why does allah use we in the quran? the direct answer is: Allah uses “We” in the Qur’an to express His majesty and sovereignty. In Arabic, “We” can signify royal or exalted status, highlighting Allah’s supreme authority. This form emphasizes His greatness, inviting reverence and reflection on His unique, incomparable nature, as He is beyond any human understanding or pluralization.
Through the Qur’an, the Holy, Divine Message from Allah, we are guided to the ultimate truth and faith. Thus, understanding the Qur’an right is extremely crucial to our unwavering belief of Allah.
As Qur’an is revealed in the Arabic language, it is a must then, undoubtedly, to understand it properly, in the same language that is purposefully chosen for that:
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَـٰهُ قُرْءَٰنًا عَرَبِيًّۭا لَّعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ ٣
[Certainly, We have made it a Quran in Arabic so perhaps you will understand.] [Az-Zukhruf: 3].
One of the belief-related questions that may pop up while reciting Qur’an- even in this previously mentioned ayah- is ‘Why does Allah use ‘We’ in the Qur’an, referring to Himself?!’ Let’s discuss this point together in the following lines, keeping in mind the coming:
Table of Contents
Why Does Allah Use “We” and “Us”, to refer to Himself?
As said, the Qur’an is revealed in the Arabic language for divine wisdom; so, we can’t interpret the Qur’anic ‘We’, or “Us” correctly in any language other than Arabic, itself.
In Arabic, “Nahnu” (We) were mentioned in some of the Qur’anic ayahs referring to Allah, like:
إِنَّا نَحْنُ نُحْىِۦ وَنُمِيتُ وَإِلَيْنَا ٱلْمَصِيرُ ٤٣
[It is certainly We Who give life and cause death. And to Us is the final return.] [Qaf: 43].
Definitely, here “We” and “Us” refer to Allah, The One and Only, as Allah -and Allah Alone- is The Giver of life and death, and to Him, we all return.
Those “We”, and “Us” can be commonly used in the Arabic language, not only for real plural (a number of ones), but also figuratively, for royal usage (like royal we in announcements). So, in Arabic, an individual with great position and high status can announce, like: ‘We decided so-and-so’.
When those pronouns are used for referring to Allah in the Qur’an, they were meant purposefully for greatness, sovereignty, glorification and high respect. Undoubtedly, Allah is The Most High, and Above-All, besides that Qur’an is written in a solemn, literature-like Arabic style, full of meaningful dimensions and indications.
Why Does Allah Use “He”, to refer to Himself?
Again, the Qur’an is revealed originally in the Arabic language, so it can be interpreted correctly only in the light of the Arabic linguistics, and perspective, no matter how professional the translation to any other language can be. Remember, the subtle meanings can get ‘lost in translation’! Look at this:
هُوَ ٱلَّذِى يُصَوِّرُكُمْ فِى ٱلْأَرْحَامِ كَيْفَ يَشَآءُ ۚ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ٦
[He is the One Who shapes you in the wombs of your mothers as He wills. There is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him—the Almighty, All-Wise.] [Ali-Imran: 6].
Although we can understand using “We” when referring to Allah by ‘the royal we’ in English, for glorification, yet using “He” /huwa/ هو, referring to Allah in the Qur’an, can be confusing to those unknowing of the Arabic rhetoric pronouns’ usages, and references.
In Arabic, /huwa/ هو, is not only used to refer to the male, or the male-like individual; rather, it refers to the default pronoun, and the best fit for the genderless third person singular. So, in Arabic, the usage of “he” is really wide, beyond maleness; It is the general, default noun fit for the singular, even the inanimate, and the unconceivable, in Arabic. Moreover, the third-person-narrative adds more clarity, transparency, eloquence, and solemnity; that is well-known in Arabic literature.
So, this is why “He” is the nearest option to translate in English, just a human try with a human language that doesn’t necessarily encompass what is way beyond it, what is Divine.
Still, it is a mercy from Allah for His servants to send them the Qur’an in such a meaningful language, Arabic, that they can learn about, trying to get to know His Majesty within their human, limited capacity. Of course, no language on earth can encapsulate His Great Majesty, and no human mind can imagine Him, The Omnipotent, The Transcendent, The Incomparable. However, Qur’an is still sent down to humans in a language they can understand and relate to:
فَإِنَّمَا يَسَّرْنَـٰهُ بِلِسَانِكَ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَذَكَّرُونَ ٥٨
[Indeed, We have made this ˹Quran˺ easy in your own language ˹O Prophet˺ so perhaps they will be mindful.] [Ad-Dukhan: 58].
How Does Allah Describe Himself in the Qur’an?
As we are only His created, limited beings, and we can never think of His Surpassing Entity, we can only follow His own descriptions of Himself, as mentioned in Qur’an, sometimes referred to by “We”, “He”, or “I”. Let’s mention some ayahs here that assure His incomparable uniqueness and divine singularity that the limited human mind can never conceive:
… إِنَّمَا ٱللَّهُ إِلَـٰهٌۭ وَٰحِدٌۭ ۖ سُبْحَـٰنَهُۥٓ أَن يَكُونَ لَهُۥ وَلَدٌۭ ۘ لَّهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَمَا فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ ۗ وَكَفَىٰ بِٱللَّهِ وَكِيلًۭا
[…Allah is only One God. Glory be to Him! He is far above having a son! To Him belongs whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth. And Allah is sufficient as a Trustee of Affairs.] [An-Nisaa: 171].
فَاطِرُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ جَعَلَ لَكُم مِّنْ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَزْوَٰجًۭا وَمِنَ ٱلْأَنْعَـٰمِ أَزْوَٰجًۭا ۖ يَذْرَؤُكُمْ فِيهِ ۚ لَيْسَ كَمِثْلِهِۦ شَىْءٌۭ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْبَصِيرُ ١١
[˹He is˺ the Originator of the heavens and the earth. He has made for you spouses from among yourselves, and ˹made˺ mates for cattle ˹as well˺—multiplying you ˹both˺. There is nothing like Him, for He ˹alone˺ is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing.] [Ash-Shuraa: 11].
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَـٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَـٰدَةِ ۖ هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٢٢ – هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ٱلْمَلِكُ ٱلْقُدُّوسُ ٱلسَّلَـٰمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُ ٱلْمُهَيْمِنُ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْجَبَّارُ ٱلْمُتَكَبِّرُ ۚ سُبْحَـٰنَ ٱللَّهِ عَمَّا يُشْرِكُونَ ٢٣- هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلْخَـٰلِقُ ٱلْبَارِئُ ٱلْمُصَوِّرُ ۖ لَهُ ٱلْأَسْمَآءُ ٱلْحُسْنَىٰ ۚ يُسَبِّحُ لَهُۥ مَا فِى ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ وَهُوَ ٱلْعَزِيزُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ ٢٤[
[He is Allah—there is no god ˹worthy of worship˺ except Him: Knower of the seen and unseen. He is the Most Compassionate, Most Merciful. He is Allah—there is no god except Him: the King, the Most Holy, the All-Perfect, the Source of Serenity, the Watcher ˹of all˺, the Almighty, the Supreme in Might,1 the Majestic. Glorified is Allah far above what they associate with Him ˹in worship˺! He is Allah: the Creator, the Inventor, the Shaper. He ˹alone˺ has the Most Beautiful Names. Whatever is in the heavens and the earth ˹constantly˺ glorifies Him. And He is the Almighty, All-Wise.] [Al-Hashr: 24].
نَبِّئْ عِبَادِىٓ أَنِّىٓ أَنَا ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ ٤٩
[Inform My servants ˹O Prophet˺ that I am truly the All-Forgiving, Most Merciful,] [Al-Hijr: 49].
وَإِذَا سَأَلَكَ عِبَادِى عَنِّى فَإِنِّى قَرِيبٌ ۖ أُجِيبُ دَعْوَةَ ٱلدَّاعِ إِذَا دَعَانِ ۖ فَلْيَسْتَجِيبُوا۟ لِى وَلْيُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِى لَعَلَّهُمْ يَرْشُدُونَ ١٨٦
[When My servants ask you ˹O Prophet˺ about Me: I am truly near. I respond to one’s prayer when they call upon Me. So let them respond ˹with obedience˺ to Me and believe in Me, perhaps they will be guided ˹to the Right Way˺.] [Al-Baqarah: 186].
إِنَّ بَطْشَ رَبِّكَ لَشَدِيدٌ ١٢ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ يُبْدِئُ وَيُعِيدُ ١٣ وَهُوَ ٱلْغَفُورُ ٱلْوَدُودُ ١٤ ذُو ٱلْعَرْشِ ٱلْمَجِيدُ ١٥ فَعَّالٌۭ لِّمَا يُرِيدُ ١٦
[Indeed, the ˹crushing˺ grip of your Lord is severe. ˹For˺ He is certainly the One Who originates and resurrects ˹all˺. And He is the All-Forgiving, All-Loving—Lord of the Throne, the All-Glorious, Doer of whatever He wills.] [Al-Buruj: 12-16].
Of course, the Qur’an is full of ayahs telling us about our Lord, Allah; those are just some of them, where He Almighty refers to Himself using different pronouns: whether “We”, “He”, “Us”, “I”, and His Names as “Allah”, and “Lord”, and so on.
The Oneness of God Is the Backbone of Islam and The Quran:
The backbone of Islam is tawheed (monotheism); that is to certainly believe in the oneness of Allah. Witnessing and announcing that actually is the first and foremost pillar of Islam: “Ash-hadu an la ilaha illa Allah, Wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan Rasulu-Allah,” meaning: (I bear witness that there is no God but Allah and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.)
The Qur’an, itself, is full of the ayahs of oneness of Allah; actually, it is the pure, common message of all prophets and messengers sent over all times. Also, in the Qur’an, we find stirring stories telling us about the doom of those who associated any partners with Allah in worship, or belief.
Surah Al-Ikhlas sums up that oneness of Allah; He is The One and Only God:
قُلْ هُوَ ٱللَّهُ أَحَدٌ ١- ٱللَّهُ ٱلصَّمَدُ ٢- لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ ٣- وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُۥ كُفُوًا أَحَدٌۢ ٤
[Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “He is Allah—One -Allah—the Sustainer ˹needed by all˺- He has never had offspring, nor was He born. And there is none comparable to Him.] [ Al-Ikhlas: 1-4].
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Conclusion:
Allah’s use of “We” in the Qur’an reflects both a sense of majesty and grandeur. In the Arabic language, “We” is not just a plural pronoun but can also express royal or exalted status. This usage highlights Allah’s sovereignty and transcendence, elevating His status beyond any human understanding. It emphasizes the grandeur and power of Allah, ensuring that His divine message is conveyed with the utmost reverence.
The use of “We” in the Qur’an does not imply plurality in the traditional sense but serves to emphasize Allah’s supreme authority and absolute uniqueness. The Arabic language often employs this form for those of high status, and when Allah speaks in the plural, it reflects His incomparable greatness. This method of expression invites reverence and deep reflection on His majesty, illustrating that Allah, despite being the singular Creator, is beyond the confines of human language.
Undoubtedly, the Qur’an is the most important message to understand right, in its miraculous, subtle, deep language, Arabic, that was divinely and wisely chosen for conveying Allah’s Words for us to hold unto.
We thank Allah Almighty for such mercy of revealing His Book to us in this unique language that we can relate to, and learn its meaningful depths. May Allah, The Incomparable, grant us the guidance and knowledge of His Book, and bloom our faith more and more.
