The Qur’an

“Adam Gives Names to the Animals”

Sura 2

The Cow

30. And when your Lord said to the angels, I am going to place in the earth a khalif, they said: What! wilt Thou place in it such as shall make mischief in it and shed blood, and we celebrate Thy praise and extol Thy holiness? 1He said: Surely I know what you do not know.

31. And He taught Adam all the names, then presented them to the angels;2 then He said: Tell me the names of those if you are right.

32. They said: Glory be to Thee! we have no knowledge but that which Thou hast taught us; surely Thou art the Knowing, the Wise.

33. He said: O Adam! inform them of their names. Then when he had informed them of their names, He said: Did I not say to you that I surely know what is ghaib in the heavens and the earth and (that) I know what you manifest and what you hide?

The Bible

“Adam Gives Names to the Animals”

Genesis

Chapter 1

26. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:1 and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Genesis

Chapter 2

19. And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.2

20. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

COMMENTARY

In the Qur’an:

1. Adam was created by Allah as a creature lower than angels.

2. Allah taught Adam all the names of the animals in order to put the angels to shame.

In the Bible:

1. The creation of man was the last and finest work of Almighty God, because no other creatures, including angels, were made in the image of God

2. God brought to Adam, as ruler of the earth, all of the animals for him to give them names and Adam did his first job well. It had nothing to do with angels!