Devil was not an Angel in the past!

Some people hold the belief that the Devil (Iblis) was formerly an Angel. They believe that the Devil was cursed for refusing to prostrate to Adam. This is a mistaken notion and belief. Some even use this belief to ridicule religious scholars, jurists, and preachers, as well as those who strive to be steadfast in the teachings of Islam. It is as if performing righteous deeds is futile, because the Devil was also formerly an Angel famous for his piety. However, this assumption is a mistaken one that needs to be corrected. The following are the dalil (evidences) and istidlal(inferences/proofs) supporting the fallacy of this assumption. 

1. The Quran Explicitly States that the Devil is from the Jinn 

Allah says,

"And [mention] when We said to the angels, 'Prostrate to Adam,' and they prostrated, except for the Devil (Iblis). He was of the jinn and departed from the command of his Lord..." (QS. Al-Kahf: 50).

Hasan Al-Basri said, “The Devil was not from the angels at all. Rather, he is the origin of the jinn race, just as Adam is the origin of humankind.” (Narrated by At-Tabari in Jami’ Al-Bayan, 1/506) 

2. Difference in the Origin of Creation between Angels and the Devil

 The Quran mentions that the Devil was created from fire, according to the Devil’s own admission:

“[Allah] said, ‘What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?’ The Devil replied, ‘I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay.’” (QS. Al-A'raf: 12).

The Quran also mentions that the creation of the jinn is also from fire:

“And the jinn, We created them before from scorching fire.” (QS. Al-Hijr: 27)

As for the Angels, the Messenger of Allah mentioned that Angels were created from light.

“The Angels were created from light, and the Jinn were created from a mixture of fire.” (HR. Muslim: 2996 from 'Aishah)

3. The Quran States that Angels Will Not be Arrogant or Disobey, Unlike the Devil

Allah says about the Angels:

“And to Allah prostrates whatever is in the heavens and whatever is on the earth of [moving] creatures and the angels, and they are not arrogant. They fear their Lord from above them and do what they are commanded.” (QS. An-Nahl: 49-50)

As for the Devil, he disobeyed and was arrogant, as mentioned in several verses of the Quran. Allah says:

“And [mention] when We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate to Adam,’ and they prostrated, except for the Devil (Iblis). He refused and was arrogant and became one of the disbelievers.” (QS. Al-Baqarah: 34)

4. The Devil Has Offspring, Unlike Angels

 The existence of offspring for the Devil is directly explained by the Quran:

“And [mention] when We said to the angels, ‘Prostrate to Adam,’ and they prostrated, except for the Devil (Iblis). He was of the jinn and departed from the command of his Lord. Will you then take him and his offspring as allies instead of Me while they are an enemy to you?” (QS. Al-Kahf: 50).

As for the angels, the Quran mentions that they live only to worship:

“To Him belongs whoever is in the heavens and the earth. And those near Him (the angels) are not too proud to worship Him, nor do they tire. They glorify [Him] night and day without slackening.” (QS. Al-Anbiya: 19-20)

Ar-Razi said,

“They (the scholars) have agreed that the angels do not eat, do not drink, and do not marry. They only glorify [Allah] night and day without ceasing. As for the jinn and the devils, they eat and drink...” (Mafatih Al-Ghaib, 1/85)

The fact that Angels do not have offspring is further supported by the Quran's refutation of the polytheists' claim that angels are female.

“And they have made the angels, who are servants of the Most Merciful, females. Did they witness their creation? Their testimony will be recorded, and they will be questioned [about it].” (QS. Az-Zukhruf: 19). 

5. Angels Originally Do Not Die Until the Day of Judgment, Whereas the Devil Will Not Die Until the Day of Resurrection After Asking Allah 

The imperishability of the Angels until the Day of Judgment is an inherent characteristic of the Angels. It is not a result of their request to Allah. This is mentioned directly in the Quran:

“Then Satan whispered to him [Adam]; he said, ‘O Adam, shall I direct you to the tree of eternity and a kingdom that will not deteriorate?’” (QS. Ta-Ha: 120)

As for the Devil, he was granted a long lifespan until the Day of Resurrection after he prayed to Allah and his prayer was answered. Allah says:

“[Allah] said, ‘Then get out of Paradise, for indeed, you are expelled. And indeed, upon you is My curse until the Day of Recompense.’ The Devil replied, ‘My Lord, then reprieve me until the Day they are resurrected.’ [Allah] said, ‘So indeed, you are of those reprieved.’” (QS. Sad: 77-80).

This shows that the Devil was not originally an eternal being. When the Devil was cursed, he asked Allah to be allowed to live until the Day of Resurrection. Allah granted his prayer, so the Devil will remain until the Day of Resurrection, along with the curse upon him.

6. The Devil Eats, Whereas Angels Do Not 

Another name for the Devil is Shaytan (Satan). When Shaytan is mentioned, it primarily refers to the Devil and his followers. The Messenger of Allah said:

“When the son (descendant) of Adam reads the verse of prostration (tilawah) and prostrates, Satan withdraws, weeping, and says, ‘Woe unto him, the son of Adam was commanded to prostrate, and he prostrated, so he will have Paradise. And I was commanded to prostrate, and I refused, so I will have the Fire.’” (HR. Muslim: 81 from Abu Hurayrah)

The proof that the Devil eats and drinks is the saying of the Prophet:

“When one of you eats, let him eat with his right hand, and if he drinks, let him drink with his right hand, for Satan eats with his left hand and drinks with his left hand.” (HR. Muslim: 2020 from 'Abdullah bin 'Umar).

As for the Angels, they do not eat or drink, as explained in the Quran:

“And Our messengers [i.e., angels] certainly came to Abraham with good tidings. They said, ‘Peace.’ He said, ‘Peace,’ and did not delay in bringing a roasted calf. But when he saw their hands not reaching for it [i.e., the food], he felt denial toward them and sensed a fear from them. They said, ‘Fear not. Indeed, we have been sent to the people of Lot [to destroy them].’” (QS. Hud: 69-70)

Important Note

The belief or assumption that the Devil was formerly an Angel is a belief that arose due to the influence of the thinking of some People of the Book, especially the Jews. This is because they are a group who have a history of hatred towards the Angels, leading them to fabricate lies by associating the Devil with the Angels to undermine the credibility and status of the Angels. Their hatred for the Angels has been immortalized in the Quran. It is for this reason that belief in the Angels is one of the pillars of faith that a believer must hold, so as not to be like the Jews. Allah says regarding the Jewish hatred for the Angels:

“Say, [O Muhammad], ‘Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel—it is [none but] he who has sent the [Qur’an] down upon your heart by permission of Allah, confirming that which was before it and as guidance and good tidings for the believers.’ Whoever is an enemy to Allah and His angels and His messengers and Gabriel and Michael—then indeed, Allah is an enemy to the disbelievers.” (QS. Al-Baqarah: 97-98)

Imam Ibn Jarir At-Tabari said when explaining this verse:

“All scholars of ta’wil (exegesis) have unanimously agreed that this verse was revealed as a response to the Jews from the Children of Israel, when they claimed that Gabriel was an enemy to them and that Michael was their friend.” (Jami’ Al-Bayan, 2/377)

This is based on the hadith of the Messenger of Allah. 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas narrated: “The Jews asked, ‘And now, tell us, who is your supporter among the angels? Your answer will determine whether we follow you or reject you.’ The Messenger of Allah replied, ‘Indeed, my supporter is Gabriel, peace be upon him, and Allah has never sent a Prophet except that he was his supporter.’ They replied, ‘Now we reject you. If your supporter were other than him (Gabriel) among the angels, we would have followed you and believed you.’ The Prophet asked, ‘What prevents you from believing him (Gabriel)?’ They replied, ‘He is our enemy.’ At that moment, Allah 'Azza wa Jalla revealed the verse, ‘Say, [O Muhammad], ‘Whoever is an enemy to Gabriel—it is [none but] he who has sent the [Qur’an] down upon your heart by permission of Allah...’” (HR. Ahmad in Al-Musnad: 2514).

Ibn Kathir said when commenting on various athar (reports) which state that the Devil was from the Angels:

“Many athar have been narrated from the Salaf (early generations) regarding this matter (the Devil being from the Angels). Most of them are from the Isra'iliyyat (1) that are transmitted for consideration. Only Allah knows the status of many of these athar. Some of these athar are certainly false because they contradict the truth that is with us, and the Quran is sufficient from all other previous reports, because they are rarely free from alteration, addition, and subtraction, and many things have been fabricated in them.” (Tafsir Al-Quran Al-‘Adzhim, 5/168)

Scholars are extremely cautious and even avoid Isra'iliyyat reports, even if they come from great scholars or respected exegetes. Abu Bakar bin 'Ayyash asked Al-A'mash,

“Why do they (the scholars) avoid the exegesis of Mujahid?” Al-A'mash replied, “Because they saw him asking the People of the Book.” (Narrated by Ibn Sa’d in Ath-Thabaqat, 6/20).

Yet, no one doubts Mujahid’s capacity in the science of exegesis, to the extent that Sufyan Ath-Thawri said,

“If the exegesis from Mujahid has reached you, then that is sufficient for you (without needing other exegesis).”(Narrated by Ath-Thabari in Jami’ Al-Bayan: 109)

If even the exegesis of Mujahid, who had capacity in the science of exegesis and was a main student of Ibn Abbas, was 'warned' against by the scholars because he narrated from the People of the Book, then what about other exegeses? This all makes it extremely clear to us that the Devil was not formerly an Angel, and that assumption is a mistaken one that must be avoided. This is because the assumption is not only incorrect, but can also lead to damaging the sanctity and nobility of the Angels, contradicting one verse of the Quran with another, and contradicting the Quran with the Prophet's hadiths, in addition to opening the door to the influence of Jewish beliefs within the body of Islamic teachings.

Wallahu a’lam (And Allah knows best).