speaks beginninglessly and beginninglessly knows what will be, while denying that the human being is a mentioned thing, although he must be a thing, according to His saying, “Our saying to a thing, when We will it, is only that We say to it, ‘Be,’ and it is” [16:40].
Only one who hears is commanded, through hearing belonging to fixity or to existence. He denies that the human being was mentioned during a span of duration. Duration here is time, and the span a part of it in which the human being was not mentioned, despite his existence as a human form.
Those witnessing his form did not know God's intention concerning him, nor a name of rank by which to mention him, nor the solicitude he possessed with God whose effect appeared upon him when He established him as vicegerent in His earth. He did not estrange him from his homeland: the soil from which he was created, the place of his abasement through witnessing his servanthood, for the earth is yielding.
Vicegerency did not veil him from his servitude, although it is the highest of ranks. He possesses it essentially, while the angels brought near possess it accidentally. He, exalted is He, says, “The Messiah will not disdain”—despite his reviving the dead, creating, and healing—“to be a servant of God,” then adds, “nor the angels brought near” [4:172].
These are those above the generated elemental world. Their constitution is higher, while the human being's is more comprehensive, for within him is the angel and other things. He has the excellence of comprehensiveness. Hence He made him the angels' teacher and made them prostrate to him. The course of the verse thus indicates the affirmation of blessings upon him.
The difficulty in this mention arises only from its being indefinite, and an indefinite becomes general
Notes
Translator’s note TN4118-1: The feminine pronouns after vicegerency and servitude can refer to either. A vicegerency reading is supported by the preceding link between the human being's intrinsic vicegerency and the divine Form; a servitude reading is supported by the following citation concerning the Messiah and the angels as servants of God. The main text retains neutral pronouns rather than settling the antecedent. The text then distinguishes the angels' higher constitution from the human being's greater comprehensiveness.
