Editing Azazil (section)

=== Ismailism ===
In [[Umm al-Kitab (Ismaili book)|Umm al-Kitab]], an 8th-century [[Ismailism|Ismaili]] work, ''ʿAzāzīl'' is the first creation of God, the ''High King''. God gave him the power of creation, but ''ʿAzāzīl'' boasted with his loaned power, claiming divinity for himself, describing himself as another God beside the High King. To prove that ''ʿAzāzīl's'' creation only depends on the power of his own creator, God makes a new creation, opposed by ''ʿAzāzīl''. Every time, ''ʿAzāzīl'' again claims to be like God, he and his fellow angels lose colour, becoming darker and inferior and are thrown into lower celestial spheres until they end up on earth, which is made out of the essence of ''ʿAzāzīl's'' creations.<ref>Willis Barnstone, Marvin Meyer ''The Gnostic Bible: Revised and Expanded Edition'' Shambhala Publications 2009 {{ISBN|978-0-834-82414-0}} page 707</ref><ref>Christoph Auffarth, Loren T. Stuckenbruck The Fall of the Angels BRILL 2004 {{ISBN|978-9-004-12668-8}} page 161</ref>

''[[Iblis|Iblīs]]'' enters the scene only later, as a result of the sins of the former heavenly creatures. For that reason, ''Iblīs'' does not know the world of light and is utterly evil. For this reason, evil is always associated with ignorance.<ref>Yaron, Friedman. "The Nusayrī-‘Alawīs: An Introduction to the Religion, History and Identity of the Leading Minority in Syria." (2010). p. 99-100</ref>

In the tenth-century work ''Kitāb al-Šaǧara'' devils (''abālisa'') and demons (''shayāṭīn'') are described as forces who obstruct people from learning [[Batiniyya|esoteric knowledge]] (''ʿilm al-bāṭin'') of the Quran.<ref>The Demon in Potentiality and the Devil in 
Actuality: Two Principles of Evil according to 
4th/10th Century Ismailism p. 614-615</ref> Each prophet has to face a unique incarnation of the devilish principle.<ref>The Demon in Potentiality and the Devil in 
Actuality: Two Principles of Evil according to 
4th/10th Century Ismailism p. 614-615</ref> ''ʿAzāzīl'' is the first devil (''iblīs'') and his disciple (''šayṭān'') is the [[Cain and Abel in Islam|Quranic Cain]].<ref>The Demon in Potentiality and the Devil in 
Actuality: Two Principles of Evil according to 
4th/10th Century Ismailism p. 616</ref>