# What was Hijab's main argument against the Trinity, and did Wood answer it?

*Wood's shaky showing and Hijab's central argument: show the Nicene Trinity before 325*

- URL: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/gyrfzzzca8g/s/3/
- Date: 2018-12-24 · Kind: lesson · Transcript tier: machine · Recording: On the David Wood and Muhammad Hijab Debate: Reflections & Review -Mufti Abu Layth (5:15–9:11)
- Status: general teaching
- Watch from the start of the segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyRfZZZcA8g&t=315s
- Recording page: https://muftiabulayth.org/r/gyrfzzzca8g/

**Topics:** Christians and other faiths; Debate challenges and reviews; Reason and revelation

**Summary (not a quotation; machine-made, unchecked):** Hijab's central argument was that the Trinitarian creed defined at Nicaea in 325 cannot be shown in any earlier Christian source, which Mufti Abu Layth calls precise and well researched and which Wood failed to answer sufficiently. Wood seemed shaky and unprepared, and the debate leaned less on reason than it could have.

## Longer summary

Mufti Abu Layth says Wood came across as shaky and said some embarrassing things, including a lengthy reply in defence of Christianity that Mufti does not think was correct and that drew laughter, so whether or not he had prepared, he did not appear to have. He observes that the debate as conducted did not lean much on reason, even though it could have been won on reason alone since one makes sense and three-in-one does not; apart from a few points Hijab did not press that line. Hijab's main argument, as Mufti reports it, was that the creed of the Trinity, with co-equal, co-eternal and independent persons of one Godhead, was formulated at the Council of Nicaea in 325, and he challenged Wood to show any Christian source from the preceding three hundred years that believed it in that form, allowing that earlier Christians believed in it differently, with hierarchies or other views, or did not believe in it at all. Mufti calls this very well done and well researched, and says that although he disagrees with Hijab on several topics outside the debate, credit is due: the points were precise and to the point, and Wood failed to answer them sufficiently, replying only that early Christians believed Jesus and the Holy Spirit were God so the exact keywords need not be found. He adds that Hijab quoted Christian sources throughout, and that while he answered many of Wood's comebacks, he did not answer them all.

## Sources and names cited

- Mohammed Hijab
- David Wood
- the Council of Nicaea (325)
- the Trinity

## Transcript (machine tier, 5:15–9:11)

[4:59] I've gotta say that I haven't watched much of David Wood before my what I've heard is he is usually quite well prepared this is what I've heard from people from people the comments and other things he didn't seem to be very well prepared for this debate so I don't know what that was those of you that have seen it he did come off a bit I don't know like he came off a bit shaky and things like this on certain accounts and he was saying things that embarrassing himself to be fair he did say a few things we just would you think why would Eve there was there was a point where he said he was asked a question and he said there's a lengthy

[5:37] reply which which I don't actually think is correct and and people started laughing because that was in defense of Christianity he mentioned that so this these kind of things showed that well he didn't really seem to be so well prepared for this I I don't know whether he was prepared or not but he didn't appear to be that one thing the the other thing is that right but by the way I mean I'm taking I'm taking oath I mean I've asked a few of you have watched this anyway I'm because I'm taking I'm as a given that a lot of you have

[6:14] watched the debate see the way it was debated it didn't the whole topic didn't really lean in on reason at all much I mean there was some points that Muhammad hijab did say given the fact that the whole thing could have been won by reason alone really because one makes sense and three is one make sense that said apart from a few points Muhammad hijab doesn't generally lean in on reason much he his point was that look this Creed was formulated by the Nicean council in whatever 325 or whenever they were and can you give me

[6:54] any Christian sources that believed in the Trinity and he highlights some point some factors that are necessary he says that that that they coexist the Trinity are co-equal coexisting and independent kind of godheads so independent persons of this Godhead so he says that is the Creed of the Trinity and I want you to show me that for 300 years any Christian that believed it in that manner he says that people did believe in it but they believed in it differently like maybe there was a hierarchy or there were other kind of beliefs and some didn't believe in the

[7:32] Trinity and but show me this Creed from your books prior to the Council of Nicaea that was the main thing and I think that was that was very well done very well researched by Muhammad a job and credit where credit is due even though on a lot of points to be fair outside of this debate I disagree on several topics with Muhammad hijab but I think the way he handled this from a knowledge perspective that's what I'm speaking about right now the way he handled this debate with the points being very clear on the factors that can you show this the Council of Nicaea kind of constructed this can he show a

[8:12] similar creed from the early any of the early sources was precise it was to the point and doctor would just failed to answer that he does try to answer it in his own way he tries to say things like look what we don't need to say that because we believe they believe that Jesus was God and they believed that the Holy Spirit was God so why do we need to find these kind of keywords but he doesn't sufficiently answer it to be fair so I think that was very used quite tactile the way it was done was good dick right there was just this is

[8:51] leaning in on some of the the pros that the the positive things that Muhammad hijab had really done well targeted may be concise quoted just Christian sources all the way and yeah so I think that was that was really good just trying to think of some points coming to right now he did mainly in several of the kind of comebacks that David Wood has Mohammed II job does answer them he not just many

## Cite

Mufti Abu Layth Archive, segment gyRfZZZcA8g/s/3. https://muftiabulayth.org/r/gyrfzzzca8g/s/3/

Not a fatwa: these answers were given to specific people at specific times. Ask a qualified scholar about your own situation.