SURAH 2 – AL-BAQARAH VERSES 30-34

THE COW

Quran Study Sessions – Session 22

March 29, 2020

Introduction

❑ Verses 30-39

❑Adam (AS) was the first human created, and all people are descended from him.

❑Story of Adam (AS) is mentioned in several places in the Quran, and different aspects of the story are highlighted in different places.

❑To understand what aspects are the highlights here, the context of the verses needs to be remembered.

❑Verses before this are about following the guidance of God. So, the story is used to explain the reason people are on Earth and why they must follow guidance.

❑And mention when your Lord said to the angels, “I am making a Khalifah on Earth.”

❑They said, “Will you make on it who will cause corruption and spill blood and we glorify you with praise and sanctify You?”

❑He replied, “I know what you do not know.”

Verse 30

❑Allah told the angels He was going to make a Khalifah on Earth. Khalifa means one who succeeds another person or comes after another person. Literally it comes from the meaning “the one left behind”

❑Adam (AS) is being called the Khalifah and his children. Why is he being called the Khalifah:

❑Because Allah gave him the responsibility to judge between people according to God’s laws. Meaning, Allah appointed him to succeed Himself in applying God’s laws. Allah says in the Quran, for example, to David (AS):

إنا جعلناك خليفة في األرض فاحكم بين الناس بالحق (Saad 26)❑Also because Adam (AS) succeeded on Earth those that came before him in the Jinn.

❑Khalifah also implies taking care of the thing you are given responsibility for. So, Allah is also telling us that we are caretakers of the Earth.

Verse 30 Khalifah

❑Something important to understand is that humans were not sent to this world as a punishment. They were, in fact, always intended to be sent to Earth.

❑That is why even before Adam (AS) is created and told to leave Paradise, Allah informs them that he is meant to be a successor on Earth.

❑Humans were sent to this world as a test, not a punishment. As Allah says in the Quran:

❑And it is He who has made you successors upon the earth and has raised some of you above others in degrees [of rank] so that He may test you through what He has given you. Indeed, your Lord is swift in penalty; but indeed, He is Forgiving and Merciful. (Al-An’aam 165)

Verse 30 On Earth

❑The angels are amazed at this decision by Allah and they want to understand the wisdom of Allah further. They were previously told by Allah some description of what humans would do on Earth.

❑So, they ask the question: Our Lord, what is the wisdom in creating them when some of them are going to do corruption in the land and spill blood? If the intention was Your worship, we glorify you with praise already.

❑Allah responds by saying, “I know what you do not know,” meaning I know the good things that outweigh the corruption that you mentioned. Because, I am going to create in them prophets and send them messengers and there will be found in them martyrs, good-doers, worshipers, scholars, and those who fear and love me and those who follow the prophets.

Verse 30 Bloodshed

❑This verse is reminding humans that although they have been given the ability to do corruption because they have been given free will, they have been given the opportunity to do something much better than that.

❑As Allah says in the Quran:

❑“We have certainly created man in the best of stature; Then We return him to the lowest of the low, Except for those who believe and do righteous deeds, for they will have a reward uninterrupted. (Tin, 4-6)

Verse 30

And He taught Adam the names, all of them, then presented them to the angels and said, “Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful.”

❑Allah taught Adam (AS) the names: perhaps objects like sky, tree, etc. and perhaps the names of all his descendants.

❑Then, Allah presented these things or people to the angels and asked them say the names of these things if they are truthful.

Verse 31

They said, “Glory be to you, there is no knowledge for us except what you taught us. You are the All-Knowing All-Wise.”

❑The angels realized that Adam (AS) was given something they were not, namely knowledge.

Verse 32

He said, “O Adam, tell them their names.” After he told them their names, He said, “Didn’t I tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and earth and I know what you reveal and what you are hiding.”

❑By Allah’s command, Adam (AS) revealed the names of those things to the angels.

Verse 33

❑What is the purpose of this “name” story? Allah is elaborating on the blessings of humanity, and why they were created while the angels still existed.

❑First is that by Allah teaching Adam (AS) the names of every descendant of his, He also teaches him who is good and who is bad. By showing and teaching the angels about the good, pious humans, Allah shows the angels the good humanity is capable of.

❑Second is that by Allah teaching Adam (AS) names of objects, He is giving him the ability to understand the world and gain knowledge. Knowledge is one of the key advantages humans have over angels and Jinn.

❑Through this Allah shows the angels and people the honour he has given humans and their capability of doing good.

❑And through this Allah invites people to fulfill that purpose and live up to that honour.

Verse 31-33 Blessings of Humanity

And mention when we said to the angels, “Prostrate for Adam (AS),”

And so they all prostrated except Iblis.

He refused, was arrogant, and became from the disbelievers.

Verse 34

❑Allah told the angels to do Sajdah for Adam, meaning prostration. It was not a Sajdah of worship since that would be shirk.

❑It was a Sajdah of respect and honour. Allah is signifying that Adam (AS) was superior to the angels. As he said:

❑“We have certainly created man in the best of stature.” (Surah Tin)

❑Allah is informing us that we were created with a lot of honour and status. It is then up to us if we want to retain that honour or instead do corruption (idolatry, disbelief, bloodshed) on Earth.

Verse 34 Sajdah

❑Iblis, another name for Satan, was among the angels when they were commanded to prostrate for Adam (AS). He refused to do so and became a disbeliever because of that.

❑Iblis was not an angel, but rather a Jinn. Angels cannot and do not disobey Allah. Iblis was in the sky among the angels because he was particularly pious.

❑However, under that outward piety, he hid inside himself pride and arrogance. He became arrogant and refused to bow to Adam (AS) because he didn’t feel like Adam (AS) deserved the honour. He felt he was better.

❑Because of this arrogance, Iblis became a Kafir or disbeliever. This shows that being a Kafir doesn’t require a lack of belief. Disobedience and ungratefulness to Allah is itself a form of disbelief.

❑In fact, disobedience while knowing is the worst form of Kufr.

Verse 34 Satan

--- ---

--- --- ---

Worst

Disbeliever

--- ---

Believes with

knowledge

Believes Does not

believe or

disbelieve

Disbelieves

(out of

ignorance)

Says words of acceptance

Best Believer Complete Hypocrite

Does not say

anything

Still deciding

Says words of

denial

Complete

Disbeliever

Categories of a Person in Relation to Guidance

State of the Heart

Sta

te o

f th

e T

on

gu

e

Iblis disbelieves and says words of

denial even when he knows God’s

existence

❑As part of His message to all people in this passage, Allah reminds them of their beginning.

❑He reminds them of the first human Adam (AS), and how honoured he was in front of the angels. He reminds them of the duty they were assigned to: being Khalifahs of the Earth.

❑Although, we haven’t finished the story yet, through the whole story, Allah tells us to retain that honour He gave us and fulfill our purpose by following the guidance of God and to not become one of the disbelievers and lose everything.

Summary

❑https://furqan.co/alrazi/2/30

References