The objection is profound and sincere: "God is One. How can He have a Son without a wife?". This question reflects a noble desire shared by Christians and Muslims: protecting the majesty and purity of God from any association with human reproduction. Tonight's broadcast, sponsored by Misa.solutions, the AI Socratic Method Tutor, used careful questioning to move beyond this surface misunderstanding.
1. Adam: The Proof God Transcends Biology
The discussion begins by asking if God acts beyond human biology. Both the Bible and the Quran affirm that God creates without requiring normal biological processes.
The Quran draws a parallel: "Indeed, the example of Jesus to Allah is like that of Adam". Adam was created without any parents, simply by God's word, "Be, and it was" (Kun faya kun).
Socratic Question: If God could create Adam without parents, why would God be limited to human biological processes when creating Jesus?.
The very idea that God needed a wife to produce Adam seems absurd and blasphemous. Since neither faith believes God reproduces biologically, the real issue is understanding what divine Sonship means. Even human language uses "son" non-biologically, such as calling a traveler "ibn al-sabil" (son of the road).
2. The Eternal Word Made Flesh
To grasp Christian claims, we explore God's eternal attributes. Muslims affirm that God's Word (Kalam Allah) is eternal and uncreated, existing forever with God.
Socratic Question: If God's Word is eternal, is it separate from God or part of God’s eternal nature?.
Christians make a specific claim: The Word of God (Logos) is not just an attribute but a Person—eternal, uncreated, and sharing the divine essence.
Divine Action
Islamic View
Christian View
Eternal Word became...
A book (the Quran)
A person (Jesus Christ)
The Quran uniquely calls Jesus "Kalimatullah" (Word of God) and "Ruh Allah" (Spirit from God). Dr. Kenneth Craig observed that this unique testimony raises questions about why Jesus is identified this way if merely a prophet. When Christians speak of the "eternal generation" of the Son, it describes an eternal relationship within God’s being, akin to the light generated by the sun—always existing together and sharing the same essence, but distinguishable.
3. Language: Hands vs. Son
Both faiths struggle to describe the infinite God using finite language. Muslims accept that anthropomorphisms like God having "hands" or "face" do not mean physical body parts.
Socratic Question: If we accept that Quranic language about God's "hands" doesn't mean physical hands, why should we assume that Biblical language about God's "Son" means biological son?.
Professor Lamin Sanneh notes that both traditions must use metaphorical language for divine realities.
4. Sonship as Representation and Unity
Divine Sonship means perfect representation, essential unity, and eternal relationship. The Son shares the divine nature ("Light from Light") and perfectly represents the Father ("whoever has seen me has seen the Father").
Crucially, the Quran attributes to Jesus capabilities reserved only for God: creating life (clay birds), knowledge of the unseen, and power over death (raising the dead, Surah 3:49). Dr. Nabeel Qureshi noted that Jesus was "categorically different," pointing to Himself as the way to God.
5. Unity Beyond Mathematics
Christians affirm fierce monotheism: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. God's oneness (Tawhid) is a unique divine unity, not merely mathematical oneness (1=1).
The Trinity is better understood as $1 \times 1 \times 1 = 1$ (one God existing in three persons). The incarnation—God the Son taking on human nature without losing divine nature—does not diminish God. It shows that if God is truly all-powerful, He can reveal Himself uniquely within creation while remaining transcendent above it.
The disagreement is not about whether God needs a wife—both faiths reject this. The enduring Socratic question is: "What is God revealing about Himself through the language of Father and Son?". As C.S. Lewis wrote, "The Son of God became a man to enable men to become sons of God".

James Henderson is the founder of Misa.solutions, a veteran-owned company bringing the Socratic Method into modern education through AI-powered tutoring. With a passion for helping K–12 students, homeschoolers, and educators move beyond memorization, he focuses on building curiosity, wisdom, and critical thinking for the next generation of learners.