"these," which is in His statement: "Inform Me of the names of these." "So when he had informed them," He says: So when Adam informed the angels of the names of those whom He had presented to them, whose names they had not known, and they became certain of the error of their statement: "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?", and that they had erred in that and said what they did not know regarding how their Lord's decree would come to pass in that if it occurred as they had spoken—their Lord said to them: "Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth?" Unseen (al-ghayb) is that which was absent from their sight so they did not behold it; as a rebuke from God—may His praise be glorified—to them for that, on account of what had preceded of their statement and the erroneous question that had issued from them. Just as:
676 - Muḥammad ibn al-ʿAlāʾ narrated to us, he said: ʿUthmān ibn Saʿīd narrated to us, he said: Bishr ibn ʿUmāra narrated to us, from Abū Rawq, from al-Ḍaḥḥāk, from Ibn ʿAbbās: "{He said, "O Adam, inform them of their names}", he says: Inform them of their names—"{And when he had informed them of their names, He said, "Did I not tell you}", O angels specifically, "{that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth}" and none knows it besides Me. (1)
677 - And Yūnus narrated to me, he said: Ibn Wahb informed us, he said: Ibn Zayd said regarding the story of the angels and Adam: God said to the angels: "Just as you did not know these names, you have no knowledge; I only intended to place them so that they might cause corruption therein—this is known to Me. Likewise, I concealed from you that I would place therein those who disobey Me and those who obey Me." He said: And it had already preceded from God: {I will surely fill Hell with jinn and men all together} [Sūrat Hūd: 119, and Sūrat al-Sajda: 13]. He said: And the angels did not know that, nor were they aware of it. He said: So when they saw what knowledge God had given Adam, they acknowledged Adam's virtue. (2)
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