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 وَعَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَائِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنْبِئُونِي بِأَسْمَاءِ هَؤُلَاء إِنْ كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ قَالُوا سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا إِنَّكَ أَنْتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ  قَالَ يَاآدَمُ أَنْبِئْهُمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ فَلَمَّا أَنْبَأَهُمْ بِأَسْمَائِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُلْ لَكُمْ إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ (٣٠-٣٣)

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى وَاسْتَكْبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنْ الْكَافِرِينَ  وَقُلْنَا يَاآدَمُ اسْكُنْ أَنْتَ وَزَوْجُكَ الْجَنَّةَ وَكُلَا مِنْهَا رَغَدًا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمَا وَلَا تَقْرَبَا هَذِهِ الشَّجَرَةَ فَتَكُونَا مِنْ الظَّالِمِينَ فَأَزَلَّهُمَا الشَّيْطَانُ عَنْهَا فَأَخْرَجَهُمَا مِمَّا كَانَا فِيهِ وَقُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا بَعْضُكُمْ لِبَعْضٍ عَدُوٌّ وَلَكُمْ فِي الْأَرْضِ مُسْتَقَرٌّ وَمَتَاعٌ إِلَى حِينٍ فَتَلَقَّى آدَمُ مِنْ رَبِّهِ كَلِمَاتٍ فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ  قُلْنَا اهْبِطُوا مِنْهَا جَمِيعًا فَإِمَّا يَأْتِيَنَّكُمْ مِنِّي هُدًى فَمَنْ تَبِعَ هُدَايَ فَلَا خَوْفٌ عَلَيْهِمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحْزَنُونَ  وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا وَكَذَّبُوا بِآيَاتِنَا أُوْلَئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُونَ  (٣٤-٣٩)

[Ask them O Prophet (sws) about their baseless denial of the Almighty] and [in order to make them understand Our scheme regarding this world, narrate to them the incident] when your Lord said to the angels1: ‘I am going to create someone who will be given the sovereignty of the earth’.2 They said: ‘Will You create in it one who will make mischief therein and shed blood3? – whereas we glorify and sanctify You while praising You4?’ He said: ‘I know what you know not5’. And [in order to make them understand] He taught Adam the names of all things6; then He placed before the angels [the people whose names had been taught to Adam]. Then said: ‘Inform Us of7 the names of these people if you are truthful [in your claim]8’. They said: ‘You are free from all flaws9; of knowledge we have none save what You have taught us: in truth it is You who have knowledge and wisdom’. He said: ‘O Adam! Tell them their names’. Then when he had introduced them to the angels, Allah said: ‘Did I not tell you that I know the secrets of the heavens and earth10, and I know what you are revealing11 and what you were concealing12?’ (30-3)

And [in order to communicate the nature of trial through which man will be put through in this world, also narrate to them the incident] when13 We asked the angels to bow down14 to Adam  and they bowed down except15 Iblīs16: he refused and showed arrogance and in this manner became among the rejecters. And We said: ‘O Adam! dwell you and your wife in this garden17 and eat freely in it from where ever you want to; but both of you! Do not go near this tree18 or you will become transgressors. Then did Satan19 make them slip20 from the garden, and had them turned out from the state they were in. And We said: ‘Move [out]21, all [you people] with enmity between yourselves22 and on earth will be your dwelling-place and a provision for a specified time’. Then Adam learnt from his Lord some words23 of [repentance and then repented before his Lord through these words24] and his Lord accepted his repentance25. Indeed He is Most Forgiving, Ever Merciful26. We said: ‘Go [out] from here27; then if ever comes to you any guidance from Me28, then [remember] whosoever [among you] follow My guidance, [their reward is Paradise where] they will have no fear, nor shall they grieve29. And those who reject faith and belie Our revelations, they shall be companions of the Fire. They shall abide therein forever’. (34-39)

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1. The Qur’ānic word used is ‘مَلَائِكَة’. It is the plural of ‘مَلَك’ which means ‘messenger’. The dialogue which these verses depict between the angels and the Almighty shows that angels are not mere ‘forces of nature’; they are a distinct category of noble creatures which have an independent entity.

2. The Arabic word used is ‘خَلِيفَة’. It is evident from 38:26 that just as this word means ‘successor’ and ‘deputy’, it also means ‘a person who has authority without being a deputy or successor of someone’. Giving due consideration to this aspect, I have translated it as ‘sovereign’. There are many examples in the Arabic language of words which are used in a particular shade while being stripped off a part of their original meaning.

3. The angels expressed their apprehensions on the creation of man because of the word ‘خَلِيفَة’. They thought that when someone blessed with authority would be given sovereignty of the earth, he would misuse his authority and this would certainly result in disorder and bloodshed in this world.

4. The words of the angels: ‘whereas we glorify and sanctify You while praising You’ signify their worship. They asserted that they are totally submissive to the Almighty and that through both their words and deeds regard the Almighty as devoid of all attributes that do not behoove His majesty and acknowledge all attributes in Him that entail gratitude and thankfulness on the part of His creation. These words show that the angels had requested the Almighty to leave the management and administration of the earth to them and not to entrust it some one whose authority might create disorder and anarchy. Although this implication of the words quoted of the angels is quite evident, they did not mention it in explicit words out of respect for the Almighty.

5. The implication being that the angels do not have grasp of all aspects of the Almighty’s scheme. Once they become aware of it, all their objections would be answered.

6. The Qur’ānic real words used are ‘عَلَّمَ آدَمَ الْأَسْمَاءَ كُلَّهَا’. The ‘ال’ pre-fixed to the word ‘اَسْمَاء’ is for definition (لِلْعَهْد) and means in particular the names of those persons from among the progeny of Adam (sws) who would use in a befitting manner the authority and charge they would be blessed with and urge others to do so as well. Time and again, they would even go as far as to sacrifice all they have to fulfill these responsibilities. These personalities would be the Messengers of the Almighty, the companions of these Messengers, the witnesses of the truth and other righteous individuals.

7. The expression ‘inform Us of the names’ means ‘introduce them to Us’. ‘To inform someone of someone’ also means ‘to introduce someone to someone’.

8. That is the contention that if man is blessed with the sovereignty of this world, he would create anarchy and disorder.

9. The Qur’ānic word used is ‘سُبْحَانَكَ’. It is used in various connotations in the Arabic language. Here what is implied by the angels is that it is not befitting for the Almighty that any of His schemes be devoid of wisdom. It is further implied by these words that the objection raised by them was a result of their limited knowledge and it is the Almighty who abounds with knowledge and wisdom.

10. What is evident from presenting and introducing the righteous among mankind before the angles is that the Almighty wants to select individuals for His Paradise – individuals who in spite of being given sovereignty remain obedient to Him. This objective of course can only have been achieved if disobedience from human beings too was tolerated. Hence, in spite of knowing that disorder would ensue in this world, He decided to create Adam (sws) and give him the sovereignty of this world. He thereby informed the angels that His scheme would certainly not end up in failure and with His grace a large group of righteous people would be selected for Paradise.

11. These words refer to the attributes of the angels themselves and of man which the angels had declared.

12. This refers to what the angels had in mind as referred to in note 4, which they did not utter out of respect for the Almighty.

13. The Qur’ānic words are ‘وَإِذْ قُلْنَا’. Verse 30 also began with the word ‘إِذْ’. Here, a re-mention of the word ‘إِذْ’ at the beginning of this verse shows that the incident narrated subsequently is an independent one. Hence, it is not necessary that it took place after the first one.

14. Bowing down before Adam (sws) was meant to pay respect to him and was done at the bidding of the Almighty. Consequently, there is no element of polytheism in it. It was for two reasons that the Almighty had tested the obedience of the angels in such a manner: firstly, real success does not depend upon the substance of one’s creation; whether someone is created from light or from fire, the real thing is obedience to the Almighty; hence Adam (sws) too at all instances must overcome his false pride to submit to the truth. Secondly, Adam (sws) must realize that when the Almighty elevated him to such a position that the angels bowed down before him, then it is not all befitting for him to worship a creation however much superior to him by granting it divine status with the Almighty. It is only befitting to serve and worship Allah. If he associates someone with Him, he not only shows disrespect to the Almighty but to himself as well.

15. The word ‘اِبْلِيْس’ is on the pattern of ‘اِفْعِيْل’ and it is the title of the jinn who had refused to bow down before Adam (sws). ‘اِبْلِيْس’ means ‘some one who is sorrowful and has no hope’. Some people consider him to be an angel; however, the Qur’ān is explicit that he was a jinn.

16. The jinn folk are not very different from the angels as regards the substance of their creation – their substance being slightly inferior. Hence, a directive pertaining to the angels would automatically pertain to them. They would thus be subsumed in the category of the addressees of the directive.

17. The garden referred to here in all probability was located somewhere on this earth. Adam and Eve were placed in it and it became evident from the test they were put through what the real weapon of Satan would be alluring human beings.

18. This tree is referred to by the words ‘شَجَرَةُ الْخُلْد’ in 20:120. It is thus evident that the word ‘الشَجَرَة’ is used metaphorically. From what is implied by the words ‘شَجَرَةُ الْخُلْد’ and from what happened when Adam and Eve ate this fruit as mentioned in various Qur’ānic verses, it is evident that this word implies the male reproductive organ which is responsible for creating the family tree. It is by tasting the fruit of this tree that man provides continuity to his species in this world. However, even today it is this very tree which is his greatest trial. It is thus evident from 7:27 that Satan uses this means the most to implicate man into evil. The Almighty has called a husband and wife the robe of one another. They are permitted to taste the fruit of this tree while giving due regard to this aspect; however, Satan always entices them to eat the fruit while being disrobed.

19. That is ‘اِبْلِيْس’ referred to earlier.

20. Satan tempted Adam by telling him that the secret of attaining an eternal kingdom and eternal life lies in tasting the fruit from which they had been forbidden. It was after this temptation that they decided to eat the fruit of the tree. They were thus inveigled by Satan and ultimately ate the fruit after being completely overcome by the desire that gets the better of a person in such circumstances.

21. The Qur’ānic word used is ‘اهْبِطُوا’ and means ‘go’, ‘move [out]’. It is used in this very meaning in the expression of ‘مِصْرا اهْبِطُوا’ of verse 61 of this sūrah. The overall meaning is thus ‘O Adam and Eve and O Satan all of you move [out] from this garden and go in the earth’.

22. That is Satan is man’s enemy and man is his. In fact, both are natural enemies of one another. Hence man should always consider him so.

23. Evident from these verses is the established practice of the Almighty that when a person feels ashamed of a sin he has committed and then turns to the Almighty, he is not only divinely propelled into seeking repentance from the Almighty but also appropriate words of repentance spring in his mind. The words of repentance which the Almighty at this instance taught Adam (sws) are quoted in the Qur’ān in 7:23.

24. Because man is not a compulsive sinner. If he commits a sin, then this does not mean that he is a sinner by birth. On the other hand, sins originate from him because he misuses the freedom to exercise his will – something that he has been divinely blessed with. In order to cleanse himself from this sin, the Almighty has taught him to repent and mend his ways. Mankind does not need to invent the doctrine of atonement for repentance.

25. The Qur’ānic words are ‘فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ’. The preposition ‘عَلَي’ here shows that the verb ‘اَقْبَلَ’ is also encompassed in the expression ‘فَتَابَ عَلَيْهِ’. In other words, what is implied is that Adam (sws) once again became a beneficiary of the attention and interest of the Almighty. The Qur’ān has used the words ‘إِنَّهُ هُوَ التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ’ to point to this aspect.

26. What becomes evident from this whole episode is that the two great tests to which man would be subjected to in this world would be his instinct of self pride and his instinct of sex. For the first trial, he should keep before him the example of the angels: in spite of being a superior creation, they prostrated before Adam (sws) in compliance with the directive of the Almighty. For the second trial, he should keep before him the example of Adam (sws): although in the heat of the moment he succumbed to Satan’s evil suggestion, he repented as soon as he recovered from this emotional state. The Almighty consequently accepted his repentance and elevated his status.

27. These words have been repeated twice: once after Adam’s blemish and now here after his repentance. The first instance of their occurrence is to show the consequence of this blemish and the second instance to show that they would have to face a similar trial in this world; after their blemish and subsequent repentance the very objective for which they had been placed in the garden stood fulfilled; the world would now be their abode to an appointed time.

28. The implication being that the test man has been put through is a tough one. Depending on sense and reason alone to succeed in this test may prove difficult. Hence the mercy of the Almighty has come to help man: He Himself will guide man in this regard so that a person who wants to benefit from this guidance will have all the chance to do so and he who wants to remain on the wrong path should do so after the right path has been made completely evident to him such that he would have no excuse to present on the Day of Judgement.

29. The Qur’ān specifically uses these words to describe Paradise. It is a place where man will be free from any fear of the future and any regret of the past. The words ‘خَوْف’ )Khawf) and ‘حُزْن’ (H@uzn) used by the Qur’ān refer to this very aspect: the word ‘خَوْف’ is used for some danger that a person expects to befall him and the word ‘حُزْن’ is used for some loss of the present or the past. Contrary to the life of Paradise, the life of this world is nothing but fears of the future and regrets of the past.

It is evident from this that from the very time of his creation, the real objective of man is to enter Paradise. He has been sent in this world to become eligible to it; thus the driving force behind all his deeds is Paradise. Even if he has not rightly placed this motive in his undertakings, he cannot remain indifferent to it. For in such cases, he would use all his abilities to attain it in this very world. This is something which has been ordained in his nature and he lives and dies for this very objective even if he does not want to.