|
list
|
..
|
|
Holy
Quran Section
>
Articles
on
> Questions and Answers on the Holy Quran by
Naseer Ahmad Faruqui Sahib: When Allah is ONE, Why
Does He Use the Pronoun 'WE' for Himself in the
Holy Quran?
|
Questions and
Answers on the Holy Quran by Naseer Ahmad Faruqui
Sahib:
When Allah is ONE, Why Does He Use the Pronoun 'WE' for
Himself in the Holy
Quran?:
by Naseer Ahmad
Faruqui
The Light, 24
April 1979 (Question and
Answer)
Question:
A British teacher in U.K., in
acknowledging the receipt of literature on Islam, from our
Imam in London, has asked the following question:
I wonder whether you might be able to
clear up one point that has been bothering me for some time
concerning the nature of God, which at present, my students
and I are engaged in studying. We have found, that in a
number of places God appears to speak through the Holy Quran
as "We." For example, in Sura 25:32: "We may
establish thy heart by it." This raised (the question)
within my own mind, how God, Who is seen as one Person, can
speak in the plural? As this use of the plural pronoun
appears a number of times in your Scriptures, can you advise
me as to the understanding of that which this verse (and
others) teaches?
Answer:
1.
We welcome this inquiry and intelligent interest in the
study of the Holy Quran. The same question has arisen in a
number of minds in other countries, too. And, we, therefore,
welcome this opportunity to explain the point raised,
through this paper.
2.
I would first like to emphasise that the Unity and
Oneness of God is so clearly established by the Holy
Quran, that no Muslim has ever, throughout the fourteen
centuries of Islam, entertained any doubt about it. Even
non-Muslim readers and orientalists have recognised the
absolutely unadulterated monotheism taught by the Holy
Quran. According to it, God is Unique not only in His
Person, but also in His Attributes, as well as in His
Works.
3.
The Holy Quran opens with the verse, with which all chapters
(except one) open, namely, "In the name of Allah, the
Beneficent, the Merciful". Please note that the name and the
attributes are all in the singular. Later on, mentioning the
display of Divine attributes in Allah’s creation, the
question is asked again and again, "Is there (then) a god
with Allah?" (27:60, 64).
4.
So far as the Person of God is
concerned, can there be any doubt left after going through
the following verses of the Holy Quran:
"And your God is one God;
there is no god but He! He is the Beneficent, the
Merciful." (2:163).
Or, can there be a clearer statement
than the following:
"Say: He, Allah, is
One. Allah is He on Whom all depend. He begets not,
nor is He begotten; And none is like Him".
(Chapter 112).
Here, not only is the Person of Allah
stated most clearly to be One, but the association of any
other god with Him is refuted on all other possible grounds.
Everything in Nature depends on Him (now proved by modern
science, - see the closing chapters of "The Mysterious
Universe" by Sir James Jeans). He does not depend for His
own existence on being begotten; nor does He beget a son or
sons, or daughters, as some religions preach, to complete
His Being or to carry on His Works after His death, for all
those who beget or are begotten, die. No wonder, that it was
published a few years ago throughout USA and Europe, that if
there was a God, He has now presumably died. Lastly, it is
stated in the chapter quoted above, that there is no one
like Allah. There is no association with Him even by
resemblance or equality in attributes or work. A god who
depends on others in any way, is incomplete or imperfect, or
is transient (begotten or begetting), or has equals or
partners in any way, is not God. The highest creation is
undoubtedly man, and he cannot submit himself, body and
soul, to a god like himself or less than himself (such as an
idol or a Ghost).
5.
The emphatic denial and refutation of there being any god
except Allah, and the equally emphatic affirmation of Unity,
Oneness and Uniqueness of Allah, is contained in so many
other places in the Holy Quran, that they cannot all be
quoted here without prolonging this article, which is, after
all, only a reply to a simple question: Why then does the
Holy Quran use the first person plural "We" for Allah in
certain places?
6.
I had to give the arguments, made in paragraphs 2-5 above,
to establish the point, that the Unity of God being beyond
any doubt, as established by the Holy Quran, we should not
read any plurality of godhead in the use of the word
‘We’ in some places in the Holy Quran. Let me now
answer the question put forward. For Allah, according to the
context, the Holy Quran uses all the three pronouns of the
first person, the second person and third person.
Please note, that so far as the second or third persons are
concerned, the Holy Quran uses the singular pronoun only,
i.e., Thee or He, and that these are the only
pronouns that man can possibly use to address Allah, or to
speak of Him. To quote examples: "Thee do we serve
and Thee do we beseech for help" (1:4) and "Say: He, Allah,
is One"(112:1).
7.
So far as the first person pronoun is concerned, and
that is the pronoun that can be used by Allah Alone, in the
majority of places, the singular "I" is used. Thus
"I, Allah, am the best Knower" (2:1) or "Surely, I am Allah,
there is no god but I, so serve Me and keep up prayer for My
remembrance" (20:14). But it is quite true that in a number
of places the plural "We" is also used. The reason
varies from place to place. Sometimes it is used to
express the Might and Majesty of Allah; sometimes for
His absolute supremacy over men, their affairs and their
destinies; sometimes for His supremacy and control over
things over which men have no control, such as things
supernatural, including Divine revelation, etc.
8.
Perhaps an analogy will help to understand the point
that the use of the pronoun "We" implies no plurality when
the person for whom it is used is one. For instance, even
earthly kings and queens use this pronoun to express their
majesty and supremacy. If Queen Elizabeth II uses
"We" for herself, nobody misunderstands that she is more
than one. Allah is much more justified in using this
honorific for Himself, as He is the Real
Sovereign.
Top
|
Holy
Quran Section
>
Articles
on
> Questions and Answers on the Holy Quran by
Naseer Ahmad Faruqui Sahib: When Allah is ONE, Why
Does He Use the Pronoun 'WE' for Himself in the
Holy Quran?
|
footer
|
'E-mail'
this page to a friend!
|
E-mail
Us!
This website is designed,
developed and maintained by the members of:
The Lahore
Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation of
Islam
(Ahmadiyya
Anjuman Isha'at-e-Islam, Lahore
-- A.A.I.I.L.)
and is being managed in the Netherlands.
The responsibility of the content
of this website lies with the respective
authors
You may print-out and spread this
literature for the propagation of Islam provided our website
[aaiil.org]
is acknowledged
|