Allah Beyond Gender Understanding the Divine

Question

Why does the Qur’an use “He” when referring to Allah? Does this mean Allah is male?

Short Summary

The Qur’an’s use of the pronoun “He” for Allah is a matter of Arabic grammar, not biological gender. Arabic has no gender-neutral pronoun equivalent to “it,” and the masculine form (هو) is used by default when no feminine marker exists. This convention does not suggest that Allah is male; Allah transcends human categories of gender entirely.

Key Points

• Arabic has only two pronouns: هو (“he”) and هي (“she”); there is no neutral “it.”

• Masculine pronouns serve as the grammatical default when gender is irrelevant.

• Using “He” does not imply that Allah has maleness or a biological form.

• Grammatical gender in Arabic (and other languages like Spanish or French) does not reflect actual gender.

• The Qur’an’s use of نحن (“We”) for Allah expresses majesty, not plurality.

Detailed Answer

In Arabic, every noun and pronoun is assigned a grammatical gender, either masculine or feminine. Unlike English, Arabic does not have a neutral pronoun such as “it.” The masculine pronoun هو (“He”) is therefore used for any noun that does not have explicit feminine markers, whether the noun represents a living being, an abstract idea, or in this case, the Divine.

This is a matter of linguistic structure, not biological description. For example, the Arabic word for “tree” (شجرة) is grammatically feminine, yet no one suggests that trees are biologically female. Similarly, the masculine form هو is used for Allah simply because it is the default pronoun, not because it attributes maleness.

Grammatical Usage vs. Meaning in Islam

Other languages follow similar conventions. In Spanish and French, objects are described as masculine or feminine grammatically, without implying biological characteristics el libro (the book) is masculine, while la biblioteca (the library) is feminine. The grammatical label does not alter the essence of the object.

Grammatical Gender in Languages vs. Allah’s Pronoun in Arabic

The Qur’an also uses the plural pronoun نحن (“We”) for Allah in some contexts. This does not mean Allah is plural; rather, it reflects the Arabic “royal we,” a majestic form that conveys greatness and authority. In the same way, “He” in reference to Allah conveys nothing of gender but follows the linguistic patterns of Arabic.

Muslims affirm that Allah is unlike His creation in every way. The Qur’an itself says:

“There is nothing like unto Him, and He is the All-Hearing, the All-Seeing.”
(Surah al-Shura 42:11)

This verse makes it clear that Allah is beyond human limitations such as gender, form, or likeness.

What This Means for You

When the Qur’an refers to Allah with “He,” it is not attributing maleness but following Arabic grammar. Allah is transcendent and beyond all human categories, including gender. The pronoun is a linguistic necessity, not a theological description.

And Allah knows best

References

Primary Sources:

• Qur’an 42:11

Secondary Sources:

• Al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim 
• Ibn Kathir, Tafsir al-Qur’an al-‘Azim 
• Abu Hayyan al-Andalusi, Al-Bahr al-Muhit