bounds. Additionally, 'Ask about the matters that are lawful and forget about matters that are forbidden' (Sahih Bukhari 2414) aligns with the principle of not obsessing over unknowable metaphysical details.
Themes
Key Lesson
This ayah teaches believers to embrace intellectual humility by recognizing that human knowledge is limited and incomplete, particularly regarding metaphysical realities, and to focus their efforts on understanding what Allah has made accessible rather than becoming preoccupied with the ineffable mysteries of existence.
Related Ayahs
إِلَّا رَحْمَةً مِّن رَّبِّكَ ۚ إِنَّ فَضْلَهُۥ كَانَ عَلَيْكَ كَبِيرًا
Except [We have left it with you] as a mercy from your Lord. Indeed, His favor upon you has ever been great.
وَقُلِ ٱلْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ ٱلَّذِى لَمْ يَتَّخِذْ وَلَدًا وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ شَرِيكٌ فِى ٱلْمُلْكِ وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ وَلِىٌّ مِّنَ ٱلذُّلِّ ۖ وَكَبِّرْهُ تَكْبِيرًۢا
And say, "Praise to Allāh, who has not taken a son and has had no partner in [His] dominion and has no [need of a] protector out of weakness; and glorify Him with [great] glorification."
وَمَا مَنَعَنَآ أَن نُّرْسِلَ بِٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ إِلَّآ أَن كَذَّبَ بِهَا ٱلْأَوَّلُونَ ۚ وَءَاتَيْنَا ثَمُودَ ٱلنَّاقَةَ مُبْصِرَةً فَظَلَمُوا۟ بِهَا ۚ وَمَا نُرْسِلُ بِٱلْـَٔايَـٰتِ إِلَّا تَخْوِيفًا
And nothing has prevented Us from sending signs [i.e., miracles] except that the former peoples denied them. And We gave Thamūd the she-camel as a visible sign, but they wronged her. And We send not the signs except as a warning.
وَرَبُّكَ أَعْلَمُ بِمَن فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَلَقَدْ فَضَّلْنَا بَعْضَ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ عَلَىٰ بَعْضٍ ۖ وَءَاتَيْنَا دَاوُۥدَ زَبُورًا
And your Lord is most knowing of whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And We have made some of the prophets exceed others [in various ways], and to David We gave the book [of Psalms].