Why the use of 'We' for Allah, in the Qur'an

Question:
I am new to Islam so forgive me if this question seems silly to you, but it has been bothering me. I am reading the Qur'an for the first time (in English) and the central theme throughout seems to be that there is only one God and no one has the right to be worshipped but Him. This is very clear. So why, then, does nearly every verse use the plural "We" instead of "I" when God is talking? Who is the other part of that "we"? For example, "Like this We requited them because they were ungrateful disbelievers. And never do We requite in such a way except those who are ungrateful." (34:17). But nearly all verses use this plural form rather than the singular. If you could explain this to me, I would be much obliged.

Response:
The inconsistent use of pronouns (We, I, He) for God in the Qur'an often creates problems for people. To understand why it has so happened, one must appreciate that the Qur’an is not just a bland piece prose in Arabic that was revealed, to hand down some instructions to the prophet. It is a masterpiece of Arabic literature. Like other literary masterpieces, the use of pronouns in the Qur’an, as indeed in the case of many other aspects of its styles of presentation, should be viewed from that perspective. The use of third person pronoun by an author may be considered an error by a reader not fully conversant with literary writings. To someone who knows the subtle delicacies of presentations that are expressed in the highest level of literary taste, usage of the same pronoun can raise that work from the level of ordinary prose to a much higher level of literary taste. The Qur’an was revealed not just to influence the ordinary people of the Arabian society; it had come to have a deep impact on the elite of the society who wouldn’t have been impressed by a message that expressed itself in a simple, dull language. Thus Qur’anic style of presentation should be appreciated from the standpoint of the richness of its literary stature.

Not long ago, in the first-person plural, 'we' was used by individual kings and queens in English. In my language, Urdu, too it was quite a popular way of expressing a single individual's feelings and ideas particular in formal speeches. Even though such usages have become rare, they are still in use in both English and Urdu, as indeed, I am sure, in many other contemporary languages.

The usage of 'I' for God in the Qur'an, is normally used on occasions when His oneness or closeness to the addressee is needed to be emphasized. When the pronoun, 'We' is used, it is meant to emphasize the grandeur, strength, and vastness of His system and the infiniteness of His attributes. When the pronoun 'He' is used in the Qur'an, it is normally done to refer to God Almighty from the perspective of the addressee and/or the reader.

May God Almighty help you in increasing your knowledge of Islam.

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