The Disobedience of Satan

In the Holy Qur’an, the name used for Satan is Iblis in the context before descending to the earth and when he is tested through Adam. Iblis lived with the angels before humans were created. Although he was different in nature from the other angels, he lived alongside them. Perhaps others like him, created from fire, lived there too. One day God gave the angels an order. Although the angels composed the majority, others like Satan were also being addressed. The following verses are concerned with this event:

And certainly We created you, then We fashioned you, then We said to the angels: Prostrate to Adam. So they did prostrate except Iblis; he was not of those who prostrated. God said: “What prevented you from prostrating yourself when I commanded you?” He said: “I am better than he; You created me from fire, and him from clay.” God said: “Go down from Paradise, then. It is not given you to be arrogant therein. Get out; you are indeed one of the lowly.” Satan said: “Give me respite, until the Day when they shall be resurrected.” God said: “You are one of those who are granted respite.” Satan said: “Because you have thrown me out of the way, I will lie in wait for them on Your straight path. Then I will assault them from before them and behind them, from their right and their left; and You will not find most of them thankful.” God said: “Go from here, despised and vanquished. I will fill Hell with all who follow you.” (7:11-18)

Satan was being tested when he was ordered to bow down before Adam and thus his emotions and his essence, i.e. his true identity and nature, surfaced. When the divine order came, his reaction was first to oppose the order by not bowing down, being arrogant and vain, and he then went on to declare his arrogance and defiance. He tried to exculpate himself in all his conceit. In addition, he stated, “I am better than he,” using this as an excuse for his arrogance, rebellion and defiance.

All that Iblis had to do was bow down and obey. However, he got caught up in false arguments and made invalid comparisons. He thought that Adam (pbuh) consisted simply of clay and being obsessed with the “matter” of creation, he failed to understand, or more simply, he did not want to understand, that God can create an entirely different being from clay, giving the creature life with His own breath.

This test turned Satan inside out and all the flaws in his nature became apparent. At no point during his test did he manage to do what he was supposed to, and he was continuously degraded because he misused his abilities. In the end he shut himself away from the seeds of good and beauty contained in him, seeds that could have been receptive to development, rather letting many bad characteristics gather inside.

Satan receives assistance from human beings and jinn who are receptive to evil, unable to tame their ego, and those who have unclear consciences. He deceives them with specious words, and then goes on to use them for his evil purposes. Not only do they assault ordinary people, they even assault the prophets:

Likewise we made for every messenger an enemy – evil ones among men and jinn. They inspire each other with flowery discourses. If your Lord had so planned (and had not let them), they would not have done it. So leave them alone with their intentions. The hearts of those who have no faith in the Hereafter will incline toward their flowery discourses. They will delight in it and persist in their crimes. (Qur’an 6:112-113)

Interpreting these verses, Ibn Abbas emphasizes the existence of devils among both humans and jinn, stating that sometimes the devils among jinn use those among the humans to deceive people. Likewise, the Prophet (pbuh) asked Abu Dharr: “Have you taken refuge with the Lord from the devils among the humans and jinn?” Abu Dharr asked in reply, “Can humans be devils?” The Prophet answered, “They can. They are even more dangerous than those among jinn.”[4]

The last chapter of the Qur’an, an-Nas (Mankind), expresses that there are devils among humans and jinn. It is also stated that Satan acts in mischief and whispers evil into the hearts of mankind. Although such people might look human, they have changed their identity. They serve the same goals as Satan does. Thus, they have metaphorically become devils. 

[4]  Nasa’i, Isti‘aze 48; Hanbal, 5:178-265.