The Plural of the One Who Exalts Himself

A question that naturally arises concerns the use of "we" when God is speaking, and whether the royal "we" is the only interpretation. In the Arabic language it is called al-jamʿ li-man yuʿaẓẓimu nafsah, which means the plural of the one who is exalting himself. So, from an Arab's perspective, if God is using it, it is acceptable; but when an individual uses it, it is arrogance. One does find individuals in the Arab world who will say naḥnu akalnā kathīran al-yawm — "we ate a lot today" — and he is talking about himself; and it is actually considered bad manners. But this is the way it is actually used. It is never seen as indicating more than one God. Absolutely not.

Interestingly enough, the Mormons, for instance, do believe that the "we" in the Old Testament is used to mean a multiplicity of gods, and some of the Christians have believed that the "we" of the Old Testament was used also to indicate the Trinity. Many will find this in many Christian books. As for the Jews, the Jews understand it the same way that the Arabs do: it is just a plural that is used majestically. Naḥnu is a stronger form than anā.

The interesting thing about the Qurʾān here, as Cleary points out — and it is a really valid insight — is the shift in perspectives. Sometimes the Qurʾān is saying "I": lā ilāha illā anā, there is no god but I. Sometimes lā ilāha illā anta, there is no god but You. Sometimes lā ilāha illā huwa, there is no god but He. So it is shifting constantly, this change in perspective: sometimes it is plural, sometimes it is singular. It is a very fascinating phenomenon.