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   From: islamic_journal@yahoo.com   
      
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------   
   Taken from: Islam Questions And Answers: Volume 1: Basic Tenets of Faith   
   (Belief) - Part 1   
   Download the book now from this site:   
   http://islammuslims.com/Downloads/Volume_1.exe   
   More info and Table of Contents at:   
   http://islammuslims.com/islam-qa/Volume_1_index.htm   
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------   
      
   6485: Iblees was not one of the angels   
      
   Question:   
      
   My friend told me that iblis (shaitan) used to be an angel. My wife says   
   that this is not true. Could you please give me some information.   
      
      
   Answer:   
      
   Praise be to Allaah. Iblees was definitely not one of the angels. This is   
   indicated by three things: the clear texts of the Qur'aan, the physical   
   attributes of Iblees and the attitude of Iblees.   
      
   1 _ With regard to the clear statements of the Qur'aan, Allaah says   
   (interpretation of the meaning):   
      
   "And (remember) when We said to the angels: `Prostrate yourselves unto   
   Adam.' So they prostrated themselves except Iblees (Satan). He was one of   
   the jinn"   
      
   [al-Kahf 18:50]   
      
   Al-Hasan al-Basri said: Iblees was never one of the angels, not even for an   
   instant. He is the father of the jinn, just as Adam (peace be upon him) is   
   the father of mankind.   
      
   This was narrated by al-Tabari with a saheeh isnaad as stated by Ibn Katheer   
   in his Tafseer, 3/89.   
      
   2 _ With regard to his physical attributes, Allaah stated that He created   
   him from fire. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):   
      
   "He created man (Adam) from sounding clay like the clay of pottery.   
      
   And the jinn He created from a smokeless flame of fire"   
      
   [al-Rahmaan 55:14, 15]   
      
   and it was narrated in Saheeh Muslim (2996) from the hadeeth of `Aa'ishah   
   (may Allaah be pleased with her) that the Prophet (peace and blessings of   
   Allaah be upon him) said: "The angels were created from light, the jinn were   
   created from smokeless fire, and Adam was created from that which has been   
   described to you."   
      
   So it is clear that there is a difference between the physical nature of the   
   angels and that of Iblees, and he is definitely not one of them.   
      
   3 _ With regard to his attitude, Iblees disobeyed Allaah by not prostrating   
   to Adam, but we know from the Qur'aan that it is impossible for the angels   
   to disobey Allaah. Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning):   
      
   ".angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands   
   they receive from Allaah, but do that which they are commanded"   
      
   [al-Tahreem 66:6]   
      
   Some reports which are not saheeh have been narrated from some of the salaf,   
   suggesting that Iblees was the best of the angels, that he was one of the   
   keepers of Paradise, etc. Imaam Ibn Katheer commented on that by saying:   
      
   Many reports to that effect have been narrated from the salaf, but most of   
   them come from the Isra'eeliyyaat (reports narrated from Jewish sources)   
   which were narrated to be examined. Allaah knows best about the true status   
   of many of them. There are some which can be rejected out of hand because   
   they go against the truth that we have before us. In the Qur'aan there is   
   sufficient information that we have no need of earlier reports, because   
   hardly any of them are free from alterations, additions and subtractions,   
   and many things have been fabricated in them. The earlier nations did not   
   have scholars to examine these reports and eliminate those which are not   
   sound, as this ummah has its imams and scholars who have great knowledge and   
   are pious and righteous, who wrote down the hadeeth and examined it and   
   showed what is sound and what is not, and what is fabricated, identifying   
   the fabricators, liars and those narrators who were unknown, and other   
   categories of narrators. All of that was to protect the status of the   
   Prophet, the Seal of the Prophets and the leader of mankind (peace and   
   blessings of Allaah be upon him), lest any lie be attributed to him and lest   
   anything be attributed to him that he did not say or do. May Allaah be   
   pleased with them and make them please and make the Paradise of al-Firdaws   
   their abode.   
      
   Tafseer al-Qur'aan il-`Azeem, 3/90.   
      
   ------------------------------------------------------------------------   
   Taken from: Islam Questions And Answers: Volume 1: Basic Tenets of Faith   
   (Belief) - Part 1   
   Download the book now from this site:   
   http://islammuslims.com/Downloads/Volume_1.exe   
   More info and Table of Contents at:   
   http://islammuslims.com/islam-qa/Volume_1_index.htm   
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------   
      
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