8/12/2019 Qadhi Abd Aljabbar

1/2

1

Qadhi Abd Al-Jabbars Words on Christianity

Abd al-Jabbar ibn Ahmad who is well known as QAbd al-Jabbar was a prominent

figure of Muktazilism school of thought. Eventhough Muktazilism is popular as a

controversial school among muslims since its existence until these present days, their

figures can be counted as the leading scholars of comparative religions including Q

Abd al-Jabbar. He has discussed some points on refutation against Christianity in his

works such as al-Mughniand Sharh al-Usl al-Khamsah.

In Sharh al-Usl al-Khamsah, he has organized excelent arguments in refuting the

idea of trinity in Christianity. As generally known, the Christians believe in one essence.

But that essence consists of three individuals, who are called as The Father, The Son as

the words, and The Holy Spirit as the soul.

Abd al-Jabbar has used mantiq approache to refute the idea of God as an essence

with three person. According to him, there is a clear contradiction in the claim.

Basically, when we say that something is one single essence, this means that it should be

alone by its own without any division to parts. Otherwise, when we say that they are three

persons, then they are divided into parts. Therefore, Abd al-Jabbar insisted that the

Christians have assembled two contradictory things in one container, just like saying that

He is an existence which is not exist. From this argument, it is clearly seen that Q

Abd al-Jabbar only used logical approach to refute against those claim.

Regarding the idea on the unity of God and Jesus, Abd al-Jabbar has identified

different opinions among different sects of Christians. The Nestorians hold that God and

Jesus unite in the will, meanwhile the Jacobites said that the unity of God and Jesus

8/12/2019 Qadhi Abd Aljabbar

2/2

2

means the unity of essence. Qi Abd al-Jabbar has organized a well-arranged argument

to refute against the Christians argument on the issue of unity. He listed down all

possible answers by both sects regarding the unity and then he argued all the possible

answers accordingly with outstanding logical arguments. As an example, if the

Nestorians said that the unity takes place only in the will, then what will happen if Jesus

wants to eat, drink or sleep since God doesnt not eat, drink or sleep at all. QAbd al-

Jabbar argued with the same approach of argument against the Jacobites.

According to QAbd al-Jabbar, he believed that the main factor which causes

the Christians believe in the idea of unity of God and Jesus is the miracles ( mujizat)

shown by Jesus during his life such as raising the dead, healing the blind and others.

Therefore they believe that Jesus has changed his human behavior to godly behavior.

QdAbd al-Jabbar respondedto this by wondering why the Christians did not apply the

unity on other prophets too since all of the prophets have shown their respectives

miracles during their lives. Once again, logical argument is used by him.

As a conclusion, it can be seen clearly that QAbd al-Jabbar did not use even

single verse of the Quran in all his arguments to refute against the idea of trinity in

Christianity. He chosed logical approach with outstanding arguments to refute the faulty

idea of trinity and the idea of Jesus as the son of God. He organized various possible

answers by the Christians, meanwhile he already prepared himself with the arguments for

those possible answers. His arguments are not based on emotion, but indeed an

outstanding points derived from the discipline of science of logic.