﴿ إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا ٱلْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱلْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَن يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا ٱلْإِنسَٰنُ ۖ إِنَّهُۥ كَانَ ظَلُومًۭا جَهُولًۭا ﴾

“Verily, We did offer the trust [of reason and volition] to the heavens, and the earth, and the mountains: but they refused to bear it because they were afraid of it. Yet man took it up - for, verily, he has always been prone to be most wicked, most foolish.”

(Lo! We offered the trust) obedience and worship (unto the heavens) unto the inhabitants of the heavens (and the earth and the hills) by way of choice and selection, (but they shrank from bearing it) through reward and punishment (and were afraid of it) and were afraid of bearing it. (And man assumed it) Adam assumed it, accepting both the possibility of reward and punishment. (Lo! he hath proved a tyrant) by assuming its bearing; it is also said that this means: he has proved a tyrant by eating from the tree (and a fool) and ignorant of its consequence.