Al-Qur'an Surah Al-Baqarah Verse 31

Mufti Taqi Usmani

And He taught ’Ādam the names, all of them; then presented them before the angels, and said, “Tell me their names, if you are right.”

Dr. Mustafa Khattab, the Clear Quran

He taught Adam the names of all things, then He presented them to the angels and said, “Tell Me the names of these, if what you say is true?”[[ If you are true that Allah will never create anyone who is more honourable and knowledgeable than you.]]

Ruwwad Translation Center

And He taught Adam the names of everything; then He presented them to the angels, and said, “Tell Me the names of these, if what you say is true?”

A. J. Arberry

And He taught Adam the names, all of them; then He presented them unto the angels and said, 'Now tell Me the names of these, if you speak truly.'

Abdul Haleem

He taught Adam all the names [of things], then He showed them to the angels and said, ‘Tell me the names of these if you truly [think you can].’

Abdul Majid Daryabadi

And He taught Adam the names, all of them; thereafter He set them before the angles, and said declare unto Me the names of those if ye say sooth.

Abdullah Yusuf Ali

And He taught Adam the names of all things; then He placed them before the angels, and said; "Tell me the names of these if ye are right."

Abul Ala Maududi

Allah replied, "I know what you do not know." After this he taught Adam the names of all things. Then He set these before the angels and asked, "Tell Me the names of these things, if you are right (in thinking that the appointment of a vicegerent will cause disorder)".

Ahmed Ali

Then He gave Adam knowledge of the nature and reality of all things and everything, and set them before the angels and said: "Tell Me the names of these if you are truthful."

Ahmed Raza Khan

And Allah the Supreme taught Adam all the names (of things), then presented them to the angels, saying, “Tell Me the names of these, if you are truthful.”

Ali Quli Qarai

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.’

Ali Ünal

(Having brought him into existence, God) taught Adam the names, all of them. Then (in order to clarify the supremacy of humankind and the wisdom in their being created and made vicegerent on the earth), He presented them (the things and beings, whose names had been taught to Adam, with their names) to the angels, and said, "Now tell Me the names of these, if you are truthful (in your praising, worshipping, and sanctifying Me as My being God and Lord deserves).

Amatul Rahman Omar

And He taught Adam the names, all of them, then He presented (the objects of) these names to the angels and said, `Tell Me the names of these (things) if what you say is right.´

English Literal

And He taught Adam the names, all of them, then He displayed/exhibited/showed them on (to) the angels, so He said: "Inform Me with (the) names (of) those, if you were truthful."

Faridul Haque

And Allah the Supreme taught Adam all the names (of things), then presented them to the angels, saying, "Tell Me the names of these, if you are truthful."

Hamid S. Aziz

And He taught Adam the Names (qualities), all of them; then He propounded them to the angels and said, "Declare to Me the names of these, if you are truthful."

Hilali & Khan

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."

Maulana Mohammad Ali

And He taught Adam all the names, then presented them to the angels; He said: Tell Me the names of those if you are right.

Mohammad Habib Shakir

And He taught Adam all the names, then presented them to the angels; then He said: Tell me the names of those if you are right.

Mohammed Marmaduke William Pickthall

And He taught Adam all the names, then showed them to the angels, saying: Inform Me of the names of these, if ye are truthful.

Muhammad Sarwar

He taught Adam all the names. Then He introduced (some intelligent beings) to the angels, asking them to tell Him the names of these beings, if the angels were true to their claim (that they more deserved to be His deputies on earth).

Qaribullah & Darwish

He taught Adam (father of humans) the names all of them and then presented them to the angels, saying: 'Tell Me the names of these, if you are truthful'

Safi-ur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri

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."

Wahiduddin Khan

He taught Adam all the names, then He set them before the angels and said, "Tell Me the names of these, if what you say be true."

Talal Itani

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

Tafsir jalalayn

And He taught Adam the names, that is, the names of things named, all of them, by placing knowledge of them into his heart; then He presented them, these names, the majority of which concerned intellectual beings, to the angels and said, to them in reproach, `Now tell Me, inform Me, the names of these, things named, if you speak truly', in your claim that I would not create anything more knowledgeable than you, or that you are more deserving of this vicegerency; the response to the conditional sentence is intimated by what precedes it.

Tafseer Ibn Kathir

The Virtue of Adam over the Angels

Allah stated the virtue of Adam above the angels, because He taught Adam, rather than them, the names of everything. This occurred after they prostrated to him. This discussion precedes that event here, only to show the importance of his position, and the absence of the angels' knowledge about creating the Khalifah when they asked about it. So Allah informed the angels that He knows what they do not know, and then He mentioned this to show them Adam's superiority over them in knowledge.

Allah said,

وَعَلَّمَ ادَمَ الَاسْمَاء كُلَّهَا

And He taught Adam all the names (of everything).

Ad-Dahhak said that Ibn Abbas commented on the Ayah;

"Meaning, the names that people use, such as human, animal, sky, earth, land, sea, horse, donkey, and so forth, including the names of the other species."

Ibn Abi Hatim and Ibn Jarir reported that Asim bin Kulayb narrated from Sa`id bin Ma`bad that;

Ibn Abbas was questioned,
وَعَلَّمَ ادَمَ الَاسْمَاء كُلَّهَا
(And He taught Adam all the names (of everything) "Did Allah teach him the names of the plate and the pot?"

He said, "Yes, and even the terms for breaking wind!"

Allah taught Adam the names of everything, their proper names, the names of their characteristics, and what they do, just as Ibn Abbas stated about the terms for passing gas.

In his Sahih, Al-Bukhari explained this Ayah in the Book of Tafsir with a report from Anas bin Malik who said that the Messenger of Allah said,

يَجْتَمِعُ الْمُومِنُونَ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ فَيَقُولُونَ لَوِ اسْتَشْفَعْنَا إِلَى رَبِّنَا

The believers will gather on the Day of Resurrection and will say, `We should seek a means of intercession with our Lord.'

فَيَأْتُونَ ادَمَ فَيَقُولُونَ أَنْتَ أَبُو النَّاسِ خَلَقَكَ اللهُ بِيَدِهِ وَأَسْجَدَ لَكَ مَلَيِكَتَهُ وَعَلَّمَكَ أَسْمَاءَ كُلِّ شَيْءٍ فَاشْفَعْ لَنَا عِنْدَ رَبِّكَ حَتَّى يُريحَنَا مِنْ مَكَانِنَا هَذا

They will go to Adam and say, `O Adam! You are the father of all mankind, Allah created you with His Own Hand, ordered the angels to prostrate for you and taught you the names of everything. Will you not intercede for us with your Lord, so that he relieve us from this gathering place.'

فَيَقُولُ لَسْتُ هُنَاكُمْ وَيَذْكُرُ ذَنْبَهُ فَيَسْتَحْيِي ايْتُوا نُوحًا فإِنَّهُ أَوَّلُ رَسُولٍ بَعَثَهُ اللهُ إِلَى أَهْلِ الاَْرْضِ

On that Adam will reply, `I cannot do what you have asked'. He will have remembered his error and will be embarrassed, saying, `Go to Nuh, for he is the first of Allah's Messengers whom Allah sent to the people of the earth.'

فَيَأْتُونَه

They will go to Nuh and ask him.

فَيَقُولُ لَسْتُ هُناكُمْ وَيَذْكُر سُوَالَه رَبَّه مَا لَيْسَ لَهُ بِه عِلْم فَيَسْتَحْيِي فَيَقُولُ ايْتُوا خَلِيلَ الرَّحْمن

He will say, `I cannot do what you have asked.' He will recall asking Allah what he was not to know, and will also be embarrassed. He will say, `Go to Khalil Ar-Rahman.'

فَيَأْتُونَهُ فَيقُولُ لَسْتُ هُنَاكُمْ فَيَقُولُ ايْتُوا مُوسَى عَبْدًا كَلَّمَهُ اللهُ وَأعْطَاهُ التَّوْرَاةَ

They will go to Ibrahim and he will also say, `I cannot do what you have asked.' He will say, `Go to Musa, a servant to whom Allah spoke directly and gave the Tawrah.'

فَيقُولُ لَسْتُ هُنَاكُم فَيَذْكُرُ قَتْلَ النَّفْسِ بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ فَيَسْتَحْيِي مِنْ رَبِّهِ فَيَقُولُ ايْتُوا عِيسى عَبْدَاللهِ وَرَسُولَهُ وَكَلِمَةَ اللهِ ورُوحَهُ

Musa will say, `I cannot do what you have asked.' He will remember that he killed a person without justification and will be embarrassed before his Lord. He will say, `Go to `Isa, Allah's servant and Messenger and His Word and a spirit of His.'

فَيَأْتُونَهُ فَيَقُولُ لَسْتُ هُنَاكُمْ ايْتُوا مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدًا غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّم مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ

They will go to `Isa and he will say, `I will not do what you asked. Go to Muhammad, a servant whose previous and latter errors were forgiven.'

فَيَأْتُونِّي فأَنْطَلِقُ حَتَّى أَسْتأذِنَ عَلَى رَبِّي فيَأْذَنُ لِي

They will come to me, and I will go to Allah and seek His permission and He will give me His permission.

فإِذَا رأَيْتُ رَبِّي وَقَعْتُ سَاجِدًا فَيَدَعُنِي مَا شَاءَ اللهُ

When I gaze at my Lord, I will prostrate myself and Allah will allow me to remain like that as much as He will.

ثُمَّ يُقَالُ ارْفَعْ رَأْسَكَ وَسَلْ تُعْطَهْ وَقُلْ يُسْمَعْ وَاشْفَعْ تُشَفَّعْ

Then I will be addressed, `O Muhammad! Raise your head; ask, for you will be given what you ask, and intercede, for your intercession will be accepted.'

فأَرْفَعُ رَأْسِي فأَحْمَدُهُ بِتَحْمِيدٍ يُعَلِّمُنِيهِ ثُمَّ أَشْفَعُ فَيُحَدُّ لِي حَدًّا فأُدْخِلُهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ

I will raise my head and thank and praise Allah with such praise as He will inspire me. I will intercede and He will grant me a quantity of people that He will admit into Paradise.

ثُمَّ أَعُودُ إلَيْهِ فَإذَا رَأَيْتُ رَبِّي مِثْلَهُ ثُمَّ أَشْفَعُ فَيُحَدُّ لِي حدًّا فأُدْخِلُهُمُ الْجَنَّةَ

I will go back to Him, and when I see my Lord, I will intercede and He will allow me a quantity that He will admit into Paradise.

ثُمَّ أَعُودُ الثَّالِثَةَ ثُمَّ أعُودُ الرَّابِعَةَ

I will do that for a third and then a fourth time.

فَأَقُولُ مَا بَقِيَ فِي النَّار إلاَّ مَنْ حَبَسَهُ الْقُرْانُ وَوَجَبَ عَلَيْهِ الْخُلُود

I will say, `There are no more people left in Hell except those whom the Qur'an has incarcerated and have thus acquired eternity in Hell.'

This Hadith was collected by Muslim, An-Nasa'i and Ibn Majah.

The reason why we mentioned this Hadith here is the Prophet's statement,

فَيَأْتُونَ ادَمَ فَيَقُولُون أنْتَ أَبُو النَّاسِ خَلَقَكَ اللهُ بِيَدِهِ وَأَسْجَدَ لَكَ مَلَيِكَتَهُ وَعَلَّمَكَ أَسْمَاءَ كُلِّ شَيْء

They will go to Adam and say, `O Adam! You are the father of all mankind, and Allah created you with His Own Hand, ordered the angels to prostrate for you, and taught you the names of everything.

This part of the Hadith testifies to the fact that Allah taught Adam the names of all creatures.

This is why Allah said,

ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى الْمَلَيِكَةِ

Then He showed them to the angels,

meaning, the objects or creations.

Abdur-Razzaq narrated that Ma`mar said that Qatadah said,

"Allah paraded the objects before the angels,

فَقَالَ أَنبِيُونِي بِأَسْمَاء هَـوُلاء إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ



And said, "Tell Me the names of these if you are truthful"."

Allah's statement means,

"Tell Me the names of what I paraded before you, O angels who said,
أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاء
(Will You place therein those who will make mischief therein and shed blood), (2;30). You asked, `Are You appointing a Khalifah from us or from other creations We praise and glorify You.

Therefore, Allah said, "If you say the truth, that if I appoint a non-angel Khalifah on the earth, he and his offspring will disobey Me, commit mischief and shed blood, but if I designate you the Khalifahs you will obey Me, follow My command and honor and glorify Me. However, since you do not know the names of the objects I paraded before you, then you have even less knowledge of what will occur on the earth that does not exist yet."

قَالُواْ سُبْحَانَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَا إِلاَّ مَا عَلَّمْتَنَا إِنَّكَ أَنتَ الْعَلِيمُ الْحَكِيمُ