Who is Shaitan

While it can be discouraging to live in a reality where evil exists, we can at least identify the entity responsible for it and strive to counter its deceptive tactics. This entity is named Shaitan, known as the devil in Arabic.

Why learn about the Devil?

Knowing about your enemy (which in our case is the Shaitan) is of great importance, as highlighted by the wise words of Sun Tzu, a Chinese military strategist, philosopher, and author of "The Art of War":

"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.

If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.

If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle." (Sun Tzu)

The military strategist's profound quote emphasizes on the significance of understanding both oneself and the adversary. Assuming you already have knowledge of your own strengths and weaknesses, such as discipline, tolerance level, or faith, it becomes crucial to gain insight into the nature, tactics, and motivations of Shaitan (our adversary). This understanding is vital in order to increase our chances of effectively countering his attempts to deceive us and ultimately defeating him.

History behind Satan

According to some Islamic scholars, before the creation of Adam and Eve, our world used to be populated solely by jinn (genies). Jinn were created with fire. Similar to us, there were some who worshiped God and some who didn’t. Among them was the first Shaitan to exist known as Iblis or Satan. While the term "Shaitan" is singular, it is used to refer to all devils collectively. Iblis was initially a devoted worshiper of Allah and, in fact, the most devout among the jinn. As a reward for his worship, Allah decided to elevate him to heaven and was treated as one of the angels created with light. Things remained harmonious until Allah created the first two human beings Adam and Eve from clay and commanded the angels, including Iblis, to prostrate before them. While all the angels obeyed this command, Iblis, driven by his arrogance, refused to prostrate himself before what he perceived as inferior beings, created from clay, as he believed that beings created from fire (referring to the jinn) were superior to those created from clay. Because of his disobedience, the creator decided to exile him back to earth as a punishment. Out of arrogance, Iblis then challenged God by making a promise to tempt His creations into committing sins, with the intention of leading as many people as possible to the path of hellfire:

“[…] ‘My Lord! For allowing me to stray I will surely tempt them on earth and mislead them all together,” (Quran 15:39)

Since Satan was cast down to Earth, his sole objective has been to deceive God's creations, who possess consciousness, into indulging in harmful and forbidden acts. His ultimate goal is to lead them towards a life that would result in their torment in the fires of Hell, alongside him, after the Day of Judgment.