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Why does Allah Almighty sometimes speak in the plural form in the Noble Qur'an?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

To answer the question, "Why does Allah sometimes use the plural pronoun (We) and sometimes the singular pronoun (I) when speaking about Himself in the Qur'an?", the answer is divided into two parts:

First: The general answer: All of Allah Almighty's actions are for great wisdoms and praiseworthy purposes. It is not necessary for these wisdoms to be clear to everyone, and this is a type of test.

Second: The detailed answer: The Holy Qur'an came in the language of the Arabs, and in it, it is permissible to use the plural form for a singular entity for the purpose of magnification, as in His saying, the Almighty: (And We are closer to him than his jugular vein). Similarly, it is permissible to use the singular form for a singular entity to affirm His oneness and that He has no partner, as in His saying: (And when My servants ask you concerning Me, then indeed I am near). This linguistic form in Arabic is used for a great singular entity who has obedient helpers. So, if His helpers perform an action by His command, He says: We did it, just as a king says: We conquered this land.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

Read the full answer on Ftawy