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From: gwydion@tavi.rice.edu (Basalat Ali Raja)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.arabic,soc.religion.islam
Subject: Re: Biblical Trinity is shirk
Message-ID: <9850@wpi.wpi.edu>
Date: 19 Mar 90 20:16:20 GMT
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In article <18850@megaron.cs.arizona.edu> bakken@megaron.cs.arizona.edu (Dave Bakken) writes:
>
>question was more general: what are the Qur'anic, hadithal (if thats
>a word :-), and/or historical reasons for Muslims disagreeing with
>the doctrine of the Trinity.  

I might continue on the discussion that has been going on.  I believe
the question has been raised that the Quran might not be opposed to
the Trinity.  This depends on the definition of the Trinity.  Consider
the following verse [Shakir Translation].

[5:73] Certainly they disbelieve who say: Surely Allah is the third
(person) of the three; and there is no god but the one God, and if
they desist not from what they say, a painful chastisement shall
befall those among them who disbeleive.

I believe it has been pointed out that the Trinity does not refer 
to three gods, but rather to One God in different forms.  It *might*
then be possible to say that the above verse does not refer to many 
Christians.  However, let us consider the following verse:

[4:171] O followers of the Book! do not exceeed the limits in your 
religion, and do not speak (lies)  against Allah, but (speak) the 
truth; the Messiah, Isa son of Marium is only an Apostle of Allah 
and His Word which He communicated to Marium and a spirit from Him;
believe therefore in Allah and His apostles, and say not, Three.
                                             ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Desist, it is better for you; Allah is only one God, far be it from
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
His glory that He should have a son; whatever is in the heavens and
whatever is in the earth is His; and Allah is sufficient for a 
Protector.

One can define the Trinity as three distinct gods, one god in three
distinct forms, one god in one form which manifested himself in three
ways etc.

However, whenever the concept of three enters the equation, one will
find oneself in opposition to the Quran.  This is an absolutely 
uncompromising rejection of the Trinity in any recognizable form.

It is interesting to note that the word Trinity is mentioned only once
in the Bible and the Quran - that is in the above verse.

Also, in reference to Jesus being the only begotten son of god:
Chapter 112: The Unity
1) Say: He, Allah, is One.
2) Allah is He on Whom all depend.
3) He begets not, nor is He begotten.
4) And none is like Him.

Again, this is a rejection of Jesus as being the only begotten son 
of God.  It seems that the word "begotten" has also been removed 
from newer editions of the Bible, in certain cases, as it was not 
in the original texts.

In both cases, there seems to be enough reasons based on the Quran
to reject the Trinity.