their saying that, and rejected what they believed through His statement: "I know that which you do not know," namely, that among the descendants of that vicegerent there would be prophets, messengers, and those who strive hard in obedience to God.

And a view contrary to this interpretation has been narrated from Qatāda, which is what:

610- Al-Ḥasan ibn Yaḥyā narrated to us, saying: ʿAbd al-Razzāq informed us, saying: Maʿmar informed us, from Qatāda, regarding His statement: "Will You place upon it one who spreads corruption in it": He said: God had informed them that if there were a creation on earth, they would spread corruption in it and shed blood, so that is His statement: "Will You place upon it one who spreads corruption in it" (1).

And a group of the people of interpretation said the like of Qatāda's statement, among them al-Ḥasan al-Baṣrī:

611- Al-Qāsim narrated to us, saying: Al-Ḥusayn narrated to us, saying: Ḥajjāj narrated to me, from Jarīr ibn Ḥāzim and Mubārak, from al-Ḥasan—and Abū Bakr, from al-Ḥasan and Qatāda—they both said: God said to His angels: "I am placing a vicegerent on earth"—He said to them: "I am doing so"—so they expressed their opinion, and He taught them knowledge while withholding from them knowledge that He knew and they did not know. So they spoke based on the knowledge He had taught them: "Will You place upon it one who spreads corruption in it and sheds blood?"—and the angels knew from God's knowledge that no sin is greater to God than the shedding of blood—"while we glorify You with Praise and sanctify You? He said, 'I know that which you do not know.'" When He set about creating Adam, the angels whispered among themselves, saying: Let our Lord create whatever He wills to create, for He will never create any creation except that we are more knowledgeable than it and more noble to Him than it. When He created him and breathed into him of His spirit, He commanded them to prostrate to him because of what they had said, and He favored him over them, so they knew that they were not better than him. Then they said: If we are not better than him, we are more knowledgeable than him, because we existed before him, and nations were created before him. So when they were pleased with themselves, they were tested, and {He taught Adam all the names, then displayed them to the angels and said, 'Tell Me the names of these if you are truthful'} that I would not create any creation except that you are more knowledgeable than it, so inform Me of the names of these if you are truthful. He said: So the people turned hastily to repentance—and to it every believer turns hastily—and said: "Glory be to You, we have no knowledge except