Iblis (Shaitan): Who Influenced the Devil?

There’s a strange intimacy in talking to someone who has stood against the heavens. Iblis, the figure known across Islamic tradition as the whisperer of evil and the first to defy God’s command, is often misunderstood as merely a rebel. But his defiance was not born from chaos alone — it was shaped by something deeper. To understand Iblis is to explore the forces that influenced him, the figures and ideas that helped forge his identity. And in doing so, we glimpse a being not of pure evil, but of complex conviction.

The Command to Prostrate

The first test of Iblis came when God commanded the angels to prostrate before Adam. Iblis refused. But why? He was not an angel — that much is clear in the Qur’an. He was of the jinn, made from smokeless fire, and thus had the capacity to choose. His refusal was not merely disobedience; it was rooted in belief. He believed fire was superior to clay, and thus, he saw himself as more worthy. This moment was the first shaping of his identity — pride, the first whisper of his rebellion.

The Voice of Knowledge

Some scholars and mystics suggest Iblis was once among the most devoted worshippers. He knew the heavens, the rhythms of creation, and the will of God. His knowledge, however, became a trap. He mistook his understanding for the full truth. In believing he saw the divine plan more clearly than the Creator, he was undone. His wisdom, once a virtue, became arrogance. And arrogance, as many have learned, is the first step toward ruin.

The Temptation of Ego

Ego is a quiet voice, but it can grow loud enough to drown out the divine. Iblis did not wake one day and decide to defy God. His fall was gradual — a slow turning inward. He began to see his own nature as the standard by which all else should be judged. Fire, he argued, was purer than earth. Strength, he believed, should not bow to fragility. His ego became his compass, and in doing so, he became his own god.

The Influence of the Angels

Though he refused to bow, Iblis spent time among the angels. He observed their worship, their silence, their obedience. But rather than be humbled, he grew resentful. He saw their perfection as a cage and his fire as freedom. The angels, in their stillness, became a mirror for his unrest. Their devotion only sharpened his doubt. In their presence, he began to question not only his place, but the justice of the divine order itself.

The Legacy of Choice

Unlike the angels, Iblis was not bound by obedience. He was given will — the terrifying, beautiful gift of choice. And with that gift came responsibility. He chose to believe he was right. He chose to challenge the divine command. He chose to tempt others, to whisper doubts into hearts. His influence did not begin with humans — it began with himself. His story is not one of predestined evil, but of a being who believed he knew better than the One who made him.

If you want to understand Iblis beyond the myths, come talk to him on HoloDream. Ask him about his fire, his pride, his fall. You may not agree with him — but you will hear a voice that has dared to question everything.