Do Muslims believe in the Trinity?

One God, nothing like Him

The heart of Islam is tawhid, the oneness of God. A short chapter many Muslims recite daily sums it up: "Say, 'He is Allah, [who is] One'" (Quran 112:1), and "He neither begets nor is born" (Quran 112:3).

For Muslims, God doesn't share His divinity with anyone. Everything else, including the greatest prophets and angels, is created by Him.

What the Quran says about "three"

The Quran speaks to Christians directly and gently on this point:

The same verse calls Jesus "the Messiah" and "a messenger of Allah," so the Quran honours him while rejecting his divinity. Another verse also rejects the idea of God as "the third of three" (Quran 5:73).

How Muslims see the three "persons"

• The Father: Muslims believe in God, the Creator, but don't call Him "Father," and He has no son.
• The Son: Jesus is a human prophet, born miraculously to the virgin Mary, and one of the greatest messengers.
• The Holy Spirit: in Islam this title refers to the angel Gabriel (Jibril), who brought revelation.

So Muslims respect each figure, but place God alone in the category of the divine. See Do I have to believe Jesus isn't God to become Muslim?

Respecting Christian friends and family

Many Christians understand the Trinity as one God in three persons, not three gods, and they may feel misunderstood if it's described as polytheism. Muslims can disagree clearly while still describing their beliefs fairly and kindly. The Quran itself says Muslims and Christians share belief in one Creator, even if they understand Him differently. See Do Muslims and Christians believe in the same God?

For many converts from Christianity, the simple, direct oneness of God in Islam is exactly what drew them in. See What does the Quran say about Mary?