English - Ma'ariful Qur'an - Mufti Shafi Usmani RA - Vol - 1
Surah Al-Baqarah - 2 : Verses 30 - 33

Pages for Current Surah - Verse/s :-

- Verses 30 - 33: Translation and Commentary

- The Creation of Adam (A.S) -
- Why Allah Discussed Adam's (A.S) Creation with Angels?
- Allah is the Creator of the Language
- Man is the Viceregent of Allah on the Earth
- The Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam) was the Last Caliph of Allah on Earth
- The Issue of Caliphate After the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu 'Alayhi Wasallam)

The creation of Adam (A.S)

The present three verses relate how Allah, having decided to create Adam (A.S) and to make him His deputy on the earth, spoke of it to the angels - seemingly by way of a trial, suggesting that they should express their opinions in this matter. The angels submitted that they could not understand why men were being chosen to be-the deputies, for some of them would shed blood and spread disorder on this earth. They thought that they themselves were more suited to perform this function, as the nature of angels is wholly good, no evil deed can possibly come out of them, they are totally obedient to Allah, and should hence be more capable of managing the affairs of the world. In replying to them, Allah first adopted the mode of authority, and told the angels that they knew nothing about the nature and the needs of deputation on the earth, and that Allah alone was the one to know it fully. The second answer was in the mode of wisdom - Adam had been given preference over the angels on account of his superiority in the station of knowledge, because in order to function properly as a deputy on the earth one must know the names, the properties and the characteristics of the things to be found there, and the angels had no aptitude for this kind of knowledge.

(1) A question arises here as to why Allah chose to speak of His decision to the angels. Was it merely to inform them? Was it to seek their advice? Or, was it to make them express their opinion on the subject?