The Trinity

The Christian doctrine of the trinity is adhered to by many Christians throughout the world. The doctrine refers to the existence of three divine, distinct and separate persons in God: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost. One finds it astonishing that regardless of how many Christians profess belief in such a doctrine, Jesus (peace be upon him) himself never actually mentioned the Trinity by name, nor did he refer to it. He said absolutely nothing about three divine persons or godheads in a trinity. As a matter of fact, the words "person" or "godhead" are not even found anywhere in the Bible. The concept that Jesus (peace be upon him) had about God was in no way different from the concept that all the previous prophets had. All of them preached the oneness of God as they had always taught, never the Trinity. [1]

Jesus (peace be upon him), rather than bringing in a new creed dissimilar from the beliefs of the previous prophets, affirmed the tradition that had been revealed to the prophets and messengers who came before him.: "Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, 'Which is the first commandment of all?' Jesus (peace be upon him) answered him, 'The first of all the commandments is,

Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment." (Mark 12:28-30) Other evidence in the Bible shows that Jesus (peace be upon him) believed in only one God, not in three divine persons in one, as in the following saying: "You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve." (Matthew 4:10)

The doctrine of the Trinity was incorporated into the teachings of Jesus (peace be upon him) more than three hundred years after Jesus' (peace be upon him) departure. The four Canonized Gospels do not contain any reference to the Trinity. Neither Jesus (peace be upon him) nor his disciples taught this doctrine. Likewise, none of the earlier great scholars or the followers of Jesus (peace be upon him) preached it. In reality, this doctrine was finally established by the Nicean Council after great controversies and conflict. The Council adopted the view of the minority rather than the majority who believed in monotheism. [2]

Instead of looking at the concept of the Trinity from a historical or scriptural perspective, we may approach the concept logically. When considered rationally, the concept of the Trinity is unsustainable for it means to believe in three divine persons who are either finite or infinite. If we consider them infinite, then there are three different infinities, three different omnipotent beings, and consequently three different Gods. In contrast, if we consider them finite, then neither the Father nor the Son nor the Holy Ghost can be God. Indeed the concept of Trinity came into being as a result of falsely ascribing divinity to two; namely, Jesus (peace be upon him) and the Holy Spirit (Gabriel). Owing to the irrationality of the doctrine of Trinity, the conventional response of the Church clerics is that it is a mystery beyond human comprehension and that it doesn't have to be understood; it suffices to just accept it as a matter of faith.

Islam preaches a plain and simple belief in the oneness (tawheed) of God. It affirms the uniqueness of God and states that He has no partners. There is none worthy of worship except Him and there is nothing like Him. He requires no sustenance or rest. He is the self-sufficient, all of creation depends on Him and He depends on no one. He neither gives birth nor is born. There is nothing which is His equal or can be His partner.

Jesus (peace be upon him) preached the oneness of God, as is plainly shown in this dialogue quoted from the Bible: "I speak what I have seen with my Father, and you do what you have seen from your father." They answered and said to Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus (peace be upon him) said to them, "If you were Abraham's children, you would do the works of Abraham. But now you seek to kill Me, a Man [1] who has told you the truth which I heard from God." (John 8:38-40) And likewise: "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus (peace be upon him) Christ whom You have sent. I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do." (John 17:3-4)

The Qur’an affirms the oneness of God in chapter 112: "Say, 'He is God, [who is] One, God, the Eternal Refuge. He neither begets nor is born. Nor is there to Him any equivalent.'" And God has said in the Qur’an: "O People of the Scripture, do not commit excess in your religion or say about God except the truth. The Messiah, Jesus (peace be upon him), the son of Mary, was but a messenger of God and His word which He directed to Mary and a soul [created at a command] from Him. So believe in God and His messengers. And do not say, 'Three'; desist – it is better for you. Indeed, God is but one God. Exalted is He above having a son. To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And sufficient is God as Disposer of affairs." (4:171)

In another chapter He says: "They have certainly disbelieved who say, 'God is the third of three.' And there is no god except one God. And if they do not desist from what they are saying, there will surely afflict the disbelievers among them a painful punishment. So will they not repent to God and seek His forgiveness? And God is Forgiving and Merciful." (5:73-74)
The only text in the entire Bible that supposedly 'supported' the doctrine of the Trinity was in the first Epistle of John, chapter 5, verse 7: "For there are three who bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one." This reading, however, has been eliminated from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible and others, [2] after it was discovered by Christian scholars that these were interpolations made in the King James Version and other editions.