before all ages—Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten not created.

As for His, exalted is He, words:
“And do not say, ‘Three.’” (Q 4:171)

and His words:
“Those who say, ‘Allah is the third of three’ have indeed disbelieved.” (Q 5:73),

they have been explained as condemning the famous doctrine of the Trinity that appears in the Christians’ own creed. Some people say that the assertion “Allah is the Messiah, son of Mary” is the belief of the Jacobites, and that the assertion that He is “the third of three” is the view of those Christians who speak of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; in it they have made Allah one of three and have labelled each of the three “God” and “Lord.” A number of scholars have interpreted the verse as censuring their elevation of Jesus and his mother to the rank of two deities worshipped apart from Allah.

Al-Suddi said regarding the Almighty’s words: