Guest Author - Serkan Tufan

In this series of article, you will find your questions about Satan answered according to the main resources of Quran. Islam gives comprehensive and heart-mind satisfying answers about the creation of Satans. Here is one of the most fundamental questions:

Question 1: First of all, Satan and his helpers’ attack on believers and people leaving faith because of their constant harm, thus, resulting people going to hell seems the worst and disastrous situation. How would The Lord of mercy and compassion, The Most Beautiful let this awful and dreadful thing to happen to people?

Answer: There are few disadvantages of existence and work of Satan, whereas there are many advantages for humanity that come with His existence. Just as there are many layers, levels and stages between a seed and a mighty tree, there are more levels in human’s spiritual growth, humanity and abilities. To activate this growth, there is need for struggle and effort. This struggle can only be experienced with the creation of Satan and evil things that are always a challenge to humankind. Otherwise, like angels, people’s level and value would have remained stable. God would not allow mankind stay as a narrow/limited species. It was against His justice and wisdom to leave wonderful outcomes in order to prevent little bad to happen.

Yes, many people may go to hell because of Satan, but the value is in quality rather than quantity. Think about a farmer who eventually had 10 trees out of 1010 seeds he had planted, the benefit came from ten seeds that developed into a tree eliminates the harm came from 1000 seeds that went bad. Just like this, with their struggle against Satan and their ego (nefs), some people reach the level of stars and give great honor and enlightment to humankind. This great value and highness eliminates and shadows the harm that some very despicable ones do by denying all the values. That is why the mercy, justice and wisdom of God allow the existence of Satan and His attacks. The weapon of believers is asking forgiveness of God, surrendering to God and asking protection from Satan.

Here is a part from Chapter (Surah) Al-Hicr (Stone land) in Quran that teaches us how Satan’s role in human’s life started:

15.26: And certainly We created man of clay that gives forth sound, of black mud fashioned in shape.
15.27: And the jinn We created before, of intensely hot fire.
15.28: And when your Lord said to the angels: Surely I am going to create a mortal of the essence of black mud fashioned in shape.
15.29: So when I have made him complete and breathed into him of My spirit, fall down making obeisance to him.
15.30: So the angels made obeisance, all of them together,
15.31: But Iblis (Satan) (did it not); he refused to be with those who made obeisance.
15.32: He said: O Iblis! what excuse have you that you are not with those who make obeisance?
15.33: He said: I am not such that I should make obeisance to a mortal whom Thou hast created of the essence of black mud fashioned in shape.
15.34: He said: Then get out of it, for surely you are driven away:
15.35: And surely on you is curse until the day of judgment.
15.36: He said: My Lord! then respite me till the time when they are raised.
15.37: He said: So surely you are of the respited ones
15.38: Till the period of the time made known.
15.39: He said: My Lord! because Thou hast made life evil to me, I will certainly make (evil) fair-seeming to them on earth, and I will certainly cause them all to deviate
15.40: Except Thy servants from among them, the devoted ones.
15.41: He said: This is a right way with Me:
15.42: Surely. as regards My servants, you have no authority ,over them except those who follow you of the deviators.
15.43: And surely Hell is the promised place of them all:
15.44: It has seven gates; for every gate there shall be a separate party of them.
15.45: Surely those who guard (against evil) shall be in the midst of gardens and fountains:
15.46: Enter them in peace, secure.
15.47: And We will root out whatever of rancor is in their breasts -- (they shall be) as brethren, on raised couches, face to face.
15.48: Toil shall not afflict them in it, nor shall they be ever ejected from it.
15.49: Inform My servants that I am the Forgiving, the Merciful,
15.50: And that My punishment -- that is the painful punishment.

In the next article, we will answer the question: “Why did God create a terrible creature like Satan? Creation of Satan is a bad thing. Is not God above all deficiencies and bad things?"

Resources:
-Holy Quran (Yusuf Ali translation)
-Risale-i Nur Collection on Quran Commentary –Said Nursi