inJESUS;3590149:
The Qur’an makes this clear. 18:50, Iblis was a jinn. I’m not sure what you’re talking about.
if the Quran is so clear, what made the companions of Muhammad say he is an angel?
Let’s see if the Quran is so clear or so confusing:
And (remember) when
We said to the angels: “**Prostrate **yourselves before Adam.” And they prostrated except Iblis (Satan), he refused and was proud and was one of the disbelievers (disobedient to Allah). S. 2:34
And (remember) when **We said to the angels: “Prostrate **yourselves to Adam.” They prostrated (all) except Iblis (Satan), who refused. S. 20:116
The normal reading of the above passages is to see satan as an angel who refused to obey Allah’s order to worship Adam. The following passage brings out this point even more clearly:
And surely, We created you (your father Adam) and then gave you shape (the noble shape of a human being), then
We told the angels, “Prostrate to Adam”, and they prostrated, except Iblis (Satan), he refused to be of those who prostrate. (Allah) said: “What prevented you (O Iblis) that you did not prostrate, **when I commanded you?” **Iblis said: “I am better than him (Adam), You created me from fire, and him You created from clay.” S. 7:11-12
Allah asks Ibleess why he didn’t obey his instruction to the angels to prostrate to Adam, which means that he was one of the angels. The text does not mention any other group along with the angels to worship Adam, and therefore makes no sense for Allah to hold Iblees accountable for not obeying a command that was given to them if he wasn’t an angel.
then we are introduced to something not mentioned in like 3 or 4 repetitive ayas:
And (remember) when We said to the angels; “Prostrate to Adam.” So they prostrated except Iblis (Satan). **He was one of the jinns; **he disobeyed the Command of his Lord. Will you then take him (Iblis) and his offspring as protectors and helpers rather than Me while they are enemies to you? What an evil is the exchange for the Zalimun (polytheists, and wrong-doers, etc). S. 18:50
Because of this rather discrepency , someone like Rashad Khalifa rendered it as :
We said to the angels, “Fall prostrate before Adam.” They fell prostrate, except Satan.** He *became ***a jinn,
and he remarks:
The Arabic in verse 18:50 could be translated as he was a jinn or it could be translated as he became a jinn. The following translation of the Arabic verse 18:50 stating that Satan became a jinn, however, is the correct understanding for reasons stated below… It can be understood that Satan became disobedient and therefore no longer an angel
through looking at other verses as well as this one rather than coming to a conclusion using only this verse. We should not take the scripture partially…
submission.org/satan/app21letter.html
Others like Al Tabari said:
According to al-Qasim b. al-Hasan- al-Husayn b. Dawud- Hajjaj- Ibn Jurayj- Ibn `Abbas: **Iblis was one of the most noblest angels **and belonged to the most honored tribe among them. He was a keeper of Paradise. He had authority to rule over the lower heaven as well as earth.
According to al-Qasim- al-Husayn- Hajjaj- Ibn Jurayj- Salih, the mawla of al-Taw’amah and Sharik b. Abir Namir, either one or both of them-
Ibn `Abbas: There was an angelic tribe of jinn, and Iblis belonged to it. He governed all in between the heaven and the earth.
According to Musa b. Harun al-Hamdani-
Amr b. Hammad- Asbat- al-Suddi- Abu Malik and Abu Salih- **Ibn Abbas. Also (al-Suddi)- Murrah al-Hamdani- Ibn Mas’ud and some (other) companions of the Prophet:** Iblis was ruler over the lower heaven.
He belonged to a tribe of angels called jinn. They were called jinn because they were keepers of Paradise (al-jannah). In addition to being ruler, Iblis was a keeper (of Paradise).
According to
Abdan al-Marwazi- al-Husayn b. al-Faraj- Dahhak b. Muzahim, commenting on God's word: "They prostrated themselves, except Iblis. He was one of the jinn": **Ibn Abbas used to say: Iblis was one of the noblest angels and belonged to their most honored tribe.** He was a keeper of Paradise, and his was the rule over the lower heaven as well as the earth.
