Proud2BeHumble
Seek Truth, Be Happy
:salam2:
Q: Who is Satan and what's his name in Arabic?
A: Satan belongs to another form of life "jinnkind" or spirits. His name in Arabic is (Iblis) and he goes by another name "Sheetan" (Devil).
Q: Why does Satan despise humans and desire their destruction?
A: When God (swt) created Adam, God wanted to give Adam some sort of respect, value and position among the other creations. God (swt) commanded the Angels, including Satan from the Jinn, to prostrate to Adam as a sign of respect and not as a sign of worship. All prostrated to Adam but Satan. Satan was a mighty & a distinguished Jinn. God (swt) asked him what made you not prostrate to Adam and disobeyed my commandment? Satan replied, I am better than Adam, you created him from Clay and created me from Fire. God (swt) cursed Satan. Satan vowed to destroy Adam and his descendants forever.
Q: I am still confused, I thought Satan was an Angel like Gabriel and he has no free will but to worship God?
A: False. If Satan was an Angel, then we wouldn't have any problems with him at all. Angels are a special creation of God (swt). God (swt) created Angels from divine light (Nur). Angles don't have free will in doing things but to worship God (swt) and obey his commandments. Satan, on the other hand, is a Jinn "spirit", and like humans, Satan and his race "jinnkind" have free will in their actions; free will of doing good and free will of doing bad. Ref. QURAN (18:50)
According to the Qur'an (the basic source of Islamic belief), when God created Adam (pbuh) and directed the assembly of angels to prostrate before Adam (pbuh), Iblis - a Jinn - was also present in the court. All the angels obediently prostrated before Adam (pbuh). However, Iblis - the Jinn - arrogantly refused to do so. This, obviously, was a transgression on the part of Iblis. It was this transgression of Iblis that made him deserving of the name 'Al-Shaitaan'[1] (the Satan). As a result of this transgression, God turned Iblis out of His court and sentenced him to punishment. However, Iblis asked God for respite till the Day of Judgment and declared that because God had turned him out of his court and had sentenced him to punishment because of man, he would therefore always be an enemy to man. He, and those who become his agents, would do all that they can to turn man away from the path of God and as a consequence, suffer the everlasting punishment of hellfire..
Thus, according to the Islamic belief, Iblis - the Satan - is neither a fallen angel, as the Christians believe, nor an agent of God. Islam introduces Iblis as a Jinn, who by his freewill opted to disobey God and transgress. God allowed Satan respite from punishment till an appointed time and gave him the authority only to the extent of suggesting evil to man. Iblis and his agents[2] - from among jinn as well as men - cannot force man into evil. They, however, can incite man to do what is against God's commandments and thereby lose the path of eternal success.
It should be kept in mind that the basic scheme of things in giving man life, according to the Qur'an, was to test him by giving him authority to choose between 'good' and 'evil'. It is, in fact, the incorrect use of this authority, which results in evil. It seems that the Jinn are also given the same authority. Iblis became 'the Satan' for no other reason except for using this freedom of choice for the wrong end.
Wasalam
Q: Who is Satan and what's his name in Arabic?
A: Satan belongs to another form of life "jinnkind" or spirits. His name in Arabic is (Iblis) and he goes by another name "Sheetan" (Devil).
Q: Why does Satan despise humans and desire their destruction?
A: When God (swt) created Adam, God wanted to give Adam some sort of respect, value and position among the other creations. God (swt) commanded the Angels, including Satan from the Jinn, to prostrate to Adam as a sign of respect and not as a sign of worship. All prostrated to Adam but Satan. Satan was a mighty & a distinguished Jinn. God (swt) asked him what made you not prostrate to Adam and disobeyed my commandment? Satan replied, I am better than Adam, you created him from Clay and created me from Fire. God (swt) cursed Satan. Satan vowed to destroy Adam and his descendants forever.
Q: I am still confused, I thought Satan was an Angel like Gabriel and he has no free will but to worship God?
A: False. If Satan was an Angel, then we wouldn't have any problems with him at all. Angels are a special creation of God (swt). God (swt) created Angels from divine light (Nur). Angles don't have free will in doing things but to worship God (swt) and obey his commandments. Satan, on the other hand, is a Jinn "spirit", and like humans, Satan and his race "jinnkind" have free will in their actions; free will of doing good and free will of doing bad. Ref. QURAN (18:50)
According to the Qur'an (the basic source of Islamic belief), when God created Adam (pbuh) and directed the assembly of angels to prostrate before Adam (pbuh), Iblis - a Jinn - was also present in the court. All the angels obediently prostrated before Adam (pbuh). However, Iblis - the Jinn - arrogantly refused to do so. This, obviously, was a transgression on the part of Iblis. It was this transgression of Iblis that made him deserving of the name 'Al-Shaitaan'[1] (the Satan). As a result of this transgression, God turned Iblis out of His court and sentenced him to punishment. However, Iblis asked God for respite till the Day of Judgment and declared that because God had turned him out of his court and had sentenced him to punishment because of man, he would therefore always be an enemy to man. He, and those who become his agents, would do all that they can to turn man away from the path of God and as a consequence, suffer the everlasting punishment of hellfire..
Thus, according to the Islamic belief, Iblis - the Satan - is neither a fallen angel, as the Christians believe, nor an agent of God. Islam introduces Iblis as a Jinn, who by his freewill opted to disobey God and transgress. God allowed Satan respite from punishment till an appointed time and gave him the authority only to the extent of suggesting evil to man. Iblis and his agents[2] - from among jinn as well as men - cannot force man into evil. They, however, can incite man to do what is against God's commandments and thereby lose the path of eternal success.
It should be kept in mind that the basic scheme of things in giving man life, according to the Qur'an, was to test him by giving him authority to choose between 'good' and 'evil'. It is, in fact, the incorrect use of this authority, which results in evil. It seems that the Jinn are also given the same authority. Iblis became 'the Satan' for no other reason except for using this freedom of choice for the wrong end.
Wasalam