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The Qur)Iin and Pre-Islamic Sources

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The Qur)Iin and Pre-Islamic Sources CHAPTER ONE MYTHIC BIOGRAPHY A. Origins and Life History 1. /blzs: the Qur)iin and pre-Islamic sources The faith of Islam is founded on the divinely revealed Word of God, the Qur)an; here, at the source of all Muslim piety, the believer encounters, perhaps for the first time, the figure of the Islamic devil, Iblis (the Greek oL&~oA.o~). He is mentioned on nine specific occasions 1 in con­ texts which, for the most part, touch on two particular mythic events: Iblis' confrontation with the newly created Adam, resulting in Iblis' con­ demnation, and his revenge on mankind through the seduction of Adam and Eve. A composite sketch of these myths as they appear whole or in part in various chapters of the Qur)an would comprise the following elements. God forms Adam from clay and breathes into him a portion of His own spirit; thereupon, He orders the angels to bow before this unique crea­ tion. All obey except Ibli:s who is convinced that his fiery essence raises him far above man, a creature of mere clay. For his refusal Iblis is cursed by God and driven from the heavens. Henceforth, he will be an object of fear and derision, a "Stoned-Satan." Yet Iblis is not to be dismissed so easily. He begs God for a respite from his punishment so that he can become the seducer of men, testing them to discover who are truly God's faithful ones. Iblis' request is granted, with the understanding, however, that he cannot force the upright man or woman to sin; over them he has the power to invite but not to coerce. 2 Adam and Eve are first to fall victim to Iblis' wiles. After their creation God places them in Paradise where He provides for them abundantly. He denies them the produce of only one particular tree. But Ibli:s comes with his satanic "whispers" (waswasa), promising Adam and Eve angelic status, even eternal life, if they eat; thus he causes them "to slip" from the path (azallahumii). When they eat from the forbidden tree their genitals are exposed and, in shame, they hurry to stitch together tree 1 Qur'an 2:34, 7:11, 15:31-32, 17:61, 18:50, 20:116, 26:95, 34:20, and 38:74-75. The versification is that of the standard Egyptian edition. 2 See Qur'an 2:34, 7:11-18, 15:26-43, 17:61-65, 18:50, 20:116, 34:20-21, and 38:74-85. ORIGINS AND LIFE HISTORY 19 leaves as clothing. From Paradise Adam and Eve are driven to earth, car­ rying with them the seeds of human aggression. Men will be enemies one to another, and Iblis will be a manifest enemy to all. 3 While the Qur)anic references to Iblis deal primarily with these two religious myths, it should not be assumed that these passages constitute the only Qur)anic references to an Islamic devil figure. On the contrary, the name Ash-Shaytan, Satan, appears more than fifty times in the text of the Qur)an.4 Within the two myths described above, the titles are virtually interchangeable, with the name Iblis being used in the context of man's creation and the Devil's fall, while the title Ash-Shaytan is reserved for the enticement of Adam and Eve. The other instances of Ash-Shaytan do not deal with any particular mythic structure. Rather the majority of cases touch on some aspect of Satan's involvement in man's spiritual life, an involvement foretold in the myth of his fall and concretized for the first time in the deception of Adam and Eve. Several particular satanic skills appear with a certain fre­ quency in the Qur)an text. Ash-Shaytan, for example, is a master at embellishing the deeds of men, giving them false confidence in their own powers. 5 This and his other aims are achieved not through compulsion but by subtle suggestions and insinuations (nazgh, waswasa) 6 or by his in­ ducing a state of forgetfulness in the mind of the believer. 7 Ash-Shaytan promises nothing but empty illusions; 8 although he claims to be a faithful confidant, as soon as one submits, the Evil One is quit of him. 9 "Follow not the footsteps of Satan," a Qur)anic refrain counsels, "for he is truly your manifest enemy;'' 10 companionship and intimacy with him lead only to disaster. 11 The Qur)an instructs the faithful to seek refuge in God from the power of the Devil and his cohorts. 12 The prayer formula "I seek refuge in God from Satan the Stoned" has come down through the centuries of Islamic religious history as one of the most efficacious protections from the power of Iblis/ Ash-Shaytan. 3 See Qur'an 2:35-37, 7:19-24, and 20:117-122. 4 Qur'an 2:36, 168, 208, 268, 275; 3:36, 155, 175; 4:38, 60, 76, 83, 119, 120; 5:90, 91; 6:43, 68, 142; 7:20, 22, 27, 175, 200, 201; 8:11, 48; 12:5, 42, 100; 14:22; 16:63, 98; 17:27, 53, 64; 18:63; 19:44, 45; 20:120; 22:52, 53; 24:21; 25:29; 27:24; 28:15; 29:38; 31:21; 35:6; 36:60; 38:41; 41:36; 43:62; 47:25; 58:10; 59:16. 5 See Qur'an 6:43, 8:48, 16:63, 27:24, and 29:38. 6 Nazgh: Qur'an 7:200, 12:100, 17:53, 41:36. Waswasa: Qur'an 7:20, 20:120. 7 See Qur'an 6:68, 12:42, 18:63, and 50:19. 8 See Qur'an 4:120 and 17:64. See also 2:268. 9 See Qur'an 7:21 and 59:16. 10 Qur'an 2:168, 2:208, 6:142. See also Qur'an 7:22, 12:5, 17:53, 24:21, 28:15, 35:6, 36:60, and 43:62. All translations in this study have been done by the writer, except where specifically indicated. 11 See Qur'an 4:38 and 119. 12 See Qur'an 3:36, 7:200, 16:98, 23:97, and 41:36. .
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