it, and no prophet has ever used the term to speak of God’s own life, which is one of His attributes. Rather, in the Scriptures the phrase “Holy Spirit” refers either to the angel, or to guidance, revelation, and divine reinforcement.

Hence they say, “the Spirit of God,” just as they say, “the Light of God,” “the Guidance of God,” “the Revelation of God,” “the Sovereignty of God,” or “the Messenger of God.” None of the prophets, when uttering the words “Spirit of God” or “Holy Spirit,” meant what a human being means when he says, “my spirit.”

A human being is a composite of spirit and body. Within the body there is a subtle vapor that issues from the heart and flows through the limbs, and he possesses an internal cavity through which air enters and leaves. Thus, when people speak of “the human spirit,” they may intend the spirit associated with that delicate vapor inside the body, or they may mean the air that moves in and out of the chest.

By unanimous agreement of Muslims, Jews, and Christians, Allah—blessed and exalted—is not, like man, a combination of spirit and body. Glorified be He: He is the One, the Self-Sufficient Refuge. He has no cavity; nothing enters into Him and nothing emerges from Him—no vapor and no circulating air.

Some people use the word “spirit” to denote life, and indeed Allah is Living and possesses life. Yet the prophets, peace be upon them, never intended by their words “the Holy Spirit” the life of God. They meant instead that which Allah places in the hearts of the prophets