Compiled by: Dr. Raza Abdullah Pasha (Hafizahullah)
He narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ once stood to lead the morning prayer, and Iblis disturbed his recitation. When the prayer was completed, the Prophet ﷺ said:
«لو رأيتموني وإبليس فأهويت بيدي فما زلت أخنقه حتى وجدت برد لعابه بين أصبعي هاتين»
"If only you had seen me with Iblis! I grabbed him with my hand and kept choking him until I felt the coolness of his saliva between my two fingers."
[Hasan. Musnad Ahmad 83/3; Kanz al-Ummal, Hadith No. 1285; Al-Durr Al-Manthur 313/5; Tafsir Ibn Kathir 62/7; Tafsir Al-Qurtubi 64/1]
This indicates that while Iblis was originally created from fire, he can assume physical forms or states that do not exhibit the characteristics of fire. This adaptability allowed the Prophet ﷺ to physically grab him without experiencing any burns.
Thus, Iblis's fiery origin does not necessarily dictate that he is always in a burning, fiery state. Instead, he can manifest in various forms depending on the situation or divine will.
Question:
How can Iblis be made of fire when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ caught him with his hand, but his hand did not burn?Answer:
Narration from Sayyiduna Abu Saeed Al-Khudri (RA):He narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ once stood to lead the morning prayer, and Iblis disturbed his recitation. When the prayer was completed, the Prophet ﷺ said:
«لو رأيتموني وإبليس فأهويت بيدي فما زلت أخنقه حتى وجدت برد لعابه بين أصبعي هاتين»
"If only you had seen me with Iblis! I grabbed him with my hand and kept choking him until I felt the coolness of his saliva between my two fingers."
[Hasan. Musnad Ahmad 83/3; Kanz al-Ummal, Hadith No. 1285; Al-Durr Al-Manthur 313/5; Tafsir Ibn Kathir 62/7; Tafsir Al-Qurtubi 64/1]
Explanation:
The coolness of Iblis’s saliva signifies that he had exited the fiery state of his original creation at that moment. Had he remained in his original fiery essence, he would not have needed the flames of fire to manifest or operate.This indicates that while Iblis was originally created from fire, he can assume physical forms or states that do not exhibit the characteristics of fire. This adaptability allowed the Prophet ﷺ to physically grab him without experiencing any burns.
Thus, Iblis's fiery origin does not necessarily dictate that he is always in a burning, fiery state. Instead, he can manifest in various forms depending on the situation or divine will.