Genealogy of the Word ‘Soul’ in Afro-Asian Languages with Emphasis on its Uses in the Holy Quran and Old Testaments

Document Type : Research Article

Authors

1 Assistant Professor of Quran and Hadith, Ayatollah Borujerdi University, Borujerd, Iran.

2 Associate Professor, Department of Quranic Sciences, Holy Quran University of Sciences and Education, Shiraz, Iran.

10.30497/qhs.2023.244270.3739

Abstract

The word ‘Ruh’ is repeated 21 times in the Holy Quran. The wide usage of this word in Afro-Asian languages and the Testaments doubles the need to study its genealogy. This study aimed to investigate the etymology of this word in Semitic languages and in the texts of the Old and New Testaments using a historical-adaptive linguistics method and using library-based resources. Additionally, it explored the examples and scope of their applications in Jahili literature and the Holy Quran. Results indicated that the origin of the word is Semitic since it has been used three languages, namely Hebrew, Syriac, and Arabic, having an almost similar structure and the same meanings. The underlying meaning of this word is flowing and blowing, containing two important elements: being a factor of life and originating from a source. In the Holy Bible, it is sometimes used in a real sense (life force) and mostly in a figurative sense. As we approach the era of the New Testament and the Holy Quran, the meaning range of the word has been limited and the real meanings have replaced the figurative meanings. The connection of the word ‘al-Quds’ with the word ‘Soul’ in the New Testament and the Holy Quran indicates the truth of the meaning of this word. It means that the soul is a huge creation from the Almighty God and has different levels. Also, the combination of "inflation of my soul" in the Qur'an reveals the meaning of ‘flow of life from a transcendental source’.

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References

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Quran and Hadith Studies‎
Volume 17, Issue 1 - Serial Number 33
September 2023
Pages 35-59

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