Template:Short description Template:About Template:Redirect Template:Good article
Iblis (Template:Langx),<ref name="Gardet-1971">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> alternatively known as Eblīs,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> also known as Shaitan, is the leader of the devils (Template:Transliteration) in Islam. According to the Quran, Iblis was thrown out of heaven after refusing to prostrate himself before Adam. He is often compared to the Christian Satan, since both figures were cast out of heaven according to their respective religious narratives. In his role as the master of cosmic illusion in Sufi cosmology, he functions similar to the Buddhist concept of Mara.<ref name="g911">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="w670">Template:Cite book</ref> As such, Iblis embodies the cosmic veil supposedly separating the immanent aspect of God's love from the transcendent aspect of God's wrath. He entangles the unworthy in the material web hiding the underlying all-pervading spiritual reality.
Islamic theology (kalām) regards Iblis as an example of attributes and actions which God punishes with hell (Nār). Regarding the origin and nature of Iblis, there are two different viewpoints.<ref name="Awn-1983">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp<ref name="Mahmoud-1995">Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Rp According to one, Iblis is an angel, and according to the other, he is the father of the jinn. Quranic exegesis (tafsīr) and the Stories of the Prophets (Qiṣaṣ al-anbiyāʾ) elaborate on Iblis' origin story in greater detail. In Islamic tradition, Iblis is identified with Template:Transliteration ("the Devil"), often followed by the epithet Template:Transliteration (Template:Langx).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Rp Template:Transliteration is usually applied to Iblis in order to denote his role as the tempter, while Template:Transliteration is his proper name.
Some Muslim scholars uphold a more ambivalent role for Iblis, considering him not simply a devil but also "the truest monotheist" (Tawḥīd-i Iblīs), because he would only bow before the Creator and not his creations, while preserving the term Template:Transliteration exclusively for evil forces.<ref name="Awn-1983"/>Template:Rp<ref name="Rustom-2020">Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp Others have strongly rejected sympathies with Iblis, considering it a form of Iblis' deception to lead people astray. Rumi's Masnavi explores this form of deception in detail, when Iblis wakes up Mu'awiya to the morning prayer. Mu'awiya remains sceptical and figures out that even under Iblis' good actions, there is malicious intent.
The ambivalent role of Iblis is also addressed in Muslim literature. Hafez describes angels as incapable of emotional expression. Thus, Iblis attempts to mimic piety but is incapable of worshipping God with passions as humans do. According to Muhammad Iqbal, Iblis tests humans in order to teach them to overcome their selfish tendencies. Only the perfect human being would be worthy of prostration and only then Iblis will finally bow down and find salvation. In Semum, Iblis is the perhaps ruler of hell and the idolized leader of the demons. Iblis serves as an attractive alternative for those who feel abandoned by God. However, in the end of the movie, Iblis turns out to be mere illusion while God's omnipresence is affirmed. Motifs of Iblis are also adopted in American popular culture. Lucifer, the antagonist of the 5th season of Supernatural, has the same motivations for his actions as the Quranic Iblis.
Naming, etymology, and originEdit
In Islamic traditions, Iblīs is known by many alternative names or titles, such as Abū Murrah (Arabic: أَبُو مُرَّة, "Father of Bitterness") as the name stems from the word "murr" – meaning "bitter", ‘aduww Allāh or ‘aduwallah (Arabic: عُدُوّ الله, "enemy or foe" of God)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Abū Al-Harith (Arabic: أَبُو الْحَارِث, "the father of the plowmen").<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp
The designation Iblīs (Template:Langx) may be an epithet referencing an attribute, deriving from the Arabic verbal root Template:Sc {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (with the broad meaning of "remain in grief").<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp According to Ibn Manzur this is the major opinion among Arab scholars, who maintain the tradition that the personal name of this being was ʿAzāzīl.<ref name="c084">Template:Cite journal</ref>
Some Muslim teachers, such as al-Jili, relate this name to talbis meaning confusion, because God's command confused him.<ref name="r895">Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Rp<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp
Another possibility is that the name is derived from Ancient Greek {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:Transliteration) (which is also the source of the English word 'devil') via a Syriac intermediary.<ref name="Basharin-2018">Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Rp<ref name="Gardet-1971"/> The name itself is not found in Arab literature before the Quran, suggesting it is not of pre-Islamic Arabian origin.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp
The Quranic story of Iblis parallels extrabiblical sources, such as Life of Adam and Eve,<ref name="Awn-1983"/>Template:Rp about Satan's fall from heaven, preponderant in Eastern Christian circles.<ref name="i466">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp On a conceptual perspective, Iblis' theological function as a divinely appointed tempter parallels the evil angel Mastema from the Book of Jubilees.<ref name="i466"/>Template:Rp
Theology (Kalam)Edit
QuranEdit
Iblis is mentioned by name in the Quran eleven times, nine of which relate to his refusal against God's Command to prostrate himself before Adam. The term šayṭān is more prevalent; although Iblis is sometimes referred to as šayṭān, the terms are not interchangeable. The fragments of Iblis's story are scattered across the Quran. In the aggregate, the story can be summarised as follows:<ref name="Awn-1983"/>Template:Rp
When God created Adam, He ordered the angels to bow before the new creation. All of the angels obeyed, but Iblis refused. He argued that, having been created from fire, he was superior to humans, who were made from clay-mud, and therefore should not be expected to prostrate himself before Adam.<ref>Template:Qref</ref> As punishment for his haughtiness, God banished Iblis from heaven and condemned him to hell. Later, Iblis requested permission to attempt to mislead Adam and his descendants, and God granted the request—thus portraying God as the power behind both angels and devils.<ref name=y167/>Template:Rp
Surah al-Kahf states in reference to Iblis:
[...] except Iblis, he was one of the jinni [...] (Arabic: إِلَّاۤ إِبۡلِیسَ كَانَ مِنَ ٱلۡجِنِّ "illā iblīsa kāna mina l-jinni") (18:50)<ref name=y167/>Template:Rp
This led to a dispute among the mufassirūn (exegetes), who disagree on whether the term is meant to be a nisba to designate Iblis's heavenly origin (i.e. an angel) in contrast to the earthly Adam (and the jinn preceding him), or if the term is meant to set Iblis apart from the angels and that he is the progenitor of the jinn dwelling in paradise until his fall (comparable to how Adam fell when he sinned in the Garden).<ref name=y167/>Template:Rp<ref name="u038">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="z808">Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Rp This dispute goes back to the formative stage of Islam. These two conflicting opinions are based on the interpretations of ibn Abbas and Hasan al-Basri respectively.<ref name="y167">Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Rp Muslim scholars then followed one of these two interpretations.<ref name=y167/>Template:Rp
Iblis is arguably implicitly mentioned in Surah 21:29 (al-’anbiyā), claiming divinity for himself by inviting to follow egoistic desires (nafs),<ref name=y167/>Template:Rp a position shared by Tabari, Suyuti, al-Nasafi,<ref name=y167/>Template:Rp and al-MāturīdīTemplate:Efn among others:
"And whosoever among them would say, "Truly I am a god apart from Him," such weill We requite with Hell. Thus do We requite the wrongdoers." (21:29)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Sijjin, mentioned in Surah 83:7, is described as a prison in hell by Quranic exegetes (for example by, Tabari, Tha'labi, Nasafi).<ref name=y167/>Template:Rp Iblis is chained at the bottom and sends his demons to the surface.<ref name=y167/>Template:Rp
Affiliation and predestinationEdit
_meet_Adam.png){kind=link}
There are different opinions regarding the origin of Iblis. This dispute is closely related to doctrinal differences regarding free will. Like humans, jinn are created on earth to "worship" ('abada) God (51:56), and are capable of righteous and evil acts (11:119).<ref name="b922">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp
If angels can sin or not is disputed in Islam. Those who say that Iblis was not an angel, but a jinni, argue that only jinn (and humans), but not angels are capable of disobedience.<ref name="Basharin-2018"/>Template:Rp This is the generally opinion among the Qadariyah and most Mu'tazilites.<ref name="Lange"/><ref name="Basharin-2018"/>Template:Rp This view is also found to be prominent among many Salafis.<ref name="p475">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp The Sunni school holds on to the doctrine of predestination, al-Razi being an exception,<ref name="c946">Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Rp and asserts that Iblis acts in obedience to his inner nature and God's plan, but in disobedience to God's command.<ref name="r895"/><ref name="z808"/>Template:Rp
The term for celestial beings in early Islam is usually malāk (angel).<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Tabarsi says that if Iblis were a jinni, he could not have been one of the custodians of paradise.<ref name="Basharin-2018"/>Template:Rp Many of those who say that Iblis was an angel read Surah 18:50 as a nisba for the term jannāt, thus referring to Iblis' heavenly origin (this reading is preferred by – among others – Ash'ari,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp Suyuti, and Al-Tha'labi<ref name="Gardet-1971"/>). The Hanābila and Ash'arites argue that Iblis was ignorant (jahl) and did not understand God's will (irāda).<ref name="Basharin-2018"/>Template:Rp However, Iblis' unbelief (kufr) would be ultimately caused by God.<ref name="Basharin-2018"/>Template:Rp Al-Maghrībī states that, when the angels questioned the creation of Adam, God opened the angels' eyes for the characteristics of Adam, but closed the eyes of Iblis, so he would remain in resistance (iḥtijāj).<ref name="Basharin-2018"/>Template:Rp Therefore, Iblis would have been created as a disobedient angel and function as God's tempter.<ref name="Awn-1983"/>Template:Rp Abu Mansur al-Maturidi, the eponymous founder of Māturīdī theology, argues that humans and jinn are tested on earth, but angels in heaven. If angels were not tested, the Quran would not compliment angels for obedience.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Rp
The Mu'tazilites, absolving God from all negative associations, reject the notion that Iblis' function as a tempter was initiated by God.<ref name="u351">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="z808"/>Template:Rp Al-Zamakhshari criticizes Ahl al-Sunnah for ascribing negative attributes to God.<ref name="z808"/>Template:Rp According to the Mu'tazilites, when Iblis blames God for leading him astray in Surah 15:39, these words belong to Iblis alone and cannot serve as a confirmation of God being the cause of Iblis' fall.<ref name="z808"/>Template:Rp
Islamist writer Sayyid Qutb denies that angels could sin and thus, rejects readings which depict Iblis as an angelic being.<ref name="r895"/>
FunctionEdit
.png){kind=link}
Within Muslim thought, Iblis is generally not considered to be the originator of evil. However, there are a few exceptions among Muslim scholars.<ref name="Basharin-2018"/>Template:Rp The Qadariyya asserted that evil was introduced by disobedience to God, and Iblis was the first who disobeyed.<ref name="Basharin-2018"/>Template:Rp This view is sometimes attributed to Hasan al-Basri.<ref name="e255">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp An extreme position among the Qadariyya asserts that Iblis was not even created by God, but this view is generally rejected as beliefs of the Manichaeans (majūs).<ref name="Basharin-2018"/>Template:Rp<ref name="auto1">Template:Cite book</ref>Template:Rp Al-Māturīdī argued that such dualistic worldviews are irreconcilable with the Islamic doctrine of tawḥīd.<ref name="auto1"/>Template:Rp Some extreme positions went as far as to consider belief that actions are uncaused by God to be a form of širk (association), as it implies a second power independent from God.Template:Sfnp
Iblis' disobedience is seen as an example and warning for the thaqalān (the two who are accountable for their deeds; i.e. humans and jinn).<ref name="Asma Hussain ">Template:Cite conference</ref> Those who say that Iblis was predestined to fall, say that he was created in such a way that God can demonstrate his entire spectrum of attributes (for example; jalal (majesty)) in his eternal speech (i.e. the Quran), and teaching the consequences of sin.<ref name="Lange">Template:Cite book</ref> Three things to avoid are marked by the fall of Iblis: Transgression (ma'siyah), arrogance (istikbār), and comparison (qiyās) to another creature of God.<ref name="Basharin-2018"/>Template:Rp
Although not the cause of evil, Iblis is known as the progenitor of tempters, known as the "father of the devils" (Abū ash-Shayāṭīn).<ref name="Egdunas Racius">Template:Cite journal</ref>Template:Rp Ḥādīth literature emphasizes their evil influences over humans rather than treating them as proper personalities.Template:Sfnp Muslims are advised to "seek refuge" from such influences and are recommended to recite duʿāʾ (prayers) for protection.<ref name="q742">Template:Cite book</ref>
SufismEdit
Sufi formulations of mystical union derive from careful and sustained dedication to the conflicts arising from the intricacies of the conflicts addressed in the school of kalam.<ref name="y361">Template:Cite book</ref> In sum, there are two distinct interpretations of the role of Iblis within the Sufi tradition.<ref name="y361"/>
The first interpretation holds that Iblis refused to bow before Adam because he would not prostrate himself before anyone but his creator, considering Iblis to be a "true monotheist" only bested by Muhammed, an idea known as "Satan's monotheism" (tawḥīd-i Iblīs).<ref name="Rustom-2020"/> Oblivious to rewards and punishment, Iblis acts out of pure love and loyalty and disobeys the explicit command and obeys the hidden will of God.<ref name="y361"/> In a unio oppositorum, Iblis finds in his banishment proximity to God.<ref name="y361"/>
The second interpretation disapproves of Iblis' refusal to prostrate himself before Adam. Adam, as a reflection of God's names, is more complete than the angels.<ref name="y361"/> Iblis, being blind to the hidden reality of Adam, refuses to bow due to his own spiritual ignorance.<ref name="y361"/>
Satan's Monotheism (Tawḥīd-i Iblīs)Edit
Satan's Monotheism is illustrated in a story attributed to Wahb ibn Munabbih. Accordingly, Moses met Iblis on the slopes of Sinai. When Moses asks Iblis for the reason behind his disobedience, Iblis replies that the command was a test.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> This story is mentioned in the Kitāb al-Tawāsīn by the Persian poet al-Hallaj, who also became known as one of Iblis' greatest defenders.<ref name="y361"/> The idea also inspired later famous theologians and Sufis, including Ahmad Ghazali and Attar of Nishapur.<ref name="t416">Template:Cite book</ref>
Ahmad Ghazali depicted Iblis as a paragon of self-sacrifice and devotion, stating: "Whoever doesn't learn monotheism from Satan is a heretic (zindīq)."<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="t416"/> His student Sheikh Adi ibn Musafir asserted that Iblis' disobedience was wanted by God, or God would be powerless and a powerless being cannot be attributed to God.<ref name="Victoria Arakelova-2014">Template:Cite book</ref>
Despite the positive receptions of the story, other theologians and Sufis disapproved of Satan's Monotheism. Ibn Ghanim argues that Iblis is referring to God's predetermined judgement as an excuse to cover his unbelief.Template:Sfnp Furthermore, similar to Ruzbihan Baqli, he argues that Satan's Monotheism is a subtle deception by Iblis, in order to evoke sympathies and doubt about God's message.Template:Sfnp
Jalāl al-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (1207–1273) argues that God's determinism can not be an excuse for one's own demise and failure.<ref name="Basharin-2018"/>Template:Rp He invokes the analogy between Adam and Iblis to highlight the difference between a believer and an unbeliever: While both Adam and Iblis were destined to fall, Iblis and his offspring blamed God, while Adam pleaded for forgiveness, nonetheless. He advises humans to do the same.<ref name="Latif-2009">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Basharin-2018"/>Template:Rp In this context, Rumi declares that love is more important than intelligence<ref name="Basharin-2018"/>Template:Rp and states: "(Cunning) intelligence is from Iblis, and love from Adam."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In his story of Mu'awiya, in his Masnavi (Book 2), Mu'awiya realizes that he cannot outsmart Iblis' excuses, thus seeking refuge in God's protection. Whereupon, Iblis confesses that he only attempts to trick people. Rumi reminds the reader that the Quran emphasizes that Iblis is the enemy of humanity and thus, there is no reason to have sympathies for him.<ref name="Rustom-2020"/>
Cosmic veilEdit
Within the context of Sufi cosmology, the al-Insān al-Kāmil is a manifestation of God's attributes, not in the sense of incarnation but as a mirror reflecting the divine attributes.<ref name="w670"/><ref>Barry, M. A. (2004). Figurative art in medieval Islam and the riddle of Bihzad of Herat (1465-1535). Flammarion. 240–241</ref> God ordered the angels to bow down to acknowledge this special status given to Adam. Due to his defective spiritual insights, Iblis cannot comprehend the immanent aspect of God's attributes within Adam, and refuses to bow down.<ref name="y361"/><ref name="auto">Barry, M. A. (2004). Figurative art in medieval Islam and the riddle of Bihzad of Herat (1465-1535). Flammarion.: 246</ref><ref name="e363">Template:Cite book</ref> By his attempt to avoid idolatry, he becomes the supreme idolater, because he cannot see through idols (the exterior).<ref name="auto"/> Since he cannot perceive God's immanent aspect (love), he can only understand (and reflect) God's transcendent aspects (wrath).<ref name="auto"/><ref name="e363"/><ref name="w670"/>
According to ibn Arabi and Jami, those who cannot comprehend the unity of God, and separate God from his Creation, are the disciples of Iblis, caught in the labyrinth of images and unable to discern the underlying, all-pervading divine principle.<ref>Barry, M. A. (2004). Figurative art in medieval Islam and the riddle of Bihzad of Herat (1465-1535). Flammarion. 245</ref> In his ignorance and damnation, Iblis hovers over the mere surface of visible things, and those he leads astray suffer the same fate.<ref>Barry, M. A. (2004). Figurative art in medieval Islam and the riddle of Bihzad of Herat (1465-1535). Flammarion.: 245-246</ref> Other Sufi authors, including Sana'i, 'Ayn al-Quzat, Ruzbihan, Attar, and Rumi, independently conceptualized a similar image of Iblis' function in the cosmos.<ref name="auto"/>
Iblis is part of God's universe and does not form an exterior reality independent of God. He is God's veil, the visible universe itself, which hides the Godhead from the unworthy.<ref name="w670"/><ref name="auto"/> 'Ayn al-Quzat links the cosmic structure to the Shahada: "Lā is the circle of negation. One must place his first step within this circle, but he should not stop here nor dwell here. (...)". Those who remain at the circle of lā, they worship the nafs (carnal desires) instead of God. Only those who proceed to ʾillā 'llāh surpass Iblis, the divine chamberlain.Template:Sfnp<ref name="k388">Template:Cite book</ref> As such, Iblis unknowingly symbolizes, suffers, and reflects the dark and wrathful aspect of God, uttering God's anger and executes God's justice.<ref name="auto"/>
Due to the similarities in function between Iblis's web and the Hindu concept of māyā, the seventeenth-century Mughal prince Dara Shikoh sought to reconcile the Upanishads with Sufi cosmology.<ref name="auto"/>
Narrative exegesis (Qiṣaṣ)Edit
Template:Multiple image Qiṣaṣ is a form of exegesis by Muslim scholars focusing on establishing a coherent story from material of Islamic scripture (Quran, ḥadīṯ).<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="Öztürk">Template:Cite journal</ref> According to many of them, before Adam was created, the jinn, offspring of al-Jānn (الجان), lived on earth. First they were obedient but over time, immorality increased and, when they became infidels, God sent an army of angels, headed by Iblis, called "al-Jinn" (named after paradise, not the genus) to defeat them.<ref name="r895"/><ref name="Reynolds"/> These angels were created from nār as-samūm, while the rest of the angels from light, and the genus of jinn from mārijin min nār (smokeless fire).<ref name="Reynolds"/>
In reference to the interpretation of the events in Surah 2:30-34, when the angels complain over mankinds' potential to shed blood and cause injustice, Islamic hagiographic narratives relate this to the previous story.<ref name="Reynolds">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> Tabari and al-Thaʿlabi explain that the angels feared that humanity will become as corrupt as the jinn.<ref name="Reynolds"/>
Some later traditions place Iblis among the genus of the jinn instead. In one narration of the Tarikh Khamis, among the masses of infidel jinn only Iblis dedicated his life to worship of God, withdrawing to a high mountain. The angels soon notice him and elevate him to the heavens, where he becomes one like them in worship.Template:Sfnp
With reference to Surah 76:1, Islamic narrative tradition considers Adam to be created step by step, beginning as an inanimate body.<ref name="Chipman-2001">Template:Cite journal</ref> The story is mentioned by various scholars of the Sunni tradition, including Muqatil, Tabari, Mas'udi, Kisa'i, and Tha'labi.<ref name="Chipman-2001"/> The angels passing by him were scared. Most afraid was Iblis. To overcome his anxiety, he enters Adam and moves through the body.<ref name="Chipman-2001"/> He concludes that "this is hollow clay", whereas Iblis is "fire".<ref name="Chipman-2001"/> Since fire overcomes clay, he vows to destroy Adam like fire destroys clay:
You are nothing – because of his ringing – and you were made for nothing! If I am to rule over you, I will kill you, and if you are to rule over me, I will rebel against you.<ref name="Chipman-2001"/>
Some scholars (among them Thala'bi, Tabarsi,<ref name="i807">Template:Cite journal</ref> DiyarbakriTemplate:Sfnp) explain, with slightly variations, Iblis' entry to the Garden of Eden by the aid of a serpent and a peacock. Some traditions have the Garden of Eden being warded by an angelic guardian. Thus, Iblis persuades a peacock to get help, by promising him that, if he enters the Garden, the beauty of the peacock will never decay thanks to the fruit of immortality. The peacock, unable to carry Iblis, persuades the serpent, who decides to slip Iblis by carrying him in his mouth. From the mouth of the serpent, Iblis speaks to Adam and Ḥawwāʾ.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
In cultureEdit
In artsEdit
Iblis is perhaps one of the most well-known individual supernatural entities in Islamic tradition and was depicted in multiple visual representations like the Quran and Manuscripts of Bal‘ami's ‘Tarjamah-i Tarikh-i Tabari.Template:Sfnp Iblis was a unique individual, described as both a pious jinni and an angel before he fell from God's grace when he refused to bow before the prophet Adam. After this incident, Iblis turned into a shaytan.Template:Sfnp In visual appearance, Iblis' depiction was described in On the Monstrous in the Islamic Visual Tradition by Francesca Leoni as a being with a human-like body with flaming eyes, a tail, claws, and large horns on a grossly disproportionate large head.Template:Sfnp
Illustrations of Iblis in Islamic paintings often depict him black-faced, a feature which would later symbolize any satanic figure or heretic, and with a black body, to symbolize his corrupted nature. Another common depiction of Iblis shows him in human form wearing a special head covering, clearly different from the traditional Islamic turban and long sleeves, signifying long lasting devotion to God.Template:Sfnp Only in one, he wears traditional Islamic head covering.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Most pictures show and describe Iblis at the moment, when the angels prostrate themselves before Adam. In the manuscripts of Bal‘ami's ‘Tarjamah-i Tarikh-i Tabari he is usually seen beyond the outcrop, his face transformed with his wings burned, to the envious countenance of a devil.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In his demonic form, Iblis is portrayed similar to his cohorts (shayāṭīn) in Turko-Persian art as Asian demons (Dīv).<ref name="Dmitriy">Template:Cite journal</ref> They are bangled creatures with flaming eyes, only covered by a short skirt. Similar to European arts depicting devils by traits of pagan deities, Islamic arts portray the devils with features often similar to that of Hindu deities.<ref name="b778">Template:Cite book</ref>
In literature and filmEdit
The complexity of Iblis' character from the Quranic story had lasting influence on Islamic literature. It elaborates on the necessity of evil and Iblis' disobedience in creative retelling of the exegetical tradition.<ref name="Latif-2009"/>
Iblis and the angels feature in Hafez's poetry (1325–1390), collected in The Divān of Hafez. Hafez iterates that angels are incapable of love. They can merely praise the creator but without the passion of a human-being. When Iblis protests, either because he considers Adam's offspring unworthy or himself devoted to God alone, he is described as an imposter (mudda'ī). He claims to act for the sake of God's love, but is actually envious of mankind's exalted position. Hafez advises his audience not to reveal the secrets of love towards God to the imposter.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
Muhammad Iqbal's Javid Nama deal in length with the question of Good and Evil.<ref name="Schimmel">Template:Cite book</ref> As such, it is little surprising that Iblis plays a significant role in his works. Similar to Goethe’s Mephistopheles, Iblis is a necessary obstacle for man to overcome.<ref name="Schimmel"/> Only when man eventually resists and overcomes Iblis, he can finally prostrate himself and find salvation.<ref name="Schimmel"/>Template:Sfnp
Egyptian novelist Tawfiq al-Hakim's ash-Shahid (1953) describes the necessity of Iblis' evil for the world. One day, Iblis regrets his rebellion and consults religious authorities (the Pope, a Rabbi, and the head of the al-Azhar) in order to seek forgiveness. After Iblis' requests were rejected by all of them, he turns to the angel Gabriel, but is rejected again. Then Iblis realizes the necessity of his nature in order for good to exist and exclaims: "I am a martyr!".<ref name="g427">Template:Cite book</ref><ref name="m140">Template:Cite book</ref>
A demon called "Semum", from the eponymous 2008 Turkish Horror Movie Semum, embodies qualities attributed to both Iblis and his offspring. Alluding to the Quran, Semum blames God for abandoning demon-kind after creating humanity and vows to destroy God's newest creatures.<ref name="y167"/>Template:Rp Referring to the Quranic cycle of God creating and then destroying his creatures, the "Semum" argues that humanity will be eventually abandoned by God, and should worship Iblis instead.<ref name="y167"/>Template:Rp
Iblis himself does not appear, but his presence is implied throughout the movie. Described by his devilish followers, he is the master of the "World of Fire". On the other hand, the exorcist (representing God) describes Iblis imprisoned in the lowest pit of hell.<ref name="y167"/>Template:Rp The movie implies Sufistic metaphysics by asserting that "God is everywhere". The demon denies God's omnipresence by asserting that hell belongs to Iblis. His dualistic beliefs are disproven when God intervenes on behalf of the exorcist in hell.<ref name="y167"/>Template:Rp Iblis creates merely the illusion of God's absence.<ref name="y167"/>Template:Rp
The fifth season of the American TV show Supernatural features Lucifer as the main antagonist. Despite its Christian roots, the antagonist of the season bears resemblance to the Quranic Iblis.<ref name="m377">Template:Cite journal</ref> Lucifer reveals his backstory in the fourth episode,<ref name="m377"/> declaring:
"You know why God cast me down? Because I loved Him, more than anything, and then God created you, the little hairless apes; and then He asked all of us to bow down before you, to love you more than Him. And I said: ‘Father, I can’t.’<ref name="m377"/>
See alsoEdit
Template:Portal Template:Div col