[etdgxcnc]

Assalamu `Alaykum

I'm just interested in knowing: what are your thoughts on referring to Allah in terms of "she" or "it"? I don't do so, but do you think people who do it are legitimate or that they are making a mistake?


Just a little background on why Islam, Judaism, and Christianity refer to Allah as "He":

Arabic has no "It" pronoun, and the default pronoun is "He" (Huwa). That's why Allah is referred to as "He" in the Qur'an and Ahadith, and in the Torah (where Hebrew has no "It" either, I believe). But the Name "Allah" is genderless.

Christians refer to God as "He" because they believe Jesus (`alayhi salaam) was God (na`udhu billah from the ignorant things they say regarding God) and they believe that God refers to Himself as "Father" (again, na`udhu billah from such ignorance). So their reasons for calling God "He" are different than the reasons why Jews and Muslims call God "He"

[blodwarttufla]

I don't think using "it", although technically correct, is respectful in the English language, only because Allah is a person and in English, "it" is generally used to refer to non-persons or those lower than human beings (animals, if you consider animals to be persons).

[celddiskend]

I don't think using "it", although technically correct, is respectful in the English language, only because Allah is a person and in English, "it" is generally used to refer to non-persons or those lower than human beings (animals, if you consider animals to be persons).

Allah is a person?

[MilenaMKB]

Allah is a person?

He is refering to the Grammatical terms of pronouns, 1st person, 2nd person etc etc. He isn't implying Allah Ta'ala is a person. Please take such posts in context bro.

[celddiskend]

He is refering to the Grammatical terms of pronouns, 1st person, 2nd person etc etc. He isn't implying Allah Ta'ala is a person. Please take such posts in context bro.

ok i guess you couldn't tell the saracastic humor in that.................next time i will add a smiley

[MilenaMKB]

Assalamu `Alaykum

I'm just interested in knowing: what are your thoughts on referring to Allah in terms of "she" or "it"? I don't do so, but do you think people who do it are legitimate or that they are making a mistake?

Bro, its shaytaan's ploy to make us waste our time in such unnecessary matters. 'He' is just used as a pronoun. It doesn't mean anything more. Period.

سم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Say, "He is Allah, [who is] One, (1)
Allah, the Eternal Refuge. (2) He neither begets nor is born, (3)
Nor is there to Him any equivalent." (4)

(Suratul Ikhlas)

[MilenaMKB]

ok i guess you couldn't tell the saracastic humor in that.................next time i will add a smiley

Bro you don't want to 'joke' about the attributes of Allah Ta'ala. This is a serious matter.

[blodwarttufla]

Allah is a person?

Yes, grammatically and in a broader sense. Although what constitutes personhood is up for debate, most people agree on certain qualities that make an entity a person, like having a mind, consciousness and self-awareness.

[attlawqa]

Using "it" in reference to Allah is a sign of disrespect at best, and a sign of kufr at worst.
Kufar who use it should not be associated with as they are untrustworthy and spiritually corrupt.

Allah knows best.

[GSgCGxsF]

Using "it" in reference to Allah is a sign of disrespect at best, and a sign of kufr at worst.
Kufar who use it should not be associated with as they are untrustworthy and spiritually corrupt.

Allah knows best.

Alhamdulillah Jazak Allah Khair for your post. You said exactly what was in my mind.

This is a matter that is of no benefit.

On the authority of Abu Hurairah, who said : The messenger of Allah said :

"Part of someone's being a good Muslim is his leaving alone that which does not concern him."

p fine hadith narrated by Tirmidhi and others

[brraverishhh]

"He" expresses the attributes of Allah better than "it"..

[chipkluchi]

Malay language uses "dia" which is gender neutral.

Dia lelaki (he is a man)
Dia perempuan (she is a woman)
Dia Allah (He is Allah)

[CurtisTH]

"He" expresses the attributes of Allah better than "it"..

You sound like a Wahhabi now. Don't you mean you can't translate "huwa" because by translating it to "he" you are making a similitude between Allah and the creation?

[CurtisTH]

Yes, grammatically and in a broader sense. Although what constitutes personhood is up for debate, most people agree on certain qualities that make an entity a person, like having a mind, consciousness and self-awareness.

I'm assuming you mean "Shakhs" here, in which case it's better to translate it as the following.

Individual: a distinct, indivisible entity; a single thing, being, instance, or item.

[LClan439]

Answer to why هو is used for الله تعالى.

http://qa.sunnipath.com/issue_view.asp?ID=21327

[brraverishhh]

You sound like a Wahhabi now. Don't you mean you can't translate "huwa" because by translating it to "he" you are making a similitude between Allah and the creation?

Wrong topic. And flawed argument for He is used in English language even without real gender. And we dont say translation in itself is similitude. Utter nonsense. Fact is you affirm the apparent meaning and in this case a wahhabi should affirm male gender as per so called "apparent" meaning criteria of your manhaj.

[CurtisTH]

Wrong topic. And flawed argument for He is used in English language even without real gender. And we dont say translation in itself is similitude. Utter nonsense. Fact is you affirm the apparent meaning and in this case a wahhabi should affirm male gender as per so called "apparent" meaning criteria of your manhaj.

First you say he is used without male gender, than you say the apparent meaning of he is male gender? Make up your mind.

And yes, some of "You" do say translations are not permissible, because by translating you are giving it a meaning.

[brraverishhh]

First you say he is used without male gender, than you say the apparent meaning of he is male gender? Make up your mind.

Yes apparent of He is male gender. A salafi has to affirm Allah is male for that is what it apparently is, and your negation of similtude merely consists of a verbal formulae "not like us". So the salafi manhaj should be "God is a male unlike us".

While asharis look at the fact that a male cannot be applied to God for so and so reasons and hence negated and apply alternate meanings that is appropriate.

And yes, some of "You" do say translations are not permissible, because by translating you are giving it a meaning. Yes many do discourage it or prohibit based on the degree of each case. Since you careless about what words are used to describe God, then may sound something of a attacking point for you.