قَالَhe saidابْنُIbnعَبَّاسٍAbbasإِنَّindeedاللَّهَAllahخَلَقَcreatedالْخَلْقَthe creationوَعَلِمَand He knewمَاwhatهُمْtheyعَامِلُونَare doing
Ibn Abbas said: Indeed, Allah created the creation and knew what they are doing.
ثُمَّThenقَالَHe saidلِعِلْمِهِfor His knowledgeكُنْbeكِتَابًاa bookفَكَانَso it wasكِتَابًاa book
Then He said for His knowledge: 'Be a book,' and so it was a book.
ثُمَّThenأَنزلَHe revealedتَصْدِيقَconfirmationذَٰلِكَof thatفِيinقَوْلِهِHis sayingأَلَمْDid notتَعْلَمْyou knowأَنَّthatاللَّهَAllahيَعْلَمُknowsمَاwhatفِيinالسَّمَاوَاتِthe heavensوَالْأَرْضِand the earthإِنَّIndeedذَٰلِكَthatفِيinكِتَابٍa bookإِنَّIndeedذَٰلِكَthatعَلَىuponاللَّهِAllahيَسِيرٌis easy
Then He revealed the confirmation of that in His saying: 'Did you not know that Allah knows what is in the heavens and the earth? Indeed, that is in a book. Indeed, that is easy for Allah.'
وَقَالَAnd He saidتَعَالىٰThe Most HighوَمَاAnd whateverأَصَابَbefellمِنْofمُصِيبَةٍcalamityفِيinالأَرْضِthe earthوَلَاand notفِيinأَنفُسِكُمْyourselvesإِلَّاexceptفِيinكِتَابٍa bookمِنْbeforeقَبْلِbeforeأَنْthatنَبْرَأَهَاwe create itإِنَّIndeedذَٰلِكَthatعَلَىuponاللَّهِAllahيَسِيرٌis easy
And the Most High said: 'And whatever befell you of calamity in the earth or in yourselves is only in a book before We create it. Indeed, that is easy for Allah.'
وَقَالَAnd He saidوَلَقَدْAnd indeedكَتَبْنَاWe have writtenفِيinالزَّبُورِthe Psalmsمِنْafterبَعْدِafterالذِّكْرِthe mentionأَنَّthatالْأَرْضَthe earthيَرِثُهَاwill inherit itعِبَادِيَMy righteous servantsالصَّالِحِينَthe righteous
And indeed, We have written in the Psalms after the mention that the earth will be inherited by My righteous servants.
وَقَالَAnd He saidيَمْحُواHe erasesاللَّهُAllahمَاwhateverيَشَاءُHe willsوَيُثْبِتُand establishesوَعِندَهُand with Himأُمُّthe Motherالْكِتَابِof the Book
And Allah said: 'He erases whatever He wills and establishes, and with Him is the Mother of the Book.'
وَقَالَAnd He saidلِلْمَلَائِكَةِto the angelsإِنِّيIndeed, Iجَاعِلٌam makingفِيinالْأَرْضِthe earthخَلِيفَةٌa vicegerentقَالُواThey saidأَتَجْعَلُWill you placeفِيهَاin itمَنsomeone whoيُفْسِدُwill cause corruptionفِيهَاin itوَيَسْفِكُand shedالدِّمَاءَblood?وَنَحْنُWhile weنُسَبِّحُglorifyبِحَمْدِكَwith Your praiseوَنُقَدِّسُand sanctifyلَكَfor You?قَالَHe saidإِنِّيIndeed, Iأَعْلَمُknowمَاwhatلَاnotتَعْلَمُونَyou know
And He said to the angels: 'Indeed, I am making in the earth a vicegerent.' They said: 'Will You place in it one who causes corruption in it and sheds blood while we glorify You with Your praise and sanctify You?' He said: 'Indeed, I know what you do not know.'
فَالْمَلَائِكَةُSo the angelsقَدْindeedعَلِمَتْknewمَاwhatيَفْعَلُwill doبَنُوthe sons ofآدَمَAdamمِنْofالْفَسَادِcorruptionوَسَفْكِand sheddingالْدِّمَاءِbloodفَكَيْفَSo howلَاnotيَعْلَمُهُdoes He knowاللَّهُAllahسَوَاءًwhetherعَلِمُوهُthey knew itبِإِعْلَامٍby informingاللَّهِAllahفَيَكُونَso He isهُوَmoreأَعْلَمَknowledgeableبِمَاwith whatعَلَّمَهُمْHe taught themإِيَّاهُitكَمَاasقَالَهُmostأَكْثَرُinterpretersالْمُفَسِّرِينَof the interpretationأَوْorقَالُوهُthey said itبِالْقِيَاسِby analogyعَلَىuponمَاwhatكَانَwasقَبْلَهُمْbefore themكَمَاasقَالَهُsomeطَائِفَةٌof themمِنْهُمْorأَوْbyبِغَيْرِother thanذَٰلِكَthatوَاللَّهُand Allahأَعْلَمُknowsبِمَاwhatسَيَكُونُwill beمِنْofمَخْلُوقَاتِهِHis creationالَّذِينَwhoلَاnotعَلِمُواknowلَهُمْfor themإِلَّاexceptمَاwhatعَلَّمَهُمْHe taught themوَمَاand whatأَوْحَاهُHe revealedإِلَىtoأَنْبِيَائِهِمHis prophetsوَغَيْرِهِمand othersمِمَّاof whatسَيَكُونُwill beهُوَHeأَعْلَمُknowsبِهِitمِنْهُمْof themفَإِنَّهُمْfor indeed theyلَاnotيُحِيطُونَencompassبِشَيْءٍanythingمِنْofعِلْمِهِHis knowledgeإِلَّاexceptبِمَاwith whatشَاءَHe wills
So the angels indeed knew what the sons of Adam would do of corruption and shedding blood, so how would Allah not know? Whether they knew it by informing Allah—thus He is more knowledgeable of what He taught them, as the majority of the interpreters said—or they concluded it by analogy from what was before them as said by some among them, or by other means. And Allah knows what will be of His creation that have no knowledge except what He taught them and what He revealed to His prophets and others of what will be; He is more knowledgeable of it than they are, for they do not encompass anything of His knowledge except what He wills.
وَأَيْضًاAnd alsoفَإِنَّهُindeedقَالَHe saidلِلْمَلَائِكَةِto the angelsإِنِّيIndeed, Iجَاعِلٌam makingفِيinالْأَرْضِthe earthخَلِيفَةٌa vicegerentقَبْلَbeforeأَنْthatيَأْمُرَهُمْHe commands themبِالسُّجُودِto prostrateلِآدَمَto Adamوَقَبْلَand beforeأَنْthatيَمْتَنِعَhe refusedإِبْلِيسَIblisوَقَبْلَand beforeأَنْthatيَنْهَىHe forbidsآدَمَAdamعَنْfromأَكْلِهِeatingمِنْfromالشَّجَرَةِthe treeوَقَبْلَand beforeأَنْthatيَأْكُلَhe eatsمِنْهَاfrom itوَيَكُونَand beأَكْلُهُhis eatingسَبَبًاthe causeلِإِهْبَاطِهِof his descentإِلَىtoالْأَرْضِthe earthفَقَدْfor indeedعَلِمَknewاللَّهُAllahسُبْحَانَهُthe Exaltedأَنَّهُthat Heسَيَسْتَخْلِفُهُwill make him succeedأَمْرَهُHis commandلَهُto himوَلِإِبْلِيسَand to Iblisبِمَاwith whatيَعْلَمُHe knowsأَنَّهُthat heمُخَالِفٌthey will opposeفِيهَاin itوَيَكُونَand beالْخِلَافُthe oppositionسَبَبًاa causeلِأَمْرِهِمHis commandلَهُمَاto both of themبِالْإِهْبَاطِof the descentوَالِاسْتِخْلَافِand successionفِيinالْأَرْضِthe earth
And also, indeed, He said to the angels: 'Indeed, I am making a vicegerent in the earth' before He commanded them to prostrate to Adam, and before Iblis refused, and before He forbade Adam from eating from the tree, and before he ate from it. And his eating became the cause of his descent to the earth. Allah knew, exalted be He, that he would succeed in His command for him and for Iblis with what He knew they would oppose in it, and the opposition would be the cause of His command to both of them of descent and succession in the earth.
وَهَذَاAnd thisيُبَيِّنُshowsعِلْمَthe knowledgeمَاof whatسَيَكُونُwill beمِنْهُمَاfrom them bothمِنْofمُخَالَفَةٍthe oppositionالْأَمْرِthe commandفَإِنَّfor indeedإِبْلِيسَIblisامْتَنَعَrefusedمِنَfromالسُّجُودِprostrationلِآدَمَto Adamوَأَبْغَضَهُand hated himفَصَارَand becameعَدُوًّاhis enemyفَوَسْوَسَso he whisperedلَهُto himحَتَّىuntilيَأْكُلَhe ateمِنَfromالشَّجَرَةِthe treeفَيَذْنُبَand he will sinآدَمَAdamأَيْضًاalsoفَإِنَّهُfor indeedقَدْindeedتَأَلَّىsworeأَنَّهُthat heلَيُغْوِيَنَّهُمْwill surely lead them astrayأَجْمَعِينَall togetherوَقَدْand heسَأَلَaskedالْإِنْظَارَthe respiteإِلَىtoيَوْمِthe dayيُبْعَثُونَthey are resurrectedفَهُوَso he isحَرِيصٌeagerعَلَىtoإِغْوَاءِlead astrayآدَمَAdamوَذُرِّيَّتِهِand his offspringبِكُلِّwith allمَاwhatأَمْكَنَهُhe could
And this shows the knowledge of what will be from them both of opposition to the command. For indeed, Iblis refused to prostrate to Adam and hated him, so he became his enemy. He whispered to him until he ate from the tree, and Adam will also sin. For indeed, he swore that he would surely lead them all astray, and he asked for respite until the Day they are resurrected. So he is eager to lead Adam and his offspring astray with all that he can.
لَكِنَّButآدَمُAdamتَلَقَّىreceivedمِنْfromرَبِّهِhis Lordكَلِمَاتٍwordsفَتَابَand repentedعَلَيْهِupon himوَاخْتَارَهُand chose himرَبَّهُhis Lordوَهَدَاهُand guided himبِنُبُوَّتِهِby his prophethoodفَصَارَand becameلِبَنِيfor the sons ofآدَمَAdamسَبِيلًاa pathإِلَىtoنَجَاتِهِمtheir salvationوَسَعَادَتِهِمand their happiness
But Adam received from his Lord words, and He repented upon him and chose him. His Lord guided him by his prophethood, and he became for the sons of Adam a path to their salvation and happiness.