Qur'an 2:30 Al-Baqarah
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّى جَاعِلٌۭ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةًۭ ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ ٱلدِّمَآءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority." They said, "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?" Allah said, "Indeed, I know that which you do not know."
Saheeh International
What it says
Allah tells the angels He is setting a successor on the earth, and the angels answer with a question rather than an objection: one who will spread corruption and shed blood, while they themselves glorify Him and hold Him free of fault. He does not correct the substance of what they say. He tells them there is something in His knowledge that theirs does not reach.
Word by word
وَإِذْ wa-idh and when · قَالَ qāla said · رَبُّكَ rabbuka your Lord · لِلْمَلَٰٓئِكَةِ lilmalāʾikati to the angels · إِنِّى innī indeed I · جَاعِلٌ jāʿilun am placing · فِى fī in · ٱلْأَرْضِ al-arḍi the earth · خَلِيفَةً khalīfatan a successor · قَالُوٓا۟ qālū they said · أَتَجْعَلُ atajʿalu will You place · فِيهَا fīhā therein · مَن man one who · يُفْسِدُ yufsidu causes corruption · فِيهَا fīhā therein · وَيَسْفِكُ wa-yasfiku and sheds · ٱلدِّمَآءَ ad-dimāʾa the blood · وَنَحْنُ wa-naḥnu while we · نُسَبِّحُ nusabbiḥu glorify · بِحَمْدِكَ biḥamdika with Your praise · وَنُقَدِّسُ wa-nuqaddisu and sanctify · لَكَ laka for You · قَالَ qāla He said · إِنِّىٓ innī indeed I · أَعْلَمُ aʿlamu know · مَا mā what · لَا lā not · تَعْلَمُونَ taʿlamūn you know
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