---
title: "What Does Ruh (Spirit) Mean? | Islam Is Mercy"
description: "Ruh means spirit or soul — the life God breathed into Adam. The Qur'an teaches that its true nature is known only to God."
lang: en
url: https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/ruh/
---

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# What Does Ruh (Spirit) Mean?

Written by **Islam Is Mercy Editorial Team**· 1 min readAwaiting scholar review

## The short answer

Ruh means spirit or soul: the life-giving element that God breathed into Adam and that leaves the body at death. The Qur'an teaches that the ruh belongs to the realm of God's command and that human knowledge of it is very limited. The same word is also used for the angel Gabriel.

## On this page

1.  Meaning
2.  How Muslims use it
3.  Example

**Ruh** (Arabic: روح; plural *arwah*) is pronounced *ROOH* (with a soft breathy *h* at the end).

## Meaning

*Ruh* means *spirit*. The Qur’an tells that when God created Adam from clay, He shaped him and breathed into him of a spirit created by Him (Qur’an 15:29) — the moment he came to life. Muslims believe every human being receives a ruh, and that at death it leaves the body and continues to exist, awaiting the resurrection.

What exactly is the ruh? When people asked the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ this question, the Qur’an gave a humble answer:

> وَيَسْـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلرُّوحِ ۖ قُلِ ٱلرُّوحُ مِنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّى وَمَآ أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ ٱلْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًۭا ﴿٨٥﴾

> And they ask you, \[O Muhammad\], about the soul. Say, "The soul is of the affair of my Lord. And mankind have not been given of knowledge except a little."

[Qur'an, Al-Israa 17:85](https://quran.com/17?startingVerse=85&translations=20)Saheeh International

In other words, the soul is real, but its nature lies beyond what science or philosophy can fully measure. This humility is part of Islamic teaching: there are things only God knows.

The word *ruh* is also used in the Qur’an for the angel Gabriel, called *Ar-Ruh al-Amin* (the Trustworthy Spirit) and *Ruh al-Qudus* (the Holy Spirit), who brought revelation to the prophets. Muslims do not understand the Holy Spirit as a person of God, but as this noble angel.

## How Muslims use it

The word appears in everyday speech about inner life: someone with *ruh* has spirit and warmth, and *ruhani* means spiritual. In discussions of the soul, *ruh* and *nafs* are often used in overlapping ways, and scholars have discussed how the two relate.

## Example

*“After the funeral, the imam reminded us that the ruh returns to its Creator.”*

Learn more in [What Happens After Death?](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/life-after-death/)

## Key takeaways

-   Ruh means spirit or soul, the source of life in the body.
-   God breathed a spirit created by Him into Adam.
-   The Qur'an says its true nature is known only to God.

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## Sources

-   [Qur'an, Al-Israa 17:85](https://quran.com/17?startingVerse=85&translations=20)

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## Keep reading

[Start Here

### What Happens After Death in Islam?

What do Muslims believe happens after we die? The grave, the resurrection, the Day of Judgement, and the perfect justice and mercy of God.

Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/start/life-after-death/)[Glossary

### What Does Nafs Mean?

Nafs means the self or soul — the inner self with its desires and conscience. Islam calls believers to purify the nafs, not to destroy it.

Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/glossary/nafs/)[Stories of the Prophets

### Adam: The First Human and the First Prophet

The story of Adam in the Qur'an — created by God, honoured with knowledge, tested in the Garden, and forgiven when he turned back to his Lord.

Read article](https://islamismercy.com/en/prophets/prophet-adam/)