Appendix 10
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 process
of 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).
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