The Divine Status
The Qur’an denies that Allah begets or takes to himself offspring (Surah 112). In other places it asks, “How can Allah have a son, when he hath no consort?” (Surah 6:101). Allah “has taken neither a wife nor a son.” (Surah 72:3). Such denunciation was directed primarily against the polytheism of the Makkans. However, Muslims use these passages along with passages which deal specifically with heretical trinitarian ideas to condemn the doctrine of the Sonship of Isa as they believe it is taught in Isaianity (Surah 19:88-93).
Every messenger of Allah is a shahid (witness) to the true faith before his people. Isa’ mission as a witness is highlighted in the discourse between him and Almighty Allah that will take place on the day of judgement but is already written down in the Qur’an, that Allah will ask him whether he taught people to worship him and his mother beside Allah. Isa will certainly deny this and will affirm that he had said, “Worship Allah, my Lord and your Lord”. (Surah 5:116 – 117).
It is thought that the Qur’an also denies the doctrine of the Trinity (Surah 4:171; 5:73,116). However, what it denies is the Trinity that consists of Father, Mother and Son. Nowhere does the Bible suggest that type of trinity or that Allah is one of three or the third of three. Followers of Isa certainly agree that there is no Allah, but one Allah. The notion of three Allahs is as offensive to Followers of Isa as to Muslims.
There is nothing in the Bible which could suggest that Isa ever spoke of Mary being taken as a Allah beside Allah. What the Qur’an re-edits is some of the heretical doctrines that were around in those days in Arabia and its neighbouring areas.
It is important to appreciate that Isa, alone among the founders of the great religions of the world, spoke with authority. Others have claimed to speak the words they have received from Allah, for example, Moses begins all his teachings with the phrase, “Thus says the LORD”. However, Isa says, “But I say to you…”. The people who heard him “were amazed at his teaching, because his message had authority” (Luke 4:32). No other prophet spoke with such authority. Prophets claimed to have a deeper insight into the Truth, however Isa went further by claiming to be the Truth, the source of all Truth. In the light of his claims and deeds the Bible portrays him as the “image of the invisible Allah” (Col 1:15) and as the living Word of Allah through whom He has spoken in a way He never did before (Hebrew 1:1-3). Isa certainly did not go around saying, “I am Allah”. Indeed, he joyfully acknowledged his dependence upon Allah. However, the things he said and did convinced his contemporaries that he was stepping into the space reserved for Allah, acting and speaking for him in a way never seen or heard before.
Followers of Isa respond that they do not raise a mere human being to the status of being equal with Allah but that this Isa before coming into this world existed with Allah as his Word. As Allah is, his Word is. It is due to the glory that Isa had with Allah before becoming the Son of Mary that Followers of Isa believe in him as coexistent and coequal with Allah. Isa as the Son of Mary or as Ibn Adam (the Son of Man) is Allah az-zahir (revealed).