God’s Knowledge Encompasses Both the Apparent and Hidden Aspects of the Angels

The phrase “and I know what you reveal and what you have concealed” is not merely a repetition of the idea expressed in “I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth.” Rather, it serves as a reminder of God’s encompassing knowledge, highlighting that what is apparent and what is hidden are equal in His sight.

According to the late ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī (may his soul be sanctified), the juxtaposition of these phrases with the previous one implies that they pertain to the relative unseen, which itself forms part of the hidden aspects of the heavens and earth. Consequently, the overall message of the verse is that God is aware of both forms of the unseen: the absolute unseen, which lies beyond the apparent and hidden facets of the earthly and material celestial realm and encompasses them, and the relative unseen, which is an element of the hidden dimensions of these realms.(299)

“What you reveal” refers to the angels’ statement: “Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein...” Meanwhile, “what you have concealed” refers to the unspoken inclination in their hearts that they were more deserving of the vicegerency or their desire to withhold the position from mankind, which they kept hidden. This interpretation is further substantiated by the collective attribution of the verb, indicating that the concealed thought was a shared sentiment among them.

It is also possible that “what you have concealed” refers to Iblis’ hidden arrogance when he was commanded to prostrate before Ādam. If this is the case, one might question why the act of concealment is attributed to all the angels. The answer lies in the literary convention of attributing an individual’s action to the group to which they appear to belong, especially when distinguishing the individual from the group is challenging.

This possibility is supported by the fact that the angels expressed all that was in their hearts with the phrases “Will You place upon it...” and “while we declare Your praise...”, which reflect a pure inquiry. The angels, due to their inherent nature, do not harbor any secret reservations about the divine vicegerency since “they cannot precede Him in word, and they act by His command” (21:27). Therefore, the concealed matter is more likely to be Iblis’ arrogance.

Another possibility is that the announcement of Ādam’s vicegerency, expressed in the phrase “Indeed, I will make upon the earth a vicegerent”, implicitly suggested that Ādam’s vicegerency extended even over the angels. This idea, supported by their learning from Ādam and the command for them to prostrate to him, might have led the angels to wonder how an earthly being could gain authority over all creation, including themselves—something they had never previously considered.

ʿAllāmah Ṭabāṭabāʾī (may his soul be sanctified) mentions this possibility under the following verse, stating that some narrations also support it.(300) In his discussion of the narrations, he further Notes: There is no contradiction between this interpretation and the earlier one, where the hidden matter is identified as Iblis’ refusal to prostrate. Both interpretations can be harmonized, allowing both meanings to be derived from the verse.(301) Since there is no evidence to limit the scope, it is reasonable to present an understanding that encompasses all these possibilities.

Given that the concealed matter refers to Iblis’ refusal to prostrate, the use of the term “kuntum” and the specific phrasing “mā kuntum taktumūn” in the past continuous tense (rather than simply “mā taktumūn” like “mā tubdūn”) indicates that the prostration of the angels and Iblis’ refusal occurred after the announcement of the vicegerency and God’s statement: “Indeed, I know what you do not know,” and before God’s words: “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 have been concealing?”

Although the apparent sequence of “fa-lammā anbaʾahum... qāla” suggests that the statement occurred immediately after Ādam’s informing and not after the informing and the command to prostrate, this interpretation can be reconsidered. The absence of a conjunction such as “fāʾ” before “qāla” allows for the possibility that there was an interval between these events.

This point can be understood only if the sentence “and I know what you reveal...” is connected to “I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth” rather than being conjoined with “Did I not tell you...”. In this case, “Did I not tell you” precedes the second occurrence of “I know”, making the meaning: “Did I not tell you that I am aware of your apparent and hidden matters?”—naturally connected to “I know what you do not know” from the previous verse.

From this, we conclude that, firstly, after the angels posed their question, God, with the brief statement “I know what you do not know”, made them understand that He is aware of the unseen of the heavens and the earth and of their manifest and hidden matters. To substantiate this, He introduced the teaching of the names, revealing Ādam’s capability in this regard. Furthermore, He initiated the event of prostration to Ādam, which uncovered Iblis’ arrogance and exposed his concealed nature. After these revelations, God said: “Did I not tell you that I know the unseen of the heavens and the earth?”—alluding to the prostration event and Iblis’ refusal.

However, if the second “I know” were linked to “Did I not tell you...”, this nuanced point would not be inferred as clearly.

According to the first point, the reason why the story of the prostration and the refusal of Iblīs is not mentioned within this verse but instead appears separately in the subsequent verse will be clarified in the commentary on the next verse.(302)

Note: God’s knowledge of both the apparent and hidden is not limited to the angels, as indicated in other verses such as, “Whether you reveal what is within yourselves or conceal it, God will bring you to account for it” (2:284). This highlights the broader principle and serves as a reminder to be mindful of the Hereafter.