Just a quick clarification regarding the accursed Iblees. Is he a Jinn or an Angel in essence.
For years i have been told mixed views, some say he was the leader of the Angels and some say he was a Jinn, due to the fact that the Angels do not have a free will and that they are always obedient to Allah, but since Iblees disobeyed Allah for not prostrating to Allah that makes him Jinn.
The confusion increased when there is a verse in the Qur'aan (surah Taahaa, 20:115-120)
quote:
'And indeed We made a covenant with Aadam before, but he forgot, and We found on his part no firm will power. And remember when We said to the angels: 'Prostrate yourselves to Aadam.' They prostrated (all) except Iblees, who refused......... '
It would be appreciated if anyone can shed some light on the topic.
Jazakallah Khair wasalaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullah
Abu Hanaa'
" All The angels prostrated themselves, except Iblis." [ Quran 15:30 ]
Answer: It should be known that the angels are creatures of Allah. He created them from light, they never disobey Him, and do as He says. As for Iblis ( satan ), Allah mentioned that he was amongst the Jinn. Allah says:
" ...and when We said to the angels, prostrate yourselves to Adam, they all did, except Iblis who was from the Jinn, who transgressed the command of his Lord." [ Quran 18:50 ]
Allah mentions in the Quran what Iblis said when He commanded him to prostrate himself to Adam. He said :
" You created me from fire, and You created him from clay."
[ Quran 38:76 ]
As for the type of seclusion, in His Words:
" All the angels prostrated themselves, except Iblis." [ Quran 15:30 ]
It is a separate seclusion, as one may say: " Everyone came except for a donkey." There are some people of knowledge who say Iblis, May Allah curse him, is an angel, except that he disobeyed Allah, the Exalted, and insisted on being disobedient. Iblis deserved the curse of Allah til the Day of Requital.
The Permanent Committee
Fatawa Islamiyyah
Vol.1
pgs 96-97
Iblees is in fact a jinn, and it is not permissible to say otherwise, since Allaah has said: (what means): "...He was one of the Jinn..." (18:50).
Without negating the fact that he was a jinn, a group of scholars attempted to say that the jinn were a race of "fallen" or rebellious angels, similar to the Christian belief, apparently in an attempt to reconcile between the two verses mentioned earlier in the post, one mentioning all the angels making prostration except Iblees, and the other affirming that he was a jinn.
However, there is absolutely no reconciliation necessary, since the verse that mentions the angels prostrating "except Iblees" does in no way mean that Ibless was an angel.
In Arabic the phrase "fasajadoo illaa iblees" (all the angels prostrated except Iblees) could mean one of two things:
[1] All the angels prostrated except Iblees, and he was one of them.
[2] All the angels prostrated except Iblees, and he was among them in their ranks but not actually one of them.
For students of Arabic the first one is called istithnaa' muttasil, and the second one is istithnaa' munqati' (or munfasil)
The verse in Soorah al-Kahf "He was one of the jinn..." (and other evidences) proves that the second meaning is the intended meaning.
Perhaps you may be wondering: The phrase seems to be obvious in its meaning that all the angels prostrated, with an exception (Iblees), so the exception must be from the original thing being talked about (angels)...
To help you understand how this is possible, I would suggest reading the following verse: Soorah Maryam (19:62), where Allaah mentions that the people of Paradise will not hear any false speech, except for the salaams. Now ask yourself: Are the salaams a kind of false speech?!
Our error in understanding the verse is that we are applying English rules to Arabic composition, while the Qur'aan is in Arabic and thus its correct understanding depends on knowledge of Arabic.
And Allaah knows best.
Moosaa ibn John Richardson
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"Likulli daa'in dawaa'un illal Mawt[a].
"For every illness there is a cure except death".
'death' is not from the types of illness.
And Allaah knows best
Dawud Adib the son of David C.White Sr.