related to the question of the vicegerency. There are many lessons to be learnt from the story.
Bearing in mind the verse: “Nor anything fresh or dry but is [inscribed] in a Record Clear,”(6:59) and supported by the facts that the Qur’an both offers you clear statements and evidences, and teaches you through signs and indications, I understand from the masterly signs and indications1 of the Qur’an’s miraculousness in the stories of the prophets and their miracles, that it is encouraging mankind to attain similar achievements. It is as though with these stories, the Qur’an is pointing the finger at the main lines and final results in the future of mankind’s efforts to progress, for the future is built on the foundations of the past, while the past is the mirror of the future. And it is as though the Qur’an is slapping humanity on the back urging and encouraging men, saying: “Exert yourselves to the utmost [and discover] the means to achieve some of these wonders!” You surely know that it was the hand of miracles that first gave mankind the clock and the ship.
If you wish, consider now the verses:
“And He taught Adam all of the names.”(2:31)
“We bestowed grace aforetime on David from Ourselves: ‘O you mountains! Sing back the praises of Allah with him, and you birds [also]!’”(34:10)
“And unto Solomon [We made subservient] the wind; its morning course [covered the distance of] a month’s journey, and its evening course, a month’s journey. And We caused a fountain of molten copper to flow at his behest.”(34:12)
“‘Strike the rock with thy staff!’ – whereupon twelve springs gushed forth.”(2:60)
“And you heal those born blind, and the lepers, by My leave.”(5:110)
Now dwell on what combined human thought has produced and the thousands of rational sciences it has deduced: each of them [is related to] one of the species [realms of being] in the universe, so that mankind has come to manifest “And He taught Adam all of the names.”(2:31)
Now ponder over the railway and telegraph and other wonders of art deduced by human thought and by means of smelting iron and forging
If you are in doubt concerning what the author discovered about the subtleties of the Qur’an’s word-order, I can tell you that we consulted Ibn al-Fāriḍ’s book of poetry, opening it at random, and these lines came up: “ka-anna al-kirām al-kātibīna tanazzalū * Alā qalbihi waḥyan bi-mā fī ṣaḥīfatin – As though the Recording Angels had alighted * On his heart, inspiring it with what is on the page.” Signed, [His student and scribe] Habib