And He taught Adam the names all of them; then He presented them to the angels and said “Now tell Me the names of these if you speak truly.” The general expression ʿumūm in His saying names necessarily implies comprehensiveness while the connection of this word to all of them indicates all-inclusiveness and verification [of the meaning of each]. Just as He taught [Adam] the names of created things-all of them according to what is articulated in the tafsīr of Ibn ʿAbbās and others-He also taught him the names of the Real سبحانه. But He only disclosed to [the angels] the locus He chose for knowledge of the names of created things and by that [disclosure] the measure of [Adam's] superiority over them. As for [Adam's] uniqueness in knowing His names سبحانه that was a secret of which no angel who is near malak muqarrab was aware. One who does not have a rank equal to Adam in knowing the names of created things-what hope could there be in his approaching the names of the Real and grasping the secrets of the unseenḍ Since being selected to know the names of created things makes it proper for the angels to prostrate before him what is one to think about being selected to know the names of the Real سبحانهḍ What is owed to one who is honored with thatḍ It is said that the special status of the angels is in [their] glorification and sanctification [of God]. These acts of obedience are appropriate for created beings for surely obedience is the mark of servants and servants alone. [On the other hand] knowledge in general is a kind of commenda- tion madḥ that is absolutely necessary in describing the Real سبحانه one that is not appropriate for anything other than Him. Among the category of created beings there is no one more perfect in honoring Him than the one who honors Him through His own explanation of His attributes. It is said that He honored [Adam] privately with what He taught him and then explained His selection of him and His giving him precedence on the day of the public revealing [of Adam to the angels]. It is said [that in the words] then He presented them the [word] “then” thumma is a particle of extension or delay.
