St. Cyril of Jerusalem and Muhammad’s Trinity Blunder

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

I have often spoken about Muhammad’s Trinity blunder in Surah 5.  In this surah in verses 73, 75, and 116 we see that Muhammad thought that the Trinity was Allah, Jesus and Mary instead of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

How did Muhammad make a blunder like this?  Even in my early ages when I was in elementary school I could tell you the three persons of the Trinity.  I hadn’t read any literature on the Trinity but I at least knew who the three persons were.  The Trinity was explained to me by my priests and teachers.  We all know that Muhammad couldn’t read.  Muslims concede this as it’s part of their tradition.

The region with orthodox Christianity closest to Muhammad and the early ummah would have been Palestine and Syria.  It is very likely that Muhammad would have had interactions with the Christians of this region, even if he never went there himself as an adult.

Now, in the fourth century there was a Greek Church father named St. Cyril of Jerusalem.  He’s venerated as a Doctor of the Church in the Catholic Church.  He lived in the fourth century and wrote a series of 23 lectures called Catechetical Lectures.  These were catechesis and meant for someone converting to the faith.  In the fourth century, many pagans were converting so these lectures were very important.

Since St. Cyril was so influential it would be reasonable to assume that his Catechetical lectures would have been used a couple of centuries later.  Although the Roman Empire was mostly pagan free at this point, there would have been pagans beyond the main cities of the Roman Empire such as the city of Petra in Arabia Petraea which included many pagan shrines.  Also, further south in Arabia would have been pagan as well.  In other words, the lectures would still be on file.

Now, in lecture 6, paragraph 29 we read the following:

These mysteries, which the Church now explains to you who art passing out of the class of Catechumens, it is not the custom to explain to heathen.  For to a heathen we do not explain the mysteries concerning Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, nor before Catechumens do we speak plainly of the mysteries: but many things we often speak in a veiled way, that the believers who know may understand, and they who know not may get no hurt.

So Christians in the 7th century didn’t discuss the mysteries and inner workings of the Trinity to heathens which would include Muhammad and his early followers.  In addition, Muhammad couldn’t read so he couldn’t figure it out that way either.  What other avenues did Muhammad have for figuring out?  The most he could do is observe Christians and look at their churches.  He probably did this and that’s why he didn’t understand what the Trinity was.  He probably saw things like people making the sign of the cross with three fingers and wondered what the three were.  He probably looked at icons and saw that Mary was well represented in the Byzantine tradition.  Because as. of Christian policy, that’s all Muhammad had to go on, hence it’s understandable how he collapsed on the issue of the Trinity in Surah 5.

I wish all of my readers a happy Easter!  May the grace of Christ be with you!