Answer

Short Answer: God the Lord, Jesus the human prophet, and the Holy Spirit Gabriel are each separate. The doctrine of the Trinity was never preached by Jesus, nor by his followers for three centuries. The word “trinity” is nowhere in the Bible. The whole concept was derived from the words of John, who never met Jesus.

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Salam (Peace) Dear James,

Thank you for your questions and for contacting Ask About Islam.

I would like to start out by saying that Muslims believe that all prophets of God preached the same simple truth of the One Sovereign God.

Who Is Allah? Who Is God?

Allah is God. The name Allah is the Arabic word for God. More precisely, it is the One Eternal Creator, Lord of the whole universe. It is the same Arabic name for God that is used in the Arabic Bible.

It is pronounced almost the same in other Semitic languages: “Eloha” in Hebrew, and “Allaha” in Aramaic. According to Jesus (peace be upon him), God is One, with no partner whatsoever. I quote the following verses from the Bible:

Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and him only.'” (Matthew 4:10)

“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.” (Mark 12:32)

“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.'” (Mark 12:29)

Who Is Jesus?

Jesus is one of a long string of prophets of Allah sent to all nations throughout history, starting from Adam, who received the first guidance from Allah, to the final one, Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon them all).

According to the Bible, Jesus was sent particularly to the Israelites, to set them back on the proper track of Moses. The Gospels record these words of Jesus:

“I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” (Matthew 15:24)

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill. For verily I say unto you: ‘Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.'”  (Matthew 5:17-18)

The Quran, which Muslims consider the direct revelation says what means:

{The Messiah (himself) said: O Children of Israel, worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord. Lo! whoso ascribeth partners unto Allah, for him Allah hath forbidden Paradise. His abode is the Fire. For evil-doers there will be no helpers.} (Al-Ma’idah 5:72)

Jesus was a full human Prophet of God, as he emphatically declared:

“As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God.” (John 8:40)

“What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people.” (Luke 24:19)

Again, the Quran also affirms Jesus’s prophethood:

{And when Jesus son of Mary said: O Children of Israel! Lo! I am the messenger of Allah unto you, confirming that which was (revealed) before me in the Torah} (As-Saff 61:6)

In all aspects, the Gospels portray him as a human who was born and circumcised (Luke 2:5-7, 21, 40, 52, 11:27); who suffered hunger and thirst (Matthew 4:2, 11:19, 21:18); who got tired and slept like any human being (Matthew 8:20, 24-25, Luke 8:23, Mark 4:38, John 4:6); who was subject to human feelings of fear, astonishment, and sadness (Matthew 26:37, Mark 14:33-34, John 11:33, 35, 38); and who prayed to his Creator like any human believer does (Mark 1:35, 14:35, Luke 5:16, 6:12).

Logically speaking, having no father does not mean he was the son of God. Adam had neither father nor mother, yet both Adam and Jesus are bondsmen of Allah created by His will and power, by His word “Be” — Adam from earthly dust, and Jesus in the womb of Virgin Mary.

This is precisely and unequivocally defined in the Quran as follows:

{The similitude of Jesus before Allah is as that of Adam; He created him from dust, then said to him: “Be”. And he was.} (Aal `Imran 3:59)

So neither Jesus nor Adam is a son of God. References to Jesus in the Bible as son of God should not be taken in the literal sense, rather in the metaphoric sense of affection and nearness to God.

Jesus himself affirms that we are all “sons” of God in this sense:

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.” (Matthew 5:9)

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

Similar references to human beings as “sons of God” are also used in the Old Testament:

“You are the children of the Lord your God.” (Deuteronomy 14:1)

Finally, in his own words, Jesus declared himself as the Son of Man:

Jesus replied, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.” (Matthew 8:20)

“Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up.” (John 3:14)

Can We See God?

Our human capabilities are limited by the nature of our senses: vision in a certain wavelength range (4 to 7 X10^-7 meters), hearing in a certain frequency range (2.500 to 4,000 cycles per second). Even the power of our instruments, however advanced, is limited in two ways:

• scale: by the huge universal dimensions in light years
• nature: to our detectable electromagnetic wave systems. So we cannot see or detect anything different from or beyond (in nature, time, or space) these systems: neither the angels nor any non-earthly being, nor God the Creator and Dominator of all His creation.

This is affirmed both in the Quran and in the Bible:

{No vision can grasp Him, but His grasp is over all vision: He is above all comprehension, yet is acquainted with all things.} (Al-An`am 6:103)

“Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape.” (John 5:37)

Are God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit the Same?

First: who is the Holy Spirit? A careful reading of the Gospels clarifies that the Holy Spirit is the Angel Gabriel.

Compare the two narrations of Matthew and Luke:

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. (Matthew 1:18)

And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary.  (Luke 1:26-27).

This accords with the Quran:

{Then We sent her our angel [literally, spirit], and he appeared before her as a man in all respects. … He [the angel] said: “Nay, I am only a messenger from thy Lord, (to announce) to thee the gift of a holy son.”} (Maryam 19:17,19)

So God the Lord, Jesus the human prophet, and the Holy Spirit Gabriel are each separate. The doctrine of the Trinity was never preached by Jesus, nor by his followers for three centuries. The word “trinity” is nowhere in the Bible. The whole concept was derived from the words of John, who never met Jesus.

The myth of trinity gradually crept into Christianity, influenced by pagan beliefs and Greek mythology, and was adopted by Council of Nicaea in 325 CE.

How Can I Start Praying?

The answer to this, James, really depends on you and the choices you make in your life. If you fully accept Islam, that is, belief in the One God, and the message revealed to Prophet Muhammad through the miraculous word of God, the Quran, this would be your first honorable step to the truth of Islam.

The following steps are straightforward, and can be taken without any intermediary or clergy. It is something between you and your Creator, yet in the way He ordained. You can find the necessary details in the links provided below; and you could better still refer to a trustworthy Islamic Center for guidance and support.

Best wishes for you on this most blessed trip to the pure Divine Truth.

Thank you once again for your questions, and please keep in touch.

Salam.

(From Ask About Islam archives)

Please continue feeding your curiosity, and find more info in the following links:

Learning Resources for New Muslims

A Basic Introduction to Islam (Special Folder)

I Want to Be Muslim: How Do I Convert to Islam?