Now, let us listen to the reply given by Sayyiduna ʿAlī, the door to the city of knowledge. He explained:

When Allah Almighty stated:

اِنِّیْ جَاعِلٌ فِی الْاَرْضِ خَلِیْفَۃً

I am about to appoint My vicegerent on the earth.^[1]

The angels responded:

اَتَجْعَلُ فِیْہَا مَنْ یُّفْسِدُ فِیْہَا وَ یَسْفِکُ الدِّمَآءَ

Will You appoint such a vicegerent (i.e. mankind) who will cause mischief and bloodshed therein.^[2]

They did not say this as a form of objection. They instead sought to learn the wisdom behind mankind being made vicegerents instead of them, when they spend their entire existence praising and extolling Allah Almighty. Upon this, Allah Almighty declared:

اِنِّیْۤ اَعْلَمُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُوْنَ

I know what you know not.^[3]

They were struck with fear of Allah Almighty when they heard this and felt as though they had had said something very daring and audacious in His court. In this state of fear, they began making ṭawāf of Allah’s ʿArsh. “My angels!” Allah Almighty