inform them of their names.' And when he informed them of their names, He said: 'Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth, and I know what you reveal and what you used to conceal?' They said: 'Glory be to You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise'"—meaning: We only answered You regarding what You taught us; as for what You did not teach us, You know best about it. Thus, whatever name Adam gave to a thing, that remained its name as it is until the Day of Resurrection (1).

And Ibn Jurayj said regarding what:-

616- Al-Qāsim narrated to us, saying: Al-Ḥusayn narrated to us, saying: Ḥajjāj narrated to me, on the authority of Ibn Jurayj, who said: They only spoke based on what He had informed them would occur from the creation of Adam, so they said: "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood?" And some of them said: The angels only said what they said: "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood?" because God permitted them to ask about that, after He had informed them that this would occur from the children of Adam. So the angels asked Him, saying—in wonderment—"How could they disobey You, O Lord, when You are their Creator?" So their Lord answered them: "Indeed, I know that which you do not know," meaning: That this will occur from them—even if you do not know it—and from some of those whom you see as obedient to Me. He thus made known to them the shortcoming of their knowledge compared to His knowledge (2).

And some of the scholars of the Arabic language said: The statement of the angels: "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein?" was not by way of disapproval on their part toward their Lord; rather, they asked Him in order to know, and they informed about themselves that they glorify Him. And he said: They said that because they disliked that God should be disobeyed, since the jinn had been commanded before that and disobeyed.

And some of them said: That on the part of the angels was by way of seeking guidance regarding what they did not know of that, so it was as if they said: "O Lord, inform us," asking for information from God, not by way of rebuke.

Abū Jaʿfar said: And the most preferable of these interpretations of the statement of God—majestic be His praise—reporting from His angels their statement to Him: "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we glorify You with Praise and sanctify