Intro
Iblis is mentioned 11 times in the Quran by name, nine times related to his refusal against God’s command to prostrate himself before Adam. See 2:34, 7:11, 15:31, 15:32, 17:61, 18:50, 20:116, 26:95, 34:20, 38:74, and 38:75. It should be noted that the word Shaitan ((الشيطان is mentioned in the Quran 87 times. The Qur’an says that Iblis was an angel, but in Surah Kahf it says that Iblis was a Jinn. It seems that iblis was a jinn who eventually became Shaitan.
Recently, we have found a video of an Ahmadi mullah wherein he tells the world that Iblis was a human, and not a jinn, since Ahmadi’s don’t believe in Jinn anyways, in contrast to MGA. Muslim scholars have never called Iblis a human, they have opined that he was a jinni of sorts.
What did MGA write about Iblis? This is unknown. Mirza Tahir Ahmad might be the main source of info here. Faran Rabbani, an Ahmadi mullah in the USA recently said that iblis was a human. You can watch the full video here, he answers this in the last few minutes. Another Ahmadi mullah (Adnan Ahmad) said the same. We checked the 1988 famous 5-volume of the Quran and it didn’t say that Iblis was a human (insaan in urdu), it leaves the topic open.
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MGA’s comments
1893–[A’ina-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, pp. 86-88], See also Essence of Islam, Vol. 2
“””Independent Existence of Angels
Our observation and our reflection and intelligence and thinking clearly show that for every grace there are intervening causes between God Almighty and ourselves, through whose intervention every faculty receives grace according to its need. This establishes the existence of angels and jinns. We have only to prove that for the performance of good or ill our faculties alone are not enough and that we are in need of external help and assistance which has supernatural effect. These helpers and assistants do not operate directly without any mediation. There are some mediatory means. The observation of the law of nature has established conclusively and certainly that those helpers and assistants exist outside of us. We may not be aware of their true reality, but we know for certain that they are neither the Almighty Himself operating directly, nor are they our own faculties and capacities. They are a species of creation which have independent existence. When we name any of them as calling to good, we would describe him as the Holy Spirit or Gabriel, and when we name him as calling to evil we will describe him as Satan or Iblis. It is not necessary that we should exhibit the Holy Spirit or Satan to every dark heart, though those who have insight can see them and they become visible in visions.”””
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1903
MGA mentioned in Tofha Golarviyya about iblis, we are unsure of the context.
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1906-1907
In Haqiqatul Wahy, the word iblis occurs once.
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1908–Oct
In BA-5 (see page 301), 2:34 of the Quran is quoted as well as the word iblis.
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1912
Noorudin spoke about iblis in a speech.
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1940
The ROR of April-1940 alleges that Iblis was a human.
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2012
Hani Tahir asked about iblis.
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Discussions among Muslim scholars
A question arises about the meaning of the term jinni. The suffix -i might indicate his original relation to jannah, of which he was a guardian and was of a sub-category of “fiery angels”. Although angels in Islam are commonly thought to be created from light, angels, or at least the fiercer among them, are also identified as created from fire, as evident from the Miraj literature. Reason for that might be the phonetical similarity between fire (nar) and light (nur). Some scholars argued that fire and light are of the same essence but to a different degree.
On the other hand, scholars arguing that the term jinni refers to jinn, and not a category of angels. They on the other hand need to explain Iblis’ stay among the angels. Ibn Kathir stated that Iblis was once an ordinary jinn on earth, but, due to his piety and constant worship, elevated among the angels. He lived there for thousands of years until his non-angelic origin was forgotten and only God remembered Iblis’ true identity. When God commanded the angels, Iblis, due to his rank among the angels included, to prostrate himself before Adam, Iblis revealed his true nature. By his refusal his true nature betrayed him, leading to his downfall.[61]
Other scholars, such as Hasan of Basra and Ibn Taymiyyah[citation needed], do not deal with explanations for a reason behind his abode among the angels, by extension of a special narrative. Instead, they argue, Iblis’, depicted as the first of the Jinn, and not as one of many Jinn, stay in heaven is self-explanatory, because every creature is created in heaven first. Here, although created in heaven, Iblis is not regarded as an angel, but the equivalent father of the Jinn, compared to what Adam is to humanity. Iblis, as the father of the Jinn, was cast out of heaven due to his sin, just as Adam was banished after his corresponding transgression of God’s order not to eat from the Forbidden Tree.
Those scholars, who argue against Iblis’ angelic origin also refer to his progeny, since angels do not procreate in Islam. Tabari who defended Iblis’ angelic depiction, argues that Iblis did not procreate until he lost his angelic state and became a devil. Therefore, as an angel, Iblis did not procreate and this argument does not apply to Iblis at all. According to some Islamic traditions, Iblis is an asexual entity, just like other angels or a hermaphrodite creature, whose children split from himself, as devils (šayāṭīn) do, but not the Jinn, who have genders just like humans. Yet, there are traditions that report Iblis as having a wife. Al-Suyuti names Iblis’ wife Samum. Following Hasan Al Basra’s account, they are said to be the primogenitor of the Jinn race.[62]
Another central argument to determine Iblis essence discusses Iblis’ ability to disobey. As angels are seen as servants of God, Iblis’ should not be able to disobey. This argument had been essential for the advocates who reject the identification with Iblis with one of the angels. As a jinn, however, Iblis could be given the ability to choose to obey or disobey.[63] Scholars who regard Iblis as an angel, agree to some extent with this, but do not see Iblis’ refusal as an act of sin in the same way that advocates for “a Jinn nature” do. Many interpret Iblis’ disobedience as a sign of predestination. Therefore, Iblis has been created, differing from his fellow angels, from fire, thus God installed a rebellious nature in him, to endow him with the task to seduce humans, comparable as other angels are endowed with tasks corresponding to their nature[64] and created for this purpose from fire differing from the other angels.[64] Thus, Iblis is seen as an instrument of God, not as an entity who freely choose to disobey.[65][66][67] Other scholars gave explanations why an angel should choose to disobey and explain that Iblis was, as the teacher of angels, more knowledgeable than the others.[68][66] Angels might be distinguished by their degree of obedience. Abu Hanifa, founder of the Hanafi schools jurisprudence, is reported as distinguishing between obedient angels, disobedient angels such as Harut and Marut and unbelievers among the angels, like Iblis.[69]
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Links and Related Essay’s
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iblis
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad seems to have supported the common theory of Jinn in Islam
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM8RnsRjB/
The Al-Badr of July 4th, 1912, full english translation and analysis
https://ahmadiyyafactcheckblog.com/2019/06/30/tuhfa-e-golarhviyyah-by-mirza-ghulam-ahmad-1902/
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