English

KFGQPC HAFS

Mahmoud Khaleel Al-Husary

Ibn Kathir (Abridged)

Malak Faris Abdalsalaam

The Quran is unequivocal in condemning any notion of God being “three persons” as maintained by many Christian denominations. In the following words, it refutes the common formulation of “Father, Son, Holy Spirit” as well as any other version which might exist:

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**“People of the Book, do not go to excess in your religion, and do not say anything about God except the truth: the Messiah, Jesus, son of Mary, was nothing more than a messenger of God, His word, directed to Mary, a spirit from Him. So believe in God and His messengers and do not speak of a ‘Trinity’- stop [this], that is better for you- God is only one God, He is far above having a son, everything in the heavens and earth belongs to Him and He is the best one to trust.”** (4:171, Abdel Haleem translation)

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This verse ([5:116](https://quran.com/5/116)) does not make any direct reference to the Trinity doctrine (or the number three), but does refer to excessive veneration of Mary, mother of Jesus (which some have described as “Mariolatry”). It clarifies the status of Jesus (peace be upon him) as a special prophet from God, and even refers to him as “spirit” proceeding from His command. The Quranic position is to reject association of any partner or equal to God:

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**“They do blaspheme who say: Allah is one of three [in a Trinity]: for there is no god except One Allah. If they desist not from their word (of blasphemy), verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers among them.”** (5:73, Yusuf Ali translation)

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Dr. Mohar Ali notes, “Here the Quran simply disapproves of the worship of Jesus and Mary besides Allah and also exonerates Jesus from having so advised his followers. There is no allusion to the doctrine of the Trinity here. Significantly enough, where the Quran alludes to the concept of the Trinity, as in 4:171 and 5:73, it does not identify the entities that are supposed to constitute the Trinity. In fact the Quran treats the two subjects, the Trinity and the worship of human beings as gods or lords, as two distinct themes. This is very clear from 9:31 which disapproves of the Christians’ and Jews’ taking their monks and ascetics as “lords” apart from Allah…” (*Sīrat al-Nabī and the Orientalists*, p. 293)

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Concerning the deification of Mary, a Christian bishop, Epiphanius of Salamis (d. 403 CE) documents the existence of a heretical Christian sect in Arabia whom he calls the Collyridians. This sect apparently deified Mary and would make her offerings, a practice which he claims was brought to Arabia from Thrace and upper Scythia. (*The Panarion of Epiphanius of Salamis Books II and III. De Fide*, tr. Frank Williams, pp. 637-645)

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Furthermore, Ibn al-Jawzi states, “If it is said: ‘The Christians did not take Mary as a god, so how did Allah, Exalted is He, say that about them?’ The answer is that when they claimed, ‘She did not give birth to a human, but rather gave birth to a god,’ it logically follows that they must consider her, by virtue of him having been a physical part of her, to share in his essence. Thus, they effectively end up ascribing (divinity) to her.”



Does this verse present a (mistaken) version of the Trinity?

This verse does not refer to the Christian doctrine of the Trinity, but clears Jesus’ name from any suggestion that he called anyone to worship anyone beside God.
