LIV.—THE DIVINITY OF CHRIST, AND
THE HOLY TRINITY.
The following are the allusions to the Holy Trinity and the Sonship of Christ in the Qurán:—
Surat-un-Nisá (iv.), 169:—
"O ye people of the Book! overstep not bounds in your religion, and of God speak only truth. The Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, is only an Apostle of God, and his Word which he conveyed into Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from himself. Believe, therefore, in God and his apostles, and say not there is a Trinity (lit. "three"). Forbear, it will be better for you. God is only one God! Far be it from His glory that He should have a son * * * * The Messiah disdaineth not to be a servant of God."
Surat-ul-Maida (v.), 79:—
"The Messiah, the son of Mary, is but an apostle; other apostles have flourished before him, and his mother was a just person ; they both ate food."
Verse 116 of the same Súra:—
"O Jesus, son of Mary, hast thou said unto mankind, 'Take me and my mother as two Gods beside God?'"
From the above verses it appears that Muhammad thought the Holy Trinity of the Christians consisted of the Father, the Son, and the Virgin; and historians tell us that there existed in Arabia a sect called Collyridians, who considered the Virgin Mary a divine person, and offered in worship to her a cake called Collyris; it is, therefore, not improbable that Muhammad obtained his perverted notion of the Holy Trinity from the existence of this sect. From the expression "they both ate food," we must conclude that Muhammad had but a sensuous idea of the Trinity in Unity, and had never been instructed in the orthodox faith with reference to this dogma.
In dealing with Muhammadans the Christian missionary must not treat their system as though the views of Islám were precisely those of modern Socinians.[1] Islám admits the miraculous conception of Christ, and that he is the "Word" which God "conveyed into Mary;" and whilst the other five great prophets are but "the chosen," "the preacher," "the friend," "the converser with," and "the messenger" of God, Jesus is admitted to be the "Spirit of God." He is the greatest miracle worker of all the prophets, and whilst Muhammad is dead and buried, and saw corruption, all Muslim divines admit that Jesus "saw no corruption," and still lives with a human body in Paradise.
Moreover, it is said in the Hadís that the Núr-i-Muhammad, the light of Muhammad, was created before all things which were made by God. The pre-existence of the divine "Word which was made flesh and dwelt amongst us" is not, therefore, an idea foreign to the Muslim mind.
- ↑ We speak of the views of modern Socinians, for we are aware that both the Socini, uncle and nephew, admitted the miraculous conception of Christ, and said that He ought to be worshipped.