Summary

The article discusses the Islamic perspective on the gender of God, emphasizing that Allah is neither male nor female, in response to the BBC's report on the feminist movement's influence on Christian scripture.

Abstract

The web content presents a critical analysis of the BBC report "Why is God not female?" from an Islamic viewpoint. It highlights the changes in Christian scripture to make it more inclusive of women, such as altering gendered language in the Bible. The article contrasts this with the Islamic belief that Allah is beyond human concepts of gender, rejecting the idea that God can be categorized as male or female. It cites verses from the Quran to support the Islamic understanding of God as one, indivisible, and unlike anything in creation. The article also addresses the difference between Christian and Islamic theology regarding the nature of God, sin, and the roles of Adam and Eve, concluding that the feminist critique of God's gender does not apply to Islam as it does to Christianity.

Opinions

The author suggests that the question of God's gender, specifically the notion of a female God, is invalid in the context of Islam, as Allah is not bound by human concepts of gender.
The article expresses a view that the Bible has been subject to numerous changes and contains errors and contradictions, which is contrasted with the unchanging nature of the Quran.
Feminist theologian Mary Daly's statement "If God is male, then the male is God" is cited to illustrate the Christian privilege of masculine imagery for God, a concept that is rejected in Islam.
The article criticizes the Christian belief of God impregnating Mary, which is seen as an inappropriate anthropomorphism, and is not in line with Islamic teachings about Allah.
The author asserts that the Quran's teachings about God are definitive and clear, and that Allah's nature is beyond human comparison or imagination.
The article challenges the Christian notion of Original Sin and the portrayal of Eve as the seducer and deceiver of Adam, arguing that in Islam, both Adam and Eve sinned, sought forgiveness, and were forgiven by Allah, with no concept of hereditary sin.

Why is God not Female?

When it comes to Islam, the question is invalid and not applicable.

Note: this article serves as a response, from an Islamic perspective, to BBC’s report, Why is God not female, published in 2015.

What does He look like?

Is He tall or short?

Is He black or white?

What’s the color of His hair?

And what about His eyes?

These are some of the questions you might get from people when you preach that God was sent to us in the form of a man.

And of course, in this hyper-sexualized world, where we are exposed to far more sexual activity than we realize, you might get a question like: Does God have a Penis?!

When I read Stephen’s article, Does The Christian God Have A Penis?, I gagged a little bit. But it’s a valid question. It’s not surprising.

And with the rise of feminism, another question was added to the list.

The Bible and the Feminist Demands

BBC published an article entitled, Why is God not female?. It walks the reader through the changes that have occurred in the Bible since the 1980s to make it “inclusive to women.” The changes came as a result of the feminist movement, which views Christianity as unjust to women.

Below are two examples of the changes that occurred. In summary, words that imply the masculine imagery of God were removed.

In King James Bible, Psalm 8:4 reads:

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

In the New Revised Standard Version of 1989, that was changed to:

What are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?

As you can see, “man” was changed to “human beings” and “him” to “them.”

The 2003 translation of the New Testament by John Henson and the ONE Community for Christian Exploration “calls God ‘your parent’ rather than ‘your father.’ The Holy Spirit is a she, and though Jesus is a he, the translation avoids ever using a pronoun for God.”

Feminists are angry at the fact that Jesus is a male in the Christian belief. Mary Daly, the founder of feminist theology, believed Christianity privileges masculine imagery for God. In her book, Beyond God the Father, she wrote, “If God is male, then the male is God.”

In Christianity, God impregnated Mary; then, she became his mother. He was born out of his vagina. Photo by Pro Church Media on Unsplash

What’s the Gender Allah?

The Bible has been changed so many times over the centuries. If you read it from cover to cover, you will find too many errors and contradictions. It’s beyond the scope of this article to discuss this in detail. But I want to address the last point of the BBC article:

There has been no comparable movement in Islam, which is less open to this kind of reinterpretation.

Christians believe that God impregnated a woman, Mary. She became his mother, and he was born out of her vagina. This idea is rejected in Islam. Many verses in the Quran criticizes this Christian belief.

Daly says, “If God is male, then the male is God.”, In Islam, Allah is not male or female. Therefore the premise is rejected.

God in Islam is called Allah. It’s the name He ordered Muslims to use when addressing Him. Allah is one, indivisible.

Say (O’ Muhammed), “He is Allāh, [who is] One — Quran(112:1)

The Quran is God’s word, revealed to the Prophet Muhammed.

So it’s not Muhammed who orders Muslim women to wear the hijab. And It’s not Muhammed who orders Muslim men not to wear jewelry. It’s Allah who gives these orders, the one who created Muhammed, men, women, animals, and all other creatures.

Allah doesn’t need to be present in this world physically. His relation is beyond human relations. Therefore He has no parents, sons, or daughters.

He neither begets nor is born, Nor is there to Him any equivalent.” Quran, 112,3–4)

The last verse, “Nor is there to Him any equivalent,” means Allah is not comparable to anything.

Therefore Allah is not a man or woman, male or female, human or animal. He’s the creator of all those. What does Allah look like? We don’t know, and we will never know.

We can’t see Allah with our finite perception and abilities. He is beyond our imagination.

There is certainly nothing like Him. He is All-hearing and All-aware. Quran(42:11)

In the Bible, Eve is the seducer and deceiver of Adam, an idea which Daly criticized in her book and considers unjust to women.

The Quran doesn’t have this view. Eve is not a seducer or deceiver. Both Adam and Eve committed a sin and then asked God for forgiveness and He forgave them both. So there is no question of a hereditary sin called Original Sin in Islam.

So to answer the BBC question, Islam doesn’t need a similar movement as the concept of God in Islam is different from Christianity.

Daly says, “If God is male, then the male is God.” In Islam, Allah is not male or female. Therefore the premise is rejected.

There is certainly nothing like Him.