SAEDNEWS: Most people believe and assume that Iblis was one of the angels. However, according to the verses of the Quran and Islamic narrations, Iblis was actually one of the jinn.
According to Saednews, Imam Ja'far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) was asked whether Iblis was one of the angels or belonged to another category of heavenly beings. He replied:
“He was neither one of the angels nor one of the other heavenly beings. Rather, he was a jinn, but he lived among the angels. The angels also believed that he was one of them, while Almighty God knew that he was not. This continued until the command to prostrate before Adam revealed Iblis’s hidden reality.”
Contrary to common belief, angels also possess will and the ability to choose. Some Qur’anic verses concerning the angels indicate that they willingly worship and obey Almighty God.
For example, in verse 30 of Surah Al-Baqarah, when God decided to create humanity, the angels questioned the decision and said, in essence:
“Will You place upon the earth one who will cause corruption and shed blood, while we glorify You with praise and sanctify You?”
This conversation between the angels and God indicates that they possess a form of choice in their worship and obedience. However, when viewed more broadly, angels never disobey God because they do not possess the human instincts and desires that can lead people away from obedience.
Angels are not driven by worldly desires, sexual urges, the pursuit of fame, or material ambitions. Such impulses do not cloud their path of guidance or cause them to turn away from God’s obedience.
Iblis, contrary to the common misconception, belonged to the jinn, not the angels.
God says in Surah Al-Kahf, verse 50:
“And when We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate before Adam,’ they all prostrated except Iblis. He was one of the jinn, and he rebelled against the command of his Lord. Will you then take him and his offspring as allies instead of Me, even though they are your enemies? What an evil exchange for the wrongdoers.”
Jinn, like human beings, possess consciousness and the ability to understand. According to Islamic teachings, they were created from fire and inhabit the earth. Prophets and divine guidance were also conveyed to them, and some of them believed in the Qur’an and followed Islam.
God says in verses 29–30 of Surah Al-Ahqaf:
“And remember when We directed a group of the jinn toward you so that they could listen to the Qur’an. When they attended it, they said to one another, ‘Listen quietly.’ When it was finished, they returned to their people as warners. They said, ‘O our people! We have listened to a Book that was revealed after Moses, confirming what came before it. It guides to the truth and to a straight path. O our people! Respond to the caller of God and believe in him, so that He may forgive your sins and protect you from a painful punishment. Whoever does not respond to the caller of God cannot escape His punishment on earth, nor will they have any protector besides Him. Such people are clearly astray.’”
Among the communities of the jinn, there are both good and evil individuals. Some are believers, while others are unbelievers. According to Islamic tradition, one of the practices that became forbidden to believing jinn after the revelation of the Qur’an was attempting to eavesdrop on the heavenly realm.
Surah Al-Jinn, verse 9, states:
“We used to sit in positions to listen, but whoever tries to listen now will find a flaming fire waiting for him.”
Iblis, therefore, is described as one of the jinn. These beings may seem supernatural to human beings, but according to Islamic belief, they exist and are neither mere superstition nor fictional stories or legends.
Almighty God is the Creator of angels, jinn, and human beings. Among all His creations, human beings hold the special honor of being described as the noblest of creation and as creatures honored by God.
