Devil (Islam) - The Devil in Islamic Theology

The Devil in Islamic Theology

According to The Oxford Dictionary of Islam, shaytan is used in the Quran in the singular and for the plural Shayateen, often interchangeably with Iblis" who is "considered to be a particular shaytan".

According to basic Islamic teachings, God created three intelligent species: angels, jinns, and humans, of which the latter two have been granted free will to choose between good and evil.

Iblis was a jinn and a devoted servant of God, according to the Qur’an, which Muslims take as the authoritative word of God. However, according to other non-Quranic sources he was a "disobedient angel". This view is also backed by a different interpertation of the same verse that commanded the whole order of the angels, whom Iblis was part of until he broke away from the qualities of the order, to prostrate to Adam who was not part of the angelic order. There are other verses that may be considered as a reinforcement to this view in that humans are referred to as "bashar" (men) while other than bashar are referred to as "malaaikah" (angels) which is consistent to the previous verse. It is important to point out that Bashar ( Arabic:بَشر) is not the only word used in Islamic text to refer to humans. There are also words like Banu Adam /Bani Adam ( Arabic:بنو آدم/ بني آدم) (sons of Adam) or Insan (Arabic:إنسان) (human being) and Alnas (Arabic: الناس) (people)

The angels do not have free will and cannot sin because they were not granted the freedom by God to disobey. When God created Adam (see Islamic view of Adam), he commanded all the angels and Iblis (whose rank allowed him to be considered equal to that of an angel) to prostrate to Adam as was termed "the Best of Creation". All the angels did so. The jinn Iblis refused to obey, and was brought into a state of rebellion against God. For this God cast him out of the Garden, and intended to punish him. Iblis begged God to delay the punishment until the Last Day (the Day of Judgment): this God granted, as he is Most Merciful (ar-Raḥīm).

It is We Who created you and gave you shape; then We bade the angels prostrate to Adam, and they prostrate; not so Iblis; He refused to be of those who prostrate.
God said: "What prevented thee from prostrating when I commanded thee?" He said: "I am better than he: Thou didst create me from fire, and him from clay." —Qurʾān (Yusuf Ali's translation), sura 7 (Al-A'raf), ayat 11-12

Iblis was proud and arrogant and considered himself superior to Adam, since Adam was made from clay and Iblis from smokeless fire. For this act of disobedience, God cursed him to Hell for eternity, but gave him respite until the Day of Judgment (Qiyāmah), after Iblis requested it. Iblis obtained permission from God and vowed that he would use this time to lead all men and women astray to Hell as a way of revenge against them. By refusing to obey God’s order he was thrown out of Paradise and thereafter he was called "Shaytan".

He said: "Give me respite till the day they are raised up."
(Allah) said: "Be thou among those who have respite."
He said: "Because thou hast thrown me out of the way, lo! I will lie in wait for them on thy straight way:
"Then will I assault them from before them and behind them, from their right and their left: Nor wilt thou find, in most of them, gratitude (for thy mercies)."
(Allah) said: "Get out from this, disgraced and expelled. If any of them follow thee,- Hell will I fill with you all. —Qurʾān (Yusuf Ali's translation), sura 7 (Al-A'raf), ayat 14-18

Although God grants the request, he also warns Satan that he would have no authority over his sincere ‘ubūd "devoted servants".

"As for My servants, no authority shalt thou have over them:" Enough is thy Lord for a Disposer of affairs. —Qurʾān (Yusuf Ali's translation), sura 17 (Al-Isra), ayah 65