In this article, we address a common question among non-Muslims: Why do Muslims refer to God as “He”? Understanding this reference involves exploring both Islamic teachings and the nuances of Arabic linguistics. This discussion not only clarifies the Islamic perspective but also highlights the linguistic reasons behind the use of masculine pronouns.
Explore the top five reasons why “He” is used to refer to God in Islam, providing insight into the theological and grammatical considerations that shape this practice. By delving into these reasons, readers will gain a clearer understanding of how Islamic creed and language intersect.
Allah is Neither Male Nor Female
First of all, we should confirm clearly that Allah is neither male nor female. Sex is an attribute of creation. Allah created humans, animals, and even plants in two sexes; males and females. That is fundamental for reproduction and ensuring the continuity of life.
Allah stated in the Quran that He is not similar to his creation in their attributes. Allah said in the Quran:
“There is nothing like Him, for He ˹alone˺ is the All-Hearing, All-Seeing.”
Read: The Name Allah – Meaning, Root, Significance and More!
Is God a Male – The Reasons Allah is Referred to as He
In Islam, Allah is referred to as “He” based on how Allah described Himself in the Quran and as taught by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). This practice stems from the fact that the Arabic pronoun “Hwa,” used for Allah, is often translated as “He” in English. However, it’s crucial to understand that “Hwa” is not synonymous with the masculine identity but is a linguistic convention in Arabic.
The use of “He” does not imply that Allah has a gender or a male identity; rather, it is a reflection of the language’s grammatical norms. Since Allah’s essence transcends human concepts of gender, the pronoun serves merely as a tool for communication, chosen for its clarity and accessibility to human understanding while respecting the divine nature of Allah.
1. We refer to Allah as He referred to himself
In Islam, we don’t ever refer to Allah in our own words or due to our personal perspectives. However, we refer to Allah in the way he referred to himself and as Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught us.
Allah is the All-knowing, while our knowledge is limited and always prone to mistakes and errors. That’s why we should refer to Allah’s ultimate knowledge, especially in what’s related to the unseen and what we cannot really perceive by ourselves.
Allah referred to himself as ‘Hwa’ in the Quran, which is partially corresponding to the English pronoun ‘He’. So, we refer to Allah as ‘Hwa’.
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2. The pronoun “He” is a translation of the pronoun “Hwa” in Arabic
Actually, Allah referred to himself as ‘Hwa’ in Arabic, not ‘He’ in English, and that’s quite different. The Quran is revealed in Arabic, and English versions are not more than translations of the meaning in some way.
No doubt, every language has its own linguistics, grammar, and context. We cannot by any means translate a text from one language to another with 100 percent accuracy and precision. That’s primarily due to the cultural implications and major linguistic differences between languages all over the world.
So, in conclusion, we shouldn’t by any means perceive ‘Hwa’ as an Arabic word to be the same as the masculine pronoun ‘He’.
Read also: Discover the Beautiful Names of Allah — The Opener
3. “He” doesn’t always refer to masculine identity in Arabic.
As we previously highlighted, the masculine pronoun ‘He’ is not equivalent to ‘Hwa’ in Arabic. We should clearly distinguish between natural and grammatical gender. Natural Gender is the actual sex of an individual; either male or female. However, the grammatical gender could be a gender given to non-female or non-male objects.
That’s applied in languages such as French and Arabic. For example, in French, the word ‘Chaise’ (Chair) is feminine and referred to in feminine pronouns. In Arabic ‘كرسي’ (chair) is referred to in masculine pronouns.
However, in English, words are only referred to in masculine or feminine pronouns if they correspond to a naturally male or female identity. At the same time, Neutral objects are referred to as ‘it’. We cannot translate ‘Hwa’ to ‘it’ in reference to Allah as it usually refers to objects that are insulting to God Almighty.
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4. Allah reveals Himself to us in words that we can understand
Allah Almighty is beyond our imagination. We cannot completely perceive the unseen in this worldly life with our limited senses. That’s why, Allah tells us about himself in the best way to our understanding and perception even though language can never encapsulate His true reality.
Allah chose to refer to himself as ‘Hwa’, which perfectly fits in this context according to Allah’s Wisdom and Knowledge.
Read:
- Where did God come from?
- 10 Reasons Why God Allows Suffering!
- Does Allah Forgive All Sins? – I Have Sinned!
5. “Hwa” is the norm, “hya” is the exception – Why Is God Referred to as He not She?
Referring to God as ‘He’ (Hwa) not ‘She’ (Hya) doesn’t indicate male gender rather than female as some feminist figures promote.
In Arabic, the masculine pronoun is the default pronoun. It does not have to imply masculinity. However, referring to Allah in feminine pronouns could suggest femininity.
Thus, referring to Allah as “He” is a linguistic convention rooted in Arabic grammar rather than an indication of gender. This choice helps convey the divine message in a way that aligns with human understanding while honoring Allah’s transcendent nature.
Conclusion | Islam and Glorifying Allah Beyond Sex
To conclude, Islam is the only religion that doesn’t draw figures nor set a specific gender for God Almighty. That’s because Allah taught us He is beyond sex, he is the creator of sex for the continuity of life, and due to many reasons that go well with His wisdom.
Allah chose to refer to himself in the Quran as ‘Hwa’(Arabic masculine pronoun) while confirming He is not like His creation. ‘Hwa’ implies grammatical gender rather than natural gender.
However, in other religions; such as Christianity, people believe God to be Jesus and draw figures of him. In other polytheistic religions, people form idols of their Gods in male and female figures which assign gender to God like His creation. However, He is far superior than that, Glory to Him.
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