Iblis
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2007) |
|
|||||||||||||||||
Iblīs (Arabic إبليس), is the name of the primary devil (Shaitan or Satan) in Islam.
Contents |
[edit] Etymology
The word may be derived from the Arabic verbal root balasa بَلَسَ, meaning "he despaired"; therefore, the linguistic meaning of Iblis would be "he/it that causes despair".[1] However, some maintain an etymological derivation from the Greek "Diabolos".[2]
[edit] Origin
According to the Qur'an, Iblis disobeyed an order from God to prostrate to Adam and as a result was forced out of heaven and given respite until the day of judgment from further punishment.
When God commanded all of the angels to bow down before Adam (the first Human), Iblis, full of hubris and jealousy, refused to obey God's command, seeing Adam as being inferior in creation due to his being created from clay.[3]
- 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.
- (Allah) 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."
- Qur'an 7:11-12
It was after this that he was given the title of "Shaitan" which can be roughly translated as "Enemy," "Rebel," "Evil" or "Devil". He then claims that if the punishment for his act of disobedience is to be delayed until the Day of Judgment, he will divert many of Adam's own descendants from the straight path during his period of respite.[4] God accepts the claims of Iblis and guarantees recompense to Iblis and his followers in the form of Hellfire. In order to test mankind and jinn alike, God allowed Iblis to roam the earth to attempt to convert others away from his path.[5] He was sent to earth along with Adam and Eve, after eventually luring them into eating the fruit from the forbidden tree.[6]
[edit] Depiction
|
|
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding reliable references. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2007) |
Iblis attempts to corrupt humans through temptation and through false suggestion.[7] At the day of Judgment, Iblis will be sent to Jahannam (the Islamic depiction of Hell) along with the "Companions of the Fire". Muslims believe that through Islam, those who successfully follow a righteous path will be rewarded with the pleasures of Jannah (Paradise).
The Qur'an does not depict Iblis as the enemy of God, for God is seen as supreme over all of his creations and Iblis is just one of his creations.[citation needed] He is, however, the enemy of man.[8] Islam also names the nafs, or self, as a source of disobedience.
He is more often referred to in the Qur'an as the Shaitan, a general term which is also sometimes used to refer to all of the evil spirits in alliance with Iblis. Iblis is mentioned by name 9 times, whereas Shaitan ("al-Shaitan") is mentioned 87 times.
