Azazil in Islam
Azazil (Arabic: عزازل ‘Azāzīl) does not feature in the Qur'an, but is said to be the original name of Iblis, or Satan. Iblis was the Jinn (or spirit) who worshiped Allah (God) from amongst the ranks of the angels. He denied Allah's command to bow down before Adam and later tempted Adam to eat from the forbidden tree. He made a promise to tempt mankind into sin and lead them all astray – those who are heedless of the signs of Allah (God). The word Iblis means "to despair" and Azazil despaired of the Mercy of God, thus earning him that title.
Ibn Abbas said and Ibn Masoud and some companions :that Iblis was the main chief between Angels in the 1st sky close to the earth and Ibn Abbas said: Iblis name was Azazel عزازيل then Allah change him to Satan as the story mentioned in The Quran.(from book of prophets stories for Ibn Kathiir).
The Quran does mention the story of two angels Harut and Marut, who were confined within the land of Babylon, teaching magic and other forbidden knowledge to those who seek such knowledge. As a request for dispensing any such information, they were required to declare that they were only there for the trial of men who inquired for knowledge of magic; anything they have taught (magic) can only harm and not profit the student at all. The Quran also mention some underlying correlation with the king Sulaiman (Solomon) without elaborating furthermore. There is no mention of any penalty for the actions of the two angels, although the penalty mentioned for magic is the same as that for being a disbeliever in God, namely everlasting hellfire.
Azazil is referenced as another name for Iblis in the Tawasin, the collection by the 10th Century Sufi writer and martyr, Mansur Al-Hallaj. Chapter Six of that writing is dedicated to the self-defence of Iblis, and in one section, Hallaj explains how each of the letters of Azazil's name relate to his personality.
Read more about this topic: Azazel
Famous quotes containing the word islam:
“During the first formative centuries of its existence, Christianity was separated from and indeed antagonistic to the state, with which it only later became involved. From the lifetime of its founder, Islam was the state, and the identity of religion and government is indelibly stamped on the memories and awareness of the faithful from their own sacred writings, history, and experience.”
—Bernard Lewis, U.S. Middle Eastern specialist. Islam and the West, ch. 8, Oxford University Press (1993)