[2:30] And when your Lord said to the angels, 'I am appointing on earth a viceregent', they said, 'What, will You appoint therein one who will do corruption therein and shed blood, while we glorify You with praise and sanctify You?'; He said, 'Assuredly, I know what you know not'.
This is the beginning of the disclosure of His secret regarding Adam and his progeny. He commanded clay to be extracted from every patch of ground and then commanded that it be left to ferment for forty mornings. Every one of the angels was full of amazement: 'What is the property (ḥukm) of this clay?' When He assembled [Adam's] form, they had never seen anything like it in marvelous craftsmanship and astonishing wisdom. So when He said, 'I am appointing on earth...', conjectures were thrown about, hearts were scattered and accusations were made. It was just as was said:
How often I have seen
someone beautiful
but among mortals my choice
has fallen upon you.
It is said God (swt) created all the things He created, but did not say about any of them what He said about Adam, since He said, 'I am appointing on earth a viceregent'. The external sense of these words resembles mutual consultation, if it were to be among created beings. The Real (swt) created the Gardens with what is in them and the Throne with what it has in well-ordered parts and perfection of form, but He did not say, 'I am creating a throne or a garden or an angel'. But He said of Adam, 'I am appointing on earth a viceregent', as a way of conferring honor and distinction.
[Section] The words of the angels, 'What, will You appoint therein one who will do corruption therein?' were not an objection to the divine decree but rather a way of seeking understanding. To interpret the expression in such a way as to absolve the angels of any blame is more fitting, since they are sinless. God Most High said [in reference to the angels], 'Who do not disobey God in what He commands them' [66:6].
It is said that in this speech the Real (s) brought out the hidden haughtiness of their obedience and the attention to their own acts in their hearts. They spoke openly about these hidden affairs of their innermost selves in saying, 'While we glorify You with praise'. Then verily the Real (s) informed them that the merit of knowledge is more perfect than the merit of action and they had the greater part and superiority in action while Adam had the greater and more abundant part of knowledge. Hence his merit and rank were made apparent.
It is said the Real (s) did not say, 'They will not do corruption therein and will not shed blood' but rather, 'Assuredly, I know what you know not regarding my pardon of them'. Its meaning is, 'You know their disobedience but I know my pardon of them'.
It is also said that in their glorification there is the disclosure of their act and the publicizing of their special qualities and merit, whereas in His pardoning of the disobedient among the children of Adam, there is the disclosure of His (s) generosity and mercy. The Real (s) does not need the obedient acts of anyone. Indeed, if the worthiness of their being praised becomes obvious because of their glorification, [even more so has] God affirmed the worthiness of the Real (s) being praised because of [His] pardoning.
It is said, 'Assuredly, I know what you know not of the purity of the beliefs of the faithful among them in their love for Us and the maturity of their innermost hearts in preserving Our Covenant, even if their outward selves are sullied by disobedience', just as it is said:
When the lover
has committed a single sin,
his good qualities
produce a thousand intercessors.
It is also said, 'Assuredly, I know what you know not of My love for them. You disclose your states while I have made My secrets in them hidden from them'. Regarding this they have recited:
Those who defame
have not diminished your rank
with me nor has
the slander hurt you.
It is as if by criticizing you
they have praised you
in my sight,
but they do not know.
It is also said, 'Assuredly, I know what you know not of the breaking of their hearts even though they have done ugly acts, and the immoderation of your hearts in disclosing your glorification and sanctification. You are in the rank of harmony (wifāq), the sinlessness of your acts, and the adornment of your glorification, while they are disavowed by their own witnesses and are lowly in their hearts. Truly, because of the breaking of the hearts of servants there is a powerful protective pact with Us'.
It is said, 'What significance is there to your glorification if not for My grace?' And, 'What harm is there in their sins when there is My pardon?'
It is also said, 'I clothed you with your obedience and clothed them with My mercy, so you are in the bodice of your obedience and the garb of your sanctification and glorification, while they are enveloped in My pardon and veiled in My mercy. I have clothed them with the robe of My generosity and wrapped them in the cloak of My pardon'.
It is said, 'My protection from sin has made you happy, yet they have received My mercy. My protection from sin to You is connected to your existence while the relationship of My mercy to them is eternal'.
It is said, 'While your virtuous one (muḥsin) may take precedence in sinlessness, their sinner (mujram) is drowned in mercy'.
It is said. 'Their reliance on Me purifies their states. It protects them in acknowledging ignorance so that they declare themselves free of different types of knowledge except to the degree granted them by the Real.' They said, 'Glory be to you! We know not except what You have taught us' [2:32].