The Encyclopedia Of Demons And Demonology

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Iblis In Islam, the DEVIL. Iblis is Arabian for “despair.”
The exact origin and nature of Iblis are uncertain. His
name is the primary name for the Devil; he is also
described as the chief and father of the DJINN and an
ANGEL. He can assume any form, but he is most frequently
portrayed as a vain entity who has the head of
an ass and is decorated with peacock feathers (see
ADRAMELECH).
Iblis is mentioned nine times in the Qur’an; seven of
the references concern his fall from God’s grace. His other
name, Shaytan, is used in context of his rebellion against
God.
Sura 18:50 in the Qur’an states that Iblis “was one of
the djinn, and he broke the command his Lord.” Like
other djinn, Iblis was created by God of smokeless fire.
Suras 7:12 and 38:76 refer to his creation from fire.
However, the Qur’an also indicates that Iblis was
treated as an angel. When Allah created Adam, he ordered
all the angels to bow down and worship him. Iblis was
among those who refused, claiming that a being made of
dust was beneath him, a being of fire. Allah cursed Iblis
for his pride and expelled him from heaven. Iblis persuaded
Allah to delay further punishment until the Day
of Judgment. God gave him the right to roam the earth,
tempting people, and to destroy those who yield to temptation.
He cannot compel people to sin but only lure them
to make the choice. He is aided by the Shaytan, also the
name of a type of djinn, who serves under him.
Ultimately, Iblis is doomed to HELL along with the
souls he corrupts. He haunts ruins and eats unblessed
food until Judgment Day.
Another tradition holds that Iblis was one of the original
djinn, taken to heaven as a prisoner. He was made
a judge of djinn, a job that he performed well for 1,000
years and poorly for 1,000 years. He was then rehabilitated
but refused Allah’s command to worship Adam and
was punished.
In another legend, in a time before the creation of humankind,
Allah sent his angels down to Earth to destroy
the djinn, who were rebelling against divine laws. The
angels killed most of them and captured Iblis, whom they
took up to heaven and educated. The remaining djinn
formed a new nation. Iblis, who wanted power, left heaven
to become their king. They called him AZAZEL.
In the mystical tradition of the Sufis, Iblis refused to
bow to Adam because he could only bow to God. Thus,
Iblis represents the perfect lover, a model of loyalty and
devotion who would rather be separated from God and
God’s will than united with God against God’s will.
In a 14th-century Syrian legend, Iblis actually assisted
in the creation of Adam by gathering sweet and salty matter
from the earth.
Another story tells how Iblis tempted Eve. He succeeded
in smuggling himself into paradise by promising
any animal who carried him in that he would bestow upon
it three magical words that would guarantee immortality.
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