Document Type : Original
Authors
1 gg
2 نم
Abstract
Many Quranic interpreters have accepted or argued for the existence of a "plant spirit" (al-rūḥ al-nabātī), classifying the spirit into three types: vegetative, animal, and human. This research employs a descriptive-analytical method to investigate whether the concept of a plant spirit can be derived from the apparent meaning (ẓawāhir) of the Quranic verses.
The findings indicate that the Quranic text neither explicitly affirms nor denies the existence of a plant spirit. Its confirmation, therefore, relies on external evidence. In the Quran, the sprouting and growth of plants are primarily presented as signs to instill belief in resurrection (maʿād) and monotheism (tawḥīd), with God being the ultimate agent behind this phenomenon. While factors such as the receptivity of the earth and the plant, and the vital role of water are mentioned in the natural process of growth—including the splitting of the seed, greening, and breaking through the earth—none of these stages provide definitive scriptural proof for or against an independent plant spirit.
The rational argument for its existence, based on the necessary correlation between life and spirit, remains an unsubstantiated claim. From an empirical perspective, all stages of plant growth can be explained through physical and natural processes. These processes are considered natural acts attributable to natural agents. Resorting to an independent entity, such as a plant spirit, is only necessary if physical explanations prove insufficient to account for the phenomena of growth and development.
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