Posted by Mohamed Ghounem on December 11, 1997 at 03:56:58:
In Reply to: Re: Equation of One God without partners posted by zaphod on December 05, 1997 at 17:40:24:
Dear Brother Zaphod,
I'll start where you do;
{Interesting that two of the Quranic translations use the plural
WE. 'We' categorically means more than one.}
In both Arabic and Hebrew, there are two types of 'we'. One is the plural pronoun used by English speaking countries (such as "we rode in the car together," "we all come from the same country"...etc.). The second is the plural of Respect. 'We' is used in the Qur'an when describing Allah Almighty in the second sense. It is used to magnify and glorify God as well as to display respect and humility to our Creator.
You will also notice that this usage is not restricted to the Qur'an only. Dr. Jamal Badawi once observed that since the Queen of England refers to herself in the plural form then is she too a "Trinity"? The Arabs are a Semitic tribe, and their Semitic cousins, the Jews, also use the same system to refer to God. In the Old Testament, the Jews refer to God as "Elohiym" {el-o-heem}. "Elohiym" is the plural form of "'elowahh" {el-o'-ah}, which means "god." We will notice that the Jews also do not pray to a "Trinity," even though their book refers to God in the plural form. This is the way the Semitic languages of Arabic and Hebrew work.
In the Eerdmans Bible Dictionary we read the following explanation of the word "Elohiym":
"As a name or designation of the God of Israel, the term is understood as a plural of majesty or an intensive plural, indicating the fullness of the supreme (or only) God ... the canonical intent is clearly monotheistic, even where the accompanying verbs or adjectives are grammatically plural (e.g. Gen. 20:13, Exod. 22:9 [Mt 8])"
Eerdmans Bible Dictionary, edited by Allen C. Myers, William B. Eerdmans Publishers, p. 331
The exact same system is also used in the Urdu language of Pakistan and India, as well as to a more limited degree in the French language. For example, a French king might be addressed as follows: "La presence de votre majesty est un honneur pour notre ville, vous avez apporte avec vous le bonheure."
Now that we see the true meaning of the Hebrew, Arabic, Urdu, and French use of the word "We" in reference to God Almighty, let us now read a little more of the Qur'an:
"Say: He is Allah the One (and only). Allah, the eternally Besought of all! He neither begets nor was he begotten. And there is none comparable unto Him."
The noble Qur'an, al-Ikhlas(112).
"Allah! There is no God but Him, the Alive, the Eternal. Neither slumber nor sleep overtakes Him. Unto Him belongs whatsoever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth. Who is he that intercedes with Him save by His leave? He knows that which is in front of them and that which is behind them, while they encompass nothing of His knowledge except what He will. His throne extends over the heavens and the earth, and He is never weary of preserving them. He is the Sublime, the Tremendous."
The noble Qur'an, Al-Bakarah(2):255
"Your God is One God; there is no God save Him, the Compassionate, the Merciful."
The noble Qur'an, Al-Bakarah(2)163.
"Allah! There is no God save Him, the Alive, the Eternal. He has revealed unto you (Muhammad) the Scripture with truth, confirming that which was (revealed) before it, even as He revealed the Torah and the Gospel. Aforetime, for a guidance to mankind; and has revealed the Criterion (one of the names of the Qur'an). Verily! those who disbelieve the revelations of Allah, theirs will be a heavy doom. Allah is Mighty, Able to Requite (the wrong). Verily! nothing in the earth or in the heavens is hidden from Allah. He it is who fashions you in the wombs as pleases Him. There is no God save Him, the Almighty, the Wise.."
The noble Qur'an, A'al-Umran(3):2-6
You can view the above in more detail and reference at " What does Jesus Really Say " web site
Peace and Blessings,
Your Brother in Islam: Mohamed