The Devil’s Continual Disobedience
Question: If the Devil knows that he is damned to hell, why does he keep disobeying Allah? What does he hope to achieve?
Answer:
Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,
Dear questioner,
Thank you for your important question.
The Devil continues to disobey Allah and tries to send as many of mankind to hell as possible out of spite and revenge. Allah Most High tells us the story in the Qur’an:
‘[So mention] when your Lord said to the angels, “Indeed, I am going to create a human being from clay.
So when I have proportioned him and breathed into him of My [created] soul, then fall down to him in prostration.”
So the angels prostrated, all of them entirely.
Except for Iblis; he was arrogant and became among the disbelievers.
He said, “O Iblis, what prevented you from prostrating to that which I created with My hands? Were you arrogant [then], or were you [already] among the haughty?”
Iblis replied, “I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay.”
He said, “Then get out of Paradise, for indeed, you are expelled.
And indeed, upon you is My curse until the Day of Recompense.”
Iblis said, “My Lord, then reprieve me until the Day they are resurrected.”
He replied, “So indeed, you are of those reprieved
Until the Day of the time well-known.”
Iblis said, “By your might, I will surely mislead them all
Except for Your chosen/sincere servants among them” (Qur’an, 38: 71-83).
In another sura, in the Qur’an, the story is also recounted and the revenge that the Devil is trying to take against Allah is clearly mentioned:
Iblis said, “My Lord, then reprieve me until the Day they are resurrected.”
He replied, “Indeed, you are of those reprieved
Until the Day of the time well-known.”
Iblis said, “My Lord, because You have sent me astray, I will surely make [disobedience] attractive to them on earth, and I will mislead them all. Except, among them, Your chosen servants” (Qur’an, 15:36-40).
This is why the Devil keeps trying to disobey Allah by sending others astray.
On a deeper level, Allah created the Devil, his disobedience, and his attempts to lead us astray to separate the wheat from the chaff, the sincere and devout from the insincere and perverted. Although the Devil is trial and tribulation for us, he is also mercy for us because his efforts are an opportunity to prove our sincerity to Allah.
I pray this helps.
[Ustadh] Farid
Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language
