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Al-Baqarah (The Cow)

Verse 31of 286

وَعَلَّمَ ءَادَمَ ٱلْأَسْمَآءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى ٱلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنۢبِـُٔونِى بِأَسْمَآءِ هَٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَٰدِقِينَ﴿٣١

Translation (Sahih International)

And He taught Adam the names - all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, "Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful."

Word-by-word meaning

وَعَلَّمَwaʿallamaAnd He taught
ءَادَمَādamaAdam
ٱلْأَسْمَآءَl-asmāathe names
كُلَّهَاkullahāall of them
ثُمَّthummaThen
عَرَضَهُمْʿaraḍahumHe displayed them
عَلَىʿalāto
ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِl-malāikatithe angels
فَقَالَfaqālathen He said
أَنۢبِـُٔونِىanbiūnīInform Me
بِأَسْمَآءِbi-asmāiof (the) names
هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِhāulāi(of) these
إِنinif
كُنتُمْkuntumyou are
صَـٰدِقِينَṣādiqīnatruthful

Commentary (Tafsir Ibn Kathir)

The Virtue of Adam over the AngelsAllah 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.

Source: Tafsir Ibn Kathir — abridged excerpt

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