Question:
When Allahﷻ said, “I am going to create a representative on earth,” the angels asked, “Are You going to create people who will cause corruption?” In response, Allahﷻ presented certain objects and asked the angels about them. They did not know. Prophet Adam (Alahis Salam) mentioned their names and characteristics. This is the incident mentioned in the Qur’an.
The question is: Since Allahﷻ taught Adam, he was able to answer. If Allahﷻ had taught the angels, they too would have answered. So, what is the meaning contained here? Also, where is the answer to the angels’ question?
Answer:
When Allahﷻ decided to create Adam (Alahis Salam), the angels objected and expressed concern. Allahﷻ said, “I know what you do not know,” and created Adam. After creating him, to show Adam’s superiority, Allahﷻ taught him certain things—meaning, He taught him about certain objects. Then He asked the angels what they were. They did not know. Adam (Alahis Salam) answered.
Now the question is: What superiority is there for Adam in this? Allahﷻ taught Adam but did not teach the angels. If He had taught the angels, they too would have answered. If the verse is meant to show Adam’s superiority, where is that superiority? If Adam answered because he was taught, and the angels did not answer because they were not taught, then if the angels had been taught the same way, they would have given the same answer. So, what is the distinction?
This question arises because we assume that Allahﷻ taught Adam by verbally teaching each object one by one—like saying, “This is a mouse, this is a watch, this is a shirt, this is a pen, this is a laptop.” If that is what teaching means, then obviously anyone who is taught can repeat it. If Adam was taught and the angels were not, naturally the one who was not taught cannot answer. In that case, there is no special superiority for Adam.
So we must understand what “teaching” means here. Teaching does not necessarily mean verbally explaining each object one by one. Teaching can also mean programming the brain. When a human sees an object, he can think, analyze, and understand what it is and what it is used for. That kind of reasoning ability exists in humans. Angels, however, only convey what they are told; they do not independently analyze and think in that way.
Allahﷻ can teach in two ways. One way is by verbally instructing: “This is such-and-such, this has this purpose; this is used for this.” Another way, since He is the Creator, is that He can place knowledge directly into the mind. If something is placed into the brain, the brain will think and immediately identify what it sees and understand its functions.
So, when we say Allahﷻ taught Adam, we should understand it in this second sense: Allahﷻ programmed Adam’s brain with that capacity. Angels do not have a brain like humans that can independently analyze and reason. Their nature is to hear and repeat what they are commanded. They do not conduct independent analysis.
If we interpret “Allahﷻ taught Adam” merely as verbal instruction, then there is no special status. But if we understand it as Allahﷻ placing a special cognitive capacity in Adam—the ability to receive, process, and understand—then that is the superiority. Like installing software in a computer: once the software is installed, the computer can process information automatically. Similarly, Allahﷻ installed that “program” in Adam. The angels do not have that “software” or the receiving capacity for it.
That is why the angels said, “Glory be to You. We have no knowledge except what You have taught us.” They admitted that they only know what has been directly taught to them. This means Adam had knowledge beyond merely being told each item verbally—he had the ability to independently understand and recognize.
If Allahﷻ had simply taught Adam by listing each item one by one, the angels would not have accepted his superiority. They would have said, “If You had taught us, we would also answer.” But since they acknowledged, “We have no knowledge except what You have taught us,” they accepted that Adam possessed a kind of knowledge and reasoning ability that they did not.
So “Allahﷻ taught Adam” does not mean classroom-style instruction of each object separately. It means Allahﷻ granted him a special intellectual capacity—programmed his mind—so that when he saw something, he could grasp and understand it. That is the quality Allahﷻ wanted to demonstrate. If we understand it this way, there will be no confusion.