Is Iblis from among the angels?
Question: Is Iblis from among the angels?
Answer: There are two opinions of the scholars on this, and each opinion has its evidence and its points of preponderance.
The first opinion: It is that Iblis is from the group of angels. Allah, the Exalted, says:
فسجد الملائكة كلهم أجمعون ﴿٧٣﴾ إلا إبليس
“So all the angels prostrated, but Iblis (did not).”
The excepted party is in reality of the same kind as the party from which it is excepted. Moreover, in this verse the command to prostrate to Adam (peace be upon him) was given only to the angels.
Allah says:
ثم قلنا للملائكة اسجدوا لآدم
“Then We said to the angels: Prostrate to Adam.”
This verse does not mention that Allah, the Blessed and Exalted, commanded others besides the angels to prostrate. So it is known that Satan is among the individuals of the angels; only then was the command issued in the name of the angels also applicable to Satan.
The second opinion: It is that Iblis is not from among the angels. Allah, the Exalted, says:
. . . إلا إبليس كان من الجن . . .
“All prostrated except Iblis; he was from among the jinn…”
That is, the origin of this Satan is from the jinn. And Allah said regarding Iblis that Iblis said:
﴿خَلَقْتَنِي مِن نَّارٍ . . .﴾
“You created me from fire.”
And it has come in a hadith of the Prophet that the angels were created from light. And Allah, the Exalted, said about the jinn:
﴿وَالْجَانَّ خَلَقْنَاهُ مِن قَبْلُ مِن نَّارِ السَّمُومِ﴾
“And the jinn We created before from the fire of scorching wind.”
And Allah also says:
وخلق الجان من مارج من نار
“And He created the jinn from a flame of fire.”
So when it was stated that Iblis was from the jinn, and the jinn were created from fire, so that Iblis’s creation is also from fire, this is evidence that Iblis is not from the angels. On this basis it can be said that Iblis was included in the command to prostrate by implication, that is, Iblis used to live with the angels, even though he was not from among them; therefore he came under the general scope of the command, but the origin and nature of Iblis betrayed him.
Some of the commentators say that Iblis was the forefather of the jinn, just as Adam (peace be upon him) was the forefather of mankind. Allah, Glorified is He, informed us that among the jinn there are righteous ones and Muslims too.
As for the shayatin (devils), it is evident that all the devils are enemies of mankind. Allah, the Exalted, stated that Satan has offspring, saying:
أفتتخذونه وذريته أولياء من دوني وهم لكم عدو
“Do you then take him and his offspring as protectors instead of Me, while they are enemies to you?”
And apparently his offspring are from his loins. We do not know how they multiplied. But as for the angels, Allah, Possessor of Majesty and Honor, Himself has praised the angels, that they neither rebel against His worship nor grow weary.
So by this evidence it is established that Satan is not from among the angels, because there is a clear difference in attributes between the two groups. And Allah knows best!
