Shi'i Islam and Christianity

The early Islamic scholars of Kalam were aware of modalism in Trinity and believe that common people's perception is nothing but innovation. The theory of modalism is attributed to Sibelius[24], who consider God as a person with three attributes which certain Muslim Sufis also used in their poems. 

Modalism approach of Trinity was strongly discarded in the Christian theology. For they believe in a vertical Trinity, that is, father and son, according to which son does not possess perfect divinity. 

In refuting the modalism approach towards Trinity, they believe that God not only is three in term of meaning, but is a Triad personality.[25] According to Mutakallimun this idea is a kind of polytheism as the Qur'an says: 

"Believe therefore in Allah and His Apostle, and say not, three. Desist, it is better for you; Allah is only One God...." (4:171) 

Kendi argued against the doctrine of Trinity and Christians tried to reply it. Kendi said: "Three fold personality cannot be included in the categories of porphyry." 

Yahya bin `Adi, the well-known Christian learned-man in return replied as: "Such beings are individual substances."[26] 

Mutakallimun of Islam like Ghazzali used the argument of Tamama (an argument in kalam), derived from the Qur'an to prove the Divine Unity. Ghazzali says that if there were two gods than if one of them wanted to act, the other one had to favor it or oppose it. In the former case, he would have been a follower which impair his omnipotent and in later case one of them would have been weaker which again impair their omnipotent. 

The same argument was applied by Scotus against a kind of Trinity namely social Trinity. In such Trinity God has three distinct personalities. Everyone of which possesses certain attributes which suffice for being a god. The argument of Tamano applied by new Christian schotictics as a logical reasoning. 

Endnotes: 

* This paper was presented at the conferences of Islam and Orthodox Christianity in the month of Sharivar 1373 (September 1994), in Tehran by the Center of International Studies and Culture.

1. Al-Shaykh al-Saduq, Tawhid, pp.182, 286, 361. 
2. Ibid., pp.270, 417, 420. 
3. Ibid., p.422. 
4. Harrani Ibn Sh`ubah, Tuhfat al-`Uqul, Tehran, 01. 
5. For more information, please refer to the book: History of Medieval Jewish Philosophy, by Howzile, New York, 1930. p.24. 
6. The original title of the book is: Al-Hujjat wal-Dalil fi Nasr al-Din. Please refer to Hartwig Mirschefeld, Kitab al-Khazri, London, 1931, p.6. 
7. Wolfson, Crasxa's Critique of Aristotle, Harvard, 1929, p.12. 
8. On influence of Ibn Sina on Jewish Thinkers particularly spinoza refer to the following books: E.I.J. Rosenthal, Avicenna's Influence on Jewish Thought, "Avicenna: Scientist and Philosopher", ed., G.M. Wiefens, London, 1952, Ch. IV. Encyclopedia Britanica, "Studies in Muslim Philosophy", by Saeed Shaikh. 
9. Refer to "Comparative Studies in Islamic Philosophy", translated by Sayyid Mustafa Muhaqqiq Damad, Kharazmi Publication, 1369, Tehran, p.48. 
10. Al-Abanah, p.56. 
11. [..] 
12. Wolfson, Philosophy of Kalam. The term `inlibration' is used for this matter. 
13. Awail al-Maqalat, p.50. 
14. Ibid., p.58. 
15. Ibid. 
16. Sabzawari, Manzumah. 
17. McDermott, 1978, p.134ff. 
18. Ibn `Arabi, Futuhat Makkiyah, vol.4, p.294. 
19. Ibid., vol.2, p.516. 
20. Al-Hikmat al-`Ushi`ah, p.229. 
21. Ibid., p.230. 
22. Ibid., p.223. 23. Refer to the article: "Influence of Ghazzali on Western Thought", by Sayyid Mustafa Muhaqqiq Damad, Maqalat wa Barrasiha, Number Dai, pp.45-46. 
23. [..] 
24. Sabellius. 
25. David F., The Modern Theologians, volume Oxford: Basil Blackwell 1989, pp.195-198. 
26. Op. cit, Wolfson, p.32. 
27. Quoted from the book: Rationality, Religious and Moral Commitment, by J.W. Right, 1986, pp.2-301. In this book the over-mentioned text in quoted from the book Tract on Dogmatic Theology, which is the translation of, Fi `Usul al-Aqa`id, by Ghazzali.