Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah, his family, and all his Companions. To proceed:
The basic principle regarding the Names and Attributes of Allah is that Allah may only be described with what is established in the Qur’an or the authentic Sunnah. A person may not affirm an attribute for Allah merely on the basis of reason, analogy, or similarities between the Creator and His creation.
Allah تعالى says:
﴿قُلْ أَأَنتُمْ أَعْلَمُ أَمِ اللَّهُ﴾ [Al-Baqarah: 140]
“Say: Are you more knowledgeable, or is Allah?”
And He says:
﴿وَلَا تَقْفُ مَا لَيْسَ لَكَ بِهِ عِلْمٌ﴾ [Al-Isra’: 36]
“And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge.”
Therefore, it is not correct to say: “Allah has a spirit like the spirit of a human being or an angel,” because this has not been established in the texts, and because the spirits of created beings are themselves created, while Allah is exalted above resembling His creation.
The spirit found in human beings and other creatures is created by Allah. It is not a part of Allah, nor is it an attribute subsisting in His Essence.
Allah attributed the spirit to Himself in some texts. Regarding Adam عليه السلام, He says:
﴿ثُمَّ سَوَّاهُ وَنَفَخَ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِهِ﴾ [As-Sajdah: 9]
“Then He proportioned him and breathed into him from His spirit.”
And He says:
﴿فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِنْ رُوحِي فَقَعُوا لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ﴾ [Al-Hijr: 29]
“So when I have proportioned him and breathed into him from My spirit, then fall down before him in prostration.”
This attribution does not mean that the spirit is a part of Allah. Rather, it is the attribution of a created thing to its Creator as an indication of honor and distinction.
The same applies to expressions such as “the House of Allah,” “the She-Camel of Allah,” and “the servants of Allah.” The house, the she-camel, and the servants are all created by Allah; they are attributed to Him as an indication of ownership and honor.
An important principle in this matter is that things attributed to Allah تعالى fall into two categories:
First: The attribution of a created thing to its Creator.
This is when the thing being attributed exists independently, such as:
The House of Allah.
The She-Camel of Allah.
The servants of Allah.
The Spirit of Allah.
These things are created. Their attribution to Allah means that they belong to Him and were created by Him, while the attribution may also indicate honor and distinction.
Second: The attribution of attributes to Allah.
This is when what is attributed is an attribute that does not exist independently, such as:
Allah’s knowledge.
Allah’s power.
Allah’s will.
Allah’s speech.
These are attributes of Allah and are not separate created entities.
This distinction removes much of the confusion concerning the texts in which something is attributed to Allah.
Allah says regarding Jesus عليه السلام:
﴿إِنَّمَا الْمَسِيحُ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ وَكَلِمَتُهُ أَلْقَاهَا إِلَىٰ مَرْيَمَ وَرُوحٌ مِنْهُ﴾ [An-Nisa’: 171]
“The Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, was only a messenger of Allah, His word which He conveyed to Mary, and a spirit from Him.”
Some people may think that the phrase “a spirit from Him” means that the spirit of Jesus is a part of Allah’s Essence. This understanding is incorrect.
The word “from” here does not indicate a part or portion. Rather, it indicates origin and source: that this spirit was created by Allah and came from Him, meaning that He created and brought it into existence.
This is clarified by Allah’s statement:
﴿وَسَخَّرَ لَكُم مَّا فِي السَّمَاوَاتِ وَمَا فِي الْأَرْضِ جَمِيعًا مِّنْهُ﴾ [Al-Jathiyah: 13]
“And He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth—all from Him.”
This does not mean that the heavens and the earth are parts of Allah’s Essence. Rather, it means that they are from His creation and from Him in the sense that He created and originated them.
Ibn Kathir رحمه الله explained that the attribution of the spirit to Allah in the phrase “a spirit from Him” is an attribution of honor, just as the she-camel and the House are attributed to Him.
The texts indicate that the spirit is a created entity with its own existence, and is not an attribute of Allah.
Among these is the hadith of Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib رضي الله عنه describing the departure of the believer’s soul. It states that the Angel of Death takes the soul, after which the angels receive it and ascend with it.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
“When the spirit is taken, the sight follows it.” Narrated by Muslim.
This indicates that the spirit is a created entity with an existence distinct from the body, and that it is taken and carried away.
Ibn Al-Qayyim رحمه الله stated that the spirits of Adam, his descendants, and all human beings are created by Allah. He created, originated, and brought them into existence, then attributed them to Himself just as He attributed the rest of His creations to Himself.
It is not correct to use the expression “the Spirit of Allah” or “His spirit” as evidence that Allah is composed of parts, or that Jesus عليه السلام is part of Allah’s Essence.
This is based on an incorrect understanding of attribution.
When it is said “the Spirit of Allah,” what is meant is a spirit created by Allah and attributed to Him as an indication of ownership and honor, just as one says “the House of Allah” and “the She-Camel of Allah.”
As for Allah’s actual attributes, such as His knowledge, power, and speech, these are attributes that subsist in Him and are not created entities separate from Him.
It is not correct to say that Allah has a spirit like the spirits of human beings and angels, because the spirit in this sense is part of the created world. Allah is the Creator of everything, and there is nothing whatsoever like Him.
The spirit in human beings and other creatures is created by Allah. Its attribution to Allah in texts such as “from My spirit” and “a spirit from Him” is the attribution of a created thing to its Creator, signifying ownership and honor. It does not mean that it is an attribute or a part of Allah’s Essence.
Therefore, these texts cannot be used as evidence for the Christian doctrine concerning Jesus عليه السلام. Rather, the Qur’an itself establishes that Jesus is a servant and messenger of Allah, and that the spirit is one of His created beings.
And Allah knows best.