Who is the “Holy Spirit”?

 

In the Quran in 2:87, an excerpt: ...We gave Jesus the son of Mary clear (signs) and stengthened him with the holy spirit. What is the holy spirit?

Praise be to
Allaah.

The
“Holy Spirit” (Rooh al-Qudus) is Jibreel (peace be upon him). Shaykh
al-Shanqeeti said: “The words of Allaah (interpretation of the meaning),
‘and [We] supported him with Rooh al-Qudus’ [al-Baqarah 2:87] refer
to Jibreel according to the most sound view. This is indicated by the
words (interpretation of the meaning): ‘Which the trustworthy Rooh
has brought down’ [al-Shu’ara’ 26:193] and ‘then We sent to her
our Rooh’ [Maryam 19:17].” 

Ibn
Abi Haatim narrated from Ahmad ibn Sinaan… Abu’l-Za’raa’ told us: ‘Abd-Allaah
said: Rooh al-Qudus (“the Holy Spirit”) is Jibreel, then he said: something
similar was narrated from Muhammad ibn Ka’b al-Qurazi, Qutaadah, ‘Atiyah
al-‘Awfi, al-Saddi and al-Rabee’ ibn Anas. 

This
view is supported by the above and by the report narrated by the two
Shaykhs [al-Bukhaari and Muslim] with their isnaads from Abu Salamah
ibn ‘Abd al-Rahmaan ibn ‘Awf, that he heard Hassaan ibn Thaabit al-Ansaari
asking Abu Hurayrah to bear witness, “I ask you by Allaah, did you hear
the Messenger of Allaah

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) say, ‘O Hassaan, respond
on behalf of the Messenger of Allaah. O Allaah, support him with Rooh
al-Qudus’?” Abu Hurayrah said, “Yes.”

 (al-Tafseer
al-Masboor by Dr. Hikmat Basheer, 1/192-193)

 Shaykh
al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said: the majority of scholars said that this
refers to Jibreel (peace be upon him), and that Allaah called him al-Rooh
al-Ameen, Rooh al-Qudus and Jibreel.”

(Daqaa’iq al-Tafseer,
part 1, p. 310)

 He
wrote an entire chapter on that and said:

 Chapter
on the meaning of Rooh al-Qudus:

 Allaah
said (interpretation of the meaning):

 “O
‘Eesa (Jesus), son of Maryam (Mary)! Remember My Favour to you and to
your mother when I supported you with Rooh ul Qudus [Jibreel (Gabriel)]…”

[al-Maa’idah 5:110]

Allaah supported the
Messiah (peace be upon him) with Rooh al-Qudus as He mentions in this
aayah. In al-Baqarah Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):

“And We gave ‘Eesa
(Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary), clear signs and supported him with
Rooh-ul-Qudus [Jibreel (Gabriel)]

[al-Baqarah 2:87]

“Those Messengers! We preferred some  of them
to others; to some of them Allâh spoke (directly); others He raised
to degrees (of honour); and to ‘Eesa (Jesus), the son of Maryam (Mary),
We gave clear proofs and evidences, and supported him with Rooh ul Qudus
[Jibreel (Gabriel)]”

[al-Baqarah 2:253]

 This
is not limited only to the Messiah; others were also supported in this
way. (The scholars) mentioned that Dawood said, “Do not stop supporting
me with Rooh al-Qudus.” And our Prophet

(peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said to Hassaan ibn Thaabit,
“O Allaah, support him with Rooh al-Qudus.” According to another report:
“Rooh al-Qudus will be with you so long as you are defending His Prophet.”
Both versions are narrated in al-Saheeh.

 According
to the Christians, the “Holy Spirit” dwelt in the Disciples, and according
to them the “Holy Spirit” is something experienced by all of the Prophets.
But Allaah says in al-Nahl (interpretation of the meaning):

 “Say
(O Muhammad) Rooh ul Qudus [Jibreel (Gabriel)] has brought it (the Qur’aan)
down from your Lord with truth, that it may make firm and strengthen
(the Faith of) those who believe, and as a guidance and glad tidings
to those who have submitted (to Allaah as Muslims)”

[al-Nahl 16:102] 

“Which
the trustworthy Rooh [Jibreel (Gabriel)] has brought down

Upon your heart
(O Muhammad)”

[al-Shu’ara’ 26:193]

 “Whoever
is an enemy to Jibreel (Gabriel) (let him die in his fury), for indeed
he has brought it (this Qur’aan) down to your heart”

[al-Baqarah 2:97] 

So it is clear that
Rooh al-Qudus here refers to Jibreel… No one suggests that Rooh al-Qudus
means the life of Allaah; nor is this indicated by the wording and this
phrase is never used in that sense. 

Daqaa’iq al-Tafseer, part 2, p. 92