Are Iblis And Shaytan (Satan) The Same Individual?

While many use the names interchangeably, the Qur'an maintains a precise distinction between Iblis and the broader category of Shaytan. This article explains that "Shaytan" is a general title for any rebellious or harmful creature, including certain humans and animals. By contrast, "Iblis" is the proper name of the specific jinn who fell from grace after refusing to prostrate to Prophet Adam (a).

The text traces the history of Iblis from his high spiritual station to his ultimate despair and expulsion from the ranks of the angels. It clarifies how Iblis became the leader of the "Party of Satan," a group of followers who share his recalcitrant nature. This concise guide helps readers understand the specific roles and meanings of these figures within Islamic theology.

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Are Iblis And Shaytan (Satan) The Same Individual?

Answer Provided By

The Porch of Wisdom Institute

Under The Guidance Of Ayatullah Shaykh Hadavi Tehrani

The below Question and Answer was extracted from:

http://islamquest.net/fa/archive/question/fa1739 [9]

Translated by Saleem Bhimji

Edited by Arifa Hudda

Published by the Islamic Publishing House - iph@iph.ca [10]

Question

From the perspective of the Qur’an, are Iblis and Shaytan (Satan) the same individual?

Answer

In order to arrive at an answer to this question, it is necessary to first define these two words – Shaytan and Iblis.

Shaytan: This word comes from the Arabic root word “شطن” – ‘shatana’ which has multiple meanings associated with it – however, to summarize, any creation which exhibits a rebellious and recalcitrant behavior is referred to with this title; whether it be a human being, a jinn or an animal.1

The word Shaytan has been used in the Qur’an in three different ways:

1. Singular tense without the alif and lam preceding it (shaytan - شيطان). When it is used in such instances, the meaning of shaytan is non-specific and can include all creations from amongst the jinn and human beings (who display those specific traits previously mentioned). For example, there is a verse of the Qur’an which reads:

وَمَنْ يَعْشُ عَنْ ذِكْرِ الرَّحْمَٰنِ نُقَيِّضْ لَهُ شَيْطَانًا فَهُوَ لَهُ قَرِينٌ

And whoever turns oneself away from the remembrance of the Beneficent (God), We appoint for him a shaytan (satan), so he (satan) becomes that person’s associate. (43:36)

2. Singular tense with the alif and lam preceding it (al-shaytan - الشيطان). When it is used in this way, in most cases it refers to a specific individual – meaning Iblis, for example the following verse of the Qur’an states:

يَا بَنِي آدَمَ لَا يَفْتِنَنَّكُمُ الشَّيْطَانُ كَمَا أَخْرَجَ أَبَوَيْكُمْ مِنَ الْجَنَّةِ يَنْزِعُ عَنْهُمَا لِبَاسَهُمَا لِيُرِيَهُمَا سَوْآتِهِمَا إِنَّهُ يَرَاكُمْ هُوَ وَقَبِيلُهُ مِنْ حَيْثُ لَا تَرَوْنَهُمْ إِنَّا جَعَلْنَا الشَّيَاطِينَ أَوْلِيَآءَ لِلَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ

O children of Adam! let not the Shaytan (The Satan) cause you to fall into affliction, just like he expelled your parents from the garden, pulling off from them both their clothing that he might show them their evil inclinations, he surely sees you, he as well as his host, from whence you cannot see them; surely We have made the Shayatin (The Satans) to be the guardians of those who do not believe. (7:27)

In certain limited instances, it can also denote a general trait [as opposed to a specific individual] – for example in the below verse:

أَلشَّيْطَانُ يَعِدُكُمُ الْفَقْرَ وَيَأْمُرُكُمْ بِالْفَحْشَآءِ وَاللّٰهُ يَعِدُكُمْ مَغْفِرَةً مِنْهُ وَفَضْلًا وَاللّٰهُ وَاسِعٌ عَلِيمٌ

The Shaytan (satan) threatens you with poverty and enjoins you to be miserly, and God promises you forgiveness from Himself and abundance; and God is Ample Giving, Knowing. (2:268)

In this example, the alif and lam which comes at the front of the word shaytan refer to the genus, and thus in this context it is understood as anyone who frightens another individual that they will suffer in a state of poverty. Therefore, it can be seen that inviting a person to perform actions which go against the sacred teachings (of Islam) can from time to time, be something which devilish people can also instigate.

3. The third way this word is used in the Qur’an is in the plural tense and this usage shows us that shaytan can exist in numerous appearances. If the word shaytan was simply a name for one specific individual (Iblis), then it would have only been used in the singular tense. In addition to this, in some verses of the Qur’an, after mentioning the word Shayatin (the plural of shaytan), various types of this genus have been mentioned – such as the verse which reads:

وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَا لِكُلِّ نَبِيٍّ عَدُوًّا شَيَاطِينَ الْإِنْسِ وَالْجِنِّ يُوحِي بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَىٰ بَعْضٍ زُخْرُفَ الْقَوْلِ غُرُورًا وَلَوْ شَأءَ رَبُّكَ مَا فَعَلُوهُ فَذَرْهُمْ وَمَا يَفْتَرُونَ

And thus, did We make for every prophet an enemy, the Shayatin (Satans) from among the men and the jinn, some of them suggesting to others varnished falsehood to deceive (them), and had your Lord pleased they would not have done it, therefore leave them and that which they forge. (6:112)

Iblis: This word comes from the root word “إبلاس” – ‘iblas’ which means ‘sadness and sorrow which stems from an extreme feeling of hopelessness and despair.’ In this regard, God states the following in the Qur’an:

وَيَوْمَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ يُبْلِسُ الْمُجْرِمُونَ

And at that time when the hour will come, the guilty will be in despair. (30:12)

Iblis is called by this name because he felt despair from the mercy of God, and this was brought upon due to him disregarding the command of God, the Most High.

In this regard, the Qur’an states:

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلآئِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِ ۗ أَفَتَتَّخِذُونَهُ وَذُرِّيَّتَهُ أَوْلِيَآءَ مِنْ دُونِي وَهُمْ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ بِئْسَ لِلظَّالِمِينَ بَدَلًا

And when We said to the angels: Make prostration to[wards] Adam; they [all] made prostration except for Iblis (who did not). He was from among the jinn, so he transgressed the commandment of his Lord. What! Would you then take him and his offspring for friends rather than Me, and they are your enemies? Evil is (this) change for the unjust. (18:50)

God then asked him:

قَالَ يَا إِبْلِيسُ مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَسْجُدَ لِمَا خَلَقْتُ بِيَدَيَّ أَسْتَكْبَرْتَ أَمْ كُنْتَ مِنَ الْعَالِينَ

He said: O Iblis! What prevented you that you should do obeisance to him whom I created with My [own] two hands? Are you proud or are you from among the exalted ones? (38:75)

To this, he replied to God saying:

قَالَ أَنَا خَيْرٌ مِنْهُ خَلَقْتَنِي مِنْ نَارٍ وَخَلَقْتَهُ مِنْ طِينٍ

He said: I am better than him. You created me from fire, and You created him from clay. (38:76)

It was at this point of the conversation that God ordered him to leave that space and said to him:

قَالَ فَاخْرُجْ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٌ

He said: Then get out of it [here], for surely you are driven away. (38:77)

وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ لَعْنَتِي إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ

And surely My curse is on you until the Day of Judgment. (38:78)

It was at this point that he was removed from the assembly of the angels.2 Of course he was never an angel, but it was due to his servitude, obedience and spiritual proximity to his Lord that he had developed that he became stationed among the ranks of the angels.3

We have a tradition from Imam ʿAli ibn Musa al-Rida in which he states, “The actual first name of Iblis was Harth or Harith, and he was [later on] named Iblis because he fell into despair from the mercy of God.”4

In speaking about the specific naming of Iblis, Ibn ʿArabi, the author of the book Al-Futuhat al-Makiyya writes, “The first individual who was ever named Shaytan was Harith, and it was God Himself who named him Iblas – meaning one who fell into despair in regard to the mercy of God.”5

The Qur’an states that once God determined to remove him from the ranks of the angels, he (Iblis) asked God:

قَالَ رَبِّ فَأَنْظِرْنِي إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ

He said: My Lord! then respite me until the day that they are raised. (38:79)

God replied to him:

قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ الْمُنْظَرِينَ

He said: Surely you are of the respited ones. (38:80)

God then concluded by saying:

إِلَىٰ يَوْمِ الْوَقْتِ الْمَعْلُومِ

Until the period of the time made known. (38:81)

Once Iblis was sure that he would be given a long life, he then replied to God by stating:

قَالَ فَبِعِزَّتِكَ لَأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ

He said: Then by Your Might I will surely make them live an evil life, all of them. (38:82)

He followed this up by saying:

إِلَّا عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينَ

Except Your servants from among them, the purified ones. (38:83)

Therefore, he became the sworn enemy of humanity and thus we see the emphatic advice given by God to all of humanity that:

إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا ۚ إِنَّمَا يَدْعُو حِزْبَهُ لِيَكُونُوا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ السَّعِيرِ

Surely the Shaytan is your enemy, so take him for an enemy; he only invites his party that they may be inmates of the burning fire. (35:6)

Of course, it is important to mention that all of the Shayatin (devils) in existence are followers of the orders of Iblis and work under his command, and the Noble Qur’an refers to this group as the Party of Satan (Hizb al-Shaytan):

اسْتَحْوَذَ عَلَيْهِمُ الشَّيْطَانُ فَأَنْسَاهُمْ ذِكْرَ اللّٰهِ ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ حِزْبُ الشَّيْطَانِ ۚ أَلَا إِنَّ حِزْبَ الشَّيْطَانِ هُمُ الْخَاسِرُونَ

The Shaytan has gained mastery over them, so he has made them forget the remembrance of God; they are Satan’s Party; now surely Satan’s Party are the losers. (58:19)

Conclusion

Therefore, Iblis is the name of a specific satan (shaytan) who due to not following the orders given by God, the Most High, was outcast; and the word shaytan is a universal term which refers to any creation which becomes unruly and disobedient, and thus can include Iblis and other satanic figures – from among the jinn, humanity and even the animal kingdom!

O Allah! Send Your prayers upon Muhammad and the family of Muhammad!

- 1. Al-Munjid fi al-Lugha

- 2. Ref: Tafsir-e Namunah, vol. 19, p. 341.

- 3. Ref: Tafsir-e Namunah, vol. 12, p. 462.

- 4. Safina al-Bihar, vol. 1, pg. 99.

- 5. Al-Futuhat al-Makiyya, vol. 1, pg. 134.

Topic Tags:

- Satan [7]

- Qur'an [8]

Compiler(s):

- Saleem Bhimji [6]

Publisher(s):

- The Islamic Publishing House (IPH) [2]

Source URL: https://al-islam.org/are-iblis-shaytan-satan-same-individual

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[4] https://al-islam.org/printepub/book/export/html/209628
[5] https://al-islam.org/printmobi/book/export/html/209628
[6] https://al-islam.org/person/shaykh-saleem-bhimji
[7] https://al-islam.org/tags/satan
[8] https://al-islam.org/tags/quran
[9] http://islamquest.net/fa/archive/question/fa1739
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