Is Allah a male or a female?
In Islam, Allah is neither male nor female; He is beyond human characteristics and gender. The Qur'an emphasizes the uniqueness and oneness of Allah, stating, He is Allah, than Whom there is no other Allah, the Knower of the Invisible and the Visible. He is the Beneficent, Merciful.
59:22. This verse highlights that Allah possesses attributes that are not confined to human understanding or limitations.
Furthermore, the Qur'an presents Allah as the Creator of all, and anything that might imply gender is a projection of human qualities onto the divine. For instance, in Surah Ash-Shura, it states, Unto Allah belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. He createth what He will. He bestoweth female (offspring) upon whom He will, and bestoweth male (offspring) upon whom He will;
42:49. Here, the emphasis is on Allah's creative power and will, which operates independently of human norms regarding gender.
Commentators like Ibn Kathir and those from the Shia tradition also clarify that attributing gender to Allah is inappropriate, as He transcends such classifications. Thus, in Islamic theology, Allah is understood as a singular, unique entity without gender.
Sources
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59:22 · Al-Hashr
59:22 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
هُوَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِى لَآ إِلَٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ ۖ عَٰلِمُ ٱلْغَيْبِ وَٱلشَّهَٰدَةِ ۖ هُوَ ٱلرَّحْمَٰنُ ٱلرَّحِيمُ
He is Allah, than Whom there is no other Allah, the Knower of the Invisible and the Visible. He is the Beneficent, Merciful.
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42:49 · Ash-Shura
42:49 · Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall
لِّلَّهِ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۚ يَخْلُقُ مَا يَشَآءُ ۚ يَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ إِنَٰثًۭا وَيَهَبُ لِمَن يَشَآءُ ٱلذُّكُورَ
Unto Allah belongeth the Sovereignty of the heavens and the earth. He createth what He will. He bestoweth female (offspring) upon whom He will, and bestoweth male (offspring) upon whom He will;
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Tafsir Ibn Kathir on 42:49
Tafsir Ibn Kathir · 42:49
Allah Almighty informs us in this verse that He is the Creator and Owner of the heavens and the earth, and the One who has full authority and control over them. Whatever He wills comes to be, and whatever He does not will does not occur. He grants provision to whomever He chooses and withholds it from whomever He wills. No one can prevent what He gives, nor can anyone give what He withholds. He creates according to His will. The phrase “He grants to whom He wills daughters” means He gives daughters alone as provision. Al-Baghawi comments that among those granted daughters alone was the Prophet Lot (peace be upon him). "And He grants to whom He wills sons” means He gives sons alone; Al-Baghawi says this was like the Prophet Abraham (peace be upon him), who was not given daughters. The next part, "Or He gives them both sons and daughters in pairs," means that Allah bestows both male and female offspring to whom He wishes. Al-Baghawi relates this to the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who had both sons and daughters. Finally, “And He makes barren whom He wills” refers to those who do not have children. Al-Baghawi mentions Prophets Yahya and Isa (peace be upon them) as examples. Thus, people are divided into four groups: those granted daughters only, those granted sons only, those given both, and those made childless—barren with no progeny. Allah is fully aware of who deserves each of these states and is all-powerful over people’s differences in this matter. This subject is similar to Allah’s statement about Jesus (peace be upon him) in Surah Maryam [19:21], where Allah says, “and We will make him a sign for the people,” meaning a clear demonstration of Allah’s power. He created people in four categories: Adam (peace be upon him) was created from clay, neither male nor female; Eve (peace be upon her) was created from Adam, a male without a female; the rest of creation, except Isa (peace be upon him), has both male and female; and Isa (peace be upon him) was created from a female without a male. This completes evidence of Allah’s power in creation and provision. Thus, the verse under discussion reflects God’s perfect knowledge and power over all people’s variety in offspring and lineage, affirming His wisdom and control over creation.
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