of the Authorized English translation of the Quran by Dr. Rashad Khalifa
God's Usage of the Plural Tense
In the English speaking world, where the
trinity doctrine is prevalent, some people are intrigued by God's usage
of the plural tense in the Quran.
The overwhelming message of the Quran,
where there is absolutely no compromise is that "GOD IS ONE"
(2:133,
163; 4:171
5:73; 6:19;
9:31; 12:39;
13:16; 14:48,
52; 16:22, 51;
18:110; 21:108;
22:34;
37:4; 38:65;
39:4; 40:16;
41:6; 112:1).
Whenever the first person plural form is
used by the Almighty, it invariably indicates participation of other entities,
such as the angels.
For example, the revelation of this Quran
involved participation of the angel Gabriel and the prophet Muhammad. Hence
the use of the plural form in 15:9:
"We revealed this scripture, and we will
preserve it."
The plural form here simply reflects the
fact that the angel Gabriel and the prophet Muhammad participated in the
processof delivering the Quran.
Another example has to do with blowing
the breath of life into Adam and Jesus.
The creation of Adam took place in heaven
and God directly blew into him the breath of life. Thus, the first person
singular form is consistently used:
"I blew into Adam from My spirit"
(15:29,
38:72).
The creation of Jesus, on the other hand,
took place on earth,and Gabriel carried God's
"word" to Mary.
The plural form is consistently used when
referring to the creation of Jesus
(21:91,
66:12).
When God spoke to Moses directly, without
the mediation of angels, we
see that God is speaking exclusively in
the singular tense:
"I am God. There is no other god besides
Me. You shall worship Me alone, and
observe the regular contact prayers
(Salat) to commemorate Me."
(20:12-14).
Whenever the worship of God is mentioned,
the singular tense is used
(51:56).
