Re: Interfaith Dialogue (Angels and Jinn) - Islam and Chrsitianity
This discussion don't fit in any of the topics still to be discussed except maybe Salvation or Judgement, so I think we can spend a little time here.
The concept of Islam with soul=spirit, is contrary with Judeo-Christian teaching. Is it clearly defined in Qur'an that the soul = spirit? What is the difference between an animal's soul/spirit and mankind's? I actually think that the Qur'an agree with the Bible and you might be wrong :) in interpreting it. Both mention God blowing His spirit into mankind when He created/made them - exactly the same as Bible explains it. Only the Bible states what then happened and the Qur'an not. Even the meaning of the two words are different in English, so possibly the two should also not be equal in Islam?
Anyway, Hebrew and Arabic are from the same root and it is not strange that the word for spirit in Hebrew is ruach. Often when the Bible mentions "spirit" it is meant the two together. The Bible states that only the Holy Spirit can distinguish between the two as they are so bonded together (similar as the body/soul which no man can part only by death).
I do not think I would agree with that i.e. spirit and soul being two different entities in Islam. I do understand what you are talking about and that is a thought among many scholars in Islam as well i.e. what is difference between us and animals in terms of a soul.
Rooh has different meanings in Arabic however spirit and soul are the same thing from the best of my knowledge in Islam. It does coincide with the Christian concept. What may coincide is that Life and Soul or Spirit are different things. Life is present in all living things whereas Rooh is only in us and this is what differentiates us from living beings such as animals.
As far as Allah SWT blowing his spirit into Adam is concerned, the difference lies in the fact that you are reading in English whereas when read in Arabic it refers to a third person so they are not really the same when compared to ther verses. I cannot understand Arabic as a first language so this statement is based on explanations I have read before. If some here is knowledgible enough in Arabic to explain this, it would greatly appreciated.