وَلَقَدْ ءَاتَيْنَا مُوسَى ٱلْكِتَٰبَ وَقَفَّيْنَا مِنۢ بَعْدِهِۦ بِٱلرُّسُلِ وَءَاتَيْنَا عِيسَى ٱبْنَ مَرْيَمَ ٱلْبَيِّنَٰتِ وَأَيَّدْنَٰهُ بِرُوحِ ٱلْقُدُسِ أَفَكُلَّمَا جَآءَكُمْ رَسُولٌۢ بِمَا لَا تَهْوَىٰٓ أَنفُسُكُمُ ٱسْتَكْبَرْتُمْ فَفَرِيقًا كَذَّبْتُمْ وَفَرِيقًا تَقْتُلُونَ
“And verily We gave unto Moses the Scripture and We caused a train of messengers to follow after him, and We gave unto Jesus, son of Mary, clear proofs (of Allah's sovereignty), and We supported him with the Holy spirit. Is it ever so, that, when there cometh unto you a messenger (from Allah) with that which ye yourselves desire not, ye grow arrogant, and some ye disbelieve and some ye slay?” — M. M. Pickthall
Taberî9-10. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Taberî, the spirit by which Jesus was supported through 'the Holy Spirit' is Gabriel; this view is found to be the most correct among the reports. Although some scholars interpreted this expression as the Gospel, Taberî preferred the Gabriel view. Furthermore, the expression 'and We strengthened him' means strengthening and helping, and this is supported by linguistic examples.
وأولى التأويلات في ذلك بالصواب قول من قال: الروح في هذا الموضع جبريل؛ لأن الله جل ثناؤه أخبر أنه أيد عيسى به
Zemahşerî12. c.✓ Citation verified
According to Zemahşerî, 'the Holy Spirit' is attributed to Gabriel and 'holy' means purity/cleanliness; it is likened to noun phrases like Hatim al-Jud, Zayd al-Khair. Regarding Mary's withdrawal into seclusion (intibaz), different reports are transmitted such as her withdrawing to worship in a place on the eastern side of the Sacred House, or sitting in a separate place for ablution from menstruation. The angel appeared to her in the form of a beautiful-faced, curly-haired, handsome young man; the reason for this is so that Mary would be comfortable and not frightened, for if he appeared in the form of an angel she could not bear it and would be afraid.
وإنما مثل لها في صورة الإنسان لتستأنس بكلامه ولا تنفر عنه ، ولو بدا لها في الصورة الملكية لنفرت ولم تقدر على استماع كلامه . ودل على عفافها وورعها أنها تعوذت بالله من تلك الصورة الجميلة الفائقة الحسن
Fahreddin er-Râzî12-13. c.✓ Citation verified
In this text, al-Râzî explains that the verse does not require that every prophet is sent upon the same law as his predecessor; rather, the messengers who came after Moses must have either brought a new law or revived a portion of the previous law that had been lost. He also states that 'strengthening' in its real sense is attributed to Gabriel, and metaphorically to the Gospel and the Greatest Name, and that Jesus' relationship with Gabriel is stronger than that of other prophets. Finally, he explains that the Jews' rejection of prophets stems from love of the world, desire for leadership, and unlawful acquisition of wealth.
فثبت أنه لا بد في الرسل الذين جاؤوا من بعد موسى عليه السلام أن يكونوا قد أتوا بشريعة جديدة إن كانت الأولى محفوظة أو محيية لبعض ما اندرس من الشريعة
Kurtubî13. c.✓ Citation verified
Kurtubî lists various reports regarding who or what 'the Holy Spirit' is: according to some, it is Gabriel (Ibn Abbas, Qatada, Hassan's poetry is evidence for this), according to others, 'the holy' is Allah Himself and the spirit is Gabriel (Mujahid, Hasan), and according to yet others, it is the Greatest Name that Jesus used when reviving the dead (Said b. Jubayr, Ubayd b. Umayr). Furthermore, according to one view, 'the spirit' here refers to the Gospel, just as Allah called the Qur'an 'the spirit' in one verse.
وروى غالب بن عبد الله عن مجاهد قال : القدس هو الله عز وجل وكذا قال الحسن : القدس هو الله وروحه جبريل وروى أبو روق عن الضحاك عن بن عباس : بروح القدس قال : هو الأسم الذي كان يحيى به عيسى الموتى وقاله سعيد بن جبير وعبيد بن عمير وهو أسم الله الأعظم
İbn Kesîr14. c.✓ Citation verified
In this text, Ibn Kathîr transmits the view of Ibn Mas'ud, Ibn Abbas, and many scholars of the second generation that 'the Holy Spirit' is Gabriel; he also lists different reports regarding the word 'holy' meaning blessing, purity, or Allah's essence. The text also includes the view that the Greatest Name which Jesus used when reviving the dead, and notes that the Jews' attempt to kill the prophet occurred both in the past and will occur in the future, supported by the hadith concerning the poisoning of the Prophet at Khaybar.
والدليل على أن روح القدس هو جبريل كما نص عليه ابن مسعود في تفسير هذه الآية وتابعه على ذلك ابن عباس ومحمد بن كعب القرظي وإسماعيل بن أبي خالد والسدي والربيع بن أنس وعطية العوفي وقتادة
Beydâvî13. c.✓ Citation verified
According to al-Baydâwî, the 'clear proofs' given to Jesus in this verse are either manifest miracles such as reviving the dead, healing lepers and those with white spots, and informing of the unseen, or the Gospel; 'the Holy Spirit' refers to Gabriel, but the views that it could be Jesus' spirit, the Gospel, or Allah's Greatest Name are also transmitted. The text also notes that the 'fa' letter connects the behavior of the Jews toward the prophets—their repeated conduct of either rejecting or killing every messenger who did not conform to their desires—and that this carries a tone of reproach. Finally, the text conveys that the expression of these past actions (rejection, killing) in present tense form is either to visualize the events in the mind or to point out that similar malicious intentions toward Muhammad are still continuing.
ووسطت الهمزة بين الفاء وما تعلقت به توبيخا لهم على تعقيبهم ذاك بهذا وتعجيبا من شأنهم
Comparison
Common ground
The majority of the exegetes interpret 'the Holy Spirit' as Gabriel and base this on reports from the Companions and Successors (Ibn Abbas, Qatada, Mujahid, Hasan, etc.). Moreover, most of them do not restrict themselves to a single interpretation but also transmit alternative views (the Gospel, the Greatest Name, Allah's essence); they also agree on the meaning of 'strengthening' as reinforcement and support with linguistic evidence.
Differences
While Taberî gives priority to reports, Zemahşerî and al-Baydâwî place greater emphasis on linguistic and rhetorical analysis (attribution structures, word derivations, and particle functions). Al-Râzî expands the verse through theological and rational deductions in the context of the changes in divine laws. Kurtubî and Ibn Kathîr adopt an encyclopedic approach by presenting numerous reports side by side; Ibn Kathîr additionally establishes context through hadith (the poisoning at Khaybar). These differences stem partly from the exegetes' methodological preferences (report-based or opinion-based interpretation) and partly from the scholarly tendencies of their respective periods.
Historical context
Throughout the period from Taberî to al-Baydâwî, the fundamental interpretation (Gabriel) remained constant, but over time linguistic and rhetorical analyses as well as theological discussions became more prominent. While the early period (Taberî) was more inclined toward transmitting reports, later exegetes (Zemahşerî, al-Râzî, al-Baydâwî) deepened the variety of interpretations and brought language and reason-based explanations to the fore. Kurtubî and Ibn Kathîr, on the other hand, exhibit a synthesizing approach that brings together various reports comprehensively.
Modern connection
These diverse interpretations remind us that there is no conflict between knowledge and faith; rather, examining a topic from different angles is a sign of intellectual consistency. The respectful presentation of different reports side by side can remind us today of the value of approaching different views with tolerance and adopting a patient and inclusive attitude in the learning process. Furthermore, the idea that divine strengthening is given to those who work on the path of truth and goodness can be considered as an example of dedication to service and sincere effort.
AI analysis — not a fatwa or ruling, not yet reviewed by a scholar