What is the ruh (soul) in Islamic belief?

The ruh, often translated as "soul" or "spirit," is the immaterial essence Allah breathes into a human being, giving it life, consciousness, and the capacity for moral choice. The Quran describes its exact nature as known fully only to Allah, telling the Prophet ﷺ to say, "The soul is of the affair of my Lord; and you have not been given of knowledge except a little." What Islamic teaching does clarify is the soul's journey: it is honored as a divine trust breathed into Adam and, by extension, into every human at an appointed stage of formation, it experiences life within the body, it is taken by the angel of death at the appointed time, and it continues to exist in the barzakh (intermediate realm) after bodily death, experiencing ease or distress until the resurrection. Scholars distinguish the ruh from the nafs (the self or ego, associated with desires and inclinations, described in the Quran as commanding-to-evil, self-reproaching, or at peace). While the philosophical details of the soul remain debated, its dignity, accountability, and eventual return to Allah are matters of firm belief.

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