In answer to the video "What Color Is Satan? (Prophet Muhammad Answers!)"
Shaytan is a generic word used in the Quran for evil beings among the men and the jinn. First what are jinns. The Jinn are beings whose essence is, contrary to the earthly substance of mankind, a special kind of fire 6:100,15:26-27,21:30,55:15. Just as we originated from inorganic earthly elements, then passing through various stages of creation, became a flesh and blood entity capable of procreating 30:20 so did the jinn species originate with what the Quran calls "smokeless fire" and water 21:30 (water and ethanol can emit fire if ignited for example) then passing through various stages of creation, the initial model became a different entity of which we know little, capable of spreading its species 55:14-15,15:26-27. They are not immaterial or non-physical entities, rather non visible to mankind specifically. The term itself, stems from JNN and means hidden. The Arabic for garden is JANNA, from the same root, as it implies a hidden place from sight due to the lush vegetation. The term is thus used for the hidden entities. All beliefs, including the Abrahamic faiths, accept them. But each culture has ascribed more or less fantastical additions to this belief. The Quran refutes many of the beliefs the pre-Islamic Arabs had about them. It also adds some insights that were unknown about their nature and history.
They have freewill, a body and a soul, males and females 72:6, were made before men 15:27 and currently live on earth but cannot be perceived by mankind. Man's current vision is only engineered to perceive a fraction of the spectrum of light. Many realities of the universe remain hidden to us in this world yet they surround us. They are morally accountable for both their actions and spiritual choices, so they will be raised for judgement like the humans 6:128-130,51:56,55:14-16,31-39,72:1-7,11-14.
The NT makes several mention of unseen demonic entities, as well as refers to them believing in God James 2:19. The notion of non-human entities possessing freewill isnt explicitly stated in the HB, but there is mention of evil agents under God's control which He sends against some people Judges9:23,1Sam16:14,1Kings22:20-22, as well as mention of demons in Job3:4. God unleashes them for the destruction of a people Deut32:24. More details about them is found in Jewish oral tradition as well as in their commentaries over several verses including Job24:17,2Sam7:14,Isa24:12,34:14,Ezek26:21,Ps91:5-7.
Those traditions assert among other things, that demons come in different genders, have superhuman powers, with some of them being half-humans because of Adam having had intercourse with them. This happened during his 130 years separation from his wife after the death of Abel. These half-breed humans/demons have nowadays majoritarly or fully been destroyed, or kept from interfering with humans. That is because the current spirituality of the world is so low compared to what it was in the times where prophets abounded among the people, that humans today would stand no chance in repelling those evil spiritual forces by themselves.
Contrary to the Bible that unequivocally states, that God is the creator of evil Deut30:15,Isa45:7,1Sam16:14 the Quran says God indirectly creates evil, by endowing entities like humans and jinn with the capacity of freewill which they may either use for the good or the bad. Whatever evil comes from God's creatures is entirely encompassed by God's power and knowledge, meaning He may either allow or prevent it. Whatever His decision, it is done with wisdom and justice that takes into account a global perspective whose intricacies none other than Him can fathom.
From a purely speculative view point, rabbinic writings state that the passage of Judges5:23 refers to non-human intelligent lifeforms outside our world (although freewill is ruled out) and in different places there is mention of God "visiting" other worlds, just as He visited and interracted with sentient beings in this world.
Satan or shaytan is used in the Quran for Iblis as well as for any creature that is mischievous, misleading, among the jinn and human beings 2:14,3:175,6:112,25:27-9,114:4-6. Iblis is the archetypical shaytan, the leader of them all, whether they be from among the men or jinn. After his banishment from his nearness to God, Iblis pledged to stray man away from the path of guidance and God allowed him to do so, giving him the respite until the Day of Resurrection that he demanded. On the other hand, man has an innate capacity to understand good and evil, will receive divine guidance, will be guided through his own reason towards God Whose attributes reflect in the universe inside and outside of man, and is therefore expected to be able to choose good above evil. The mischieving entities, Iblis included, therefore fulfil a definite function in God's plan; tempting through the power of suggestion only, enabling man to exercize his God-given freedom of choice between good and evil
15:39-42"He said: My Lord..I will certainly make (evil) fair-seeming to them on earth, and I will certainly cause them all to deviate. Except Thy servants from among them, the devoted ones. He said: This is a right way with Me: Surely, as regards My servants, you have no authority over them except those who follow you of the deviators".Iblis and all mischieving entities are therefore not God's "enemies" in the sense that He has no power over them, that they have escaped his grand design and act contrary to His all encompassing will. That is why they are only called mankind's enemies/adversaries 7:22,17:53,36:60. Yet others are called God's enemies, like Pharaoh 20:39 because of his claim to the divine and cruelty. In fact if there is one thing Iblis is never portrayed as claiming, is divinity. He even denounces shirk 14:22. The opposite transpires in Christian writings, Satan wanted man to worship him as a deity Matt4:9, shedding light on the original pagan notions of early Christian converts and the manner in which those notions were projected unto Jewish writings and Jesus' teachings.
Shaytan stems from SHATN meaning the long rope that pulls the bucket out of the well. The verb SHATAN means to pull on the rope so that the bucket is taken out of the well. Therefore SHAYTAN is the one that pulls on that rope and takes the bucket out of its place (out of the well). Metaphorically it is thus any person or being that pulls people out of their own natural place (The natural place is in harmony with God). So SHAYTAN is anyone that takes a person away from God. It is well established in classical Arabic, let alone Semitic languages in general as seen from Jesus' calling Peter "satan" in the NT Matt16:23, that when someone or something is associated with the devil, most of the time it is understood as a metaphor for its evil consequences. For example a woman that causes the fascination of male onlookers, which is only possible if dressed inappropriately, is called a devil. One or two riders travelling the desert are devils because they were easy prey to robbers in those days. There are many such examples in the prophetic traditions.
Iblis and his followers from the men and jinn misguide man by beautifying ugly deeds 16:63, making false promises 4:120 or playing on our fears and uncertainties in the future 2:268. These tricks disturbs man's innate capacity to distinguish good and evil, truth from falsehood. Man is only misguided if his innate capacity is not trained enough through worship and constant remembrance of God
17:65"Surely (as for) My servants, you have no authority over them; and your Lord is sufficient as a Protector".SHAYTAN is therefore not a proper noun, it isnt an independent evil creation, contrary to Christian belief (without any scriptural support). In fact the very notion of YHWH being the creator of evil, a pillar of Jewish belief based on Deut30:15,Isa45:7,1Sam16:14, refutes the notion of an independent evil entity acting against God's will or plan for mankind.
Similarly in the HB, it is haSatan or "the opponent". Satans are both humans and non-humans who "oppose" particular characters Deut22:32-33,1kings11:14,23-5. Hasatan/the opponent is therefore the description of a role that can be played by anyone, an angel or even God Himself. In the Hebrew, the absence of a definite article merely implies an indefinite article. Christian translators of the Hebrew bible are often unaware of this, so they think that 1Chron21 uses "satan" as a proper name because it appears without the definite article. By doing so, they fail to realize that the verse is talking of God Himself as being David's adversary 1Samuel24. In all other cases, ha-satan is a loyal servant of God. He is neither evil, nor "fallen", rather sent by God to test humans with hardship. There is no Lucifer in the Bible either. Why would the Hebrew and Aramaic HB contain a Latin word all of a sudden?
As explicitly stated in the Quran, shaytan, whether from the men or the jinn, is a tool fully encompassed by God and part of a higher scheme whose intricacies only a glimpse can be perceived.
In the book of Job, HaSatan acts as Job's prosecutor, while God is acting as both Judge and attorney for the defense. Nowhere in Job is HaSatan against God. His role is to test Job.
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