Soul
The soul, regarded as the immaterial self which most ordinary people initially believe in, is often discussed in the context of religion, theology, psychology and philosophy. According to Stewart Goetz, anthropologists and psychologists have found that ordinary humans interculturally have distinguished between souls and bodies.
The soul may also be considered to be the animating force (“spirit”) of a person,
including that person’s personal identity, personality, or memory. Many people believe that a soul (an immortal soul), as an immaterial aspect of a living being, can survive physical death. In the Judeo-Christian tradition the concept of a soul generally applies only to humans, although other worldviews, such as animism, may assign souls to other living
and non-living entities.
Rūḥ al-qudus is an Arabic phrase that translates to "the holy spirit" or "spirit of holiness". It appears in the Quran and is often associated with the angel Gabriel.
In the Quran
- The phrase appears in the Quran in four places: 2:87, 253, Al-Ma’idah 110, and An-Nahl 102
- It is described as the means by which God strengthened Jesus
- It is identified as the one who brought down God’s truth to his prophet
In Islamic sources
- The Holy Spirit is said to have conveyed revelation to prophets, helped believers, and interceded on the Day of Judgment
- Muslim scholars disagree about the nature and identity of the Holy Spirit
In Christianity
- The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity and is considered divine by mainstream Christians
In Sufi literature
- The word ruh is often used to refer to “soul” as an entity distinct from the body and the self