(٤٣)IS ALLAH (S.W) ONE OR THREE?These w<strong>or</strong>ds are Paul’s w<strong>or</strong>ds. Paul, who did not have the hon<strong>or</strong> ofmeeting Jesus (PBUH) n<strong>or</strong> did he study under him. We do not seethe d<strong>is</strong>ciples mention such w<strong>or</strong>ds, and that <strong>is</strong> sufficient to throwdoubts on them.M<strong>or</strong>eover, the image <strong>is</strong> different from the self. God’s image heremeans H<strong>is</strong> representative to declare H<strong>is</strong> Law, as Paul said in anotherpassage, “F<strong>or</strong> a man ought not to cover h<strong>is</strong> head, since he <strong>is</strong>the image and gl<strong>or</strong>y of God, but woman <strong>is</strong> the gl<strong>or</strong>y ofman.” (C<strong>or</strong>. (1) 11/7). Which means that Allah (S.W) delegatedman in h<strong>is</strong> power over woman.Jesus’ (PBUH) being of the same image as Allah (S.W) does notprove h<strong>is</strong> divinity, f<strong>or</strong> Adam – acc<strong>or</strong>ding to the Bible – shared Allah’s(S.W) image, as menti<strong>one</strong>d in the Book of Genes<strong>is</strong> about h<strong>is</strong>creation. “Then God said, "Let us make man in our image,after our likeness. And let them have dominion over thef<strong>is</strong>h of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and overthe livestock and over all the earth and over every creepingthing that creeps on the earth." So God created man in h<strong>is</strong>own image, in the image of God he created him; male andfemale."E. Prostrating to JesusThe Gospels mention the prostrating of some people, who werecontemp<strong>or</strong>ary with Jesus (PBUH), to him. Chr<strong>is</strong>tians believe that th<strong>is</strong>prostrating <strong>is</strong> evidence of h<strong>is</strong> divinity, and that he <strong>is</strong> w<strong>or</strong>thy ofw<strong>or</strong>ship.The father of the bleeding girl did it once, “While he was sayingthese things to them, behold, a ruler came in and kneltbef<strong>or</strong>e him, saying, "My daughter has just died, but comeand lay your hand on her, and she will live." (Matthew 9/18),the leprous kneeled to him as well, “And behold, a leper came tohim and knelt bef<strong>or</strong>e him, saying, "L<strong>or</strong>d, if you will, you canmake me clean." (Matthew 8/2), and the Magi prostrated to himwhen he was a child. “And going into the house they saw thechild with Mary h<strong>is</strong> mother and they fell down andw<strong>or</strong>shiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offeredhim gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.” (Matthew 2/11).
(٤٤)IS ALLAH (S.W) ONE OR THREE?There <strong>is</strong> no doubt that prostrating <strong>is</strong> an indication of w<strong>or</strong>ship, but itdoes not mean that all prostrating must be w<strong>or</strong>ship. Prostrating couldbe to show esteem and gl<strong>or</strong>ification; as Abraham (PBUH) prostratedhon<strong>or</strong>ing the people of Hath, “Abraham rose and bowed to theHittites, the people of the land.” (Gen. 23/7).Jacob (PBUH) and h<strong>is</strong> family prostrated to Esau, the son of Isaac,when they met him. (Gen. 33/3-7)Moses (PBUH) prostrated to h<strong>is</strong> father in law when he came fromMedian to v<strong>is</strong>it him (Ex. 18:7), and Joseph’s brothers (PBUH)prostrated to him not to w<strong>or</strong>ship, but to hon<strong>or</strong> him. (Gen. 42:6).All these examples and many m<strong>or</strong>e do not mean m<strong>or</strong>e than respect,and the same goes f<strong>or</strong> prostrating to Jesus (PBUH).