Ruh Al-Qudus
/ruːħ al-quˈduːs/noun
An Arabic religious expression meaning the Holy Spirit or Spirit of Holiness.
Did you know?In the Qur’an, Rūḥ al-Qudus is commonly identified by Muslim commentators with the angel Gabriel, though the expression itself echoes older Semitic language about divine holiness and spirit.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Semitic
Proto-Semitic
*q-d-š
“A reconstructed root associated with holiness, sacredness, or consecration.”
Biblical Hebrew
Hebrew
רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ (rúaḥ ha-qódesh)
“Spirit of the holiness; the Holy Spirit.”
Classical Arabic
Arabic
رُوحُ الْقُدُسِ (rūḥ al-qudus)
“Spirit of Holiness; a spirit associated with divine holiness.”
7th Century
Qur’anic Arabic
رُوحِ الْقُدُسِ (rūḥ al-qudus)
“The Spirit of Holiness, invoked in Qur’anic passages concerning divine support and revelation.”
Medieval Islamic scholarship
Arabic
رُوحُ الْقُدُسِ
“Commonly interpreted in exegesis as the angel Gabriel, though other theological interpretations also exist.”
Modern English
English
Ruh al-Qudus
“A transliterated Arabic religious term used in English discussions of Islam, Arabic theology, and comparative religion.”