Verse 2:30 in Context

Translator Abdel Haleem

26 ۞ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ لَا یَسۡتَحۡیِۦۤ أَن یَضۡرِبَ مَثَلࣰا مَّا بَعُوضَةࣰ فَمَا فَوۡقَهَاۚ فَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِینَ ءَامَنُوا۟ فَیَعۡلَمُونَ أَنَّهُ ٱلۡحَقُّ مِن رَّبِّهِمۡۖ وَأَمَّا ٱلَّذِینَ كَفَرُوا۟ فَیَقُولُونَ مَاذَاۤ أَرَادَ ٱللَّهُ بِهَـٰذَا مَثَلࣰاۘ یُضِلُّ بِهِۦ كَثِیرࣰا وَیَهۡدِی بِهِۦ كَثِیرࣰاۚ وَمَا یُضِلُّ بِهِۦۤ إِلَّا ٱلۡفَـٰسِقِینَ ۝٢٦ inna l-laha lā yastaḥyī an yaḍriba mathalan mā baʿūḍatan famā fawqahā fa-ammā alladhīna āmanū fayaʿlamūna annahu l-ḥaqu min rabbihim wa-ammā alladhīna kafarū fayaqūlūna mādhā arāda l-lahu bihādhā mathalan yuḍillu bihi kathīran wayahdī bihi kathīran wamā yuḍillu bihi illā l-fāsiqīn God does not shy from drawing comparisons even with something as small as a gnat, or larger: the believers know it is the truth from their Lord, but the disbelievers say, ‘What does God mean by such a comparison?’ Through it He makes many go astray and leads many to the right path. But it is only the rebels He makes go astray 27 ٱلَّذِینَ یَنقُضُونَ عَهۡدَ ٱللَّهِ مِنۢ بَعۡدِ مِیثَـٰقِهِۦ وَیَقۡطَعُونَ مَاۤ أَمَرَ ٱللَّهُ بِهِۦۤ أَن یُوصَلَ وَیُفۡسِدُونَ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِۚ أُو۟لَـٰۤىِٕكَ هُمُ ٱلۡخَـٰسِرُونَ ۝٢٧ alladhīna yanquḍūna ʿahda l-lahi min baʿdi mīthāqihi wayaqṭaʿūna mā amara l-lahu bihi an yūṣala wayuf'sidūna fī l-arḍi ulāika humu l-khāsirūn those who break their covenant with God after it has been confirmed, who sever the bonds that God has commanded to be joined, who spread corruption on the earth- these are the losers 28 كَیۡفَ تَكۡفُرُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَكُنتُمۡ أَمۡوَ ٰتࣰا فَأَحۡیَـٰكُمۡۖ ثُمَّ یُمِیتُكُمۡ ثُمَّ یُحۡیِیكُمۡ ثُمَّ إِلَیۡهِ تُرۡجَعُونَ ۝٢٨ kayfa takfurūna bil-lahi wakuntum amwātan fa-aḥyākum thumma yumītukum thumma yuḥ'yīkum thumma ilayhi tur'jaʿūn How can you ignore God when you were lifeless and He gave you life, when He will cause you to die, then resurrect you to be returned to Him 29 هُوَ ٱلَّذِی خَلَقَ لَكُم مَّا فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ جَمِیعࣰا ثُمَّ ٱسۡتَوَىٰۤ إِلَى ٱلسَّمَاۤءِ فَسَوَّىٰهُنَّ سَبۡعَ سَمَـٰوَ ٰتࣲۚ وَهُوَ بِكُلِّ شَیۡءٍ عَلِیمࣱ ۝٢٩ huwa alladhī khalaqa lakum mā fī l-arḍi jamīʿan thumma is'tawā ilā l-samāi fasawwāhunna sabʿa samāwātin wahuwa bikulli shayin ʿalīmu It was He who created all that is on the earth for you, then turned to the sky and made the seven heavens; it is He who has knowledge of all things

30 وَإِذۡ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلۡمَلَـٰۤىِٕكَةِ إِنِّی جَاعِلࣱ فِی ٱلۡأَرۡضِ خَلِیفَةࣰۖ قَالُوۤا۟ أَتَجۡعَلُ فِیهَا مَن یُفۡسِدُ فِیهَا وَیَسۡفِكُ ٱلدِّمَاۤءَ وَنَحۡنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمۡدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَۖ قَالَ إِنِّیۤ أَعۡلَمُ مَا لَا تَعۡلَمُونَ ۝٣٠ wa-idh qāla rabbuka lil'malāikati innī jāʿilun fī l-arḍi khalīfatan qālū atajʿalu fīhā man yuf'sidu fīhā wayasfiku l-dimāa wanaḥnu nusabbiḥu biḥamdika wanuqaddisu laka qāla innī aʿlamu mā lā taʿlamūn [Prophet], when your Lord told the angels, ‘I am putting a successor on earth,’ they said, ‘How can You put someone there who will cause damage and bloodshed, when we celebrate Your praise and proclaim Your holiness?’ but He said, ‘I know things you do not.’

31 وَعَلَّمَ ءَادَمَ ٱلۡأَسۡمَاۤءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمۡ عَلَى ٱلۡمَلَـٰۤىِٕكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنۢبِءُونِی بِأَسۡمَاۤءِ هَـٰۤؤُلَاۤءِ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَـٰدِقِینَ ۝٣١ waʿallama ādama l-asmāa kullahā thumma ʿaraḍahum ʿalā l-malāikati faqāla anbiūnī bi-asmāi hāulāi in kuntum ṣādiqīn He taught Adam all the names [of things], then He showed them to the angels and said, ‘Tell me the names of these if you truly [think you can].’ 32 قَالُوا۟ سُبۡحَـٰنَكَ لَا عِلۡمَ لَنَاۤ إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمۡتَنَاۤۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡعَلِیمُ ٱلۡحَكِیمُ ۝٣٢ qālū sub'ḥānaka lā ʿil'ma lanā illā mā ʿallamtanā innaka anta l-ʿalīmu l-ḥakīm They said, ‘May You be glorified! We have knowledge only of what You have taught us. You are the All Knowing and All Wise.’ 33 قَالَ یَـٰۤءَادَمُ أَنۢبِئۡهُم بِأَسۡمَاۤىِٕهِمۡۖ فَلَمَّاۤ أَنۢبَأَهُم بِأَسۡمَاۤىِٕهِمۡ قَالَ أَلَمۡ أَقُل لَّكُمۡ إِنِّیۤ أَعۡلَمُ غَیۡبَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَ ٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَأَعۡلَمُ مَا تُبۡدُونَ وَمَا كُنتُمۡ تَكۡتُمُونَ ۝٣٣ qāla yāādamu anbi'hum bi-asmāihim falammā anba-ahum bi-asmāihim qāla alam aqul lakum innī aʿlamu ghayba l-samāwāti wal-arḍi wa-aʿlamu mā tub'dūna wamā kuntum taktumūn Then He said, ‘Adam, tell them the names of these.’ When he told them their names, God said, ‘Did I not tell you that I know what is hidden in the heavens and the earth, and that I know what you reveal and what you conceal?’ 34 وَإِذۡ قُلۡنَا لِلۡمَلَـٰۤىِٕكَةِ ٱسۡجُدُوا۟ لِءَادَمَ فَسَجَدُوۤا۟ إِلَّاۤ إِبۡلِیسَ أَبَىٰ وَٱسۡتَكۡبَرَ وَكَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡكَـٰفِرِینَ ۝٣٤ wa-idh qul'nā lil'malāikati us'judū liādama fasajadū illā ib'līsa abā wa-is'takbara wakāna mina l-kāfirīn When We told the angels, ‘Bow down before Adam,’ they all bowed. But not Iblis, who refused and was arrogant: he was one of the disobedient