(٦١)IS ALLAH (S.W) ONE OR THREE?that th<strong>is</strong> f<strong>or</strong>giveness was not from him, but it <strong>is</strong> Allah’s (S.W)auth<strong>or</strong>ity, and Allah (S.W) permitted him to do so, as He permittedhim to perf<strong>or</strong>m all h<strong>is</strong> miracles. They understood what he meant, andtheir m<strong>is</strong>understanding d<strong>is</strong>appeared. “When the crowds saw it,they were afraid, and they gl<strong>or</strong>ified God, who had givensuch auth<strong>or</strong>ity to men.” (Matthew 9/8)Th<strong>is</strong> auth<strong>or</strong>ity <strong>is</strong> not Jesus’ (PBUH) character<strong>is</strong>tic; it <strong>is</strong> Allah’s (S.W)perm<strong>is</strong>sion, who gave it to him. If Jesus (PBUH) <strong>is</strong> God, that wouldbe h<strong>is</strong> own character<strong>is</strong>tic and h<strong>is</strong> own auth<strong>or</strong>ity, but he cannotperf<strong>or</strong>m anything except what Allah (S.W) permitted him to do. He <strong>is</strong>a servant of Allah (S.W), as he said, “All things have beenhanded over to me by my Father.” (Luke 10/22), he has nopower without Allah (S.W). He said in another place, “All auth<strong>or</strong>ityin heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew28/18).He said about h<strong>is</strong> capability, “I can do nothing on my own.”(John 5/30). If it was not with Allah’s (S.W) help, he would not beable to f<strong>or</strong>give a sin.The Jews asked Jesus (PBUH), “Tell us by what auth<strong>or</strong>ity youdo these things, <strong>or</strong> who it <strong>is</strong> that gave you th<strong>is</strong> auth<strong>or</strong>ity?”(Luke 20/2-4). Jesus (PBUH) did not claim that it was h<strong>is</strong> ownauth<strong>or</strong>ity, which he gained from h<strong>is</strong> eternal divinity, instead, he askedthem about John the Bapt<strong>is</strong>t’s (PBUH) auth<strong>or</strong>ity of f<strong>or</strong>giveness,where was it from. He said, “I also will ask you a question. Nowtell me Was the bapt<strong>is</strong>m of John from heaven <strong>or</strong> fromman?” (Luke 20/2-4). Th<strong>is</strong> means that all he did, f<strong>or</strong>giveness andother things, were by the same auth<strong>or</strong>ity as that of John the Bapt<strong>is</strong>t(PBUH); and it was no m<strong>or</strong>e than the prophet-hood auth<strong>or</strong>ity.F<strong>or</strong>giveness was not only f<strong>or</strong> Jesus (PBUH), it was the auth<strong>or</strong>ity ofh<strong>is</strong> d<strong>is</strong>ciples, but they were not gods, although, they were able tof<strong>or</strong>give sins, not only related to their own rights, but also all sins.Regarding f<strong>or</strong>giveness related to their own rights, Jesus said, “F<strong>or</strong>if you f<strong>or</strong>give others their trespasses, your heavenly Fatherwill also f<strong>or</strong>give you. But if you do not f<strong>or</strong>give others theirtrespasses, neither will your Father f<strong>or</strong>give yourtrespasses.” (Matthew 6/14-15).John gave the d<strong>is</strong>ciples open auth<strong>or</strong>ity to f<strong>or</strong>give any sin, he said, “Ifyou f<strong>or</strong>give the sins of any<strong>one</strong>, they are f<strong>or</strong>given; if youwithhold f<strong>or</strong>giveness from any<strong>one</strong>, it <strong>is</strong> withheld.” (John
(٦٢)IS ALLAH (S.W) ONE OR THREE?20/23). Hence, they were like Jesus (PBUH), but no <strong>one</strong> considersthem gods.The church gave itself the claimed auth<strong>or</strong>ity of Peter and thed<strong>is</strong>ciples. Priests were able to f<strong>or</strong>give sinners by confession <strong>or</strong> by theindulgence, claiming that they had inherited th<strong>is</strong> auth<strong>or</strong>ity from Peter.“I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, andwhatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, andwhatever you loose on earth shall be lost in heaven.”(Matthew 16/19). Theref<strong>or</strong>e, if Peter <strong>or</strong> the Pope – h<strong>is</strong> success<strong>or</strong>f<strong>or</strong>gave<strong>one</strong>’s sin, he <strong>or</strong> she will be f<strong>or</strong>given, and that will not makePeter <strong>or</strong> the Pope god.Th<strong>is</strong> auth<strong>or</strong>ity was not only f<strong>or</strong> Peter and h<strong>is</strong> success<strong>or</strong>s, but also f<strong>or</strong>all the d<strong>is</strong>ciples. “Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind <strong>one</strong>arth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose <strong>one</strong>arth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two ofyou agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be d<strong>one</strong>f<strong>or</strong> them by my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18/18-20). That –obviously- does not mean that they are gods, because it <strong>is</strong> not apersonal right f<strong>or</strong> them, but a gift from Allah (S.W) to them and totheir master, Jesus (PBUH), th<strong>is</strong> <strong>is</strong> what the Holy Bible says.