Verses 30–33
These verses inform us about the purpose of sending human beings to this world and the reality of establishing vicegerency (khilāfa) on earth, and what its effects and characteristics are. Unlike His other stories, this story appears in the Qur’an only once, in this chapter.
Commentary
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً ۖ قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَنْ يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ ٣٠ وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنْبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ هَٰؤُلَاءِ إِنْ كُنْتُمْ صَادِقِينَ ٣١ قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَاۖ إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ ٣٢ قَالَ يَا آدَمُ أَنْبِئْهُمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا أَنْبَأَهُمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنْتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ٣٣
(2:30-33) When your Lord said to the angels, ‘Indeed I am going to set a viceroy on the earth,’ they said, ‘Will You set in it someone who will cause corruption in it, and shed blood, while we celebrate Your praise and proclaim Your sanctity?’ He said, ‘Indeed I know what you do not know.’ And He taught Adam the Names, all of them; then presented them to the angels and said, ‘Tell me the names of these, if you are truthful.’ They said, ‘Immaculate are You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed You are the All-knowing, the All-wise.’ He said, ‘O Adam, inform them of their names,’ and when he had informed them of their names, He said, ‘Did I not tell you that I indeed know the Unseen in the heavens and the earth, and that I know whatever you disclose and whatever you were concealing?’
When your Lord said…: The discussion about the meaning of “saying” (speech) when it is from God, the angels, and Satan, will come later, God willing.
They said, ‘Will You set in it someone who will cause corruption in it, and shed blood…and proclaim Your sanctity: This indicates that the angels understood that corruption and bloodshed will happen from His words: Indeed I am going to set a viceroy on the earth, since earthly beings are made from materials and possess powers of anger and desire (ghāḍabiyya wa shahwiyya); the world is one of conflict, with limited directions and abundant rivalries, its elements not eternal, and its order and reforms susceptible to corruption and nullification. Life on earth can only be completed through species-appropriate life, and survival in it can only be perfected through social gathering and cooperation. Thus, it cannot be free from corruption and bloodshed.
From this, they understood that there would be no vicegerency (khilāfa) on earth unless numerous individuals and a social system for them exists that would ultimately lead to corruption and bloodshed. Vicegerency, which is the appointment of someone in place of another, is only possible when the vicegerent reflects the traits, effects, rules, and management of the one they represent. God, in His existence, is named with the beautiful names and described with the highest attributes of beauty and majesty, free from imperfection, and His actions sanctified from evil and corruption. The earthly vicegerent, because of his nature, is not suitable for vicegerency, and their existence, which is tainted with every imperfection and blemish, does not reflect the divine existence that is sanctified and free from all imperfections and evil. How can clay compare to the Lord of lords?
The angels’ response sought to understand what they were ignorant of and to clarify what was unclear to them about this vicegerent. It was not a form of objection or dispute at all. The evidence for this is their statement, as mentioned in the Qur’an: Indeed You are the All-knowing, the All-wise, where the sentence begins with I Inna (translated “indeed”), indicating acceptance of what follows it.
In other words, the angels are saying that vicegerency exists only to represent God through glorifying His praise and sanctifying Him through existence. However, earthliness does not allow this, but rather draws one towards corruption and evil. The purpose of viceregency, which is glorification and sanctification in the sense that has been mentioned, is achieved because we “celebrate Your praise and proclaim Your sanctity Thus, “we are Your vicegerents” or “make us Your vicegerents.” So what is the benefit of earthly vicegerency?
God responds: Indeed I know what you do not know. He taught Adam the Names, all of them.
Appointing a Viceregent and Teaching Adam the Names
The above context indicates:
The mentioned vicegerency was indeed vicegerency of God, not vicegerency of earthly beings who preceded humans and became extinct; thus, God intended to make humans succeed them, as some exegetes have suggested. This is because the answer that God gave them—teaching Adam the names—does not align with that interpretation. According to this verse, the vicegerency is not limited to Adam himself; his children would be vicegerents too. The meaning of teaching the names would then be depositing this knowledge in humans such that its effects appear gradually and continuously, and if one is guided to the path, it becomes possible to bring this knowledge from potentiality to actuality. The universality of vicegerency is supported by the verses: Do you consider it odd that there should come to you a reminder from your Lord through a man from among yourselves, so that he may warn you? Remember when He made you successors after the people of Noah (), Then We made you successors on the earth after them (), and They attribute to Allah what they dislike (for themselves) ().
God did not deny that his vicegerents would cause corruption and bloodshed on earth, nor did He deny the angels’ claim of glorification and sanctification. He confirmed what they claimed and went as far as to reveal something else—there was a matter that the angels were not capable of bearing, but this earthly vicegerent could bear it, for he relates from God a matter and bears from Him a secret that is beyond the angels’ capacity. This inevitably leads to corruption and bloodshed.
God later substituted His words I know what you do not know with Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth. The intended meaning of this “unseen” (ghayb) is the names themselves, not Adam’s knowledge of them. The angels did not know that there were names they did not know, not that they knew of the existence of such names, while being ignorant of Adam knowing them. Otherwise, there would have been no purpose in God asking them about the names, which is evident. He would have been sufficient to say: O Adam, inform them of their names, so that it would become clear to them that Adam knew the names, rather than asking the angels about that. This context indicates that they claimed vicegerency and saw that it did not befit Adam. But it was necessary for the vicegerent to know the names, so He asked them to say them, which they failed to do, while Adam knew them. This proved that he is a suitable vicegerent, and they are not. God concluded the question with the words if you are truthful, which indicates that they had claimed something that necessitated knowledge of the names.
And He taught Adam the Names, all of them; then presented them…: This suggests that these names, or their referents, were living, rational beings who existed but were concealed behind the veil of the unseen (ghayb). The knowledge of their names was different from the knowledge we have of the names of things. Otherwise, when Adam informed the angels of these names, they would have become knowledgeable and equal to Adam. There would have been no honoring for Adam nor any special distinction from God, teaching him the names, but not to the angels. Had He taught them to the angels, they would have been on par with Adam or even better. If this were the case, it would not have sufficed to convince them or invalidate their argument. What kind of proof would it be for God to teach someone the knowledge of language and then pride Himself in front of honored angels who do not speak before him nor act without His command, by saying that this is His vicegerent and worthy of His grace instead of them? Then for God to tell the angels to inform Him about the languages that humans will create for understanding and communication, if they are truthful in their claim or in questioning His vicegerency.” Moreover, the perfection of language lies in the knowledge of what is in hearts, and the angels do not need speech for this purpose, as they receive meanings directly, so they possess a perfection beyond that of speech. In summary, the knowledge the angels obtained through Adam informing them of the names is different from what Adam obtained through God’s teaching. One of these two matters was possible for the angels and within their capability, but not the other. Adam deserved divine vicegerency through knowledge of the names, not through informing others of them, as the angels only said in Response: ‘Immaculate are You!, we have no knowledge except what You have taught us, thus, negating having that kind of knowledge.
From what has preceded, it has become clear that knowing the names of these referents must reveal their realities and essences, not merely the linguistic meaning. These known referents are external realities and actual existents, yet they are veiled under the cover of the unseen of the heavens and earth. Knowledge of their realities was accessible and possible for an earthly being but not for a heavenly angel; it was, additionally, intrinsic to divine vicegerency.
The “names” in God’s words: And He taught Adam the Names, all of them is a plural with the definite article “al” (translated as the), which indicates generality of the noun. Additionally, it is emphasized by the words all of them, which refers to every name that has a referent, without restriction or specification.
The phrase presented them indicates that each referent denoted by a name is alive and processes knowledge while being concealed behind the veil of the unseen (ghayb) of the heavens and earth. While the attribution of the unseen to the heavens and earth could, in some contexts, be an addition with “min” (from/of), indicating a part of something, this context, about demonstrating God’s complete power and encompassing knowledge and the angels’ inability and deficiency, necessitates that the attribution of the unseen to the heavens and earth is a possessive attribution, indicating that these Names are matters hidden from both the celestial and terrestrial realms, outside the sphere of existence.
When you contemplate these aspects—namely the universality of the Names, whose referents possess life and knowledge, and are part of the unseen of the heavens and earth—you will necessarily conclude that they correspond to what is indicated in the verse: There is not a thing but that its sources are with Us, and We do not send it down except in a known measure (), in which God says that everything that can be called a “thing” He has its treasuries that are stored and lasting, cannot deplete nor be measured or limited. It is only measured and limited when it was created. And the multiplicity of the treasuries is not quantitative that necessitates measurement and limitation, but rather is the multiplicity of ranks and degrees. This shall have another discussion in Chapter 15, Sūrah al-Ḥijr, God willing.
Thus, it is established that those whom God presented to the angels are exalted existents preserved by God, veiled by the veils of the unseen. God has sent down every name in the world with their goodness and blessing, and derived everything in the heavens and earth from their light and radiance. Despite their multiplicity, they do not multiply like individuals, nor do they differ like persons. Rather, the differences and multiplicity lie in their ranks and degrees. The descent of the name from these beings is only through this type of descent.
And I know whatever you disclose and whatever you were concealing: The two categories are from the relative unseen (ghayb nisbi: unknown to some and known to others), which is part of the heavens and earth. That is why it is contrasted with His words: “I know the unseen of the heavens and earth,” to encompass both types of the unseen—the external to the earthly and heavenly realms, and that which is not external to it.
Whatever you were concealing: Qualifying concealment with you were (Kuntum) suggests that there was something being concealed about Adam and his appointment as vicegerent. This can be discerned from the verse: they prostrated, but not Iblis: he refused and acted arrogantly, and he was one of the faithless ().
This reveals that Iblis (Satan) was faithless before that incident, and that his refusal to prostrate was connected to his faithlessness, which he had harbored within himself.
This shows that the prostration of the angels and Iblis’s refusal occurred between God’s words Indeed, I know what you do not know and I know whatever you disclose and whatever you were concealing. This also reveals the secret behind the change of the verse from I know what you do not know to I know the Unseen of the heavens and the earth.
Examining Narrations
- In Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī from al-Ṣādiq, he said: “How did the angels know to say ‘Will You set in it someone who will cause corruption in it, and shed blood, ’ if they had not already seen someone spread corruption and shed blood?”
Author’s comment: This could refer to a life on earth that preceded the one of the children of Adam, as reported in narrations. This does not contradict what was mentioned earlier about the angels learning about this from God’s words: I am going to set a viceroy on the earth. Indeed, the narration would not be complete without the earlier discussion, or else this statement would have been a blameworthy analogy from the angels, like the analogy of Iblis.
- Another narration by the Imam in Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī from Zurāra: “I came to Abū Jaʿfar, and he asked me: ‘What do you have of the Shi’i narrations?’ I said: ‘I have many of them, and I have considered burning them with fire.’ The Imam said: ‘Hide them and you will forget what you denied of them.’ Then the matter of Adam’s descendants came to my mind, and he said: ‘What was the knowledge of the angels when they said: “Will You set in it someone who will cause corruption in it, and shed blood?”’”
Zurara reports that whenever Abū ʿAbd Allāh would relate this narration, he says: “This is a refutation of the Qadarites.” Then Abū ʿAbd Allāh said: “Adam had a friend among the angels in heaven. When Adam descended from heaven to earth, the angel felt lonely and complained to God and asked His permission (to descend). He permitted him, so he descended to Adam and found him sitting in a desolate part of the earth. When Adam saw him, he put his hand on his head and cried out.” Abū ʿAbd Allāh said: “They narrate that most of creation heard it. The angel said to him: ‘O Adam, I only see that you have disobeyed your Lord and taken upon yourself something you cannot bear. Do you know what God said to us about you and what we replied?’ He said: ‘No.’ The angel said: ‘He said: “Indeed, I am going to set a viceroy on the earth.” We said: Will You set in it someone who will cause corruption in it, and shed blood? He created you to be on earth, so how could it be right for you to be in heaven?” Abū ʿAbd Allāh said: “By God, Adam was consoled by this for three days.”
Author’s comment: It can be understood from this narration that Adam’s paradise was in the heavens, and other narrations about this will also come.
In Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī, also from Abū l-ʿAbbās from Abū ʿAbd Allāh, he said: “I asked the Imam about God’s words: ‘And He taught Adam the Names, all of them.” What did He teach him? He responded: ‘The lands, mountains, mountain passes, and valleys.’ Then he looked at a carpet beneath him and said: ‘And this carpet is from what He taught him.’”
And in the same exegesis book is another narration from al-Fuḍayl ibn al-ʿAbbās from Abū ʿAbd Allāh, he said: “I asked him about God’s words: ‘And He taught Adam the Names, all of them.”What are they? He said: ‘The names of the valleys, plants, trees, and mountains of the earth.’”
In Tafsīr al-ʿAyyāshī from Dāwūd ibn Sarḥān al-ʿAṭṭār, he said: “I was with Abū ʿAbd Allāh when he called for food to be served, and we had lunch. Then he called for the basin and the hand-washing vessel, so I said: ‘May I be sacrificed for you, the verse: “And He taught Adam the Names, all of them.” Were the basin and hand-washing vessel among them?’ He said: ‘And the mountain passes and valleys,’ and he gestured with his hand.”
In al-Maʿānī from al-Ṣādiq, he said: “God taught Adam the names of all His proofs (ḥujaj), then presented them—while they were spirits—to the angels and said: “Tell me the names of these, if you are truthful” in your claim that you are more deserving of vicegerency on earth due to your glorification and sanctification than Adam. They said: Immaculate are You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise. God said: O Adam, inform them of their names, and when he had informed them of their names they realized the greatness of their status with God, and they knew that they (the proofs) were more deserving to be God’s vicegerents on His earth and His proofs over His creation. Then He concealed them from their sight and made them worship through their guardianship (wilāya) and love, and said to them: Did I not tell you that I indeed know the Unseen in the heavens and the earth, and that I know whatever you disclose and whatever you were concealing?
Author’s comment: By returning to the previous commentary, you understand the meaning of these narrations and that there is no contradiction between them and what preceded. It was previously established that His words There is not a thing but that its sources are with Us (), everything has an existence in the treasuries of the unseen, and that these things before us only came into existence through descent from there. Every name that is assigned to a named thing is a name for what is in the treasuries of the unseen. So whether it is said that God taught Adam what is in His treasuries of the unseen of the heavens and earth, or that He taught Adam the names of everything, which are the unseen of the heavens and earth, the outcome is one and the same, and this is evident.
- Several narrations about clay (ṭīna) are relevant to this context, such as what is reported in Biḥār from Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh, who said: “I asked the Messenger of God: ‘What is the first thing that God created?’ He replied: ’The light of your Prophet, O Jābir. God created it and then created all good from it. Then He placed it before Him in the station of proximity for as long as He willed. Then He divided it into portions, creating the Throne from one, the Chair from another, and the bearers of the Throne and the dwellers of the Chair from a third. He kept the fourth portion in the station of love for as long as He willed. Then He divided it into portions, creating the Pen from one, the Tablet from another, and Paradise from a third. He kept the fourth portion in the station of fear for as long as He willed. Then He divided it into parts, creating the angels from one, the sun from another, and the moon from a third. He kept the fourth portion in the station of hope for as long as He willed. Then He divided it into parts, creating intellect from one, knowledge and forbearance from another, and infallibility and divine success from a third. He kept the fourth portion in the station of modesty for as long as He willed. Then He looked at it with the eye of awe, causing that light to exude and drip one hundred and twenty-four thousand drops. From each drop, God created the spirit of a prophet and messenger. Then the spirits of the prophets breathed, and from their breaths God created the spirits of the saints, martyrs, and righteous ones.”
Author’s comment: There are many corroborating narrations with these meanings. When you carefully contemplate and examine them, you will find them to be evidence for what we have presented, and a portion of the discussion about some of them will come later. Beware of dismissing such noble traditions narrated from the mines of knowledge and springs of wisdom as fabrications and delusions of the Sufis, for creation has secrets. Indeed, scientists and scholars from various human communities have been tirelessly researching the secrets of nature since humankind began to spread, and whenever one piece of knowledge becomes apparent to them, many unknowns become evident, and this is in the realm of nature, the narrowest and lowest of realms, let alone what lies beyond it in the realms of light and vastness?