And [mention, O Muḥammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority." They said, "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we exalt You with praise and declare Your perfection?" He [Allāh] said, "Indeed, I know that which you do not know."
Sahih International
Grammar, phrase by phrase
وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ
(And [mention, O Muḥammad], when your Lord said to the angels,)
Root قول — to say, speak, tell · 1,722 times in the Quran
Root ربب — Lord, Sustainer, Nourisher, Regulator, Perfector · 980 times in the Quran
Root ملك — to possess, to rule; sovereignty, kingship, angels · 206 times in the Quran
وَإِذْword 1
Resumptive Particle · حرف استئنافA resumptive particle is a وَ or فَ that begins a fresh statement after a pause or shift. The prefix وَ here opens a new account: the story of Adam's appointment. L14 · R1
Time Adverb · ظرف زمانA time adverb is a naming word of time that anchors a sentence to when its action happened. إِذْ means 'when (back then)', anchoring what follows to a past moment: 'when your Lord said…'. Its own written shape stays fixed, closing with the sukūn ـْ — the small circle meaning no vowel sound follows. L16 · R10
قَالَword 2
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. قَالَ names an action — saying — from the root قول, to say, speak, tell. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb in its base shape is the bare 'he' form with no added ending, naming a completed action. قَالَ is exactly that bare form: 'He said'. L8 · R1
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb is one whose root contains the weak letter و or ي — letters that love to soften into long vowels or vanish. The root of قَالَ is قول: its middle و hides here behind the long ا. L24 · R2
رَبُّكَword 3
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a person, thing, or idea. رَبُّ names the Lord — from the root ربب: Lord, Sustainer, Nourisher. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is the ending a naming word takes as the subject of its sentence, shown by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter. رَبُّ ends in that ḍammah ـُ. L2 · R10
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action of a verb, and it always takes the nominative — shown here by the ḍammah ـُ, the small curl on رَبُّ. Your Lord is the doer of قَالَ: He is the one who said. L9 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'your' glued onto the end of another word. The ending كَ on رَبُّكَ stands for 'your': 'your Lord'. L3 · R7
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains an owner onto the thing owned, and the owner carries the genitive — the owner's ending, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke below the last letter. The ending كَ 'your' is that owner glued onto رَبُّ. A pronoun like كَ keeps its fixed written shape, so no kasrah appears on it — the genitive is the role its owner slot carries. L5 · R5
لِلْمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِword 4
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The prefix لِ means 'to': said 'to the angels'. L4 · R1
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe definite article is the prefix ال ('the') fixed to the front of a naming word to mark a specific, known group — written here simply as لْ, joined straight after the preposition لِ. It marks مَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ as 'the angels'. L2 · R9
Noun · اسمA word ending with the letter ة (tā marbūṭah) is a noun — a naming word. مَلَٰٓئِكَةِ ends in that ة and names beings: the angels, from the root ملك, to possess, rule; angels. L1 · R3
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she', with 'he' — masculine — as the default. مَلَٰٓئِكَةِ is counted masculine: the ة at its end here belongs to this word's plural shape rather than serving as a 'she' marker. L2 · R3
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more — made either by adding an ending or by reshaping the word from the inside, which is called a broken plural. مَلَٰٓئِكَة is such a broken plural: the singular مَلَك (angel) is reshaped from within. L2 · R6
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small slanted stroke below the last letter. مَلَٰٓئِكَةِ carries that kasrah ـِ because the preposition لِ stands before it. L2 · R12
Allah reiterated His favor on the Children of Adam by mentioning them in the highest of heights before He created them: 'O Muhammad! Mention to your people what Allah said to the angels.'
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:30
إِنِّى جَاعِلٌۭ
(…"Indeed, I will make)
Root جعل — to put, place, make, effect, prepare, produce, appoint, fix, begin · 346 times in the Quran
إِنِّىword 5
Accusative Particle (إنّ) · حرف مشبه بالفعلإِنَّ 'indeed' — carrying the doubling shaddah ـّ, a small w-shaped mark — is a particle of the family حرف مشبه بالفعل that opens a topic-plus-comment sentence, adds emphasis, and pushes its topic into the accusative, the fathah ـَ form. Joined with 'me' it reads إِنِّى: 'Indeed, I…'. L15 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word; glued to a particle, it is governed by that particle. The ending ى on إِنِّى stands for 'I' — the topic إِنَّ pushes into the accusative, the fathah ـَ form; a pronoun keeps its fixed written shape, so the role, not a visible fathah, carries that case. L3 · R6
جَاعِلٌۭword 6
Noun · اسمA word that accepts tanwīn — the doubled end-vowel marks ـٌ ـً ـٍ — is a noun, a naming word. جَاعِلٌۭ ends in the doubled ḍammah ـٌ and names a doer: 'one going to place', from the root جعل, to put, place, make, appoint. L1 · R2
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun is general and unspecified, shown by tanwīn, the doubled end-vowel mark. جَاعِلٌۭ ends in the doubled ḍammah ـٌ — the usual dress of a one-word comment about a topic. L2 · R8
Nominative · مرفوعThe nominative is shown by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl above the last letter — doubled to tanwīn ـٌ when the word is indefinite. جَاعِلٌۭ ends in that doubled ḍammah ـٌ: it is the comment about 'I', and the comment after إِنَّ keeps its nominative in its own right. L2 · R10
Active Participle · اسم فاعلAn active participle is a naming word built from a verb's root on the pattern فَاعِل to name the doer of the action. جَاعِل is built on exactly that pattern from the root جعل (to place, appoint): 'one who places' — here, 'I am going to place'. L11 · R1
فِى ٱلْأَرْضِ خَلِيفَةًۭ ۖ
(…upon the earth a successive authority.")
Root ارض — earth, land, ground · 461 times in the Quran
Root خلف — to come after, succeed, replace; successor, opposition · 127 times in the Quran
فِىword 7
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. فِى is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word right after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. فِى means 'in/upon': 'upon the earth'. L4 · R1
ٱلْأَرْضِword 8
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe definite article is the prefix ٱلْ ('the') fixed to the front of a naming word to mark one specific, known thing. Here it marks أَرْضِ as 'the earth'. L2 · R9
Noun · اسمA word that accepts the prefix ٱلْ ('the') is a noun — a naming word. This word carries that prefix and names a thing: 'the earth', from the root ارض, earth, land, ground. L1 · R1
Feminine Noun · اسم مؤنثA feminine noun is a naming word Arabic treats as 'she'. أَرْض 'earth' is one of the special words counted feminine without any visible marker — it must simply be known — so it is treated as feminine. L2 · R2
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small slanted stroke below the last letter. ٱلْأَرْضِ carries that kasrah ـِ because فِى stands before it. L2 · R12
خَلِيفَةًۭ ۖword 9
Noun · اسمA word ending with the letter ة (tā marbūṭah) is a noun — a naming word. خَلِيفَةً ends in that ة and names a role: a successor holding authority, from the root خلف, to come after, succeed, replace. L1 · R3
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she', with 'he' — masculine — as the default. خَلِيفَةً is counted masculine: the ة at its end belongs to this word's own pattern rather than serving as a 'she' marker, for it names the man who succeeds and holds authority. L2 · R3
Indefinite Noun · نكرةAn indefinite noun means 'a' — no particular one yet — and shows this with tanwīn, the doubled end-vowel mark. خَلِيفَةًۭ ends in the doubled fathah ـً: 'a successive authority'. L2 · R8
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the ending a naming word takes when the action lands on it, shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the last letter — doubled to tanwīn ـً when the word is indefinite. خَلِيفَةًۭ ends in that doubled fathah ـً. L2 · R11
Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the thing the action lands on, in the accusative — here the doubled fathah ـً above the last letter. خَلِيفَةًۭ is what the placing lands on: what 'I am going to place' is a successive authority. L9 · R3
The Khalifah means people reproducing generation after generation, century after century, replacing each other on the earth; al-Qurtubi added it also means one who judges the disputes that occur between people.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:30
So far: “And [mention, O Muḥammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority."”
قَالُوٓا۟ أَتَجْعَلُ
(They said, "Will You place)
Root قول — to say, speak, tell · 1,722 times in the Quran
Root جعل — to put, place, make, effect, prepare, produce, appoint, fix, begin · 346 times in the Quran
قَالُوٓا۟word 10
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. قَالُوٓا۟ names an action — saying — from the root قول, to say, speak, tell. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb carries its person marker as an ending glued to the verb's tail. On قَالُوٓا۟ that ending is وٓا۟, the 'they' marker of the past conjugation: 'they said'. L8 · R2
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb is one whose root contains the weak letter و or ي — letters that love to soften into long vowels or vanish. The root of قَالُوٓا۟ is قول: its middle و hides here behind the long ا of قَالُ. L24 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. The ending وٓا۟ on قَالُوٓا۟ is such a suffix, standing for 'they' — the angels. L3 · R6
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The ending وٓا۟ on قَالُوٓا۟ is that doer, 'they'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
أَتَجْعَلُword 11
Interrogative Particle · حرف استفهامAn interrogative particle turns a statement into a question. The prefix أَ does exactly that here, the way English adds 'Will…?': 'Will You place…?'. L17 · R1
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. تَجْعَلُ names an action — placing, appointing — from the root جعل, to put, place, make, appoint. L1 · R7
Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present tense verb points to an action now or ahead and opens with one of the four prefixes أ ن ي ت. تَجْعَلُ opens with تَ, the 'You' marker: 'will You place'. L8 · R3
فِيهَا مَن
(…upon it one who)
فِيهَاword 12
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. فِي is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition standing. فِي means 'in/upon': 'upon it'. L4 · R1
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word; glued to a particle, it is governed by that particle. The ending هَا on فِيهَا stands for 'it' — the earth: 'upon it'. L3 · R6
مَنword 13
Relative Pronoun · اسم موصولA relative pronoun is a word that hooks a describing sentence onto someone. مَن is the form used for humans — 'one who/whoever': one who causes corruption. L5 · R13
Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the one the action lands on, standing in the accusative — the landed-on form, usually a fathah ـَ, a small slanted stroke above the last letter. The placing of تَجْعَلُ lands on مَن 'one who…'; this word keeps one fixed written shape, so no fathah appears on it — the object role is carried by its place in the sentence. L9 · R3
يُفْسِدُ فِيهَا
(…causes corruption therein)
Root فسد — to spread corruption, cause ruin, corrupters · 50 times in the Quran
يُفْسِدُword 14
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. يُفْسِدُ names an action — spreading corruption — from the root فسد, to spread corruption, cause ruin. L1 · R7
Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present tense verb points to an action now or ahead and opens with one of the four prefixes أ ن ي ت. يُفْسِدُ opens with يُ, the 'he' marker: 'he will spread corruption'. L8 · R3
Form IV Verb · أَفْعَلَIn the present tense a Form IV verb is identified by a ḍammah ـُ — a small curl — on its prefix letter. يُفْسِدُ carries exactly that ḍammah on its prefix يُ, marking the causing pattern: he CAUSES ruin. L12 · R7
فِيهَاword 15
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. فِي is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition standing. فِي means 'in': 'therein'. L4 · R1
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word; glued to a particle, it is governed by that particle. The ending هَا on فِيهَا stands for 'it' — the earth: 'therein'. L3 · R6
وَيَسْفِكُ ٱلدِّمَآءَ
(…and sheds blood,)
Root سفك — to shed (blood) · 2 times in the Quran
Root دمو — blood · 10 times in the Quran
وَيَسْفِكُword 16
Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a small joining word that ties one action to another. The prefix وَ joins 'sheds blood' to 'causes corruption'. L4 · R4
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. يَسْفِكُ names an action — shedding — from the root سفك, to shed (blood). L1 · R7
Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present tense verb points to an action now or ahead and opens with one of the four prefixes أ ن ي ت. يَسْفِكُ opens with يَ, the 'he' marker: 'he will shed'. L8 · R3
ٱلدِّمَآءَword 17
Definite Article · أل التعريفThe definite article is the prefix ٱل ('the') fixed to the front of a naming word. Here the د is one of the fourteen 'solar' letters — letters made near where the ل itself is made, which swallow the ل of ٱل so it is written but not heard — so the د doubles, shown by the shaddah ـّ, the small w-shaped doubling mark above it. L2 · R9
Noun · اسمA word that accepts the prefix ٱل ('the') is a noun — a naming word. This word carries that prefix and names a thing: 'the blood', from the root دمو, blood. L1 · R1
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Plural Noun · جمعA plural noun refers to three or more — made either by adding an ending or by reshaping the word from the inside, which is called a broken plural. دِمَآء is such a broken plural: the singular دَم (blood) is reshaped from within — bloods, blood spilled again and again. L2 · R6
Accusative · منصوبThe accusative is the ending a naming word takes when the action lands on it, shown by a fathah ـَ — a small slanted stroke above the last letter. ٱلدِّمَآءَ ends in exactly that fathah ـَ. L2 · R11
Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is the thing the action lands on, in the accusative — the fathah ـَ, the small stroke above the last letter. The shedding of يَسْفِكُ lands on ٱلدِّمَآءَ: what he sheds is blood. L9 · R3
The angels knew, according to their understanding of human nature, that this type of creature would commit such deeds; their statement was a question to learn the wisdom of it — not disputing with Allah, nor envy of the Children of Adam.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:30
وَنَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِكَ
(…while we exalt You with praise)
Root سبح — to glorify, declare glory and perfection, to praise as transcendent · 92 times in the Quran
Root حمد — to praise, commendation, gratitude · 63 times in the Quran
وَنَحْنُword 18
Circumstantial Particle · واو الحالThe circumstantial particle is a وَ meaning 'while', introducing a mini-sentence that describes an accompanying state; its marker is that a complete topic-plus-comment sentence follows it. Here the وَ introduces نَحْنُ نُسَبِّحُ… — 'while we glorify You'. L14 · R3
Detached Pronoun · ضمير منفصلA detached pronoun is a standalone word for 'I/you/he/we'. نَحْنُ is the standalone word 'we', the angels speaking of themselves. L3 · R2
Subject (Mubtada') · مبتدأThe subject is the word a statement opens by talking about — its topic — standing in the nominative, the topic's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. نَحْنُ 'we' is that topic; a pronoun keeps one fixed written shape, so no ḍammah appears on it — the nominative is the role it fills. L6 · R2
Circumstantial (Hāl) · الحالThe ḥāl describes the state things are in while the main action happens, and one of its forms is a whole mini-sentence introduced by the circumstantial وَ. The state-sentence opening with نَحْنُ — 'while we glorify You with praise' — describes the situation in which the asked-about placing would happen. L21 · R6
نُسَبِّحُword 19
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. نُسَبِّحُ names an action — glorifying — from the root سبح, to glorify, declare glory and perfection. L1 · R7
Predicate (Khabar) · خبرThe predicate is the part that tells you something about the topic, and it can be a whole action-sentence. Here the sentence نُسَبِّحُ 'we glorify' is what is told about the topic نَحْنُ 'we'; when the comment is a sentence like this, the sentence itself carries the information, with no separate 'is' needed. L6 · R4
Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present tense verb describes an ongoing action and opens with one of the four prefixes أ ن ي ت. نُسَبِّحُ opens with نُ, the 'we' marker: 'we glorify'. L8 · R3
Form II Verb · فَعَّلَA Form II verb doubles its middle root letter, shown by the shaddah ـّ — a small w-shaped mark meaning the letter is said twice. In نُسَبِّحُ that shaddah sits on the ب, the middle letter of the root سبح, marking it as Form II. L12 · R1
بِحَمْدِكَword 20
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition ending, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The prefix بِ means 'with': 'with Your praise'. L4 · R1
Noun · اسمA noun is a naming word for a person, thing, or idea. حَمْدِ names the act of praise as a thing — from the root حمد, to praise, gratitude. L1 · R6
Masculine Noun · اسم مذكرArabic treats every naming word as grammatically 'he' or 'she'. This word carries no feminine marker such as a ة at its end, so it falls to the default and is treated as 'he': a masculine noun. L2 · R3
Genitive · مجرورThe genitive is the ending a naming word takes after a preposition, shown by a kasrah ـِ — a small slanted stroke below the last letter. حَمْدِ carries that kasrah ـِ because بِ stands before it. L2 · R12
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word for 'your' glued onto the end of another word. The ending كَ on بِحَمْدِكَ stands for 'Your': 'Your praise'. L3 · R7
Possessive (Idafa) · مضاف إليهA possessive (iḍāfah) chains an owner onto the thing owned, and the owner carries the genitive — the owner's ending, usually shown by a kasrah ـِ, a small slanted stroke below the last letter. The ending كَ 'Your' is that owner glued onto حَمْدِ: the praise belongs to You. A pronoun like كَ keeps its fixed written shape, so no kasrah appears on it — the genitive is the role its owner slot carries. L5 · R5
وَنُقَدِّسُ لَكَ ۖ
(…and declare Your perfection?")
Root قدس — to be holy, sanctify · 10 times in the Quran
وَنُقَدِّسُword 21
Conjunction · حرف عطفA conjunction is a small joining word that ties one action to another. The prefix وَ joins 'we sanctify' to 'we glorify'. L4 · R4
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. نُقَدِّسُ names an action — sanctifying, declaring holy — from the root قدس, to be holy, sanctify. L1 · R7
Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present tense verb describes an ongoing action and opens with one of the four prefixes أ ن ي ت. نُقَدِّسُ opens with نُ, the 'we' marker: 'we sanctify'. L8 · R3
Form II Verb · فَعَّلَA Form II verb doubles its middle root letter, shown by the shaddah ـّ — a small w-shaped mark meaning the letter is said twice. In نُقَدِّسُ that shaddah sits on the د, the middle letter of the root قدس, marking it as Form II. L12 · R1
لَكَ ۖword 22
Preposition · حرف جرA preposition is a little word that relates one thing to another and pulls the naming word after it into the genitive — the after-preposition standing, usually a kasrah ـِ, a small stroke below the last letter. The prefix لَ means 'to/for': sanctify 'You'. L4 · R1
Detached Pronoun · ضمير منفصلA pronoun is a mini-word standing in for a name, here كَ 'You'. Joined after the preposition لَ, it names the One the sanctifying is offered to: 'to You'. L3 · R7
So far: “And [mention, O Muḥammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority." They said, "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we exalt You with praise and declare Your perfection?"”
قَالَ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ
(He [Allāh] said, "Indeed, I know)
Root قول — to say, speak, tell · 1,722 times in the Quran
Root علم — to know, knowledge · 854 times in the Quran
قَالَword 23
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. قَالَ names an action — saying — from the root قول, to say, speak, tell. L1 · R7
Past Tense Verb · فعل ماضٍA past tense verb in its base shape is the bare 'he' form with no added ending, naming a completed action. قَالَ is exactly that bare form: 'He said'. L8 · R1
Weak Verb · فعل معتلA weak verb is one whose root contains the weak letter و or ي — letters that love to soften into long vowels or vanish. The root of قَالَ is قول: its middle و hides here behind the long ا. L24 · R2
إِنِّىٓword 24
Accusative Particle (إنّ) · حرف مشبه بالفعلإِنَّ 'indeed' — carrying the doubling shaddah ـّ, a small w-shaped mark — is a particle of the family حرف مشبه بالفعل that opens a topic-plus-comment sentence, adds emphasis, and pushes its topic into the accusative, the fathah ـَ form. Joined with 'me' it reads إِنِّىٓ: 'Indeed, I…'. L15 · R2
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of another word; glued to a particle, it is governed by that particle. The ending ىٓ on إِنِّىٓ stands for 'I' — the topic إِنَّ pushes into the accusative, the fathah ـَ form; a pronoun keeps its fixed written shape, so the role, not a visible fathah, carries that case. L3 · R6
أَعْلَمُword 25
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. أَعْلَمُ names an action — knowing — from the root علم, to know, knowledge. L1 · R7
Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present tense verb describes an ongoing action and opens with one of the four prefixes أ ن ي ت. أَعْلَمُ opens with أَ, the 'I' marker: 'I know'. L8 · R3
مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
(…that which you do not know.")
Root علم — to know, knowledge · 854 times in the Quran
مَاword 26
Relative Pronoun · اسم موصولA relative pronoun is a word that hooks a describing sentence onto something. مَا is the form used for non-human things — 'that which': that which you do not know. L5 · R13
Direct Object · مفعول بهThe direct object is what the action lands on, standing in the accusative — the landed-on form, usually a fathah ـَ, a small slanted stroke above the last letter. The knowing of أَعْلَمُ lands on مَا 'that which…'; this word keeps one fixed written shape, so no fathah appears on it — the object role is carried by its place in the sentence. L9 · R3
لَاword 27
Particle · حرفA particle is a small helper word with no meaning standing alone; it takes no ending and does not name or act. لَا is such a helper word here. L1 · R8
Negation Particle · حرف نفيA negation particle is a word meaning 'not', flipping a statement to its opposite. لَا negates the ongoing action after it: 'you do NOT know'. L4 · R5
تَعْلَمُونَword 28
Verb · فعلA verb is a word for an action tied to a time. تَعْلَمُ names an action — knowing — from the root علم, to know, knowledge. L1 · R7
Present Tense Verb · فعل مضارعA present tense verb describes an ongoing action and opens with one of the four prefixes أ ن ي ت. تَعْلَمُونَ opens with تَ, the 'you' marker together with its plural ending: 'you know'. L8 · R3
The Five Verbs · الأفعال الخمسةThe Five Verbs are the five present shapes ending in نَ, one being تَفْعَلُونَ 'you all do'; for these shapes that final نَ itself is the mood sign — kept in the plain mood, dropped after words like لَمْ or لَنْ. تَعْلَمُونَ keeps its نَ: the لَا before it simply negates and leaves the mood untouched. L10 · R10
Attached Pronoun · ضمير متصلAn attached pronoun is a mini-word glued onto the end of a verb. In the ending ونَ of تَعْلَمُونَ, the و is that mini-word, standing for 'you all' — the angels addressed. L3 · R6
Doer (Fa'il) · فاعلThe doer is the one performing the action, so it stands in the nominative — the doer's form, usually shown by a ḍammah ـُ, a small curl above the last letter. The و in the ending ونَ of تَعْلَمُونَ is that doer, 'you all'; on this attached pronoun the shape is fixed, so no ḍammah appears, but the role it fills is the nominative one. L9 · R4
Meaning: I know that the benefit of creating this creature outweighs the harm you mentioned — I will create among them Prophets and Messengers, the truthful, martyrs, righteous believers, worshippers, and scholars who implement their knowledge.
Ibn Kathir (abridged), on 2:30
So far: “And [mention, O Muḥammad], when your Lord said to the angels, "Indeed, I will make upon the earth a successive authority." They said, "Will You place upon it one who causes corruption therein and sheds blood, while we exalt You with praise and declare Your perfection?" He [Allāh] said, "Indeed, I know that which you do not know."”