Discussion of the Narrations

1) The Age of the World

A man said to Abū ʿAbdullāh (a.s.): “May I be sacrificed for you! The people claim that the world is seven thousand years old.” He replied: “It is not as they say. Indeed, God created it fifty thousand years ago and left it as a barren, desolate wasteland for ten thousand years. Then God began the creation in it, creating beings that were neither jinn, nor angels, nor humans, and He decreed for them ten thousand years. When their appointed times drew near, they caused corruption in it, so God destroyed them utterly. Then He left it as a barren, desolate wasteland for ten thousand years. Then He created the jinn in it and decreed for them ten thousand years. When their appointed times drew near, they caused corruption in it and shed blood, and this is the saying of the angels: ‘Will You place in it one who will cause corruption in it and shed blood, just as the children of the jinn shed blood?’ So God destroyed them. Then God began and created Ādam and decreed for him ten thousand years, and seven thousand and two hundred years of that have passed, and you are in the end times.”(180)

Comment:

First, establishing the historicity and authenticity of these types of ḥadīths, which, apart from having weak chains of transmission (sanad) and being disconnected (irsāl), are ultimately solitary reports (khabar wāḥid), is very difficult. One cannot conclusively prove matters in which rational consideration is authoritative, as opposed to blind imitation (taʿabbud), with solitary reports.

Second, if the ḥadīth is authentic, one can attribute its content to the Lawgiver (s.a.w.) at the level of conjecture.

Third, no valid evidence has been presented contrary to the content of the mentioned ḥadīth. Therefore, its authenticity is probable.

Fourth, limiting the types of living beings to angels, humans, and jinn is not rational, such that it would be conclusive in negation or affirmation, resulting in the denial of the existence of a fourth type distinct from the three familiar types.

Fifth, the issue of the vicegerency (khilāfa) of the perfect human is not raised in this ḥadīth; rather, it only recounts the angels’ question about appointing as vicegerent those who would cause corruption and shed blood, as those who previously lived on earth had done.

2) The Origin of the Angels’ Knowledge of Human Corruption

From the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.): “When God, blessed and exalted is He, desired to create a creation by His hand... and when it was from His affair to create Ādam... Then He said to the angels: ‘Look at the people of the earth from My creation, from the jinn and the nasnās (humanoids).’ When they saw what they were doing in it of disobedience, shedding blood, and corruption in the earth without right, that was grievous to them. They became angry for God’s sake, sorrowful over the people of the earth, and could not control their anger. They said: ‘O Lord! You are the Mighty, the Capable, the Compeller, the Subduer, the Great in Affair, and this is Your weak and lowly creation turning about in Your earth, living by Your provision, and enjoying Your well-being, yet they disobey You with the likes of these great sins. You do not become sorrowful, angry, or avenge Yourself for what You hear and see from them, while that has become grievous to us and we consider it great with regard to You.’ When God heard that from the angels, He said: ‘I am placing a vicegerent for Myself in the earth over them, who will be a proof for Me over them in My earth upon My creation.’ The angels said, glory be to You: ‘Will You place in it one who will cause corruption and shed blood, while we glorify Your praise and sanctify You?’...”(181)

From Abū ʿAbdullāh (a.s.): “The angels would not have known, by their saying ‘Will You place in it one who will cause corruption and shed blood,’ if they had not already seen one who causes corruption in it and sheds blood.”(182)

From ʿAlī ibn al-Ḥusayn (a.s.): “...They responded to God saying: ‘Will You place in it one who will cause corruption and shed blood?’ They only said that due to a creation that had passed, meaning al-Jānn, the father of the jinn...”(183)

“...Then He created the jinn in it and decreed for them ten thousand years. When their terms were near, they caused corruption in it and shed blood, and that is the saying of the angels: ‘Will You place in it one who will cause corruption and shed blood,’ just as the children of al-Jānn had shed blood, so God destroyed them...”(184)

God, blessed and exalted is He, wanted to create a creation with His own hands, and that was after seven thousand years had passed with the jinn and nasnās on the earth. It was part of His plan to create Ādam. He uncovered the layers of the heavens and said to the angels: “Look at the earth, at My creation from the jinn and nasnās.” When they saw what they were doing on it—disobedience, bloodshed, and corruption on the earth—they said: “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein...”(185)

From Ibn ʿAbbās, that God said to the angels: “I am creating a human, and they will envy one another, so they will kill one another and cause corruption on the earth.” So for that reason, they said: “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein...”(186)

Comment: Firstly, the difficulty of proving this type of scientific matter using weak or disconnected (mursal) reports, or assuming their authenticity and reliability, with them being solitary reports, has already been mentioned. Secondly, the angels’ knowledge of the wickedness and darkness of earthly human behavior, apart from divine declaration, can be deduced by reflecting on the characteristics of a material, mobile being that possesses both desire and anger, as explained in the exegetical discussion. Thirdly, one cannot infer the corruption and bloodshed of humans, who are a different species, from the disobedience of non-humans such as jinn and nasnās. Juristic analogy (qiyās) and logical analogy (tamthīl) do not yield knowledge and are not effective in this type of knowledge, unless they lead to one of the two previous methods: divine declaration on one hand, and the characteristics of a material being equipped with desire and anger on the other hand.

Of course, combining these two possible methods is not only possible but indeed the case.

3) Instances of the Perfect Human and God’s Vicegerent

From the Commander of the Faithful (a.s.): While I was walking with the Prophet (s.a.w.) along one of the paths in Medina, we encountered a tall old man with a thick beard and broad shoulders. He greeted the Prophet (s.a.w.) and welcomed him, then turned to me and said, “Peace be upon you, O fourth of the caliphs, and God’s mercy and blessings. Is this not so, O Messenger of God?” The Messenger of God (s.a.w.) replied, “Yes, indeed,” and then continued walking.

I asked, “O Messenger of God! What is this that this old man said and your confirmation of it?” He responded, “You are indeed so, and praise be to God. God Almighty said in His Book, ‘Indeed, I will make upon the earth a vicegerent,’ so judge between the people in truth. He is the second. And God Almighty, in relating the story of Mūsā, said, ‘Take my place among my people, and do right,’ so he is Aaron when Mūsā made him his successor among his people, and he is the third. And God Almighty said, ‘And [it is] an announcement from God and His Messenger to the people on the day of the greater pilgrimage.’ You were the one who conveyed [the message] from God Almighty and from His Messenger, and you are my successor, my minister, the one who settles my debts, and the one who fulfills [obligations] on my behalf. You are to me as Aaron was to Mūsā, except that there is no prophet after me. So you are the fourth of the caliphs, as the old man greeted you. Do you not know who he is?” I replied, “No.” He said, “That is your brother al-Khiḍr, so know that.”(187)

From Muḥammad ibn Isḥāq ibn ʿAmmār, who said: I asked Abū al-Ḥasan the First (a.s.), “Will you not guide me to the one from whom I should take my religion?” He said, “This is ʿAlī. Indeed, my father took my hand and brought me to the grave of the Messenger of God (s.a.w.) and said, ‘O my son! Indeed, God Almighty said, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a vicegerent.” And indeed, when God Almighty says something, He fulfills it.’”(188)

“Whoever does not say ‘I am the fourth of the four caliphs’, then may the curse of God be upon him.” Al-Ḥasan ibn Zayd said: I asked Jaʿfar ibn Muḥammad (s.a.w.), “You have narrated differently, for you do not lie?” He replied, “Yes, God Almighty said in the definitive part of His Book: ‘And when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a khalīfa (vicegerent)”’ (Qur’an 2:30), so Ādam was the first khalīfa of God. And [He said] ‘O Dāwūd, indeed We have made you a khalīfa upon the earth’ (Qur’an 38:26), so Dāwūd was the second. And Aaron was the khalīfa of Mūsā, and he is the khalīfa of Muḥammad (s.a.w.). So why did he not say ‘I am the fourth of the four caliphs’?!”(189)

Comment: Firstly, as previously analyzed and explained, all prophets, messengers, and infallible Imāms (a.s.) are perfect human beings and divine khalīfas. The title of khalīfa is a term used for singular and plural, masculine and feminine.(190) The process of vicegerency, like the processes of prophethood, messengership, Imāmate, and wilāya, is subject to gradation. Enumerating four individuals from those sacred beings and explicitly stating that ʿAlī (a.s.) is the fourth only refers to the explicit use of the word vicegerency. Otherwise, the Messenger of God (s.a.w.) himself is one of the most perfect instances of divine vicegerency.

Secondly, since a khalīfa with intermediary is equivalent to a khalīfa without intermediary, ʿAlī (a.s.) and the other infallible Imāms (a.s.) are the khalīfas of God, just as Aaron (a.s.) is the khalīfa of God. This is because the vicegerency of ʿAlī (a.s.) from the Messenger of God (s.a.w.) is by God’s appointment, just as the vicegerency of Aaron (a.s.) from Mūsā (a.s.) was by divine appointment.

4) The Angels and the Appointment of a Vicegerent

From al-Riḍā (a.s.): God Almighty said to the angels, “I will appoint a vicegerent on earth.” The angels responded, “Will You place therein one who will cause corruption and shed blood?” They offered this response to God Almighty, but soon regretted it...(191)

From Abū Jaʿfar (a.s.): O brother of the people of Syria, listen to our ḥadīth and do not deny us, for whoever denies us in anything has denied the Messenger of God (s.a.w.), and whoever denies the Messenger of God (s.a.w.) has denied God, and whoever denies God Almighty, God will punish him. As for the beginning of this matter, indeed, God Blessed and Exalted said to the angels, “I will appoint a vicegerent on earth.” The angels responded to God Exalted, saying, “Will You place therein one who will cause corruption and shed blood?” He turned away from them, and they realized this was a sign of His wrath...(192)

From Abū Jaʿfar (a.s.): When God Exalted commanded the angels to prostrate to Ādam, the angels asked, “Will You place therein one who will cause corruption and shed blood, while we exalt You with praise and sanctify You?” God Almighty responded, “Indeed, I know what you do not know.” Then He became angry with them, and they sought repentance from Him...(193)

From one of the two (a.s.): When God Blessed and Exalted intended to create Ādam (a.s.), He declared to the angels, “I will appoint a vicegerent on earth.” Two angels among them responded, “Will You place therein one who will cause corruption and shed blood?” Then veils fell between them and God Almighty, and the light of God was revealed to the angels. When these veils descended between them and God, they understood that He was displeased with their statement...(194)

From Abū ʿAbdullāh (a.s.): When God, blessed and exalted is He, said to the angels, “I am placing a vicegerent on earth,” they responded, “Will You place therein one who will cause corruption and shed blood?” God replied, “I know what you do not know.” At that moment, He did not veil them from His light, but later, He veiled them from His light for seven thousand years...(195)

A man asked Abū ʿAbdullāh (a.s.), “Tell me about the angels when they responded to the Lord, and He became angry with them. How did He become pleased with them?” ...(196)

From al-Bāqir (a.s.): When God said to the angels, “I am placing a vicegerent on earth,” they said, “Will You place therein one who will cause corruption?” Those who questioned were among those who disobeyed, so He veiled Himself from them for seven years.(197)

From ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿUmar: He heard the Messenger of God (s.a.w.) say: When God sent Ādam down to earth, the angels said, “O our Lord! (Will You place therein one who will cause corruption and shed blood, while we glorify Your praise and sanctify You?)” God replied, “I know what you do not know.” The angels then said, “Our Lord, we are more obedient to You than the children of Ādam.” God said to the angels, “Bring forth two angels from among you so that We may send them down to earth and see how they act.” They said, “Our Lord, Hārūt and Mārūt...” Thus, they were sent down to earth, and al-Zuhra appeared to them as the most beautiful of human women. She approached them and asked them to be with her. They replied, “No, by God, not until you utter words of shirk (associating partners with God).” They insisted, “By God, we will never associate anything with God.” She left them but soon returned carrying a boy, asking them again. They said, “No, by God, not until you kill this boy.” They insisted, “No, by God, we will never kill him.” She left again and returned with a cup of wine, asking them once more. They said, “No, by God, not until you drink this wine.” They drank, became intoxicated, and committed sin with her and killed the boy. Upon recovering, the woman said, “By God, you did not refuse anything I asked of you except that you did it when you were intoxicated.” Consequently, they were given the choice between the punishment of this world and the Hereafter, and they chose the punishment of this world.(198)

Comment: Firstly, although the apparent meaning of some narrations is that the angels disliked the appointment of the vicegerency for Ādam, the well-known Qurʾanic angels are all infallible (maʿṣūm), and the proofs of their infallibility refuse any particularization. Secondly, just as the apparent meaning of some verses regarding divine unity (tawḥīd) or prophethood requires justification, the apparent meaning of some narrations, assuming their authenticity and credibility, also requires explanation and justification. Thirdly, it is possible that the story of Hārūt and Mārūt is recounted in the context of verse 102 of Sūrah al-Baqarah.

Regarding al-Ḥusayn ibn Bashār, from Abū al-Ḥasan al-Riḍā (a.s.): I asked him, “Does God know the thing that has not yet come to be, how it would be if it were to come to be?” He replied, “Indeed, God is the Knower of things before the existence of things.” The Almighty says: “Indeed, We were recording what you used to do.” (Qur’an 45:29) And He says to the people of the Fire: “But if they were returned [to the world], they would return to that which they were forbidden; and indeed, they are liars.” (Qur’an 6:28) So the Almighty knows that if He returned them, they would return to what they had been forbidden from. And He said to the angels when they said, “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we exalt You with praise and declare Your perfection?” He said, “Indeed, I know that which you do not know.” (Qur’an 2:30) So God’s knowledge has always preceded things, being eternal before He created them. Blessed is God, our Lord, and Exalted is He in Might. He created things as He willed, and His knowledge of them preceded them as He willed. Such is our Lord, who has always been All-Knowing, All-Hearing, All-Seeing.(199)

Comment: Firstly, God’s essential knowledge (ʿilm dhātī) is identical to His Essence, as opposed to His active knowledge (ʿilm fiʿlī), which is identical to the act and the thing that is known, not the Agent and Knower. This will be investigated in its proper place. Secondly, God’s Essence is infinite existence and unlimited reality. On this basis, God’s essential knowledge, which is identical to His infinite Essence, will be unlimited. Therefore, the non-existent and the existent, the immaterial and the material, the past, present, and future, are all equally known to God, because in relation to infinite knowledge, no difference or distinction can be assumed. Thirdly, knowledge is unveiling, manifestation, and presence, and the known must be a clear thing. So pure non-existence, which has no essence or existence whatsoever, is not a thing, and is not included in “God has knowledge of all things” (24:64).

Fourthly, God’s knowledge encompasses the non-existent possible, and even the non-existent impossible, assuming their existence and thingness; similar to: “And if they were returned, they would return” (6:28), and like: “If there were gods in them other than God” (21:22); meaning that what the impossible would be like if it existed is known to God.

5) Glorification, sanctification, and their meaning

It is narrated from Abū Dharr from the Messenger of God (s.a.w.): He said: “The most beloved speech to God is what God has chosen for His angels: Glory be to my Lord and with His praise (or Glory be to God and with His praise).”(200)

Comment: Firstly, the Most Holy Essence of God is pure perfection, and every perfection is beloved, but essential and infinite perfection is essentially beloved. Secondly, all knowledge and effects of existence that lead to that essential perfection partake in the love that leads to that essential love. Thirdly, belovedness has levels whose order corresponds to the existential degrees of those effects. Fourthly, the glorification (tasbīḥ) and praise (taḥmīd) that God has chosen for the angels is interwoven with divine oneness (tawḥīd), which is encapsulated in the declaration of God’s oneness (tahlīl), and every remembrance (dhikr) is beloved to the extent that it encompasses oneness. Therefore, the reason these two remembrances are more beloved is due to the intensity of their encompassing oneness, which is the principle of principles.

6) The non-comprehensive nature of the angels’ knowledge

From al-ʿAskarī (a.s.): “... (Indeed, I know what you do not know) Indeed, I know of the righteousness that exists in the one I will appoint as a replacement for you, which you do not know. And I also know that among you is one who is a disbeliever in his inner self, which you do not know, and he is Iblīs, may God curse him...”(201)

From Ibn ʿAbbās: “Iblīs was a commander over the angels of the lowest heaven. He became arrogant, intended disobedience, and transgressed. God knew that about him. That is His saying: (Indeed, I know what you do not know), and that within Iblīs was oppressiveness.”(202)

Point: Although the angels possess knowledge of many unseen matters through divine instruction, some hidden knowledge lies beyond their awareness. For example, the hidden perfection of man and the concealed deficiency of Iblīs were unknown to the angels. When the Friend of the Merciful (Ibrāhīm) was condemned to (Burn him and support your gods), the angels cried out, and God said: “If he seeks help from you, then assist him.” When they realized that Ibrāhīm considered his aspiration to be loftier than theirs, God said: “Did I not tell you that I know what you do not know?”(203) And when Iblīs arrogantly considered his opinion superior to the divine command, and until then his deficiency of arrogance was hidden from the angels, one could hear with the heavenly ear the reproachful cry: (Indeed, I know what you do not know).

7) Divine and Critical Knowledge Against the Qadarites

Zurāra said: I entered upon Abū Jaʿfar (a.s.) and he said: “What do you have of the Shīʿa narrations?” I said: “I have many of them, and I was determined to light a fire and burn them!” He said: “Hide them, for you will forget what you disapproved of in them.” Then the humans came to my mind. He said to me: “What was the knowledge of the angels when they said: ‘Will You place therein one who will make mischief therein and shed blood?’”(204) Abū ʿAbdullāh (a.s.) used to say when narrating this ḥadīth: “It is a refutation of the Qadarites...”

Comment: Firstly, the corruption of the Qadarites, which was alluded to in the words of the Messenger of God (s.a.w.), caused each of the Jabarites and the Mufawwiḍa to accuse the other of it. Secondly, since disobedience in the aforementioned verse is attributed to the human himself, as both sins of corruption and bloodshed are attributed to him, it is clear that compulsion (jabr) is false. And since the reins of all affairs are ultimately in the hands of the Creator, it is also clear that no one is independent in their actions, even if they possess free will (ikhtiyār).