Prior to the creation of man, Allah (The One True God) created other beings, including angels and jinns.
Angels were created from light. They always fulfil the commands of Allah.
Jinns were created from a smokeless flame. They have the choice to do good or bad, similar to humans. There are good believing jinns and there are criminal disbelievers among them.
The chief troublemaker of these Jinn, is Iblees. Interestingly, his origins were not as sinister as his current state.
Devout worshipper turned devil.
Iblees, the jinn, was once a devout worshipper of Allah. He obeyed Our Creator diligently. In fact, Iblees was so devout, he was ranked among the angels in their gatherings.
When Allah created the first man, Adam (our father, upon him be peace), He commanded the angels and Iblees to prostrate to Adam. The angels submitted, the worship was to Allah by submitting to His command.
However, Iblees refused to prostrate. He decided that he was better than Adam and challenged Allah’s command by refusing to obey. All of this was known to Allah, out of His wisdom and power.
Despite Iblees’ previous obedience, this one heinous sin cost him a prized place in paradise. Instead of admitting his error and humbling himself in repentance, Iblees despaired and was arrogant, instead insinuating he was superior.
Surely We created you,1 then shaped you, then said to the angels, “Prostrate before Adam,” so they all did—but not Iblîs,2 who refused to prostrate with the others.
Allah asked, “What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?” He replied, “I am better than he is: You created me from fire and him from clay.”
Allah said, “Then get down from Paradise! It is not for you to be arrogant here. So get out! You are truly one of the disgraced.”
Allah banished the villain Iblees. Iblees’ arrogance didn’t stop there. He promised to mislead the creation, with his special enmity towards mankind. Iblees asked for respite and was granted. His plots for destruction of mankind began here.
Indeed, Allah was aware and Most-Wise about this occurrence.
He appealed, “Then delay my end until the Day of their resurrection.”
Allah said, “You are delayed ˹until the appointed Day˺.”1
He said, “For leaving me to stray I will lie in ambush for them on Your Straight Path.
I will approach them from their front, their back, their right, their left, and then You will find most of them ungrateful.”
Allah said, “Get out of Paradise! You are disgraced and rejected! I will certainly fill up Hell with you and your followers all together.”
Satan was relentless in his goal to drag Adam and mankind into the depths of the blazing hellfire. Essentially, Satan insinuates, ‘if you want more, I will show you how… all you have to do is cut corners, cheat, lie, steal, break the laws, commit crimes and voila, all these delights and material gains will be yours… for a while‘ (that’s the fine print). The delight earned unlawfully could lead to our downfall and demise.
˹Allah said,˺ “O Adam! Live with your wife in Paradise and eat from wherever you please, but do not approach this tree, or else you will be wrongdoers.”
Then Satan tempted them in order to expose what was hidden of their nakedness. He said, “Your Lord has forbidden this tree to you only to prevent you from becoming angels or immortals.”
And he swore to them, “I am truly your sincere advisor.”
So he brought about their fall through deception. And when they tasted of the tree, their nakedness was exposed to them, prompting them to cover themselves with leaves from Paradise. Then their Lord called out to them, “Did I not forbid you from that tree and ˹did I not˺ tell you that Satan is your sworn enemy?”
They replied, “Our Lord! We have wronged ourselves. If You do not forgive us and have mercy on us, we will certainly be losers.”
Allah said, “Descend as enemies to each other.1 You will find in the earth a residence and provision for your appointed stay.”
He added, “There you will live, there you will die, and from there you will be resurrected.”
O children of Adam! We have provided for you clothing to cover your nakedness and as an adornment. However, the best clothing is righteousness. This is one of Allah’s bounties, so perhaps you will be mindful.
O children of Adam! Do not let Satan deceive you as he tempted your parents out of Paradise and caused their cover to be removed in order to expose their nakedness. Surely he and his soldiers watch you from where you cannot see them. We have made the devils allies of those who disbelieve.
Whenever they commit a shameful deed,1 they say, “We found our forefathers doing it and Allah has commanded us to do it.” Say, “No! Allah never commands what is shameful. How can you attribute to Allah what you do not know?”
Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “My Lord has commanded uprightness and dedication ˹to Him alone˺ in worship, calling upon Him with sincere devotion. Just as He first brought you into being, you will be brought to life again.”
He has guided some, while others are destined to stray. They have taken devils as their masters instead of Allah—thinking they are ˹rightly˺ guided.
