{"id":1200,"date":"2015-12-19T02:48:57","date_gmt":"2015-12-19T02:48:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/?p=1200"},"modified":"2020-06-01T11:09:29","modified_gmt":"2020-06-01T16:09:29","slug":"tawheed-versus-trinity-which-is-the-true-concept-of-god-part-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/tawheed-versus-trinity-which-is-the-true-concept-of-god-part-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Tawheed versus Trinity: Which is the True Concept of God \u2013 Part 1."},"content":{"rendered":"

The aim of this article is to compare Islamic monotheism, known as Tawheed, with the Christian doctrine of the\u00a0Trinity to see which is the true concept\u00a0of God.<\/p>\n

WHAT IS THE TRINITY<\/strong><\/p>\n

\n

The doctrine of the Trinity defines God as one being\u00a0who eternally exists as three distinct Persons \u2014 the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Put simply, \u201cone God in three persons\u201d. All three Persons of the Trinity are said to be co-equal and co-eternal, and \u201ceach is God, whole and entire\u201d. However each Person has different roles or activities when it comes to how God relates to the world.<\/p>\n

Reconciling the plurality of the godhead\u00a0within a monotheistic framework continues to be one of the great\u00a0challenges faced by Trinitarians.\u00a0If you are finding it difficult to rationalise\u00a0such a concept then you are not alone. An internet search for \u201cTrinity\u201d yields an abundance of elaborate diagrams which is indicative of the irrationality\u00a0of the doctrine. Here is one such diagram used by Trinitarians to summarise the doctrine:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\"Doctrine<\/a><\/div>\n

Below is the earliest attested version of the diagram:<\/p>\n

\"Early<\/a><\/p>\n

This is taken from a manuscript of Peter of Poitiers\u2019 writings, around 1210 CE. One has to wonder to what extent before the advent of such diagrams that the uneducated\u00a0masses of early Christendom fully\u00a0grasped the doctrine.<\/p>\n

WHAT IS TAWHEED<\/strong><\/p>\n

Tawheed is the concept of monotheism in Islam.\u00a0Linguistically the word means unification. It\u00a0comes from the Arabic root word wa-ha-da\u00a0which means making\u00a0something one (\u2018waahid\u2019).\u00a0Waahid is the opposite of plurality (two, three, etc.). So waahid is something that will continue to be singular\u00a0and never become a partner of something else. Islamically, Tawheed means to single out God in all acts of worship and to abandon the worship of anything else.<\/p>\n

From these points of view Tawheed is incompatible with the Trinity because Trinitarians worship three persons, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.\u00a0It must be noted that whilst Islamic concept of God is incompatible with the Trinity, Islamic Tawheed is in fact like the Jewish concept of God. We find that one of the greatest Torah scholars in history, Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, permitted Jewish and Muslim co-worship. In fact there is virtually a consensus among Rabbis that if a Jew cannot find a synagogue to worship in, then it is permissible (and even encouraged) for them to pray in a mosque. This is only possible because they recognise that mosques are places of pure monotheism and that Muslims have absolutely no error in their views of the Oneness of the Divine. By comparison, not only are Jews not allowed to pray in Churches, they are forbidden from even setting foot in them!<\/p>\n

DOCTRINE IN LIGHT OF GUIDANCE<\/strong><\/p>\n

The purpose of revelation can be boiled down to guidance \u2013 the books of God are revealed to mankind in order to guide us. If guidance results in confusion (or misguidance) then it defeats the purpose of revelation. How does this relate to the Trinity? Many theoloigians have abandoned all hope of deriving a true understanding of the dogma and resigned themselves to classifying it as a holy mystery. The Catholic Church states the following:<\/p>\n

\n
The mystery of the Most Holy Trinity is the central mystery of Christian faith and life. [1]<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Catholic Church defines mystery in theology as something that remains veiled in darkness:<\/p>\n

\n
The Vatican Council has explained the meaning to be attributed to the term mystery in theology. It lays down that a mystery is a truth which we are not merely incapable of discovering apart from Divine Revelation, but which, even when revealed, remains \u201chidden by the veil of faith and enveloped, so to speak, by a kind of darkness\u201d [2]<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

This seems to be at odds with statements in the Bible that \u201cGod is not the author of confusion\u201d\u00a0(1 Corinthians 14:33) and \u201cthe simplicity that is in Christ\u201d (2 Corinthians 11:3).\u00a0If Trinitarians embraced the polytheism that is inherent in the doctrine and explained it for what it really is \u2013 three Gods and not one \u2013 then there would be no confusion. The Trinity is inexplicable because theologians try to fit the doctrine into a monotheistic context which does not and will not fit. Their final \u201cout\u201d is that the Trinity is a mystery that one must accept on faith.<\/p>\n

If the Trinity were some inconsequential aspect of Christian theology then perhaps its mystery wouldn\u2019t be an issue. But it isn\u2019t, so entrenched has the belief in the Trinity become that it is the litmus test for whether or not a person is considered to be orthodox. Rejecting any aspect of the doctrine is enough for a Christian to be condemned as a disbeliever. The evangelical scholar\u00a0Harold Lindsell and seminary professor\u00a0Charles Woodbridge wrote the following:<\/p>\n

\n
\u201cThe mind of man cannot fully understand the mystery of the Trinity. He who has tried to understand the mystery fully will lose his mind; but he who would deny the Trinity will lose his soul.\u201d [3]<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

There you have it, \u201cdeny the Trinity and you lose your soul\u201d. This reveals\u00a0a fundamental paradox with the doctrine: why would God reveal something that cannot be fully comprehended, and yet tie our salvation to it?\u00a0What should we make of all this in light of the purpose of revelation?\u00a0Revelation is an opening up, an uncovering. How can the Trinity be a revelation when the most learned of biblical scholars write that it is a mystery? That is double-talk\u00a0which\u00a0directly conflicts with the very purpose of revelation: guidance.<\/p>\n

Contrast this with Islamic Tawheed. The Qur\u2019an claims that it is not a book of confusion but clear guidance:<\/p>\n

\n
\u201cThese are the verses of the clear Book.\u201d [Chapter 26, verse 2]<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Qur\u2019an puts forward a clear picture of God:<\/p>\n

\n
\u2026And do not say, \u201cThree\u201d; desist \u2013 it is better for you. Indeed, Allah 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 Allah as Disposer of affairs. [Chapter 4, verse 171]<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Unlike the Trinity, the concept of God being one distinct and unique personality \u2013 with everything in the creation, Jesus included, belonging to Him\u00a0\u2013 is\u00a0easy to grasp by anyone, whether child or adult, from the lay person to the scholar. Let\u2019s examine some\u00a0reasoning that God gives to explain why Jesus cannot have been divine:<\/p>\n

\n
The Messiah, son of Mary, was not but a messenger; [other] messengers have passed on before him. And his mother was a supporter of truth. They both used to eat food. Look how We make clear to them the signs; then look how they are deluded. [Chapter 5, verse 75]<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Notice how God Almighty refers to Jesus as \u201cson of Mary\u201d. This phrase is repeated throughout the Qur\u2019an and reinforces the idea that he is a very human messenger of God. The mention of Jesus eating food is a simple but profound point, anything that needs sustenance cannot be God. The Qur\u2019an doesn\u2019t rely on complicated philosophical arguments when addressing its reader, it is\u00a0accessible\u00a0to anyone regardless of age, intelligence and social background.\u00a0Thus Islam is a universal religion as the Qur\u2019an proclaims:<\/p>\n

\n
We have sent you [O Prophet] as a bearer of glad tidings and a warner for the whole of mankind, but most people have no knowledge. [Chapter 34, verse 28]<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Now that\u2019s not to say there aren\u2019t concepts in Islam that are complex\u00a0\u2013 there are, for example the laws governing the distribution of inheritance \u2013 but such specialist knowledge is only needed by a few and is not tied to the believer\u2019s salvation. This is the opposite of the situation with Trinitarians. They are in the awkward position of being compelled to believe in something that cannot be comprehended which creates tension between the heart and mind. Thus the believing Trinitarian can never truly be at peace. Tawheed, the pillar of Islam, is something that can be grasped by anyone. The believing Muslim has an inner peace that the Trinitarian cannot attain. It\u2019s interesting that one of the root meanings of the Arabic word \u2018Islam\u2019 is in fact \u201cpeace\u201d \u2013 in essence Islam means \u201cthe attainment of peace by submitting to our Creator\u201d. The Qur\u2019an describes this peace that Muslims have when they remember God:<\/p>\n

\n
Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest [Chapter 13, verse 28]<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

MENTIONED BY NAME<\/strong><\/p>\n

The term \u2018trinity\u2019 is not found anywhere in the Bible. Such\u00a0terminology appears only in the writings of Church fathers much later.\u00a0The position of the Roman Catholic Church is that the term \u2018trinity\u2019 was first mentioned late into the second century:<\/p>\n

\n
In Scripture there is as yet no single term by which the Three Divine Persons are denoted together\u2026The word trias (of which the Latin trinitas is a translation) is first found in Theophilus of Antioch about A.D. 180\u2026Afterwards it appears in its Latin form of trinitas in Tertullian. [4]<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

It is\u00a0the Qur\u2019an that explicitly mentions the Trinity:<\/p>\n

\n
They have certainly disbelieved who say, \u201cAllah is the third of three\u201d\u2026 [Chapter 5, verse 73]<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

It\u2019s incredible that the book which Trinitarians claim is the source of their doctrine, the Bible, does not mention the doctrine by name, whilst the Qur\u2019an directly refutes it.<\/p>\n

Now, there is a mention of \u201cthreeness\u201d in some versions of the Bible in a verse known as the Johannine Comma:<\/p>\n

\n
\u201cFor there are three that bear record in heaven, the father, the word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one\u201d [1 John 5:7]<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

This verse used to be in all Bibles; however the editors of the Revised Standard Version (RSV) and New International Version (NIV) have removed the verse (please click on picture to enlarge):<\/p>\n

\"johanine<\/a><\/p>\n

Notice how verse 7 in the RSV is different to verse 7 in the KJV. The RSV does not contain the mention of threeness. Also notice that verse 7 in the NIV is different to not only the KJV but also the RSV. The NIV also does not contain the mention of threeness. The RSV and NIV have had to split other verses into two parts in order to make up for the deletion of the Johannine Comma, this is so that the verse numbers across all three versions of the Bible line up the same.<\/p>\n

The King James Version (KJV) has grave defects, and so these newer versions of the Bible (which are based on older and hence more reliable manuscripts) were produced. Here is the NIV footnote regarding this verse:<\/p>\n

\n
Late manuscripts of the Vulgate testify in heaven: the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one. {8} And there are three that testify on earth: the (not found in any Greek manuscript before the sixteenth century)<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

In other words, it is a fabricated verse that was inserted into the New Testament over 1,500 years after Jesus. Trinitarians should\u00a0reflect on\u00a0this question: why is the only explicit mention of\u00a0God being a threeness a later fabrication? Clearly, it had to be inserted\u00a0into the Bible to lend support for the doctrine because it is unbiblical.<\/p>\n

By contrast the word \u201ctawheed\u201d and its derivatives such as \u201cwaahid\u201d are found throughout the Islamic source texts, the Qur\u2019an and Hadith (sayings of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him):<\/p>\n

\n
\n

\u201cAnd your god is one [waahid] God\u2026\u201d [Chapter 2, verse 163]<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cSome of the people of Tawheed will be punished in the Fire until they are coals. Then the Mercy (of Allah) will reach them, they will be taken out and tossed at the doors of Paradise.\u201d He said:\u00a0\u201cThe people of Paradise will pour water over them, and they will sprout as the debris carried by the flood sprouts, then they will enter Paradise.\u201d [Tirmidhi, vol. 4, book 13, #2597]<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

IS THE CONCEPT PRESENT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Trinitarians may try to argue that although there isn\u2019t any mention of the word \u2018trinity\u2019 in the Bible, the concept is present throughout scripture. Whilst it\u2019s true that some verses do allude to the divinity of Jesus, this is only the case when they are taken in isolation. When one goes beyond a superficial reading of scripture and interprets verses in the context of all of an author\u2019s writings, then the concept of the Trinity is nowhere to be found.<\/p>\n

A good example are the writings of Paul. Trinitarians like to point to his talk of a \u201cGodhead\u201d as proof of the Trinity:<\/p>\n

\n
For in him [Jesus] dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. [Colossians 2:9]<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

But this represents a very narrow reading of scripture, as Paul also talks of there being government in the Godhead, he gives a clear order of authority and responsibility. The Father is the head over all creation, including Jesus:<\/p>\n

\n
But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. [1 Corinthians 11:3]<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Remember that the doctrine of the Trinity states that Jesus the Son and God the Father are co-equal, which of course conflicts with Paul\u2019s hierarchy of the Father being the head of the Son.\u00a0Moreover if\u00a0Paul really did believe in there being three persons in the Godhead, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit as understood by Christians today, then he would have mentioned all three members in his letters to the churches \u2013 he never does. Paul mentions the Father and Jesus in every introduction of every letter he wrote (Romans 1:7; I Corinthians 1:3; II Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:3; Ephesians 1:2; Philippians 1:2; Colossians 1:2; I Thessalonians 1:1; II Thessalonians 1:2; I Timothy 1:2; II Timothy 1:2; Hebrews 1:1-2)<\/strong>, but he never mentions the Holy Spirit. Such an omission is astounding. Clearly Paul did not believe in a Triune God.<\/p>\n

Another example of Trinitarians taking verses out of isolation is the famous prologue of John:<\/p>\n

\n
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. [John 1:1]<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

This verse is perhaps the most often used by Trinitarians in trying to prove that the\u00a0concept of the doctrine is scriptural. Again, if we are serious about interpreting scripture then we must take all of an author\u2019s writings into consideration before drawing conclusions about their beliefs. The following verse provides the correct context for the prologue of John:<\/p>\n

\n
Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. [John 17:3]<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

This statement in the Bible is devastating to the doctrine of the Trinity, as it clearly identifies God as the only true God to the exclusion of Jesus.\u00a0In fact so devastating is this statement, that major pro-Trinitarian scholars of the past have resorted to manipulating the Bible in order to protect the doctrine of the Trinity.\u00a0We note the remarkable comment of the celebrated Church Father Augustine. Augustine of Hippo is viewed as one of the most important Church Fathers in Western Christianity. It was so difficult for Augustine to harmonise John 17:3 with his belief in the doctrine of the Trinity, that this immensely influential church leader actually restructured the verse to accommodate both the Father and Son in the Godhead. Augustine, in his \u201cHomilies on John\u201d, boldly asserts that John 17:3 means:<\/p>\n

\n
\u201cThis is eternal life, that they may know Thee and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent, as the only true God.\u201d [5]<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

This daring alteration of the Bible seriously distorts the original meaning of the words in order to include Jesus in the Godhead. Such forcing of the text merely exposes Augustine\u2019s desperation to protect his creed in the Bible. You can read more examples of how Trinitarians misinterpret scripture here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The simple fact is that nowhere in the Bible is there any explicit mention of a Trinitarian formula, the concept that God is three persons that are co-equal and co-eternal. The Trinity is supposed to be the central doctrine of Christianity and the true nature of God, and yet the Bible does not clearly support it. If this doctrine is so important then shouldn\u2019t it be clearly explained all over the Bible, like other doctrines such as the death of Jesus for our sins and his resurrection from the dead?<\/p>\n

This silence becomes deafening when we consider the many historical controversies that are discussed in the New Testament. The Book of Acts is filled with many examples of controversies that occurred during the lifetime of the disciples. Perhaps the most prominent of these was the issue of circumcision in light of Gentiles. With the sudden influx of new Gentile converts, the question of whether they need to be circumcised was raised.\u00a0Chapter 15 of the Book of Acts goes into detail about a council that was summoned in Jerusalem, with church leaders like James and Peter attending to settle the controversy.\u00a0Ultimately it was decided that circumcision was not a requirement upon Gentiles, but the key point to mention was that the loudest proponents\u00a0of Gentile circumcision were the Jewish believers in Jerusalem who are described as\u00a0numbering in \u201cmany thousands\u201d<\/strong> and being \u201call zealous of the law\u201d<\/strong> (Acst 21:20). They were so zealous in fact\u00a0that they taught\u00a0\u201cUnless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved\u201d<\/strong>\u00a0(Acts 15:1).\u00a0Should we be surprised that they would find the abandonment of circumcision controversial, given that circumcision and faith had been\u00a0inextricably linked since the time of Moses? Now imagine the disciples going into synagogues and teaching a new Triune concept of God that would have been alien to these strictly monotheistic Jews. If the issue of foreskins caused\u201csharp dispute and debate\u201d<\/strong> (Acts 15:2), then how much more so would the upheaval of their understanding of God? What we find is that there is no mention of any such controversy, it\u00a0is strikingly absent from the New Testament. Isn\u2019t the simplest explanation for this phenomenon that the doctrine didn\u2019t yet exist?<\/p>\n

The truth is that this doctrine is arrived at by deduction. In reality, it\u00a0must be read into the scriptures \u2013 it is not derived from it. It is not developed from clear scriptural references, but rather by beginning with a premise, boldly claiming that premise is true, and then proceeding to develop \u201cproofs\u201d from scripture. Often such proofs involve a\u00a0patchwork of verses \u2013 the cobbling together of unrelated bits and pieces of scripture from across the Bible. In doing so they reduce the Bible to a Da Vinci Code.<\/p>\n

If we look to the New Testament, we find that Jesus was presented with\u00a0numerous opportunities to spell out the doctrine of the Trinity in detail. The following example is perhaps the most noteworthy:<\/p>\n

\n
\n

One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, \u201cOf all the commandments, which is the most important?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThe most important one,\u201d answered Jesus, \u201cis this: \u2018Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.\u2019 The second is this: \u2018Love your neighbour as yourself.\u2019 There is no commandment greater than these.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cWell said, teacher,\u201d the man replied. \u201cYou are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbour as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, \u201cYou are not far from the kingdom of God.\u201d And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.\u00a0<\/strong>[Mark 12:28-34]<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

It\u2019s important to reiterate that the Jewish understanding of the Old Testament commandments rejects all notions of God being a Trinity. So in the passages above, by simply repeating the commandment about God being One, Jesus is re-affirming the Old Testament\u00a0view of God\u2019s purely monotheistic nature and therefore rejecting the Trinitarian understanding \u2013 the Trinity rejected by the alleged second person of the Trinity! This was the perfect opportunity for Jesus to correct the Jew\u2019s misconceptions about God and give him the Trinitarian understanding of God being three co-equal and co-eternal persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. As we have seen the exact opposite is the case, he goes so far as to complement the Jew (\u201cYou are not far from the kingdom of God\u201d).<\/p>\n

The reason why Jews do not believe in a Triune God is that He never presents himself as such in the Old Testament. The way that Trinitarians attempt to get around this problem is by appealing to a doctrine known as \u201cProgressive Revelation\u201d:<\/p>\n

\n
The things that God revealed to humanity were not all given at once. His revelation was given in stages\u2026 Progressive revelation means that God did not unfold His entire plan to humanity in the Book of Genesis or, for that matter, in the entire Old Testament. The Old Testament revelation, though accurate, is incomplete. The fullness of certain teachings cannot be found in the Old Testament [6]<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

But such an appeal creates more problems that it attempts to solve. Because of Progressive Revelation, the Trinitarian concept of God\u2019s nature is, and continues to be, open to development. Therefore the question they have to ponder is, what if God later reveals He is Four Persons united in One? For example, why couldn\u2019t it later be revealed that Mary is also God, perhaps the Mother in the Godhead? Or, why couldn\u2019t it later be revealed that the Holy Spirit is in fact seven persons and not just one (see Revelation 1:4 which mentions \u201cthe seven spirits before his [God\u2019s] throne\u201d)? As we\u2019ve already seen, there is no explicit mention of \u2018three\u2019 either by name or concept, so with Progressive Revelation there\u2019s nothing to stop God becoming four or more persons at some point in the future. Thus the Trinitarian can never lay claim to having a\u00a0correct\u00a0understanding\u00a0of God, because they can never know for certain that God has revealed the full picture about Himself.<\/p>\n

By comparison the Islamic concept of Tawheed leaps out at you from every page of the Qur\u2019an. This central theme, the worship of God who is unlike His creation, is reinforced using so many different types of argument. Perhaps this is most beautifully captured in the Qur\u2019an\u2019s 112th chapter, Al Ikhlas (meaning \u201cThe Sincerity\u201d):<\/p>\n

\n
\n

Say, \u201cHe is Allah, [who is] One,<\/strong>
\nAllah, the Eternal Refuge.<\/strong>
\nHe neither begets nor is born,<\/strong>
\nNor is there to Him any equivalent.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The Qur\u2019an only takes four lines, less than 20 words in the original Arabic, to spell out in crystal clear terms the nature of God, with more clarity than anything that Trinitarians can manufacture\u00a0from the Bible.<\/p>\n

References<\/strong><\/p>\n

1 \u2013 Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 234.<\/p>\n

2 \u2013\u00a0The Catholic Encyclopedia, Constitution, \u201cDe fide. cath.\u201d, iv.<\/p>\n

3 \u2013\u00a0 Harold Lindsell and Charles Woodbridge, A\u00a0Handbook of Christian Truth, pp. 51-52.<\/p>\n

4 \u2013\u00a0The Catholic Encyclopedia,\u00a0\u201cDe pud.\u201d, xxi.<\/p>\n

5 \u2013 Homilies on John, tractate CV, chapter 17.<\/p>\n

6 \u2013 \u201cWhat is Progressive Revelation\u201c, by Don Stewart, BlueLetterBible.Org<\/p>\n

From:\u00a0manyprophetsonemessage<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The aim of this article is to compare Islamic monotheism, known as Tawheed, with the Christian doctrine of the\u00a0Trinity to see which is the true concept\u00a0of God. WHAT IS THE TRINITY The doctrine of the Trinity defines God as one being\u00a0who eternally exists as three distinct Persons \u2014 the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Put … Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[152,22],"tags":[56],"class_list":["post-1200","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christianity-bible","category-islam-and-jesus","tag-christianity"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"gform-image-choice-sm":false,"gform-image-choice-md":false,"gform-image-choice-lg":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Site Admin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/author\/admin\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"The aim of this article is to compare Islamic monotheism, known as Tawheed, with the Christian doctrine of the\u00a0Trinity to see which is the true concept\u00a0of God. WHAT IS THE TRINITY The doctrine of the Trinity defines God as one being\u00a0who eternally exists as three distinct Persons \u2014 the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Put…","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pcT0IL-jm","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":6826,"url":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/who-invented-the-trinity\/","url_meta":{"origin":1200,"position":0},"title":"Who Invented the Trinity?","author":"Site Admin","date":"06\/07\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"(part 1 of 2) What is the source of the Christian concept of the Trinity? The three monotheistic religions \u2013 Judaism, Christianity, and Islam \u2013 all purport to share one fundamental concept: belief in God as the Supreme Being, the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. Known as \u201ctawhid\u201d in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Comparative Religion"","block_context":{"text":"Comparative Religion","link":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/category\/comparative-religion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1202,"url":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/tawheed-versus-trinity-which-is-the-true-concept-of-god-part-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":1200,"position":1},"title":"Tawheed versus Trinity: Which is the True Concept of God \u2013 Part 2.","author":"Site Admin","date":"12\/19\/2015","format":false,"excerpt":"This is part 2 of a series of articles on Tawheed and the Trinity. The first part\u00a0focused on a scriptural comparison of the two concepts of God in light of\u00a0the Qur\u2019an and Bible. In this part we will compare Tawheed and the Trinity\u00a0from a historical perspective. EARLY CHURCH FATHERS As\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Christianity & Bible"","block_context":{"text":"Christianity & Bible","link":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/category\/jesus-in-islam\/christianity-bible\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1196,"url":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/history-of-christianity-shift-from-monotheism-to-trinity-34-reflections-sentiments\/","url_meta":{"origin":1200,"position":2},"title":"History of Christianity & Shift from Monotheism to Trinity (3\/4) Reflections & Sentiments","author":"Site Admin","date":"12\/19\/2015","format":false,"excerpt":"In this article, we will spotlight the early monotheistic Christian denominations. We do not mean by \u201cmonotheistic\u201d that all of those denominations believed in pure monotheism just as Muslims do, but that they were generally closer to monotheism and farther away from the Trinity. The Early Monotheistic Christian Denominations Ebionitism\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Christianity & Bible"","block_context":{"text":"Christianity & Bible","link":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/category\/jesus-in-islam\/christianity-bible\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1393,"url":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/salvation-in-islam-part-2-of-3-worship-and-obey-god\/","url_meta":{"origin":1200,"position":3},"title":"Salvation in Islam (part 2 of 3): Worship and Obey God","author":"Site Admin","date":"01\/30\/2016","format":false,"excerpt":"In part 1 of this series \u2018Salvation in Islam\u2019, we learnt that salvation is attained by worshipping the One God.\u00a0 We worship Him alone and we follow His commandments.\u00a0 We also learnt that Islam does not recognise the concept of original sin, thus Muslims believe that all people are born\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Salvation-In-Islam-Part-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Salvation-In-Islam-Part-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Salvation-In-Islam-Part-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Salvation-In-Islam-Part-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/Salvation-In-Islam-Part-2.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1192,"url":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/history-of-christianity-shift-from-monotheism-to-trinity-24-reflections-sentiments\/","url_meta":{"origin":1200,"position":4},"title":"History of Christianity & Shift from Monotheism to Trinity (2\/4) Reflections & Sentiments","author":"Site Admin","date":"12\/19\/2015","format":false,"excerpt":"In this article, I will deal with the bitter conflict which took place between monotheism and the doctrine of the Trinity and their followers after the convention of Council of Nicaea and before the prophetic mission and even the birth of Prophet Muhammad. First Council of Constantinople \u00a0 The most\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Christianity & Bible"","block_context":{"text":"Christianity & Bible","link":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/category\/jesus-in-islam\/christianity-bible\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":6935,"url":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/oum-abdulaziz-ex-christian-usa\/","url_meta":{"origin":1200,"position":5},"title":"Oum Abdulaziz, Ex-Christian, USA","author":"Site Admin","date":"06\/07\/2020","format":false,"excerpt":"(part 1 of 4): Islam and Christianity I did not become Muslim overnight. In fact, at first, learning about Islam came quite unexpectedly on my part. I had simply become acquainted with some Muslims and questioned them wanting to understand something of their beliefs. I was surprised to discover many\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Why I became a Muslim"","block_context":{"text":"Why I became a Muslim","link":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/category\/became-muslim\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1200","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1200"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1200\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1974,"href":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1200\/revisions\/1974"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1200"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1200"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.ask-a-muslim.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1200"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}