Gabriel Is Not The Holy Spirit
Gabriel Is Not The Holy Spirit
Gabriel Is Not The Holy Spirit
any text that has to do with Isa (Jesus.) It goes without saying, these
scholars have taken it a notch higher (with regard to ignoring the facts and
evidence) just so they could take a stance against the divinity of Isa.
al-Quds) as another name for the angel Gabriel, however, the Quran does
not support this assertion. There is not a single verse in the entire Quran
backdrop, we shall assess the facts for ourselves, and then attempt to
The assumption is that; Christians are the only ones who believe that the
Holy Spirit is God. However, that statement is wrong in the sense that, the
Bible also explicitly teaches that The Holy Spirit is God as well. Both the Old
and New Testaments clearly teach that the Holy Spirit is an eternal divine
Person, not a created entity like the angels. Consequently, since the Bible is
at least six centuries older than the Qur’an and its attendant Traditions,
truth:
confess Jesus as Lord. Accordingly, for the Holy Spirit to empower all
Christian believers with diverse gifts means that the Spirit is omnipotent
and omnipresent. Furthermore, since Paul states that one of the Spirit’s
implies that we are not dealing with one and the same Spirit. However, in
Islam to say that Jesus is Lord is to commit the sin of association called
“shirk.” (Cf. Surah 4:48. 116.) Ironically, from the biblical perspective, to
deny that Jesus is the risen Lord and the Son of God is to have the spirit of
We will present the Old Testament and New Testament witnesses as well
as the Islamic sources regarding the nature and actions of the Holy Spirit,
after which we will examine whether the angel Gabriel can in any way be
The Old Testament clearly presents the Holy Spirit as God, having all the
"The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; his word was on my
tongue. The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me: ‘When
"Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the
surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the
"The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me
"I will come down and speak with you there, and I will take of the
Spirit that is on you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you
carry the burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it
alone... So Moses went out and told the people what the LORD had
said. He brought together seventy of their elders and had them stand
around the Tent. Then the LORD came down in the cloud and spoke
with him, and he took of the Spirit that was on him and put the Spirit
prophesied, but they did not do so again. However, two men, whose
names were Eldad and Medad, had remained in the camp. They were
listed among the elders, but did not go out to the Tent. Yet the Spirit
11:17, 24-26
"Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your
the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle
on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your
right hand will hold me fast. If I say, 'Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,' even the darkness will not be
dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light
"By the waters of Meribah they angered the LORD, and trouble came
to Moses because of them; for they rebelled against the Spirit of God,
"Who has directed the Spirit of the LORD, or as His counsellor has
"Yet they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit. So he turned and
63:10
"Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me to the gate of the house
of the LORD that faces east. There at the entrance to the gate were
twenty-five men, and I saw among them Jaazaniah son of Azzur and
Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people. The LORD said to me,
‘Son of man, these are the men who are plotting evil and giving
wicked advice in this city. They say, "Will it not soon be time to build
houses? This city is a cooking pot, and we are the meat." Therefore,
prophesy against them; prophesy, son of man.’ Then the Spirit of the
LORD came upon me, and he told me to say: ‘This is what the LORD
says: That is what you are saying, O house of Israel, but I know what
"For many years you were patient with them. By your Spirit you
9:30
"Then his people recalled the days of old, the days of Moses and his
people— where is he who brought them through the sea, with the
shepherd of his flock? Where is he who set his Holy Spirit among
them, who sent his glorious arm of power to be at Moses' right hand,
who divided the waters before them, to gain for himself everlasting
renown, who led them through the depths? Like a horse in open
country, they did not stumble; like cattle that go down to the plain,
they were given rest by the Spirit of the LORD. This is how you
63:11-14
vi. The Holy Spirit is the author of the new birth and the cause of
regeneration;
"The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power, and you will
"When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face
"The fortress will be abandoned, the noisy city deserted; citadel and
a pasture for flocks, till the Spirit is poured upon us from on high, and
the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a
"For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the
countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean
water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your
impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put
a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and
give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you
the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be
vii. The Holy Spirit empowers and distributes God's gifts to believers
"Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri,
the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and I have filled him with the
Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts—
to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, to cut
Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to
Exodus 31:1-6
"Then Moses said to the Israelites, ‘See, the LORD has chosen Bezalel
son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, and he has filled him
with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of
"Now Joshua son of Nun was filled with the Spirit of wisdom because
Moses had laid his hands on him. So the Israelites listened to him and
prophets coming down from the high place with lyres, tambourines,
flutes and harps being played before them, and they will be
prophesying. The Spirit of the LORD will come upon you in power,
and you will prophesy with them; and you will be changed into a
hand finds to do, for God is with you. Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I
fellowship offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to
you and tell you what you are to do.’ As Saul turned to leave Samuel,
God changed Saul's heart, and all these signs were fulfilled that day.
prophesying. When all those who had formerly known him saw him
prophesying with the prophets, they asked each other, ‘What is this
that has happened to the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the
"He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for
the courts of the temple of the LORD and all the surrounding rooms,
for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the
dedicated things. ‘All this,’ David said, ‘I have in writing from the
hand of the LORD upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the
"A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a
Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on him—the
Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of
power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD." Isaiah
11:1-2
"The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has
release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the
LORD's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who
"On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD
priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, "Who of you is left
who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now?
Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,"
declares the LORD, "and work. For I am with you," declares the LORD
Almighty. "This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of
Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear."’" Haggai 2:1-
5
"So he said to me, ‘This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: "Not
Zechariah 4:6
NEW TESTAMENT WITNESS
The New Testament, in agreement with the Old Testament, clearly teaches
that the Holy Spirit is fully God, having all the attributes of Deity and
Galatians 5:22‒23
12:11-12; Acts 10:19-20; 11:12, 28; 13:2; 21:10-11, 28:25- 27; Romans 5:5,
10:15-17; Revelation 1:4; 2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22; 14:13, 22:17
vi. The Holy Spirit is the author of the new birth and the cause of
Rather, the Holy Spirit is God. This is further proven by the following New
Testament citation:
"In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in
descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to
her and said, ‘Greetings, you who are highly favoured! The Lord is
with you.’ Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered
what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, ‘Do not
be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child
and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He
will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord
God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign
over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.’ ‘How
will this be,’ Mary asked the angel, ‘since I am a virgin?’ THE ANGEL
ANSWERED, ‘THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL COME UPON YOU, and the
power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be
born will be called the Son of God.’" Luke 1:26-35 (emphasis mine)
the Holy Spirit and himself (Gabriel,) showing quite clearly that Gabriel and
the Holy Spirit are not one and the same. In light of the scriptural evidence
we have looked at so far, it becomes rather impossible to prove from the
Holy Bible that, the Holy Spirit is the angel Gabriel. Let us humbly consider
the text below. According to this passage the angel that appeared to Joseph
"This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary
she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because
Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose
her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. But after
dream and said, 'Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary
home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy
Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name
Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.' All this took
place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: 'The virgin
will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him
Immanuel' -which means, 'God with us.' When Joseph woke up, he
did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary
home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to
the Holy Spirit's angel in the Ascension of Isaiah. This then implicitly
It might come as a surprise to some Muslims, but much like the teachings of
the Holy Bible and the Talmud, both the Quran and certain Muslim
traditions portray the Holy Spirit, the Faithful Spirit, or God’s Spirit as being
divine. These sources also portray the Spirit as God’s active Agent and
"Behold! thy Lord said to the angels: ‘I am about to create man, from
sounding clay from mud moulded into shape; When I have fashioned him
(in due proportion) and breathed into him of My Spirit, fall ye down in
"He Who created all things in the best, and He began the creation of man
from clay, And made his progeny from a quintessence of despised fluid: But
He fashioned him in due proportion, and breathed into him of His Spirit.
And He gave you (the faculties of) hearing and sight and understanding:
"Behold, thy Lord said to the angels: ‘I am about to create man from clay:
When I have fashioned him and breathed into him of My Spirit, fall ye down
Please note that, these passages indicate that after fashioning man God
presumably gave him life by breathing his Spirit into him (Man), echoing
Genesis 2:7. This also implies that at least in these contexts the Spirit is
God’s life-giving Agent. If this is the case, how then can the Spirit be Gabriel
without this implying that God used a finite creature to assist him in the
"And (remember) her who guarded her chastity: We breathed into her of
Our Spirit, and We made her and her son a sign for all peoples." Surah
21:91
"And Mary the daughter of Imran, who guarded her chastity; and We
breathed into it of Our Spirit; and she testified to the truth of the words of
her Lord and of His Revelations, and was one of the devout (servants)."
Surah 66:12
In another quite revealing passage, we are told that God’s Spirit appeared
"And had chosen seclusion from them. Then We sent unto her Our Spirit
and it assumed for her the likeness of a perfect man." Surah 19:17
These passages indicate that the Spirit is not only a force but a divine
personality. The context of this last passage shows that the Spirit which
visibly appeared is actually the very same Spirit referred to in Surahs 21:91
"She said: Surely I fly for refuge from you to the Beneficent Allah, if you are
The Spirit says that he has come to GIVE Mary a son, implying that this is
the one whom Allah breathed into Mary in order to create Jesus. However,
“And Maryam, the daughter of 'Imran who guarded her chastity (PRIVATE
PART). meaning who protected and purified her honour, by being chaste
Our Ruhu, meaning, THROUGH THE ANGEL JIBRIL. Allah sent the angel
Jibril to
Maryam, and he came to her in the shape of a man in every respect. Allah
“And We breathed INTO IT through Our Ruhu, and she testified to the truth
of her Lords Kalimat, and His Kutub, meaning His decree and His
legislation.”1
"... She entered the cave, and found Gabriel there—God made him appear to
her as shapely human—and he said to her, ‘O Mary, God has sent me to you
to give you a boy most pure.’ At this she exclaimed, ‘I take refuge in the All
Merciful from you, if you fear God!’ (She had thought that he was a man, a
mortal.) But he said, ‘I am but a messenger come from your Lord.’ She then
said, ‘How shall I, whom no mortal has touched, have a son; neither have I
been unchaste?’ He replied, ‘Even so. The Lord has said, "Easy is that for
Me, and We may appoint him a sign unto men and a mercy from Us; it is a
thing decreed."’
That is, God has decreed that it is so. When the angel spoke thus, she
submitted to the divine decree, and he breathed into HER BOSOM. Then he
Karim-Abd al-Samad ibn Ma’qil, the son of the brother of ibn Wahb:
“When God sent Gabriel to Mary, he appeared to her as a shapely man. She
then said, ‘I take refuge in the All Merciful from you, if you fear God!’ Then
he breathed into the opening of her garment, THE BREATH REACHED HER
"… ‘Then We sent unto her Our Spirit [that is, the angel Gabriel] that
presented
She wore a gown. He held her sleeves and breathed into the opening of her
garment which was split in front. The breath entered her breast, and she
conceived ..." 4
Notice that Muhammad ibn Sahl claims that Gabriel breathed the life-giving
spirit into Mary through her breasts, however, Ibn Kathir and Al-Tabari
both claim that, Gabriel breathed into her PRIVATE PART. This then begs
the question, whose report are we to believe: is it Muhammad ibn Sahl’s or
The claim that Gabriel breathed into Mary would logically make Gabriel the
speaker in Surah 21:91 and 66:12. According to these passages the One
speaking states that he will breathe his Spirit into Mary. Nowhere do the
passages even hint to someone else being used to impregnate Mary. Seeing
that Muslims claim that the Quran is the word of Allah, implying that Allah
is the One speaking here, logically makes Gabriel Allah! This also means
that Gabriel has a Spirit that he uses to create and impart life. This would
therefore make Gabriel the Creator, since Muslims claim that Allah was the
one who created Jesus by breathing his Spirit into Mary’s womb. Otherwise
the text would imply that Allah actually breathed Gabriel into both Mary
and Adam since, as Muslims claim, the Spirit of Allah is actually Gabriel.
inevitably leads to more than one Creator. Yet the Quran clearly states that
"It is He Who created you from a single person, and made his mate of like
nature, in order that he might dwell with her (in love). When they are
united, she bears a light burden and carries it about (unnoticed). When she
grows heavy, they both pray to Allah their Lord, (saying): ‘If Thou givest us
them a goodly child, they ascribe to others a share in the gift they have
received: but Allah is exalted high above the partners they ascribe to Him.
Do they indeed ascribe to Him as partners things that can create nothing,
"O men! Remember the grace of Allah unto you! Is there a Creator, other
than Allah, to give you sustenance from heaven or earth? There is no god
"He created you (all) from a single person: then created, of like nature, his
mate; and He sent down for you eight head of cattle in pairs: He creates
you, in the wombs of your mothers, in stages, one after another, in three
veils of darkness. Such is Allah, your Lord and Cherisher: to Him belongs
(all) dominion. There is no god but He: then how are ye turned away (from
Therefore, the only plausible explanation is that the Spirit of Allah is not the
that some Muslim exegetes were of the opinion that the Spirit which came
to Mary in Surah 19:17 was actually the Lord Jesus Christ Himself:
Spirit who presented himself to Mary was none other than the Messiah to
whom she subsequently gave birth. At first this seems improbable because
of the way in
the annunciation with the Word who became flesh. This is the so-called
had with Christ after the resurrection. In the course of the conversation he
told them:
At that time, I appeared in the form of the archangel Gabriel to [the virgin]
Mary and spoke with her, and her heart received [me]; she believed and
laughed and I, the Word, went into her and became flesh; and I myself was
And:
"Tabari assumes that the Spirit who was sent to Mary was Gabriel. He
reports that this was the view of Qatada, Ibn Jurayj and Wahb. The other
commentators agree that this is the correct interpretation but none the less
mention THE ALTERNATIVE VIEW, namely that the Spirit was the Messiah.
Ibn Kathir gives the following report traced back by a single isnad (chain of
The spirit of Jesus is one of the group of spirits with whom [God] took a
pact in the time of Adam [cf. 33:7 and 7:172]. It is he, that is to say the spirit
of Jesus, who presented himself to her in the form of a perfect human being.
So she conceived the one who addressed her and he became incarnate in
reprehensible and supposes it to have been derived from the People of the
Scripture." 5
"Some of the Mu'tazilites including Abu Muslim favoured the view that the
Spirit who presented himself to Mary was not Gabriel but the Messiah.
pre-existence of Isa (The Lord Jesus,) but also suggests Isa as Creator; being
when the Quran elsewhere admits that Christ gave life to birds which he
Another verse supplying additional proof that the Spirit is not Gabriel is the
following:
"Thou wilt not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day, loving
those who resist Allah and His Messenger, even though they were their
fathers or their sons, or their brothers, or their kindred. For such He has
written Faith in their hearts, and strengthened them with a spirit from
Himself. And He will admit them to Gardens beneath which Rivers flow, to
dwell therein (forever). Allah will be well pleased with them, and they with
Him. They are the Party of Allah. Truly it is the Party of Allah that will
Believers are strengthened by a spirit from Himself, i.e. a spirit from God. In
essentially means that the Spirit is God. This is precisely the conclusion that
one Muslim scholar comes to. In his footnote, Abdullah Yusuf Ali states:
"Cf. ii 87 and 253, where it is said that God strengthened the Prophet Jesus
with the holy spirit. Here we learn that all good and righteous men are
strengthened by God with the holy spirit. If anything, the phrase used here
faith and purity to God, God accepts it, engraves that faith on the seeker's
heart, and further fortifies him with the Divine Spirit, which we can no
more define adequately than we can define in human language the nature
of God." 7
Yusuf Ali wasn't alone in this rather bizarre conclusion. Shia writer Irshaad
Hussain, in his book “The Soul: Between Spirit and Clay,” says in regard to
“The Spirit, which derives from God, IS A REALITY THAT POSSESSES ALL
GOD.
Remember, it is only after this Spirit is breathed into Adam that God orders
receiving of the Spirit that Adam is given knowledge of the names of all
body have no common measure - One is from God who is Unique, who is
alone. These qualities clearly show that the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit,
the Faithful Spirit cannot be the angel Gabriel since Gabriel is neither
Secondly, both the Quran and hadiths clearly demonstrate that the Holy
Spirit is not Gabriel. For instance, (as I stated earlier,) there is not a single
verse in the entire Quran which states that Gabriel is the Holy Spirit or the
Faithful Spirit, or even God’s Spirit. Here are all the references to Gabriel in
the Quran:
tidings to believers; Who is an enemy to Allah, and His angels and His
messengers, and Gabriel and Michael! Then, lo! Allah (Himself) is an enemy
2. "If ye twain turn unto Allah repentant, (ye have cause to do so) for
your hearts desired (the ban); and if ye aid one another against him
(Muhammad) then lo! Allah, even He, is his Protecting Friend, and Gabriel
and the righteous among the believers; and furthermore the angels are his
1. "We gave Moses the Book and followed him up with a succession of
apostles; We gave Jesus the son of Mary Clear (Signs) and strengthened him
with the Holy Spirit. Is it that whenever there comes to you an apostle with
of them God spoke; others He raised to degrees (of honour); to Jesus the
son of Mary We gave clear (Signs), and strengthened him with the Holy
Spirit. If God had so willed, succeeding generations would not have fought
among each other, after clear (Signs) had come to them, but they (chose) to
wrangle, some believing and others rejecting. If God had so willed, they
would not have fought each other; but God Fulfilleth His plan." Surah 2:253
you and on your mother, when I strengthened you I with the Holy Spirit,
you spoke to the people in the cradle and I when of old age, and when I
taught you the Book and the wisdom and the Taurat and the Injeel; and
when you determined out of clay a thing like the form of a bird by My
permission, and you healed the blind and the leprous by My permission;
and when you brought forth the dead by My permission; and when I
withheld the children of Israel from you when you came to them with clear
arguments, but those who disbelieved among them said: This is nothing but
4. "Say: The Holy Spirit has revealed it from your Lord with the truth,
that it may establish those who believe and as a guidance and good news
5. "And most surely this is a revelation from the Lord of the worlds. The
His command upon whom He will of His slaves, that He may warn of the
7. "(Whereby) the angels and the Spirit ascend unto Him in a Day
8. "The Day that the Spirit and the angels will stand forth in ranks, none
shall speak except any who is permitted by (God) Most Gracious, and He
9. "The angels and the Spirit descend therein, by the permission of their
The last three passages make a distinction between the angels (of which
Gabriel is obviously one) with the Spirit. This again implicitly supports the
position that Gabriel is not the Spirit. Had the Spirit been Gabriel there
are two hadiths from Sahih Muslim affirming that the Spirit is not Gabriel:
pronounce while bowing and prostrating himself: All Glorious, all Holy,
between Angels and the Spirit. This strongly suggests that Gabriel is not the
Holy Spirit.
Ruh al-Qudus (The Holy Spirit) will continue to help you so long as you put
... and Gabriel, the Apostle of Allah is among us, and the Holy Spirit who has
no match." 9
This hadith distinguishes clearly between Gabriel and the Holy Spirit,
affirming that they are not one and the same entity. The preceding factors
clearly demonstrate that the Quran provides no substantiation for the claim
that "Holy Spirit" is an attributive noun used for Gabriel. However, a case
has been ironically made that the Quran clearly distinguishes the Holy
Conclusion
In conclusion, I humbly end as thus, the facts speak for themselves. There is
in fact, a clear distinction between The Holy Spirit and the angel called
Gabriel—the former is The Divine Creator, and the latter is a created being.
Trinity—another subject that the Muslim mind has grappled with for the
—owing to the fact that, His entrance into this world was purely divine to
say the least. I would humbly at this point entreat you dear reader to
consider the evidence before you with an open mind. Please set aside your
Would you like to know this Isa (Jesus) and enjoy a really fulfilling and
rewarding life with Him? Then say this simple prayer after me:
You are the one who came down from heaven to die for me.
You rose from the dead on the third day for my justification. This day I
Wash me with your PRECIOUS BLOOD and give me your HOLY SPIRIT. I
Amen!
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1 (Tafsir Ibn Kathir - Abridged, Volume 10, Surat At-Tagabun to the end of
Distributors, Riyadh,
Houston, New York, London, Lahore; September 2000], pp. 75-76; bold,
italic
Perlmann [State University of New York Press, Albany, 1987], pp. 112-113;
3(The History of al-Tabari, Volume IV, The Ancient Kingdoms, trans. Moshe
Perlmann [State University of New York Press, Albany, 1987], p. 119; bold
emphasis mine)
Press, Albany 1991], p. 157; bold, italic and capital emphasis mine)
Press, Albany 1991], p. 161; bold, italic and capital emphasis mine)
9(Sahih Muslim, Book 30, Number 6081; bold, italic and underline
emphasis mine)