Introduction

                 Are you aware of the historical controversybetween the Trinitarian and the Unitarian doctrines? Are you also aware thatIslam offers the ultimate solution to such controversy?

 TheTrinitarian controversy is one of the most crucial events in the annals ofChristendom. World renown Christian historian Edward Gibbon points out that theTrinitarian controversy, which raged particularly during the fourth century, hassuccessively penetrated every part of the Christian world[1].

 On one hand, thePauline Church (currently known as the Roman Catholic Church) has for centuriesfought for the global acceptance of the Trinitarian doctrine. The concept ofTrinity is the nucleus of the Athanasian Creed which states that:" There is oneperson of the Father, another of the Son, and another of the Holy Ghost. But theGodhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Gloryequal, the Majesty co-eternal... The Father is God, the Son is God, and the HolyGhost is God. And yet they are not three Gods, but one God ... For like as weare compelled by the Christian verity to acknowledge every person by himself tobe God and Lord, so are we forbidden by the Catholic religion to say there bethree Gods, or three Lords"[2].

 The nature of thiscreed has for centuries been so controversial and mysterious that even its ownauthor, Athanasius of Alexandria, one of the principal leaders of the Paulinechurch, failed to comprehend it. This champion of Trinity himself confessedthat, "Whenever he forced his understanding to meditate on the divinity of theLogos, his toilsome and unveiling efforts recoiled on themselves; that the morehe thought, the less he comprehended; and the more he wrote, the less capablewas he of expressing his thoughts"[3].

 The nature of theTrinity is so mysterious that, as Edward Gibbon remarks, "as often as we deduceany positive conclusions from a negative idea, we are involved in darkness,perplexity, and inevitable contradiction"[4].

 On the other hand,the Apostolic Church has over the years advocated the belief in the Unity ofGod, and as such ruled out the deity of Jesus (peace be upon him). Among thosewho originally opposed the Trinitarian doctrine were the so-called Ebionites ofNazarenes. They considered Jesus as the greatest of the prophets, endowed withsupernatural virtues and power[5].

 The mysteries ofthe Christian faith were dangerously exposed to public debate when Arius, thechampion of Apostolic Church, popularly confronted Bishop Alexander, thechampion of the Pauline Church. These two were in hot theological dispute for aperiod of six years - from 318 A.D. through 325 A.D. Arius, the disciple ofLucian of Antioch, the greatest critic of the Trinitarian doctrine, stronglyadvocated the view that God is absolutely One and alone Eternal[6]. Such Unitarian view, which conformed tothe original teachings of Jesus and all other prophets (peace be upon them all),had definitely exposed the Trinitarian doctrine to a critical, controversialstate. This, however, did not stop the Pauline Church from gaining control oflarge part of Christendom. This happened for known reasons discussed elsewhere.The next section presents the historical background of the Trinitariancontroversy.

[1] Edward Gibbon, The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Vol. II, ed. By J.B. Bury (New York: AMS Press Inc., 1974), p. 355.
[2] Ulfat Aziz-su-Samad, Islam and Christianity (Riyadh: Presidency of Islamic Research, Ifta and Propagation, 1984), p. 29.
[3] Edward Gibbon, Vol. II op. cit., pp. 360-361.
[4] Ibid., p. 361.
[5] According to Edward Gibbon, the Ebionites "ascribed to his person (Jesus) and to his future reign all the predictions of the Hebrew oracles which relate to the spiritual Messiah. Some of them might confess that he was born of a virgin; but they obstinately rejected the preceding existence and divine perfections of the Logos or Son of God…" Ibid., pp. 358-359.
[6] Muhammad Ata ur-Rahim, Jesus: Prophet of Islam (Riyadh: Presidency of Islamic Research, Ifta and Propagation, 1984), pp. 105.

Some Historical Notes On The Trinitarian Controversy

                 The Trinitarian view of Christianity cameinto being many years after the disappearance of Jesus (peace be upon him).Undoubtedly, it was not professed by Jesus nor by the other prophets (peace beupon them all). As a matter of fact, the true followers of Jesus (peace be uponhim) continued to affirm the Oneness of God until about 90 A.D. This belief inthe Unity of God was manifested in the Shepherd of Hermas, which was writtenduring this period and regarded as a book of revelation by the earlierChristians. Aside from its precept on the Oneness of God, this scripture alsocontains other related commandments on sincerity, truthfulness, purity,patience, uprightness, piety and self-control. More specifically, the first ofthese commandments states:" First of all, believe that God is One and that Hecreated all things and organized them out of what did not exist made all thingsto be, and He contains all things but alone is Himself uncontained. Trust Himtherefore and fear Him and, fearing Him be self-controlled. Keep this commandand you will cast away from yourself all wickedness, Put on every virtue ofuprightness, and you will live to God if you keep this commandment "[7].

 TheApostles' Creed " I believe in God the (Father) Almighty" began to be known tothe earlier Christians in 120 A.D. The word father was, in fact, added to thiscreed only between 180 A.D. and 210 A.D. A number of the Apostolic Churchleaders condemned this innovation, for they found it abominable to inject newideas into the original teachings of Jesus (peace be upon him) "[8].

 One of the earlyleaders of the Apostolic Church was Iranaeus, who succeeded Bishop Pothinus ofLyons in 177 A.D., after the latter's brutal murder. In 190 A.D., Iranaeus wroteto Pope Victor to stop the massacre of dissenting Christians whose belief didnot agree with the doctrine of the Rome-based Pauline Church. Iranaeus believedin One God and supported the doctrine of the manhood of Jesus[9].

 Iranaeus and therest of the early Unitarians abhored the Trinitarian dogma, being a deviationfrom the pristine teachings of Jesus (peace be upon him). Prior to 200 A.D. theterm "Trinity" (which is now the nucleus of the Christian tenets) was not at allknown to the Pauline Church. "Trinity" was derived from the Latin word Trinitas,which was first used by Tertullian in 200 A.D. to explain in Latinecclesiastical writings the strange doctrine of the Pauline Church. Tertullianbelonged to the African Church. He believed in the unity of God and identifiedJesus with the Jewish Messiah. He opposed Pope Callistus for teaching thatcapital sin could be forgiven after doing canonical penance. Tertullian was theone who opened the way for a doctrine of salvation, at least partly by 'goodworks'[10].

 Indeed, those who belonged to the Apostolic Church acceptedthe plain meaning of the words spoken by Jesus (peace be upon him), as embodiedin the earlier scriptures. Without resorting to mysterious dogmas, theycontinued to uphold the article of faith "I believe in God, the Almighty" until250 A.D.[11]. In his attemptto refute the Trinitarian view of Christianity, Lactaneus (orthodox father)wrote in 310 A.D. that, "Christ never calls himself God." In 320 A.D., Eusebiusof Nicomedia wrote, "Christ teaches us to call his father the true God and toworship Him".

 These early Unitarian leaders were courageousenough to expose their views to refute the Trinitarian dogmas, in spite of thepersecution campaign against them. Their real champion, however, was Arius whoin 318 A.D. popularly opposed the Pauline view that Jesus was in reality the"Son of God" and "consubstantial and coeternal with the father". One of thearguments propagated by Arius was: "If Jesus was in reality the 'Son of God',then it followed that the father must have existed before him (the son).Therefore, there must have been a time when the son (Jesus) did not exist.Therefore, it followed that the son was a creature composed of an essence orbeing which had not always existed. Since God is in essence Eternal andEver-existent, Jesus could not be of the same essence as God"[12]. In 321 A.D., Arius popularlyconfronted Bishop Alexander the forerunner of the Pauline Church. In refutingthe Trinitarian belief, Arius argued that "God is absolutely One... God is aloneIngenerate, alone Eternal, alone without beginning, alone Good, alone Almighty,alone Unchangeable and Unalterable, and that His being is hidden in eternalmystery from the outward eye of every creature"[13]. Four years later (in 325 A.D.),Emperor Constantine convened the First General Council at Nicea, now calledIznik, a Turkish village in north-west Asia Minor. This Council was attended by318 bishops from Spain to Persia[14]. Emperor Constantine allegedly aimedat reconciling the prelates (particularly Arius and Alexander) who were involvedin the Trinitarian controversy. Bishop Alexander, however, could not attend thisEcumenical Council, so he delegated Athanasius to represent him and the PaulineChurch. Although the Council ratified the Trinitarian Creed, the pro-Arianscontinued to practice their own Unitarian views.

 In 380A.D., Emperor Theodosius of Rome made the orthodox faith (the Trinitarian-basedCatholic faith) obligatory for all his subjects, hence the state religion sincethen[15]. By 381, theCouncil of Constantinople, the Second General Council which was attended by 186bishops, gave the finishing touch to the doctrine of three persons in one God.Emphatically, this Council asserted the godhead of the Holy Spirit[16]. By 383 A.D., Theodosius threatened topunish all who would not believe in the doctrine of Trinity. This threat,however, did not result in the total destruction of the Arian tenets; they havesurvived, and are still the foundation of the belief of many UnitarianChristians[17].

 In the 16th century, L.F.M. Sozzini challenged John Calvin(the leader of the Protestant reformation in Switzerland) on the doctrine ofTrinity. Sozzini denied the deity of Jesus and repudiated the original sin andatonement dogmas[18].

 Another outspoken critic of the Trinitarian doctrine duringthe 16th century was Michael Servetus, who was regarded by many as "the founderof modern Unitarianism"[19].He lived at a time when the Roman Catholic Church was in chaos. This situationbrought about the emergence of the Protestant reformists such as Martin Lutherand John Calvin. Servetus, however, found the reformists' views fundamentally atvariance with the teachings of Jesus (peace be upon him) - particularly that ofthe belief in the Unity of God. So, in 1531 A.D., he published a book entitled"The Errors of Trinity", in which he writes: "The philosophers have invented athird separate being truly and really distinct from the other two, which theycall the third Person, or the Holy Spirit, three beings in one nature...Admitting therefore these three, which after their fashion they call Persons,they freely admit a plurality of beings, a plurality of entities, a plurality ofessences, a plurality of substances, and taking the word God strictly, they willhave a plurality of Gods"[20]. Because of his relentless belief inthe Oneness of God, Servetus was thrown into prison in Geneva on a charge ofheresy. Subsequently, he was put to death slowly under the torment of fire. Oneof his followers, Castello, expressed his feeling ostensibly in a melancholictone: "To burn a man is not to prove a doctrine"[21].

 In the 17thcentury, John Biddle (the leader of Unitarianism in England) published apamphlet entitled: 'Twelve Arguments Refuting the Deity of the Holy Spirit"[22]. In 1645 A.D., Biddle wasimprisoned for his Unitarian view. Later he was summoned to appear before theParliament, but he firmly denied the deity of the Holy Spirit. In 1648 A.D., a"severe ordinance" was passed stating that "anyone who denied the Trinity, orthe divinity of Jesus, or the Holy Spirit, would suffer death without thebenefit of the clergy"[23].

 In today's modern world, those who cling to the Trinitariandoctrine identify themselves as Christians largely to quench their thirst forreligion. Most of them do not deny the mysterious nature of the Trinity, whichis devoid of human logic and scientific explanation. This emanates from the hardfact that it was the masterpiece of Athanasius! In other words, it was a humaninnovation of the worst kind, which is nothing but blasphemy against God and HisUnitarian attribute. Unfortunately, most of the Christians are not even awarethat such a mysterious doctrine was so controversial for many centuries,particularly during the reign of Emperor Constantine. Many Christians only knowConstantine as a "hero". Let it be known, however, that Constantine - largelydue to political consideration - was merely one of those who played roles ofvarious sorts on the Trinitarian controversy. As a matter of fact, other Romanemperors and key religious leaders in Christendom - particularly during thefourth century - were involved in the Trinitarian crisis in one way or another.How they got involved in this crisis is discussed in the next section.

[7] E. J. Goodspeed, the Apostolic Fathers, 1950; quoted by Muhammad Ata ur-Rahman, op. cit., 1984, p.46.
[8] Ibid., p.7.
[9] Ibid., pp.74-75.
[10] A. M. Renwick, The Story of the Church (Bristol: Inter-Varsity Press, 1977), p.41.
[11] Muhammad Ata ur-Rahim, op. cit., p.7.
[12] Muhammad Ata ur-Rahim, Jesus: Prophet of Islam, p.88.
[13] Ibid., p.105.
[14] A. M. Renwick, the Story of the Church (Bristol: Inter-Varsity Press, 1977), p.54.
[15] Arend Th. Van Leeuwen, Christianity in World History: The Meeting of the Faiths of East and West, trans. By H. H. Hoskins (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1964) p.275-276.
[16] A. M. Renwick, the Story of the Church (Bristol: Inter-Varsity Press, 1977), p.55.
[17] Muhammad At ur-Rahim, op. cit., p.106.
[18] Lonsdale and Laura Ragg, ed. and trans. From the Italian MS in the Imperial Library at Vienna, The Gospel of Barnabas (Karachi: Begum Bawamy Waqf, 1986), p.xvi.
[19] Muhammad Ata ur-Rahim, op. cit., p.119.
[20] Quoted by Muhammad Ata ur-Rahim, op. cit., p.117.
[21] Ibid., p.116.
[22] Ibid., p.142.
[23] Ibid.

How Constantine, Other Roman Leaders And The Clergymen Influenced the Trinitarian Doctrine

                 The Roman political leaders, since the timeof Emperor Nero, had played one role or another in the Trinitarian crisis. Oneobvious case in point was that of Emperor Constantine who ratified theTrinitarian doctrine more than three hundred years after the disappearance OfJesus (peace be upon him). Constantine's role in the establishment of Trinity asa standard creed among Christians cannot be undermined. Digging into hisconnection with the Christian clergy will also help unravel the paradoxunderlying the existence of Rome as the capital of Christendom.

 It is common knowledge that the Romans had for many yearsembarked on a persecution campaign against anybody who claimed to be aChristian, from the reign of Emperor Nero to that of Constantine. Gibbon saysthat, "About fourscore years after the death of Christ, his innocent discipleswere punished with death, by the sentence of a proconsul of the most amiable andphilosophic character, and according to the laws of an emperor, distinguished bythe wisdom and justice of his general administration[24]. The cruel punishment meted out toChristians in the tenth year of the reign of Emperor Nero, was described byGibbon as follows: " They died in torments, and their torments were embitteredby insults and derision. Some were nailed on crosses; others sewn up in the skinof wild beasts, and exposed to the fury of wild dogs; others again smeared overthe combustible materials, were used as torches to illuminate the darkness ofthe night. The gardens of Nero were destined for the melancholy spectacle, whichwas accompanied with a horse race, and honored with the presence of the emperor,who mingled with the populace in the dress and attitude of a charioteer. Theguilt of the Christians deserved, indeed, the most exemplary punishments, butthe public abhorrence was changed into commiseration, from the opinion thatthose unhappy wretches were sacrificed, not so much to the public welfare, as tothe cruelty of a jealous tyrant. Those who survey, with a curious eye, therevolutions of mankind may observe the gardens and circus of Nero on theVatican, which were polluted with the blood of the first Christians, have beenrendered still more famous by the triumph and by the abuse of the persecutedreligion"[25].

 During the reign of Emperor Diocletian, at least four knownedicts of persecution against Christians were issued and all their churches wereordered burned. Although the emperor abdicated his throne in 305, "thepersecution of the Christians continued for 10 years, and nearly 2,000 of theirleaders were executed"[26].

 With all the inhumane treatment by the Romans against theearly followers of Jesus, it is ostensibly paradoxical that Rome became thecenter of Christendom. The Romans themselves were the worst enemies of JesusChrist, and they were the ones who allegedly crucified him. Indeed the Romans,particularly Emperor Constantine, had played a vital role in the founding ofRome as the center of Christendom. This was a clear political move by the Romansto maintain and expand their own empire, with a vast base of subservientsubjects that would include the Christians.

 For the firsttime, in 308 A.D., the Roman world was divided in the hands of six emperors: inthe West, Constantine and Maxentius affected to reverence their father EmperorMaximian; in the East, Licinus and Maximin honored with more real considerationtheir benefactor Galerius[27]. During the reign of EmperorConstantine, therefore, the Roman world was plagued by internal civil strife, sohe considered the quest for reunification of utmost importance. Moreover, hisreign witnessed the disarray of the Christian world with respect to variousconflicting dogmas. History shows that Constantine himself was a verycontroversial figure. The Christians considered him the deliverer of the church,hence a hero. Others compared "Constantine to the most abhorred of thosetyrants, who, by their vice and weakness, dishonored the Imperial purple"[28]. It is worth noting thatEmperor Constantine himself fled from Rome, not because he was a champion of theChristian cause, but because he feared that his life and empire were in danger.Why? He was at first reported to be jealous of his eldest son, Crispus, who wasthe direct heir to the throne. Crispus, who was invested with the title ofCaesar at the age of seventeen, became so popular by virtue of his militaryprowess and leadership that he engaged the affections of the court, the army,and the people. This dangerous popularity of Crispus soon excited the attentionof Constantine, who was impatient of a strong rival. Instead of securing theallegiance of his son, the emperor resorted to a satanic move. Crispus wassubsequently put to death, either by the hand of the executioner or by the moregentle operation of poison[29].

 Clearly,therefore, Constantine's lust for power led him to the extreme of committing agrievous crime by murdering his son. Prior to this, it was reportedly known thatCrispus' stepmother, the Empress Fausta, had wanted one of her very own sons(namely: Constantine, Constantius and Constans) to succeed the emperor. Thesethree, however, were not the direct heirs to the throne, so Empress Fausta had amotive to kill Crispus, "whom she considered with reason as the most formidablerival of her own children"[30]. Obviously cognizant of this motive,Emperor Constantine reportedly manifested his repentance "only in acts of bloodand revenge; and that he atoned for the murder of an innocent son, by theexecution, perhaps, of a guilty wife"[31]. One testimony, in this connection,states simply that "Constantine put to death his son and wife." Anothertestimony says that "Crispus was poisoned, Fausta suffocated by a hot bath"[32].

 Afterthe tragic murder of Empress Fausta, however, the situation, turned to chaos,apparently beyond the expectation of Emperor Constantine. With his empirealready on the brink of collapse because of civil war and external threats,Constantine fled to Byzantium (later named Constantinople), where he met withunexpected success from the Pauline church[33].

 At Byzantium,Constantine was offered by the Pauline church to undertake penance, so he did[34]. Such privilege offered toa tyrant only manifested the looseness of Christian theological norms. If suchnorms tolerate anyone to be absolved from murder simply by making confession(which should be the case if clergymen do not resort to discrimination), thenanyone could kill anybody else without being punished; and, subsequently, thesociety would be in chaos. In other words, the community adhering to those normswould appear as a big penal colony, composed of former convicts and othercriminals, who by the grace of clergy, carry the Christian identity. Thechurchmen, however, would certainly not welcome this view. But if Constantineescaped the penalty of his crimes, simply by accepting the clergymen's offer forpublic penance, why could not this hold true to others? The truth is thatConstantine's penance was a special case and had, in fact, served a mutuallydual purpose. On one hand, it apparently served the ulterior motive of thePauline church in terms of imperial protection and peace with the Romans. On theother hand, as Emperor Constantine was worried not only about the repercussionof the crime he committed back home, but also about the problems devastating theRoman Empire (civil wars and the like), he collaborated with the Paulineclergymen, hoping that he would be able to win the loyalty of the Christians,which he needed most to unite his empire. Constantine was, in fact, sosuccessful that the priests went further by carrying out very successfulunderground work for him, and they were indeed behind his success in reunitingthe Roman Empire. Constantine, thus, exploited the golden opportunity wherebythe prelate of Constantinople (overshadowed by the imperial courts and protectedby the imperial armies) "tended to accept the claims of the emperors to controlthe church and to decide any dispute that arose in the ecclesiastical sphere"[35]. After all, thoseclergymen in the new city, the Constantinople, felt no better choice, because"the emperors of fourth century were men of autocratic disposition, and theyexpected everyone, including the leaders of the church, to obey them"[36]. Those emperors wereconcerned with maintaining "the unity of the public cult as the basis andguarantee of the unity of the empire"[37]. By virtue of political considerationas well as his good control over the clergymen, Constantine, therefore, tookadvantage of having a united church which would be loyal to him and whose centerwould be based in Rome (not in Jerusalem!). This means that the whole ofChristendom had to be under the realm of the Roman Bishop, who in turn wassubservient to the emperor. Naturally, therefore, Christians' obedience to theRoman bishop meant allegiance or loyalty to the emperor. As such, the followersof the Apostolic church, particularly the Berber communities of North Africaunder the leadership of Donatus, strongly suspected this move as a politicalstrategy by a foreign ruler to subjugate them. They firmly believed that Jesusnever said anything about Rome to be the center of his teaching. So, theChristian Berbers of North Africa remained under the leadership of BishopDonatus who stood firm against the Bishop of Rome for forty years. Theymaintained for years their fundamental tenets, notably that of the belief in theDivine Unity of God, and Jesus as His prophet[38].

 Constantine'sleverage on Christianity does not suffice to prove that he himself was a devotedChristian. Historian R. Richter agrees with E. Gibbon that Constantine'sChristianity was due entirely to political considerations. Another historian,Burckhardt, developed the view that Constantine was constitutionally indifferentto religion; and that "in his later years he exhibited personal inclinationsrather towards paganism than towards Christianity"[39]. In fact, many of his subjects stillbelieved in Roman gods (like Jupiter); and in order to please them, Constantinein his later years (and in collaboration with the clergymen) made some decisionsin their favor, which quite proved that he also worshiped the Roman gods. Onesuch decision, for instance, was the declaration of the Roman Sunday as theChristian Sabbath; another was the adoption of the Roman Sun-god's birthday (thetwenty fifth of December) as the birthday of Jesus. These were just some of thedecisions made during the Nicene Council, which was ratified by EmperorConstantine himself. In fact, it was when the old controversy between Arius andBishop Alexander re-emerged that Emperor Constantine convened the NiceneCouncil.

 So, the Pauline Church won in the end! The Nicenecreed was ratified by Emperor Constantine, whose religion was still a subject ofdoubt, and whose mind had not been enlightened either by study or byinspiration[40]. ThisCouncil ultimately agreed to call Christ "the Son of God, only begotten of theFather... of the substance of the Father... very God of very God"[41]. It also officially declared theTrinitarian concept as the official doctrine of the Pauline Church; and ratifiedthe gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John as the only four canonical gospels.

 The Nicene Council also decided to destroy all gospelswritten in Hebrew, resulting in the burning of nearly three hundred otheraccounts (many of them eye-witness accounts). The Pauline Church authoritieswent further by declaring possession of an unauthorized gospel a capitaloffense. This was part of Athanasius' all out strategy to unify Christendom,which resulted in the killing of over a million Christians in the years thatfollowed the Nicene Council. The Gospel of St. Barnabas, however, reportedlysurvived until now as the only eye-witness account of the life and mission ofJesus Christ (peace be upon him). It was accepted as a canonical scripture bythe Christians of Alexandria till 325 A.D.[42]. This Gospel foretold the coming ofthe Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)[43].

 At this point, itis worth noting that three years after the Council of Nicea, Constantine's lackof objectivity in settling the dispute (being ignorant of the theological rootsof the Trinitarian controversy) had surfaced. Constantine, influenced by hissister's pro-Arian inclination, soon protected Arius by repeatedly signifyinghis will that the latter be restored to the Catholic communion. Athanasius - aman who engineered the Athanasian creed - objected strongly to this idea.Constantine was, however, determined to solemnly admit Arius to the communion inthe cathedral of Constantinople, but on the same day fixed for his triumph in336 A.D., the latter died.

 Athanasius was found to beresponsible for the death of Arius. So, Constantine persecuted the former, andexiled him to the remote province of Gaul for about twenty-eight months. TheEmperor was so greatly moved by the tragic death of Arius, and with the stronginfluence of his pro-Arian sister Constantina, he became a Christian. Just ayear after his reported conversion, Emperor Constantine died in 337 A.D. as anArian Christian. Ironically, the Emperor died in the faith of those he hadpersecuted and killed - the members and leaders of the Apostolic Church whoaffirmed the Divine Unity of God, with Jesus as His apostle[44].

 After the deathof Constantine, Athanasius had a not-too-long respite, when again he wassubjected to persecution by the then Emperor Constantius, who was alsopro-Arian. Athanasius, in fact, passed three years in the Vatican for his secondexile from Alexandria around 339 A.D. Again, in 356 A.D he was expelled fromAlexandria for the third time. His life was in most imminent danger as theconspiracy by those prelates who opposed his creed won the heart of EmperorConstantius, resulting in more terrible edicts against him. For instance,liberal rewards were promised, by Imperial edict, to the man who should produceAthanasius dead or alive; and the severe penalties were denounced against thosewho should dare protect the public enemy. So, Athanasius attempted to escape byembarking on several adventures, one of which led to an illicit, adulterousaffair between him and a young lady, who was celebrated in the whole city forher exquisite beauty. During the six years of his exile and persecution, hecontinued to pay her visits[45]. This disclosure of an immoral affairinvolving the founder of the Athanasian creed is not very surprising since manyof the Christian clergymen have been involved in adultery and other majorcrimes. Considering the historical background pertaining to Athanasius' immoralconduct and pervasive personality, it is a pity that Christians nowadays stilladhere to the Athanasian creed (the belief in Trinity!).

 Bythe same token, although Emperor Constantine ratified the Trinitarian doctrine,the fact that he died in the faith of those who opposed it (the Christians whobelieve in One God the Almighty) proves that he did not adhere to it. Thisconfirmed the validity of the proposition that his mediating role in theTrinitarian controversy was politically motivated and not spiritually inspired.Unfortunately, the foundation and growth of Christianity have been largelyinfluenced by politics and self-interests, rather than by the practical life andthe authentic teachings of Jesus (peace be upon him). The influence of Paul ontoday's Christianity is another obvious case in point. This is thoroughlycovered in the following section.

[24] Edward Gibbon, Vol. II. op. cit., p.77.
[25] Ibid., pp.91-92.
[26] Martin A. Larson and C. Stanley Lowell, The Religious Empire: The Growth and Danger of Tax-Exempt Property in the United States (Washington: Robert B. Luce Co., 1976), p.12.
[27] Edward Gibbon, Vol. I, op. cit., p.440.
[28] Edward Gibbon, Vol. II, op. cit., p.214.
[29] Ibid, p.219-222.
[30] Ibid, p.223.
[31] Ibid.
[32] See Appendix Note No.13, Edward Gibbon, Vol.II p.587.
[33] Muhammad Ata ur-Rahim, op. cit., p.78.
[34] One source stated that, after Constantine murdered his son, and subsequently his wife, he repented; the Christian clergymen (apparently the priests of the Pauline Church) reportedly offered him forgiveness and he became a Christian. See Appendix Note No. 13, Edward Gibbon, Vol. II op. cit., p.587.
[35] Brian Tierney, The Crisis of Church & State 1050-1300 (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1964), p.9.
[36] Ibid., p.8.
[37] Arend Th. Va Leeuwen, Christianity in World History: The Meeting of the Faiths of East and West, trans. By H. H. Hoskins (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1964), p.275.
[38] Muhammad Ata ur-Rahim, op. cit., p.81.
[39] See Appendix Note No. 18, Edward Gibbon, Vol. II op. cit., p.593.
[40] Edward Gibbon, Vol. II. op. cit., pp.376-377.
[41] A. M. Renwick, op. cit., p.54.
[42] Lonsdale and Laura Ragg, Ed. and Trans., The Gospel of Barnabas (Karachi: Begum Aaisha Bawany Waqf, 1986) p.274.
[43] Ibid, pp.122-123.
[44] Muhammad Ata ur-Rahim, op. cit., p.104.
[44] Muhammad Ata ur-Rahim, op. cit., p.104.
[45] See Edward Gibbon, Vol.II., op. cit., p.402.

The Influence of Paul And The Pauline Church On The Trinitarian Dogmas

                 Paul was a self-proclaimed apostle to theGentiles. References to his life and personality were partly based on primarysource, notably his letters, and partly on the account given by Luke in Acts.The primary nature of Paul's life account (history), in fact, aggravates thesuspicion that he tailored everything to suit his motive (apparently implicit)of getting to the top of Christendom power.

 Indeed, the veryfoundation of Christianity today emerged through the great influence of Paul. Asthe founder of today's Christianity, Paul testifies:"According to the grace ofGod which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the Foundation,and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it"[46].

Michael Hart, an American mathematician, historian and publisher, in his rankingof the 100 most influential persons in history places Paul (not Jesus Christ) asthe second most influential person in history - next only to the ProphetMuhammad (peace be upon him)[47]. In his ranking, Hart clearlyrecognizes the fact that Paul was the real founder of today's Christianity. Paulsurprisingly outranks Jesus in Hart's listing, because he wrote more books ofthe Bible than those of its other authors, whereas Jesus did not write a singleword in it. Surprisingly enough, the so-called epistles of Paul to the Romans,Corinthians, Galatians, Ephiseans, Philippians, Colossians, Thessalonians,Timothy, Titus and to Philemon have virtually no reference to the true wordsuttered by Jesus (peace be upon him).

 Except for fourrepugnant verses, which were allegedly attributed to Jesus (peace be upon him),virtually all of the more than two thousand verses of the epistles of Paul arehis own fabrications. Christians should know that Paul himself mentions his owngospel, not Jesus', in his epistle to the Romans when he says, "In the day whenGod will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel."(Romans 2:16). In fact, the Pauline Epistle to the Romans serves as thefoundation of today's Christianity[48]. Indeed, this is so strange andironical, knowing that none of its more than 430 verses were ever formulated byJesus. Paul should have made direct reference to the pristine teachings of Jesus(peace be upon him), if only the formers' claim for apostleship or divineinspiration was, indeed, true. Instead, large parts of his epistles' Biblicalquotations (notably those in the Epistle to the Romans) were taken from the OldTestament - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Deuteronomy, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, Psalms,Proverbs, Isaiah, Ezekiel and Hosea. His epistles were, indeed, a product oftedious efforts, but that does not make Paul far better than any of the othermen who authored the Bible.

 It is worth noting that theAthanasian Creed, as mentioned earlier, was never taught by Jesus (peace be uponhim). In fact, the word Trinity or the Athanasian Creed itself is nowhere foundin the Bible.

 Trinitarian dogma was merely deduced from IJohn 5:7, which states: "For there are three that bear record in heaven, theFather, the Word and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one". Christianscholars of the Bible later found that this dogma was an interpolation in theKing James version. In fact, no less than a group of 32 Christian scholars ofhighest eminence, advised by a board of 50 representatives of variousdenominations came up in 1946 with a revised standard version of the NewTestament, and of the whole Bible in 1952, discarding the foregoing passage[49].

 Oneof the major innovations of the Pauline church is the blood atonement[50]. In his epistle to theRomans, Paul says:"Much more then, having now been justified by his Blood weshall be saved from wrath through Him"[51].

 Other relatedBiblical passages, wherein the Christian dogma of blood atonement or vicarioussacrifice is probably inferred from, are as follows:"Knowing that you were notredeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conductreceived by your fathers", "but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lambwithout blemish and without spot"[52].

"Take, eat; this is My bodywhich is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me"[53].

"This cup is the new covenantin My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me"[54].

"My grace issufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness"[55].

 The foregoingverses, indeed, contradict the key teaching of Jesus, pertaining to salvation,which says:"For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds therighteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter theKingdom of Heaven"[56].

 Christians, however, may always find ways to defend theTrinitarian heresy. They may, for instance, bank on Paul's baseless imaginationconcerning the role of Jesus: "...Christ came, who is overall, the eternallyblessed God"[57].

 This is, however, absurd, knowing that there is no single,unequivocal statement in the Bible whereby Jesus himself declares: "I am God;therefore, worship me". Instead, he said: "I can of Myself do nothing. As Ihear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek my own willbut the will of My father who sent Me."7 "...My Father is greater than I"[58]. "For I have not spoken ofmy own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I shouldsay and what I should speak"[59]. "And I know that His command iseverlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told me,so I speak"[60]. These arejust few of the verses which explicitly prove that Jesus (peace be upon him)claimed that he was 'sent' by God. In this regard, A Doctor of Divinity and anoted Christian professor of Church History, A. M. Renwick, himself emphasizesthat the one who is 'sent' is a messenger[61].

 Paul's explicitconfession that he "separated to the Gospel of God"[62]should give Christians courage todoubt his self-made dogmas. Jesus and all the other prophets (peace be upon themall) taught the unity of God (as manifested, for instance, in Exodus 20:25;Isaiah 44:6; John 5:44, 17:3). They had never taught Paul's innovations. So, anyreverence to Paul is, perse, a rebellion against Jesus himself.

 Moreover, if Saul (the other name of Paul) had, indeed,heard in a vision: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?"[63]he obviously deserved this humiliatingremark, because he had, in real life, severely persecuted the true followers ofJesus. Paul himself testifies:"Indeed, I myself thought I must do many thingscontrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, andmany of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chiefpriests; and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And Ipunished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; andbeing exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreigncities"[64]. "For I am theleast of the apostles, who am not worthy to be called apostle, because Ipersecuted the church of God"[65].

 Indeed, Paul wasan avowed enemy both of Jesus and his followers. Normative value judgment (letalone the Divine Law of God) would disqualify Paul from being an apostle,bearing in mind his known criminal background, particularly with respect to hispersecution campaign against the real followers of Jesus. Ironically, his claimto apostleship brought him to prison in Caesarea, Ro, and during one of histrials, the then Governor of Caesarea, Festus, said to him with a loud voice"Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!"[66]. In fact, he was slain for championingthe cause of his self-made Christianity. Paul's criminal records, indeed,deserved capital punishment.

 Other innovations by thePauline Church include the adoption of the following: the Roman Sun-day as theChristian Sabbath; the traditional birthday of the Sun-god as the birthday ofJesus; the emblem of the Sun-god, the cross of light, to be the emblem ofChristianity; and the incorporation of all the ceremonies which were performedat the Sun-god's birthday celebrations into their own rituals[67].

[46] I Corinthians 3:10.
[47] See Michael Hart, The Top 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History (New York: Hart Publishing Co., 1978).
[48] Ironically, Martin Luther himself asserts that the Pauline Epistle to the Romans is "the Most important document in the New Testament, the gospel in its purest form". See Lewis W. Spitz ed., The Protestant Reformation (New Jersey prentice -Hall, Inc., 1966), pp.36.
[49] See the section, "A Hint About the References", Reference No. 1 (d) in A. Abdel-Wahab Ali, The Christ As Seen in the Sources of the Christian Beliefs (Cairo: Wahba book Shop, 1985).
[50] Other related innovations are the divinity of Jesus, the divine sonship of Jesus and the original sin.
[51] Romans 5:9.
[52] I Peter 1:18-19.
[53] I Corinthians 11:24.
[54] I Corinthians 11:25.
[55] 2 Corinthians 12:9.
[56] Matthew 5:20.
[57] Romans 9:5.
[58] John 14:28.
[59] John 12:49.
[60] John 12:50.
[61] A. M. Renwick, The Story of the Church (Bristol: Inter-Varsity Press, 1977), p.19.
[62] Romans 1:1.
[63] Acts, 22:7.
[64] Acts, 26:9-11.
[65] I Corinthians 15:9.
[66] Acts, 26:24.
[67] Muhammad Ata ur-Rahim, op. cit., p.99.

The Holy Qur'an Affirms The Unity Of God And Refutes The Doctrine of Trinity

                 The Islamic concept of God is crystalclear, and it is purely of divine source - not human conjecture. Man, with allhis senses, sees God's creation around him - both animate and inanimate objects.These include the heavens and the earth, and all between them - mankind, thesun, the moon, the stars, the rain, the mountains, animals, vegetables and allkinds of fruits, and many more[68]. All these have the same patterns ofcreation, and are, therefore, clear signs that there is One and only True God -Allah the Almighty and the Supreme Creator. He has asked us to meditate on thosesigns, so we would be able to realize that every creation has a definite purpose- not accidental nor a mere idle sport.

 Allah says:“Not for (idle sport) did We create the heavens and the earth and all that isbetween!”[69].

 Elsewhere in the Qur'an, Allah the Almighty likewisesays:“ We created not the heavens, the earth, and all between them, butfor just ends.... For verily it is thy Lord Who is the Master- Creator, knowingall things”[70].

“ Your God is one God: as to those who believe not inthe Hereafter, their hearts refuse to know, and they are arrogant”[71].

 Inorder to satisfy further those with inquisitive minds, they should ponder overthe following explicit accounts of the Oneness of God, as stated in the HolyQur'an:“ And your God is One God: there is no god but He, Most Gracious,Most Merciful”[72].

“ God! There is no god but He, - the Living, theSelf-subsisting Eternal. No slumber can seize Him nor sleep. His are all thingsin the heavens and on earth. "Who is there can intercede in His presence exceptas He permitted? He knows what (appeared to His creatures as) Before or After orBehind them. Nor shall they compass ought of His knowledge except as He willed.His Throne doth extend over the heavens and on earth, and He felt no fatigue inguarding and preserving them for He is the Most High, the Supreme (inglory)”[73].

“ Verily, verily, your God is One!”[74].

“ Say. He is God the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetsnot, nor is He begotten; and there is none like unto Him”[75].

 The foregoingverses are just some of the numerous Qur'anic injunctions, which clearlymanifest the Oneness of God. But to rectify man's baseless conjectures, Allahthe Almighty Himself explicitly brands those who adhere to Trinity and otherstrange polytheistic beliefs as blasphemers, as manifested in the followingverse:“ They do blaspheme who say: God is one of three in a Trinity: forthere is no god except One God. If they desist not from their word (ofblasphemy), verily a grievous penalty will befall the blasphemers amongthem”[76].

[68] See the Holy Qur'an, Nahl, 16:1-21.
[69] Qur'an, Anbiyaa, 21:16.
[70] Qur'an, Al-Hijr, 15:85-86.
[71] Qur'an, Nahl, 16:22.
[72] Qur'an, Baqara, 2:163.
[73] Qur'an, Baqara, 2:255.
[74] Qur'an, Saffat, 37:4.
[75] Qur'an, Ikhlas, 112:1-4.
[76] Qur'an, Maida, 5:74.

Allah The One And Only True God: Devoid Of Any Partner

                 The One and Only true God, Allah, hasabsolutely no partner. Indeed, He is self-sufficient. He does not need anyassociate. So, one should not venture into believing that God shares hisdivinity with anyone. Indeed, this is a blasphemous belief, which will only pavethe way (for someone who cherishes it) to Hell-Fire. The following Qur'anicverses elucidate the nature of Allah, being the One and Only True God, who isabsolutely devoid of any partner:“ Allah is He, than Whom there is noother god; Who knows (all things) both secret and open; He Most Gracious, MostMerciful. Allah is He, than Whom there is no other god; the Sovereign, the HolyOne, the Source of Peace (and Perfection) the Guardian of Faith, the Preserverof Safety, the Exalted in Might, the Irresistible, the Supreme: Glory to God!(High is He) above the partners they attribute to Him. One day shall We gatherthem altogether. We shall say to those who ascribed partners (to us): Where arethe partners whom ye (invented and) talked about?”[77].

“ He knowswhat is hidden and what is open: too high is He for the partners they attributeto Him!”[78].

“ He is God, the Creator, the Evolver, the Bestower ofForms (or Colors). To Him belong the Most Beautiful Names. Whatever is in theheavens and on earth, doth declare His Praise and Glory: and He is the Exaltedin Might, Wise”[79].

 Any rational human being who sincerely acknowledges theunique attributes of Allah, which are absolutely Divine and true to Himselfalone, will never associate anything with Him. Allah, the one and only true God,is the sole Living God of the Universe. He is Eternal, Absolute, MostCompassionate, Most Gracious, Omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Most Powerfuland Self- Sufficient. He is the Giver of Life, the Creator of the Heavens andthe Earth, and all between them. He is the best Disposer of Affairs. He is MostHigh, Great. He is Most Forbearing and the Best of Planners. He is quick inretribution, but forgiving and merciful. He is Exalted in power, Wise, free ofall wants and worthy of all praise. He is the Lord of the Throne of Honor. ToHim belong the End and the Beginning. He is above time and space; hence, novision can ever grasp Him.

[77] Qur'an, An'am, 6:22.
[78] Qur'an, Mu-minun, 23:92.
[79] Qur'an, Hashr, 59:22-24.

Allah Rectifies The Christians' Misconception Concerning The Divinity Of Jesus

                 The Christian concept of God includes Jesusas one of three in a Trinity. This is obviously a sort of misconception, whichis based on their allegation that Jesus is the "Only Begotten Son of God". BeingAll-Knowing, All Perfect and devoid of all animalistic qualities the Christiansattribute to Him, God categorically rectifies such misconception as thefollowing verses show:“ They say: God hath begotten a son! - Glory be toHim! He is self-sufficient! His are all things in the heavens and on earth! Nowarrant have ye to say this! Say ye about God what ye know not?”[80].

“ It is not befitting to (the majesty) of God that He should beget a son.Glory be to Him! When He determines a matter, He only says to it: Be and itis”[81].

“ They say: (God) Most Gracious has begotten a son!Indeed ye have put forth a thing most monstrous! At it the skies are ready toburst, the earth to split asunder, and the mountains to fall down in utter ruin,that they should invoke a son for (God) Most Gracious. For it is not consonantwith the majesty of (God) Most Gracious that He should beget a son”[82].

“ No son did God beget, nor is there any god along with Him: (if therewere many gods), behold, each god would have taken away what he had created, andsome would have lorded it over others! (He is free) from the (sort of) thingsthey attribute to Him!”[83].

“ Did He(then) choose daughters rather than sons”[84].

 The misconceptionthat Jesus (allegedly being the "Only Begotten Son") has the same divine essenceas the Supreme Creator is, indeed, a great unforgivable sin, should anindividual die believing such. Every Christian knows that Jesus was a man; andas such, he does not possess any of the divine attributes of Allah. In fact, theBible testifies that, "God is not a man"[85]. After all, their Bible tells themmore than once that Jesus was a man[86]. By the same token, the Bible mentionsthe weaknesses of Jesus. Just like any other man, Jesus felt the basic humanneeds of hunger and thirst[87]. By the same token, like anyone whoneeds to rest when the day is gone, Jesus also slept[88]. The case of Allah is entirelydifferent as:“ No slumber can seize Him nor sleep”[89], and:“ there is nothingwhatsoever like unto Him...”[90].

 Thus, theChristian concept of the deity of Jesus absolutely contorted the Divine Unity ofGod. The Holy Qur'an states:“ They do blaspheme who say: God is Christ theson Of Mary. But said Christ: O Children of Israel worship God, my Lord and yourLord. Whoever joins other gods with God, - God will forbid him the Garden, andthe Fire will be his abode. There will for the wrong doers be no one tohelp”[91].

“ God has said: Take not (for worship) two gods: forHe is just One God; then fear Me (and Me alone)”[92].

 The Christiandoctrine that Jesus had to die on the cross (because nothing in this world isholier than his blood to atone for the sins committed by the entire human race)is so obscure. It is absolutely unthinkable, for instance, that those of theprevious generations who received and followed the divine messages through thechain of former prophets (Noah, Abraham, Moses and the like) could not attainsalvation simply because they did not affirm Jesus Christ as their savior. Thus,accepting this misconception would be against all laws ever known to man, letalone the Divine Law of Allah.

 Allah the Almighty isAll-Knowing, and for sure He is fully aware of how the Christian Church imposedtheir own fabricated dogmas (like the divinity of Jesus and blood atonement) onpeoples worldwide. Such dogmas were not at all taught by any of the prophets,including Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them all). In refuting the Christianconcept of salvation (through Jesus Christ), Allah the Almighty explicitlyemphasizes that one's own sin is his sole responsibility, and should not beborne by another. The Holy Qur'an states:“ Say: Shall I seek a lord otherthan Allah, while He is the Lord of all things? No person earns any (sin) exceptagainst himself (only), and no bearer of burdens shall bear the burden ofanother. Then unto your Lord is your return, so He will tell you that whereinyou have been differing”[93].

[80] Qur'an, Yunus, 10:68.
[81] Qur'an, Maryam, 19:35.
[82] Qur'an, Maryam, 19:88-92.
[83] Qur'an, Mu-minun, 23:91.
[84] Qur'an, Saffat, 37:153.
[85] Numbers 23:19.
[86] I Timothy 2:5; Acts 2:14-22 and John 1:29-30.
[87] Matthew 21:18; John 19:28.
[88] Mark 4:38; Luke 8:23.
[89] Qur'an Baqara, 2:255.
[90] Qur'an, Shura 42:11.
[91] Qur'an, Maida, 5:73.
[92] Qur'an, Nahl, 16:51.
[93] Qur'an, An'am, 6:164.

Belief In One God: The Key to Salvation

                 For one to attain salvation (that is, forhim to be saved from the torment of Hell-Fire), he has to firmly believe thatthere is no god but the One and Only True God (Allah). Prophet Muhammad (peacebe upon him) says:“ He who died knowing (and acknowledging it) that thereis no god but Allah, he is in fact entitled to get into Paradise”[94].

 Bythe same token, any person who deviates from the belief in Allah (the One andOnly True God) will have Hell-Fire as his ultimate abode, as evidenced in thefollowing saying of Prophet Muhammad (peace be-upon him):“ Two thingsyield inevitable results. A person said. Allah's Messenger, what these twothings are? He said. He who died associating anything with Allah woulddefinitely enter into Hell-Fire and he who died without associating anythingwith Allah, he in fact entitled himself to go into Paradise”[95].

 Theforegoing Hadith conforms to Allah's saying that He forgives sins other thanthat of associating other gods with Him, as the following Qur'anic versemanifests:“ God forgives not (the sin of) joining other gods-with Him; butHe forgives whom He pleased other sins than this: one who joins other gods withGod, hath strayed far, far away (from the right)”