بِسْم الله الرحمن الرحيم
Verses 30 to 39 - The Story of Adam عليه السلام
The story of Adam عليه السلام came للامتنان على بني آدم بالنعّم. The blessings mentioned are:
1) نعمة التكريم - The blessing of honouring humankind
2) نعمة التعليم - The blessing of teaching mankind
Verse 30:
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً ۖ قَالُوا أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
“And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels: "Verily, I am going to place (mankind) generations after generations on earth." They said: "Will You place therein those who will make mischief therein and shed blood, - while we glorify You with praises and thanks (Exalted be You above all that they associate with You as partners) and sanctify You." He (Allah) said: "I know that which you do not know."
How did the angels know the humans would cause corruption in the land? What was the source of their knowledge?
You should deal with this as a متشابه (unclear piece of information). The Qur’an consists of clear and unclear information. Whenever you come across something like this and you have no evidence, you should stop at what Allah informed us, because this is a matter of the unseen. However, you should believe that the angels do not lie; they undoubtedly have a source for their knowledge which we don’t know.
In the beginning of the Surah, Allah mentioned that the hypocrites and the disbelievers make mischief in the land. What they said is correct, because Allah affirmed that in the beginning of the Surah
Also, ask yourself - is knowing the source a point of benefit or does it have no consequence on the story? If it was beneficial and important, Allah would have mentioned it.
We should say as Allah said in Surah Aal-Imran [3:7]:
هُوَ الَّذِي أَنزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُّحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ ۖ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ ۗ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ ۗ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِندِ رَبِّنَا
“It is He Who has sent down to you (Muhammad) the Book (this Quran). In it are Verses that are entirely clear, they are the foundations of the Book and others not entirely clear. So as for those in whose hearts there is a deviation (from the truth) they follow that which is not entirely clear thereof, seeking Al-Fitnah (polytheism and trials, etc.), and seeking for its hidden meanings, but none knows its hidden meanings save Allah. And those who are firmly grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in it; the whole of it (clear and unclear Verses) are from our Lord.”
Are the angels objecting to Allah?
It is not suitable to say that the angels object to Allah’s command. They are obedient to Allah and never disobey Him. Their inquiry is out of wonder.
It is also out of magnification of Allah’s greatness. It shows their sense of Gheerah that someone would violate the rights of Allah. A person whose faith is strong feels a sense of anger when people violate the rights of Allah. This is a praiseworthy characteristic. That is why they said, “و نحن نسبح بحمدك و نقدس لك”
The angels asking forgiveness is mentioned twice in the Qur’an:
a) For those who believe - Surah Ghafir
b) For those on the earth - Surah Shura
As-Sa’di said: تعظيما لله - Out of magnification of Allah
What did Allah answer the angels with?
“إني أعلم ما لا تعلمون” - (I know that which you do not)
It is a short answer, but it teaches us many things, such as:
1) Allah knows
2) The kindness of Allah with the angels.
Whenever a believer goes through a distressful situation - for example, a woman who has an abusive husband - she may reach a state where she questions what the wisdom in the Shari’ah is for giving men a higher status above women. How do you deal with such a person? How Allah dealt with the angels. Allah knows and we do not know. Allah is wise and there is a wisdom behind what is happening. You should be talking about Allah.
3) Allah knows that although some of the sons of Adam will make mischief in the land, amongst them will be Prophets, Messengers, Scholars, Righteous people. There is a تكريم (honour) for humankind in this answer.
Verse 31:
وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ هَٰؤُلَاءِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ
“And He taught Adam all the names (of everything) , then He showed them to the angels and said, "Tell Me the names of these if you are truthful."
There is another honour for Adam عليه السلام, and that is teaching him the names of everything.
Between these two verses, how many events have been omitted?
- The creation of Adam عليه السلام from clay
- The blowing of the soul into Adam عليه السلام
They are not mentioned in Surah Al-Baqarah, but they are mentioned in other Surahs. Why? The Quranic stories are not mentioned chronologically. Whatever event that is a شاهد to the context is mentioned.
Allah taught Adam عليه السلام the names, even the augmentative and diminutive forms of the name.
Allah taught us everything we know, whether it is religious or worldly. Acquiring knowledge thus remains a sign of honour until the establishment of the Day of Judgement. The more a person increases in religious knowledge, the more he will be honoured with Allah, and this is particular to religious knowledge. It is for this type of knowledge that Allah makes the angels lower their wings. It is this type of knowledge that is the inheritance of the Prophets and Messengers. And any knowledge related to it is also considered an inheritance of the Prophets - like Arabic Grammar and morphology.
Adam عليه السلام did not descend on the earth naked and ignorant and unable to speak. He was honoured by Allah.
What is the significance of the names?
Names are the keys to dealing with everything. We cannot identify or deal with anything without knowing its name.
What are the dangers of naming things wrongly?
E.g. Thoughts come to a persons mind that so-and-so is pretending to be such-and-such. People name this intelligence or a sixth sense - that a person is able to see into the motives of others. If you know it is Waswaas and suspicion you will try to cure it, but if you label it intelligence you will never try to cure it.
E.g. They call nudity “modernity”
Names affect our reactions, decisions, and general human behaviour.
When people name things wrongly, it becomes easier to commit a sin.
E.g. When they call Riba an investment.
E.g. Undutifulness to parents is called “freedom”
If you call it bad manners they would not like to do it, but if you call it freedom they would persist.
It’s a duty upon people to keep the right names for things and not change it. Don’t feel shy to call Zina, Zina, and Riba, Riba.
Note: The word “قال” is repeated. This affirms Allah speaks. He speaks with words and with a voice that is heard. He spoke to the angels and He spoke to Adam عليه السلام. Allah speaks with whatever He wills, whenever He wills.
This verse shows the superiority of Adam عليه السلام over the Angels by teaching him and testing the angels.
After Allah taught Adam عليه السلام the names of everything, He showed them to the angels and told them to name them if they were truthful. What did the angels reply?
Verse 32:
قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ
“They (angels) said: "Glory be to You, we have no knowledge except what you have taught us. Verily, it is You, the All-Knower, the All-Wise."
“سبحانك” is derived from the word سَبَحَ which means swimming. A person swims far away from the sea shore. Similarly, Allah is far away from being attributed with deficiencies and flaws.
Why did the angels glorify Allah? It is almost as if they felt scared that their previous statement could be an objection, so this was an apology. They immediately submitted to Allah and feared their previous statement and inability to answer Allah.
They acknowledged that knowledge belongs to Allah alone and He has perfect knowledge and perfect wisdom. When Allah taught Adam عليه السلام the names, they knew there was a wisdom behind creating Adam عليه السلام, contrary to what they thought of in the past.
This verse shows that the angels glorify and magnify Allah and that they confessed their shortcoming in knowing anything save what Allah teaches them.
Verse 33:
قَالَ يَا آدَمُ أَنبِئْهُم بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّا أَنبَأَهُم بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ
“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 know the Ghaib (unseen) in the heavens and the earth, and I know what you reveal and what you have been concealing?"
Allah is addressing to Adam عليه السلام, and this direct address is also an honour for him.
Teaching Adam عليه السلام is also an honour for him, asking the angels to name the objects is also an honour, and asking Adam عليه السلام to inform them of their names is also an honour for him. He knew what the angels did not know.
Besides the speech of Allah, these verses emphasize the perfect knowledge of Allah. He repeatedly mentioned علم and it’s derivatives.
Allah explains the sentence in verse 30 “إني أعلم ما لا تعلمون” in this verse with the sentence “إني أعلم غيب السماوات و الأرض و أعلم ما تبدون و ما كنتم تكتمون”.
Verses 34 to 39 - The struggle between Adam عليه السلام and Iblees
Verse 34:
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَىٰ وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ الْكَافِرِينَ
“And (remember) when We said to the angels: "Prostrate yourselves before Adam.". And they prostrated except Iblis (Satan), he refused and was proud and was one of the disbelievers (disobedient to Allah).”
This is another event that honours Adam عليه السلام.
This part shows us the main cause of disbelief on earth. We heard about the disbelievers in the beginning of the Surah, and now we are told about the cause of the disbelief of people.
Every time Allah mentions a command, Allah tells us that there is a divided response. In the beginning of the Surah, Allah tells us He revealed a book in which there is no doubt, the people divided into believers, disbelievers, hypocrites. Then He tells us when He set a parable of a mosquito, people divide into those who believe and those who disbelieve. Now Allah tells us that He commanded the angels to prostrate, and they obeyed and Iblees disobeyed. With any command of Allah, there are people who obey and people who and disobey.
What did Allah say about Iblees in the Qur’an?
1) He is a Jinn, not an Angel. In Surah Al-Kahf [18:50]:
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِ
“And (remember) when We said to the angels; "Prostrate to Adam." So they prostrated except Iblis (Satan). He was one of the jinns; he disobeyed the Command of his Lord.”
This verse tells us that the Jinn were created before Adam عليه السلام, and some interpreters said because the angels saw the Jinn making mischief on the land they had the same assumption about humans. This is a possible explanation but not a surety.
2) What made Iblees reach the rank of the Angels? His great amount of worship of Allah.
He sought superiority over the Jinn and worshipped Allah until he reached the ranks of the angels. The Jinn can thus be believers and disbelievers, as Allah says in Surah Al-Jinn [Chapter 72].
Iblees worshipped Allah, but he was not truthful, and it was shown in this test. When Allah made someone superior over him, this sickness in his heart appeared. He took his worship of Allah as a means of elevation over the Jinn.
The last word in Verse 33 “و ما كنتم تكتمون” and then Allah mentioned about Iblees. Allah knew what Iblees was concealing and made it apparent by means of this test.
We should always ask ourselves why we are worshipping Allah.
What was Iblees’s sin? أبى و أستكبر
What did Allah judge him as? و كان من الكافرين
3) He threatened Adam عليه السلام and his offspring. Allah says in Surah Al-A’raf [7:16-17]:
قَالَ فَبِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأَقْعُدَنَّ لَهُمْ صِرَاطَكَ الْمُسْتَقِيمَ
(Iblis) said: "Because You have sent me astray, surely I will sit in wait against them (human beings) on Your Straight Path.
ثُمَّ لَآتِيَنَّهُم مِّن بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ وَعَنْ أَيْمَانِهِمْ وَعَن شَمَائِلِهِمْ ۖ وَلَا تَجِدُ أَكْثَرَهُمْ شَاكِرِينَ
Then I will come to them from before them and behind them, from their right and from their left, and You will not find most of them as thankful ones (i.e. they will not be dutiful to You)."
He does not want us to be grateful; he wants us to be of the Kafireen. The opposite of gratefulness is Kufr. He wants to prevent us from being characterized with شكر (gratefulness) and to be characterized with كفر (ungratefulness). In other words, he does not want us to be obedient to Allah. All acts of worship are considered gratefulness to Allah. Allah commanded Dawud عليه السلام in Surah Saba [34:13]:
اعْمَلُوا آلَ دَاوُودَ شُكْرًا ۚ وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِيَ الشَّكُورُ
"Work you, O family of Dawud (David), with thanks!" But few of My slaves are grateful.“
Allah also says in Surah Al-Hijr [15:39-40]:
قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لَأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ
“[Iblis (Satan)] said: "O my Lord! Because you misled me, I shall indeed adorn the path of error for them (mankind) on the earth, and I shall mislead them all.“
إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ
"Except Your chosen, (guided) slaves among them."
4) What are the means by which he leads the son of Adam astray? Waswaas (Whispering)
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