2.18 Al-Baqarah: Is Our Forefather Adam Honored Merely Because of Knowledge?

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

All praise is due to Allah, the Most High, the Most Great. May blessings be upon our Seal Prophet, Muhammad ﷺ, and may Allah be pleased with all of the Companions.

Today we are sharing a topic: Is Adam (peace be upon him) honored only by the knowledge he possessed?

From the revealed verses, we can clearly learn that our Lord taught Adam (peace be upon him) the names of all things, and commanded the angels to prostrate before him, so he possessed distinguishing marks of honor. Today we will read more deeply and carefully about the honor that appeared through the favor our Lord gave him, not merely because he possessed knowledge. The reason a human being can become noble is that man has an important quality: he can become a sign of his Lord. In the unseen, man knows his Lord, remembers his Lord, and worships his Lord. Thus, man can fully bear witness to the uniqueness of the attributes that belong to the Lord, and become a sign. When our Lord created Adam (peace be upon him), He first showed him mercy through knowledge and taught him the names of all things, so that it would be easy for him to seek blessings in the material world. And in the process of seeking blessings, he is to bear witness, bearing witness to the transcendence of his Lord. For example, in order to seek survival, he must face the material world and gradually uncover its secrets step by step. In this way, he himself confronts the created material world and bears witness. This is the first testimony given by humanity.

The First Testimony of Humanity

The first testimony that the first man and his descendants must all give is this: nothing among all things resembles Him; nothing resembles the Creator who created all things. All the created things that our physical eyes directly see, things with form and appearance, must all be denied as likenesses to Him. Even what human beings come to know through the material world in abstract ways must likewise be denied as likenesses to Him. And even what we know by indirect evidence—such as force, magnetic fields, infrared rays, and the like—must also be denied through our knowledge of all things as being anything like Him. We affirm that all things are the creation of the Creator, and we deny any likeness between all things and Him. All things do not resemble Him. One must not worship any created thing, and thus man gives the first testimony.

Once a person possesses this testimony—bearing witness that nothing among all things resembles Him—then he bears witness that the Creator possesses true Being. All existence indirectly bears witness that He is real, that He exists, and thus becomes His sign. All created things are not Him, nor are they like Him. No matter in what state, realm, space, time, or category created things exist, all likeness to Him must be denied. They are only His signs and become witnesses to Him. After mankind gives this testimony, man becomes a sign: he not only bears witness to the reality of His Being, but also to His oneness, to the uniqueness of His existence. In becoming a sign, man gives testimony. This is the true reason why Adam (peace be upon him), through possessing knowledge, had honor.

Why Human Witness Surpasses That of the Angels

Of course, the angelic realm also bears witness to the unique existence of the Lord. But no matter how the angels bear witness, their testimony cannot be as complete as the testimony given by human beings. Why? Let us take the angelic realm’s management of the material world as an example for understanding. In the material world, they oversee mountains, water, and sowing. As we can learn from the chapter on sowing, they also carry out the command of the Lord, and even those commanded to manage various evildoers do so through angels. Although they directly face the material world, they do not go on to uncover the decreed blessings hidden within it. They sow, yet they do not go on to reflect on how the seed should be understood, or how genes are transformed. But human beings, in order to seek the blessings of this worldly life, inevitably go deeply into research. For example, there is genetic engineering. In the process of uncovering blessings, man bears witness to the exquisite craftsmanship of the Lord and gives praise declaring Him pure and exalted. At this point, the praise of the angels falls behind that of mankind.

After our Lord created Adam (peace be upon him), He said that He would place a vicegerent on the earth. The angels said, “Will You place upon it those who spread corruption and shed blood?” and they said that they glorify the Lord as pure and exalted and proclaim His holiness. At that time, the angels only knew that they had been created to directly glorify the Lord as pure and exalted, but they did not know that human beings would go before them in offering praise. Precisely because human beings have desires, they seek to understand the material world in order to satisfy those desires. While satisfying desire, some people follow their human appetites and commit evil, and bloodshed has appeared on the earth. But because desire drives mankind, human beings will inevitably go on to uncover the mysteries of creation. And our Lord sent prophets and messengers for humanity. Adam (peace be upon him) was the first prophet and messenger. Through him, our Lord guided mankind so that they would know there is a Creator, and that only by worshipping Him can one attain perfection. Thus, some people, while uncovering mysteries, can bear witness that there must be a Creator. Whether through the conveyance of the messengers or through the testimony produced when mankind uncovers mysteries, human beings will go before the angels in praising the Lord and declaring Him pure and exalted. For after human beings discover blessings, understand things, and uncover mysteries, they will spontaneously offer praise to the Lord and declare Him pure and exalted. In that sense, do not the angels fall a step behind?

At that time, the angels still did not understand: they had been created to directly glorify the Lord as exalted above all imperfection, so how could human beings—who commit evil—possibly surpass them? Then the Lord said that He knows what they do not know, because He knew that mankind was created with desire, and that through the driving force of desire people would seek blessings and uncover mysteries. He also knew that He would send prophets and messengers to guide mankind, so that human beings would uncover mysteries from creation and bear witness that He is the true Creator. And through guidance, some people would again bear witness through the direction of the prophets and messengers. Human beings have uncovered so many mysteries, and have offered praise declaring the Lord pure and exalted, so the angels have forever fallen behind mankind in this respect. Thus, even though the angels were directly created to glorify the Lord as pure and exalted, mankind, though not created in that same direct mode, still went before them in offering praise.

Human Superiority in Proclaiming Divine Holiness

Second, man has an incomparable superiority: in proclaiming the Lord’s holiness, man also surpasses the angels. Man was created as a material being, and into him was breathed a spirit belonging to the Lord. Thus, man receives the Lord’s guidance, and by knowing this spirit he goes on to know his Lord, offering praise to the Lord’s holiness and transcendence. Man was also placed in this material world in order to uncover the inner meaning of the spirit, to know the soul, to know every aspect of human nature, and to learn how to restrain it so that the soul may rise upward and reach the state of a tranquil soul, thereby displaying the holy attribute of الروح (al-rūḥ — the spirit). Thus, mankind must also come to know the characteristics of its own spiritual nature. Of course, the first thing to uncover is human nature itself: is human nature evil or good? Historically, this has been discussed in both Eastern and Western philosophy, and the disputes and differences of opinion have been many. Whatever the case, all of this has been an attempt to uncover the inner meaning of that spirit.

We know that our Lord created us, and only He knows best the inner content of the human spirit. Therefore, from the first prophet and messenger, Adam (peace be upon him), all the way to the Seal Prophet, Muhammad ﷺ, messengers were sent. In the preserved scriptures, human nature, the nafs, and the various spiritual needs of man are perfectly explained. In the Qur’an, the human nafs النفس (al-nafs — the self, the lower self, human nature), man’s material needs, appetites and sexual desires الشهوات (al-shahawāt — desires and appetites), human emotions الحب (al-ḥubb — love), man’s inward inclination الهوى (al-hawā — desire, inclination), human destiny, and human rationality العقل (al-ʿaql — intellect) are all clearly set forth. The Qur’an also explains the innate disposition الفطر (al-fiṭrah — the innate nature) and الروح (al-rūḥ — the spirit) that our Lord placed within man’s spirituality. Our Lord explains all of this to us and tells us how to worship Him, so that we may attain a tranquil soul, display the holy spirit, know our Lord, worship our Lord, and bear witness—recognizing that man is the creation of the Lord and bearing witness that the Lord possesses the qualities that make Him worthy of worship.

Because man was created with a human nature that inclines toward the material world and the created world, only through worship of the Lord can the holy attributes of الروح (al-rūḥ — the spirit) be displayed. Then how is the Lord to be worshipped? Through the scripture and the path left by the Messenger, our Lord gave obligatory acts, supererogatory acts of devotion, and His many laws and teachings—the great Sharīʿah—containing religion, right religion, the human way, the Lord’s way, and guidance for personal cultivation. All of this ultimately leads us, through our worship of Him, to attain a tranquil spirituality. At that point, man displays purity and holiness, and gives testimony—bearing witness to the truly eternal Holy One: He Himself has no desire, is not limited by anything, is free, and is absolutely transcendent and holy. Through worship of Him, human beings not only bear witness that He alone is worthy of worship, but also bear witness that He is the Holy One worthy of worship. Deficiency has nothing to do with Him; He is absolutely beyond all defect. Thus, in this testimony, human beings again surpass the angels in praising the Lord—praising His holiness.

Praising Allah Through His Beautiful Names

Third, humanity’s praise of the Lord absolutely surpasses that of the angels. Man can remember the Lord’s beautiful names and offer praise through them. The first man, Adam (peace be upon him), after he violated the prohibition and ate the forbidden fruit, was the first to know that the Lord has a beautiful name: “He is the One who accepts repentance.” How did Adam (peace be upon him) know this? Because the Lord taught him the names of all things. This shows that through the names of all things, he could know that all of these are only signs, and that the Lord possesses His attributes of beauty and His beautiful names. The angels can see what human eyes cannot see: unseen souls and the true world of the unseen realm. They remain continually in that true realm, without changes of state. But human beings seek both this world and the next world, and are constrained by conditions, states, and responsibilities. Therefore, man can deeply understand the difference and distinction between the two divine names that contain universal mercy and special mercy. If a person clings greedily to the universal mercy of the blessings of this world, the Lord may give it to him, but he will have no share in the special mercy of the Hereafter. Thus, when human beings remember these two names, their understanding is very clear.

Because mankind is under moral responsibility, has desires, and undergoes many tests of blessing and misfortune, human beings themselves know clearly that if they wish to attain relative fulfillment, and to arrive at a relative experience of release from burden, then they must worship the Lord. Therefore, when human beings remember the Lord as “the true God worthy of worship, the Lord—Allāhu,” their remembrance in this respect is deeper still. For they know that if they do not worship the Lord, they cannot attain fulfillment. They know that if they associate partners with the Lord, they will be punished and will not have peace in either world. So when human beings remember the Lord by this name, they do so with real fear and real hope.

Because human beings were created under the constraints of predecree, with many desires, and in a fragile and difficult state, people often call upon their Lord to remove calamity and grant blessing. Thus, mankind knows how to call upon the Lord according to what it needs. For example, if a person hopes to become steadfast and patient, he remembers that the Lord possesses the name الصبور (al-Ṣabūr — the Most Patient, the Giver of steadfastness). If a person wants to become one who relies upon Allah, he knows that the Lord is الوكيل (al-Wakīl — the Trustee, the One upon whom one relies), the One upon whom reliance may be placed. When a person encounters unjust treatment, he knows that the Lord possesses the noble name الحكم (al-Ḥakam — the Judge, the perfectly just One). Thus, man knows how to call upon his Lord.

When we study Allah’s ninety-nine beautiful names, we can know that every one of His names contains blessings for mankind. Therefore, anyone who seeks good and seeks blessings in both worlds, when he supplicates and calls upon the Lord, does so according to his different conditions, states, and burdens, hoping to find deliverance. He knows that the Lord has names that belong to Him, and mankind will call upon Him and ask Him to remove calamities, grant blessings, forgive mankind, guide mankind, and grant good in both worlds. Thus, only human beings can truly and concretely attain real remembrance of the Lord’s beautiful names and offer praise through them. Precisely because man seeks blessings, seeks protection from calamity, seeks the Lord’s forgiveness, and calls upon His names, man in that very moment gives a kind of testimony—bearing witness that the Lord’s names, attributes, and virtues cannot be associated with any partner. Because the Lord possesses these attributes and virtues, He enables man to do good. He is the Lord of absolute goodness and perfect goodness, and man is to become His sign. Because mankind seeks good in both worlds, when calling upon Him it knows that He is the absolutely perfect and supremely good One, and that no partner may be associated with Him. Any created being that can do good—whether human beings as vicegerents upon the earth, all the angels, or any created thing that displays the qualities of goodness—is only His sign.

Conclusion

So, when these three matters are brought together, man bears witness to the Lord’s unique and real existence, bears witness that His essential holiness and sacred purity admit no partner, and bears witness that His attributes and virtues admit no partner. Man has thus given true testimony. Therefore, when man bears witness to the Lord’s oneness, man again surpasses the angels. For when man remembers the Lord’s oneness—including the names and attributes contained within it—he gives real testimony through his own search for blessings. It is testimony given after being tested, and so it is deeper than the testimony of the angels.

Now we conclude this topic. The nobility of mankind lies in this: man receives the Lord’s favor and possesses knowledge, and because human desire drives him, he uses knowledge to uncover the mysteries of creation, while receiving the Lord’s guidance and bearing witness that the Lord is the Creator and is real. At the same time, by the Lord’s guidance, man learns how to worship Him and not associate partners with Him, so that his desires may be fulfilled in the right way. Thus, not only does man, while uncovering these mysteries, offer praise declaring the Lord pure and exalted, but in the process of worshipping Him—because only through worship of Him can man attain fulfillment and the state of a tranquil soul—we become His signs in bearing witness to His holiness, and we praise His holiness. Human beings undergo tests of blessing and calamity, and in order to seek blessings in both worlds, they must constantly call upon the true God who possesses the many beautiful names, asking Him to remove calamities, grant blessings, forgive us, guide us, and give us good in both worlds. We bear witness to His names throughout every part of life: He cannot be associated with any partner; goodness belongs only to Him; and it is by His mercy that we are able to do good. We bear witness that He alone possesses those attributes and virtues that admit no partner, and that He is the supremely good and perfectly good Lord. If we do good, it is only as His servants.

This is where we will end our sharing today. If there has been any slip of the tongue or anything unclear in the explanation, we ask the Most High and Most Great Allah for forgiveness. Dear readers, please pardon it. Thank you all for sharing.

السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته

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