AhlulBayt (AS) International News Agency (ABNA): In verse 30 of Surah Al-Baqarah, during the account of Adam’s creation, God tells the angels: “I know what you do not know.” What was it that God knew, but the angels did not?
As mentioned in the question, the Holy Qur’an states that when God said to the angels, “I am going to place a successor on earth,” they said, “Will You place upon it someone who will cause corruption and shed blood, while we glorify You with praise and declare Your holiness?” God replied, “I know what you do not know”:
إِنِّي أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
Indeed, I know what you do not know.
Since God is aware of both the hidden and the manifest, it is clear that He knew aspects of the wisdom and reasons behind this creation that the angels did not understand. So the question remains: what was this secret the angels were unaware of?
It could be that this secret remains known only to God, or perhaps God later disclosed it to some of His chosen servants.
There are, of course, various interpretations and narrations about this, and several possibilities have been proposed, such as:
The secret God knew was the pride and arrogance of Iblis (Satan) when he refused to bow to Adam.
God knew that among the children of Adam would arise prophets, righteous individuals, and friends of God—something that would not have manifested without such a creation.
The angels believed that virtue and superiority come only through worship, but God wanted to show that excellence is rooted in knowledge; thus, He displayed Adam’s knowledge before them.
God knew that Adam would repent after his mistake, while Iblis would turn to outright disobedience—something unknown to the angels.
The angels saw only the outward aspects and the future corruption and bloodshed among humans, but God was aware of both the outer and inner dimensions, the secrets, and the capacity for love in Adam’s heart. This justified Adam’s creation.
According to some narrations, after saying, “Indeed, I know what you do not know,” God further explained to the angels, clarifying parts of that secret:
“I have willed to create a being with My own hands, and to place among his descendants prophets, messengers, and righteous servants—guided leaders—who will serve as My representatives among My creation on earth. They will restrain others from sin, warn them of My punishment, guide them to obedience, and walk the path of righteousness. Through these chosen servants, I will fulfill My proof and warn My creation against punishment.”
He also said He would remove the descendants of the "Nesnas" from the earth and purify it of their existence (possibly referring to human-like beings such as Neanderthals, who are now extinct), and so on.
In other words, this new lineage (Adam and his descendants) is distinct from earlier human-like generations, whose corruption remained in the angels’ memories.
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