In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

Satan — The Open Enemy of Humanity

(Qur’anic Perspective)

1. Satan’s Disobedience and Enmity Toward Humanity

Arabic:
وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ ۖ كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِ ۗ أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُ أَوْلِيَاءَ مِن دُونِي وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ ۚ بِئْسَ لِلظَّالِمِينَ بَدَلًا
مَّا أَشْهَدتُّهُمْ خَلْقَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَا خَلْقَ أَنفُسِهِمْ ۖ وَمَا كُنتُ مُتَّخِذَ الْمُضِلِّينَ عَضُدًا

Transliteration:
Wa-idh qul’nā li-al-malāʾikati usjudū li-Ādama fa-sajadū illā Iblīs, kāna mina al-jinni fa-fasaqa ʿan amri rabbih, a-fa-tattakhidhūnahu wa-dhurriyyatahu awliyāʾa min dūnī wa-hum lakum ʿaduww, biʾsa li-al-ẓālimīna badalā
Mā ash-hadtuhum khalqa al-samāwāti wa-al-arḍi wa-lā khalqa anfusihim, wa-mā kuntu muttakhidha al-muḍillīna ʿaḍudā

Translation:
"And when We said to the angels, 'Prostrate to Adam,' they all prostrated except Iblīs. He was of the jinn and he rebelled against the command of his Lord. Will you then take him and his descendants as allies instead of Me while they are enemies to you? Evil is the exchange for the wrongdoers.
I did not make them witnesses to the creation of the heavens and the earth, nor to the creation of themselves, and I do not take the misguiders as assistants." (Al-Kahf 50–51)

2. Commentary

From this point it is explained that Iblīs has been an ancient enemy not only of you but also of your original father, the Prophet Adam (peace be upon him). Therefore, abandoning your Creator and Master in order to follow him is not appropriate. Reflect upon the favor and generosity of Allah: He created you and nurtured you, yet abandoning Him and befriending your enemy — and His enemy — is a grave and dangerous error.

Its detailed explanation has already been mentioned at the beginning of Sūrah al-Baqarah. Allah created Adam (peace be upon him) and commanded all the angels to prostrate before him as a gesture of honor and respect. All of them obeyed the command, but Iblīs refused. Because of his corrupt nature — being created from fire — he disobeyed and thus became rebellious.

The angels were created from light. A ḥadīth in Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim states that the angels were created from light, Iblīs was created from a smokeless flame of fire, and Adam (peace be upon him) was created from what has been described to you.

It is evident that everything ultimately returns to its true nature; when the time comes, whatever is contained within a vessel is what emerges from it. Iblīs had been performing deeds similar to those of the angels, imitating them and remaining constantly engaged in seeking Allah’s pleasure. For this reason, he was included in the command addressed to them. However, as soon as he heard the command, his true nature manifested. Pride entered his heart and he openly refused.

His creation was from fire, as he himself said: “You created me from fire and created him from clay.” Iblīs was never originally from among the angels. Rather, he is the progenitor of the jinn, just as Adam (peace be upon him) is the progenitor of humankind.

It is also reported that the jinn were a group distinct from the angels, created from blazing fire. His name was Ḥārith, and he served as a guardian of Paradise. The rest of the angels were created from light. The jinn were created from flames of fire.

ʿAbdullāh ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him) stated that Iblīs had been among the noble angels and belonged to a distinguished group. He was the keeper of Paradise, the ruler of the lowest heaven, and also held authority over the earth. Because of these positions, pride gradually entered his heart, and its true extent was known only to Allah.

When the command was given for prostration before Adam (peace be upon him), that pride became evident. He refused openly and joined the ranks of the disbelievers.

Ibn ʿAbbās (may Allah be pleased with him) further said that he was from the jinn — meaning he was the guardian of Paradise — just as people are sometimes identified by their association with a place, such as Makkan, Madinan, or Basran. He was responsible for the affairs of the lowest heaven and was the leader of the angels there. Before committing disobedience, he had been included among the angels, though he resided upon the earth. Among all the angels he was the most devoted in worship and the most knowledgeable, and it was precisely because of this that arrogance entered his heart.

The name of his tribe was “jinn.” He had the ability to travel between the heavens and the earth. When he disobeyed his Lord, he incurred divine wrath and became Satan, the accursed and rejected.

Thus, one who is arrogant cannot easily be expected to repent. However, if a sin occurs without arrogance, then one should not despair of repentance.

In summary, Iblīs departed from the obedience of Allah. Therefore, you should never form friendship with your enemy nor abandon Allah to attach yourselves to him. For the wrongdoers, there awaits a most evil recompense.