It was also said that what is meant by it is Jesus, peace be upon him, for he is the Spirit of Allah and His Word. That is, he is neither as the Jews claim nor as the Christians claim.
Others said: It is the spirit placed within created beings, by which a human being lives; and this is the soundest view.
Some also discussed it and said: It is the blood. Do you not see that, when an animal dies, nothing departs from it except its blood?
Others said: It is the breath of a living creature, as evidenced by the fact that it dies when its breath is restrained.
Others said: It is an accident.
Others said: It is a subtle body.
Some said: The spirit is a reality in which light, pleasantness, loftiness, and permanence are combined. Do you not see that, when it is present, a human being possesses all these qualities (1), but when it departs, they all vanish (2)?
The most fitting of these views is that knowledge of it be consigned to Allah, exalted is He. This is the position of Ahl al-Sunnah. Abdullah ibn Buraydah said: “Allah has not disclosed knowledge of the spirit to any angel brought near or any prophet sent as a messenger.”
His words, exalted is He: “Say, ‘The Spirit is of the command of my Lord’”—it was said: that is, from the knowledge of my Lord.
“And you have been given but little knowledge”: that is, in comparison with the knowledge of Allah (3). It was said that this is addressed to the Messenger, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
It was also said that it is addressed to the Jews, because they used to say, “We have been given the Torah, and it contains abundant knowledge.”
It was also said that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, knew the meaning of the spirit but did not disclose it to anyone, because his withholding this information was a sign of his prophethood.
The first view is more sound, for Allah, exalted is He, has reserved knowledge of it exclusively for Himself.
“And if We willed, We could certainly take away what We have revealed to you; then you would find no one to plead your case before Us concerning it (86).”
His words, exalted is He: “And if We willed, We could certainly take away what We have revealed to you,” mean the Quran. Its meaning is: just as We withheld knowledge of the spirit from you and from others, if We willed, We could take away what We revealed to you—the Quran—“then you would find no one to plead your case before Us concerning it”; that is, no one who could undertake to restore the Quran to you.