Al-Baqarah 31: Allah taught Adam the names of all the things (or matters) which Allah fashioned to teach. Then, showing the things to the angels, Allah said; “if you are truthful in your words, tell me the names of these (matters/things)”.

We come to verse 31. Allah taught Adam all the names, all the names He taught. Then He first presented the things to the angels: if you are truthful in your word, tell Me the names of these, He said. How beautifully it says it now.

A being programmed with a program — unless a second program is made on top of it, that program can know nothing outside its own program. Who are these? The angels. Programmed. There is no nafs either. Since they are programmed only for the duties they will do, they only know their duties.

Whereas what does it say about Adam? He taught the things. So He programmed one, and taught the other. Within his own ability he understood what was taught. And he gained the capacity to judge for himself. The other doesn't have this. The angel doesn't have this. That is man's freedom. Man's greatness. But those who don't know this, those poor people, consider the angels far superior. One of the hodjas in Germany says: a certain hodja who doesn't know himself says man is superior to the angels, he says. Whereas I have held up a mirror to him; that poor hodja who doesn't know himself, how nicely he proves himself with what he says. Yes. What does Rumi say? Tell me one word, I'll tell you where you stand, he says. Yes, what is Allah Almighty doing now?

In front of the angels He teaches Adam, that is, without programming him, within his will, by telling him; he learns, takes it in — the person takes it in himself. The other is program. With a program it doesn't understand. There is much ability. Of course, very different. Since Allah Almighty's will is that His Self be known through man, there was a need for an educator, we say. An educator. His Self will be known. But how will it be known? First an educator is needed. Look, don't we always educate children? From childhood till they grow up, aren't they always under education? Likewise man needed an educator.

Who is this educator? The first man's educator is Allah Almighty. He is his teacher. He even says "I taught", doesn't He? What does it say? In the verse. You know, they say this man is talking nonsense, but those who say he's talking nonsense, those poor people themselves are talking nonsense. Here we tell the truth, according to Allah's verses. What does it say? Allah taught Adam all the names. So Adam's teacher was Allah Almighty Himself. He educated him. Can you deny this now? He needed a first education. And from him, outwardly, everyone on earth will learn something. As much knowledge as He taught Adam will (?) until the Day of Judgment.

Yes. What are we saying here now? Since Allah Almighty's will is that His Self be known through man, an educator was needed. That is, man needed an educator. So Allah, who is free of deficient attributes, instructed Adam in the names of things and taught him.

In one saying, Abdulqadir Gilani says the following.

Allah Almighty, from the word kun, from the word kun, to Adam gave instruction. That is, from what He created anyway, isn't it? Kun, in the sense of "be". He gave him instruction. In what? The names of things.

Iblis (?) that Adam, from the word kun — Adam is studying. According to one report, forty years. According to another, forty thousand years; Iblis too, from the word kun, against the word kun, is being instructed. Adam finds Allah Almighty's oneness, His existence. The accursed one finds his disbelief. His disbelief. That is why Allah Almighty says this in His verse. The Quran increases the Muslim's faith and the disbeliever's disbelief, He says. He too finds his disbelief, you see. Because of his rebellion. Yes.

Then, first calling the angels, He said: tell Me the names of the things. First He calls the angels. Did I not tell you? You cannot know what I know. That is, whatever I taught you, that is, whatever I programmed, you can only know that. You cannot step outside it. Come on, He says. Like this one — what this one learned within his own will, tell Me the names of the things, He says. Tell Me. What do the angels say? Look.

The angels could not know this. Because the angels are created without a nafs and, to worship Allah Almighty, upon a single duty were they created — servants of Allah. We don't open this up here. We leave it to the next verse. What do the angels say? We declare You exalted. We can know nothing outside what You have taught, they say. What does this mean? Programmed, you see.

Yes. Man, however, because he has himself programmed within his own will, man becomes responsible to Allah Almighty. For the beings Allah Almighty programmed, towards our Lord there is no matter of reward and sin. Because our Lord programmed them; whatever He willed, they do that; they have no reward and sin. For this reason some people, knowing the angels are sinless, (?) — "a person like an angel", meaning a sinless person — say it, and there too they are mistaken, because sinless there is no being, no human; a sinless human, not a single human exists. Is there a verse? Of course there is: if you had not committed errors, We would destroy you and in your place create servants who commit errors, He says.

Here our Lord's sublimity, the helplessness and deficiency of created beings, and Allah Almighty's forgiving those who turn to Him in pardon and forgiveness, with His attribute Tawwab — this comes out. His greatness comes out, the greatness of Allah Almighty.

Yes.