Appearance

The Etiquette of Angels in Speaking with God ​

As mentioned in the verse of vicegerency, under the phrase “and we glorify You with praise...”, it is part of the etiquette of the angels with God that they begin their speech with glorification (tasbīḥ) and also end with glorification, sanctification (taqdīs), and praise (taḥmīd). In between these expressions of glorification and praise, they present their matter. This etiquette was also possessed by the prophets. For instance, Mūsā (a.s.), the Interlocutor, says: “Glory be to You! I turn to You in repentance” (7:143) and Prophet Jonah (a.s.) says: “There is no god except You! Glory be to You! Indeed I have been of the wrongdoers” (21:87).

In the verse under discussion, the angels speak of transcendence (tanzīh) at the beginning of the conversation with “Glory be to You...” and also speak of praise at its end with “Indeed You are the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.” Overall, they acknowledge God’s knowledge, wisdom, and freedom from faults and deficiencies. They also admit their own incapacity with the phrase “We have no knowledge except what You have taught us.”

The phrase “They said, ‘Glory be to You! We have no knowledge...’” is a declarative statement and, apart from its main message, it has been expressed with a specific motive. There is disagreement in determining that motive. A group that denies the infallibility of angels considers it an expression of regret and repentance for the past. However, scholars who accept the infallibility of angels view it as an expression of incapacity and etiquette in the divine presence. The angels fulfilled this purpose while observing many aspects of etiquette:

  1. They began their speech with glorification.

  2. They admitted their incapacity and ignorance.

  3. They attributed all knowledge and teaching to God.

  4. They considered wisdom to be exclusive to God.

  5. They prioritized knowledge before wisdom, following the common order in the Noble Qur’an, where knowledge is usually mentioned before wisdom.

  6. They acknowledged that their share of knowledge was limited, as implied by the phrase “except what You have taught us” indicating the scarcity of their knowledge.

  7. They regarded God as a Teacher rather than an instructor (mudarris), emphasizing the subtle difference between teaching (taʿlīm) and instruction (tadrīs). Even Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī notes that if something is bequeathed to teachers (muʿallimīn), it would not include instructors (mudarris).(293)