Friday, June 4, 2010

The Qur'an in the Light of God-breathed Scripture: Shirk, Trinity, Christ, in Surah 5

Here is a great post on Surah 5. from the Qur'an. Months ago I posted a video from James White on the same subject. Here is what White wrote on this essay discussing the relationship between Islam and Christianity. What struck me most about the post was this quotation from the Qur'an:

72. Certainly they have disbelieved who say: "Allah is Christ the son of Maryam (Mary)." While Christ himself said: "O children of Israel! Worship Allah, my Rabb and your Rabb." Whoever commits shirk (joins partners with Allah), Allah will deny him the paradise, and the hellfire will be his home. There will be no helper for the wrongdoers.
73. Certainly they are unbelievers who say: "Allah is one of three in a Trinity." There is no god except One Allah. If they do not stop saying what they say, a painful punishment will befall the disbelievers among them.
74. Will they not then turn to Allah and seek His forgiveness? Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
75. Christ, the son of Maryam, was no more than a Rasool; many Rasools had already passed away before him. His mother was a truthful woman; they both ate earthly food like other human beings. See how the Revelations are made clear to them to know reality; yet see how they ignore the truth!
76. Ask them: "Would you worship besides Allah someone who can neither harm nor benefit you? While Allah is He who hears all and knows all." - Surah 5:72-76


Dr. White then gives some observations on the text. I think this one is the most important.

3) Note the error of v. 73: Allah one of three in a Trinity? Even if one were to make the identification of Allah = the Father, it is clear that the author is operating on the misunderstanding that the Trinity posits three separate gods. And the Qur'an makes itself clear: Christians are to "stop saying" (stop teaching, believing) the central doctrine of their faith, the Trinity. There is no ground for compromise here.

The Trinity is definitional for what it means to be a Christian. Without it...it's not Christianiy. You throw out Jesus' deity and with that you loose the death, burial, and resurrection - and what do you have? A social club not a church.This means there is no way to be both a Christian and a Muslim. They both can't be right. The Qur'an is not describing the doctrine of the Trinity as James White make it clear. "One of three what?". If you understand what Christians are saying you know we mean three persons not three Gods. God is one in Being. Being and personhood are not the same thing. "What you are?" has a different answer than the question "who you are?". I've written several posts on the Trinity on this blog and linked to other great ones. I'd like to point out that the reason why we believe the Trinity because The Father is said to be God. The Son is said to be God. The Holy Spirit is said to be God. And God in One! The whole of the Bible teaches this.  It's documented in the other posts on the Trinity

The Qur'an in the Light of God-breathed Scripture: Shirk, Trinity, Christ, in Surah 5
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