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Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 30of 286

وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّى جَاعِلٌۭ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةًۭ ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ ٱلدِّمَآءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ﴿٣٠

Translation (Sahih International)

And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority." They said, "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?" Allah said, "Indeed, I know that which you do not know."

Word-by-word meaning

وَإِذْwa-idhAnd when
قَالَqālasaid
رَبُّكَrabbukayour Lord
لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِlil'malāikatito the angels
إِنِّىinnīIndeed, I (am)
جَاعِلٌۭjāʿilungoing to place
فِىin
ٱلْأَرْضِl-arḍithe earth
خَلِيفَةًۭ ۖkhalīfatana vicegerent
قَالُوٓا۟qālūthey said
أَتَجْعَلُatajʿaluWill You place
فِيهَاfīhāin it
مَنman(one) who
يُفْسِدُyuf'siduwill spread corruption
فِيهَاfīhāin it
وَيَسْفِكُwayasfikuand will shed
ٱلدِّمَآءَl-dimāa[the] blood[s]
وَنَحْنُwanaḥnuwhile we
نُسَبِّحُnusabbiḥu[we] glorify (You)
بِحَمْدِكَbiḥamdikawith Your praises
وَنُقَدِّسُwanuqaddisuand we sanctify
لَكَ ۖlaka[to] You
قَالَqālaHe said
إِنِّىٓinnīIndeed, I
أَعْلَمُaʿlamu[I] know
مَاwhat
لَاnot
تَعْلَمُونَtaʿlamūnayou know

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

Adam and His Children inhabited the Earth, Generation after GenerationAllah reiterated His favor on the Children of Adam when He stated that He mentioned them in the highest of heights before He created them. Allah said,وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَـئِكَةِ(And (remember) when your Lord said to the angels.)This Ayah means, "O Muhammad ! Mention to your people what Allah said to the angels,إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِى الأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً(Verily, I am going to place a Khalifah on earth).

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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