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Shareيَمْحُو اللَّهُ مَا يَشَاءُ وَيُثْبِتُ ۖ وَعِنْدَهُ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ
(سورة رعد 39)
"Allah effaces whatever He wills and retains whatever He wills. With Him is the Mother of the Book." (Quran 13:39)
This is the answer to another objection raised against the revelation of the Quran. The disbelievers said: What was the need of this new Book, when there already had existed the former revealed Books? You say that this need has arisen because the former Books have been tampered with; therefore Allah has abrogated them and commanded that this new Book should be followed. This position you have taken is wrong for how can anyone tamper with the Book of Allah and how is it possible that any Book of Allah might be tampered with? Why did not Allah protect these Books from such things as these? You say that this Book has been revealed by the same Allah Who revealed the Torah and the Gospel. How is it then that your way is different from that of the Torah? You consider certain things lawful while they are unlawful according to the Torah.
بَلْ هُوَ قُرْءَانٌۭ مَّجِيدٌۭ فِى لَوْحٍۢ مَّحْفُوظٍۭ
(سورة البروج 21-22)
"In fact, this is a glorious Quran, ˹recorded˺ in a Preserved Tablet." (Quran 85:21-22)
(In Al-Lawh Al-Mahfuz!) meaning, among the most high gathering, guarded from any increase, decrease, distortion, or change.
{في لوح} هو في الهواء فوق السماء السابعة {محفوظٍ} بالجر من الشياطين ومن تغيير شيء منه طوله ما بين السماء والأرض، وعرضه ما بين المشرق والمغرب، وهو من درة بيضاء، قاله ابن عباس رضي الله عنهما.
Jalalayn commentary (Egypt, 15-16th centuries)
In a tablet, suspended above the seventh heaven, preserved from all devils and from having any of its contents altered; it is a high as the distance between the earth and the heaven, and as wide as the distance between the east and the west, made of white pearls — as stated by Ibn 'Abbas.
א"ר יוחנן כ"מ שפקרו המינים תשובתן בצידן (בראשית א, כו) נעשה אדם בצלמנו (ואומר) (בראשית א, כז) ויברא אלהים את האדם בצלמו (בראשית יא, ז) הבה נרדה ונבלה שם שפתם (בראשית יא, ה) וירד ה' לראות את העיר ואת המגדל (בראשית לה, ז) כי שם נגלו אליו האלהים (בראשית לה, ג) לאל העונה אותי ביום צרתי (בראשית לה, ג).
הַמִּינִין שָׁאֲלוּ אֶת רִבִּי שִׂמְלַאי כַּמָּה אֱלֹהוּת בָּֽרְאוּ אֶת הָעוֹלָם. אָמַר לָהֶן לִי אַתֶּם שׁוֹאֲלִין? לְכוּ וְשַׁאֲלוּ אֶת אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כִּי שְׁאַל נָא לְיָמִים הָרִאשׁוֹנִים וְגוֹמֵר. "אֲשֶׁר בָּֽרְאוּ אֱלֹהִים אָדָם עַל הָאָרֶץ" אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא "לְמִן הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אָדָם עַל הָאָרֶץ." אָֽמְרוּ לוֹ: וְהָֽכְתִיב: "בְּרֵאשִית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים." אָמַר לָהֶן: "וְכִי בָּֽרְאוּ כְתִיב? אֵין כְּתִיב אֶלָּא בָּרָא!" אָמַר רִבִּי שִׂמְלַאי כָּל־מָקוֹם שֶׁפָָּֽרְקוּ הַמִּינִין תְּשׁוּבָתָן בְּצִידָּן. חָֽזְרוּ וְשָׁאֲלוּ אוֹתוֹ. "מַה אָהֵן דִּכְתִיב נַעֲשֵׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ"? אָמַר לָהֶן "וַיִּבְרְאוּ אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמָם" אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן אֶלָּא "וַיִּבְרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם בְּצַלְמוֹ." אָֽמְרוֹ לוֹ תַלְמִידָיו לְאֶלּוּ דָּחִיתָה בְּקָנֶה לָנוּ מַה אַתָּה מֵשִיב. אָמַר לָהֶן: "לְשֶׁעָבַר אָדָם נִבְרָא מִן הֶעָפָר וְחַוָּה נִבְרָאת מִן הָאָדָם. מֵאָדָם וָאֵילַךְ בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִדְמוּתֵנוּ. אִי אֶפְשַׁר לָאִישׁ בְּלֹא אִשָּׁה. וְאִי אֶפְשַׁר לְאִישָּׁה בְּלֹא אִישׁ. אִי אֶפְשַׁר לִשְׁנֵיהֶן בְּלֹא שְׁכִינָה."
Rav Simon said: When the Holy One was about to create Adam, the ministering angels formed themselves into groups and companies, some of them saying, “Let him be created,”
while others urged, “Let him not be created.”
Thus it is written: “Loving kindness and truth fought each other, righteousness and peace combated each other" (Psalm 85:11).
Loving kindness said: “Let him be created, since he performs acts of loving kindness.”
Truth said: “Let him not be created, since he is all lies.”
Righteousness said: “Let him be created, since he does righteous deeds.”
Peace said: “Let him not be created, since he is all strife.”
What did the Holy One do?
He took Truth and cast him to the ground,
as is said:
“You cast truth to the ground"
(Daniel 8:12).
The ministering angels said to the Holy One: “Master of the Universe
why do You humiliate Your emissary, let Truth arise from the earth.” Hence it is written:
“Let truth grow from the earth"
(Psalm 85:12). [...]
The elder Rav Huna of Sepphoris said:
While the ministering angels were conferring
and disputing with one another,
the Holy One created Adam and then said:
“What are you conferring about, man is already made (na’asah).”
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ إِنِّى جَاعِلٌۭ فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةًۭ ۖ قَالُوٓا۟ أَتَجْعَلُ فِيهَا مَن يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا وَيَسْفِكُ ٱلدِّمَآءَ وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۖ قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ. وَعَلَّمَ ءَادَمَ ٱلْأَسْمَآءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمْ عَلَى ٱلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنۢبِـُٔونِى بِأَسْمَآءِ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِن كُنتُمْ صَـٰدِقِينَ. قَالُوا۟ سُبْحَـٰنَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَآ إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَآ ۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٱلْحَكِيمُ. قَالَ يَـٰٓـَٔادَمُ أَنۢبِئْهُم بِأَسْمَآئِهِمْ ۖ فَلَمَّآ أَنۢبَأَهُم بِأَسْمَآئِهِمْ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ غَيْبَ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَأَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا كُنتُمْ تَكْتُمُونَ. (البقرة 34-30)
And [mention, O Muhammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority (khalifa)." They said, "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we declare Your praise and sanctify You?" Allah said, "Indeed, I know that which you do not know." And He taught Adam the names - all of them. Then He showed them to the angels and said, "Inform Me of the names of these, if you are truthful." They said, "Exalted are You; we have no knowledge except what You have taught us. Indeed, it is You who is the Knowing, the Wise." He said, "O Adam, inform them of their names." And when he had informed them of their names, He said, "Did I not tell you that I know the unseen [aspects] of the heavens and the earth? And I know what you reveal and what you have concealed." (Quran 2:30-33)
O LORD, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name throughout the earth,
You who have covered the heavens with Your splendor!-b From the mouths of infants and sucklings
You have founded strength on account of Your foes,
to put an end to enemy and avenger.-a When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
the moon and stars that You set in place, what is man that You have been mindful of him,
mortal man that You have taken note of him, that You have made him little less than divine,
and adorned him with glory and majesty; You have made him master over Your handiwork,
laying the world at his feet, sheep and oxen, all of them,
and wild beasts, too; the birds of the heavens, the fish of the sea,
whatever travels the paths of the seas. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name throughout the earth!
Solomon’s wisdom was greater than the wisdom of all the Kedemites and than all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He was the wisest of all men: [wiser] than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalkol, and Darda the sons of Mahol. His fame spread among all the surrounding nations.
dom of the Egyptians. He was the wisest of all men: [wiser] than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman, Chalkol, and Darda the sons of Mahol. His fame spread among all the surrounding nations.
"וַיֶּחְכַּם מִכָּל הָאָדָם," אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן מֶה הָיְתָה חָכְמָתוֹ, אַתְּ מוֹצֵא כְּשֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִבְרֹאת אֶת הָאָדָם נִמְלַךְ בְּמַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת, אָמַר לָהֶם (בראשית א, כו): נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ, אָמְרוּ לְפָנָיו (תהלים ח, ה): מָה אֱנוֹשׁ כִּי תִזְכְּרֶנּוּ. אָמַר לָהֶם אָדָם שֶׁאֲנִי רוֹצֶה לִבְרֹאת חָכְמָתוֹ מְרֻבָּה מִשֶּׁלָּכֶם, מֶה עָשָׂה כִּנֵּס כָּל בְּהֵמָה חַיָּה וְעוֹף וְהֶעֱבִירָן לִפְנֵיהֶם, אָמַר לָהֶם מַה שְּׁמוֹתָן שֶׁל אֵלּוּ, לֹא יָדְעוּ, כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּרָא אָדָם הֶעֱבִירָן לְפָנָיו אָמַר לוֹ מַה שְּׁמוֹתָן שֶׁל אֵלּוּ, אָמַר, לָזֶה נָאֶה לִקְרוֹת שׁוֹר, וְלָזֶה אֲרִי, וְלָזֶה סוּס, וְלָזֶה חֲמוֹר, וְלָזֶה גָּמָל, וְלָזֶה נֶשֶׁר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ב, כ): וַיִּקְרָא הָאָדָם שֵׁמוֹת. אָמַר לוֹ וְאַתָּה מַה שְּׁמֶךָ, אָמַר לוֹ אָדָם, לָמָּה, שֶׁנִּבְרֵאתִי מִן הָאֲדָמָה. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֲנִי מַה שְּׁמִי, אָמַר לוֹ ה', לָמָּה, שֶׁאַתָּה אָדוֹן עַל כָּל הַבְּרִיוֹת, הַיְינוּ דִּכְתִיב (ישעיה מב, ח): אֲנִי ה' הוּא שְׁמִי, הוּא שְׁמִי שֶׁקָּרָא לִי אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, הוּא שְׁמִי שֶׁהִתְנֵיתִי בֵּינִי לְבֵין עַצְמִי, הוּא שְׁמִי שֶׁהִתְנֵיתִי בֵּינִי לְבֵין בְּרִיּוֹתַי.
(I Kings 5:11) “And he was wiser than any man (literally, than all of Adam),” than the first Adam. And what was his wisdom? You find that, when the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to create the first Adam, He consulted with the ministering angels. He said to them (in Gen. 1:26), “Let us make humankind (Adam) in Our image.” They said to him (in Ps. 8:5), “What is a human that You are mindful of him?” He said to them, “This Adam that I want to create Adam shall have wisdom greater than yours.” What did He do? He gathered all cattle, wild beasts, and fowl to pass before them. He said to them, “What are the names of these [beings]?” They, however, did not know. When He had created Adam, He made them pass before him. He said to him, “What are the names of these [beings]?” He said, “It is fitting to call this one an ox, this one a lion, this one a horse, [...]” and so on for all of them. It is so stated (in Gen. 2:20), “So Adam recited names” He said to him, “And you, what is your name?” Adam said to him, “Adam, because I was created out of the ground (adamah).” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “I, what is My name?” He said to him, “The Lord, because you are Lord over all creatures,” namely as written (in Is. 42:8), “I am the Lord, that is My name,” which the first Adam gave me. It is the one which I have agreed to [for use] between Me and Myself; it is the one which I have agreed to [for use] between Me and My creatures.
