Tafseer of The letter Saad · Saad · 38:69
I had no knowledge of the exalted assembly [of angels] when they were disputing [the creation of Adam].
Important: The Arabic source text is always authoritative. This translation is a study aid and has not been verified by scholars — do not use it as a basis for religious proof or for deriving rulings (ahkam). When in doubt, always consult the Arabic text and a qualified scholar.
And His statement ( مَا كَانَ لِيَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ بِالْمَلإ الأعْلَى ) (I had no knowledge of the highest assembly) — He says to His Prophet Muḥammad, may Allah's blessings and peace be upon him: Say, O Muḥammad, to the polytheists (mushrikīn) of your people: ( مَا كَانَ لِيَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ بِالْمَلإ الأعْلَى إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ ) (I had no knowledge of the highest assembly when they disputed) concerning the matter of Ādam, before my Lord revealed it to me and taught me that. He says: in my reports to you about that there is a clear proof that this Qurʾān is a revelation from Allah and a sending-down from Him, for you know that the knowledge of it, before the sending-down of this Qurʾān, was not with me, and that it is not among the things I have witnessed and seen with my own eyes; rather, I knew that because Allah informed me about it.
And in accordance with what we have said about that, the exegetes said.
* Mention of who said that:
Muḥammad ibn Saʿd related to me, saying: my father related to me, saying: my uncle related to me, saying: my father related to me, on the authority of his father, on the authority of Ibn ʿAbbās, concerning His statement ( مَا كَانَ لِيَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ بِالْمَلإ الأعْلَى إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ ), he said: the highest assembly: the angels, when they were consulted about the creation of Ādam and disputed about it and said: "Will You place upon the earth one who will cause corruption therein".
Muḥammad related to us, saying: Aḥmad related to us, saying: Asbāṭ related to us, on the authority of al-Suddī ( بِالْمَلإ الأعْلَى إِذْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ ): that is وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلائِكَةِ إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً (And when your Lord said to the angels: I am going to place upon the earth a successor).
Bishr related to us, saying: Yazīd related to us, saying: Saʿīd related to us, on the authority of Qatāda, concerning His statement ( مَا كَانَ لِيَ مِنْ عِلْمٍ بِالْمَلإ الأعْلَى ), he said: they are the angels; their dispute was about the matter of Ādam, when your Lord said to the angels: إِنِّي خَالِقٌ بَشَرًا مِنْ طِينٍ (I am going to create a human being from clay) ... until He reached سَاجِدِينَ (falling down in prostration), and when He said: إِنِّي جَاعِلٌ فِي الأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةً (I am going to place upon the earth a successor) ... until He reached وَيَسْفِكُ الدِّمَاءَ (and who sheds blood) — about this the highest assembly disputed.
