Notice of a common misconception in understanding "I breathed into him of My spirit"

Two brothers recently contacted me regarding a lecture by Dr. Jeffrey Lang titled: "The Purpose of Life". Especially since I had praised this lecture and recommended it. The point that concerned the two brothers was Dr. Jeffrey's statement: “…The Qur’an tells us that when we came into this life He [Allah] breaths in to our spirit something of His Spirit” Meaning: The Qur’an informs us that when one of us comes into this life, Allah breathes into our spirit something of His spirit... Dr. Jeffrey mentioned this as a way to suggest that there is "something shared" between us and Allah the Exalted.

We would like to point out that this is a common misconception in understanding that Dr. Jeffrey Lang has fallen into, may Allah guide and correct him. For the saying of Allah the Exalted ("I breathed into him of My spirit") does not mean that this spirit is a part that separated from Allah the Exalted. Rather, it is an addition of a creation to its Creator. The spirit is a creation from Allah’s creations, which He attributed to Himself as an honor and a distinction, similar to ("the camel of Allah") in Surah Ash-Shams, or our saying "the month of Allah" and "the land of Allah." This is what scholars and exegetes such as Al-Qurtubi, Al-Baghawi, Ibn Taymiyyah, Ibn Al-Qayyim, and others have clarified. This is something we need to clarify for people and for our children so that they do not fall into this confusion. We emphasize that the mentioned lecture "The Purpose of Life" is beneficial and impactful. Glory be to the One Who does not err or forget. If our post reaches someone who knows Dr. Jeffrey Lang, let them convey this note to him with greetings and love in Allah.