and the Christians went on to say, “The Spirit of Allah issues from the very essence of Allah, and the Word of Allah issues from the very essence of Allah, just as one might say, ‘This patch is cut from this garment.’ We, however, assert that Jesus came into existence by means of the word; Jesus himself is not the word.

Ahmad said: As for His—magnified be His praise—statement, “and a spirit from Him” (4:171), it means: from His command was the spirit that came to be in him, just as He also says, “He has subjected to you whatever is in the heavens and on the earth—altogether—from Him” (45:13), meaning from His command.

Thus the phrase “the spirit of Allah” simply signifies a spirit brought into being by the word of Allah; Allah created it, just as one says “the servant of Allah” or “the heaven of Allah.” In another recension it reads: “a spirit owned by Allah—Allah created it.”

And al-Shaʿbī said regarding His—Most High—words: